Almost any English speaking student today rhymes off the
Norman Conquest of present day England occurred in 1066
and that will be the end of that till the Magna Carta in
1215 and then on to more modern stuff. This is definitely
not the case for James Aitcheson as a young history scholar.
Not only is he fully captivated by the major social and
economic transformation that occurred during this time
period, along with the related massive political upheavals
and bloody battles; but, he has chosen to write about this
turbulent time from the Norman point of view in his 1066:
The Bloody Aftermath Conquest series.
THE SPLINTERED KINGDOM is the second book in Aitcheson's
Conquest series and the main protagonist is Tancred a
Dinant, a 27 year old proud and arrogant Norman knight from
Breton who is enjoying his newly won lordship and manor home
at Earnford, close by the border in the Welsh Marches. His
peaceful farms and the lives of the English people now under
his protection and banner are shattered by Welsh raiders,
and Tancred is relentless in pursuing them. Will the English
folk whose language he does not know accept him as being
capable of being their leader?
Tancred loves his new lands and is happy and settled in his
life with his woman Leofrun, now pregnant with their first
child. Yet,will he be able to stay? Despite his longings
and vow to protect his people, larger troubles loom darkly
on the horizon and he knows he has to follow his lord. Some
of the English rebels, such as Eadger the Aetheling, are
swelling the ranks of the Welsh and helping their cause.
Can the Normans hold out against them? If that isn't trouble
enough, they are not Tancred's only enemies. Some Norman
barons are jealous of the favour given to this upstart
Breton. Will treachery be involved as he battles for his
life? What will be the outcome?
As a historian and storyteller, James Aitcheson instantly
pulls you into the sights, smells, places and times of this
little told period of time in 1070 as the Normans battle to
hold onto their newly gained lands from their many enemies
near and far. Many of the characters, including Tancred, are
introduced in the first book of the Conquest series,
Sworn Sword, yet they are also fully developed as
characters in THE SPLINTERED KINGDOM, so this can be read as
a stand-alone novel, yet I am sure history buffs and
adventure fans will definitely want to read all the exciting
tales in this saga.
Told in the first person from Tancred's perspective, the
reader experiences his life and emotions in graphic detail,
especially in the battle scenes. Tancred is an intelligent
and easy to like hero and from his perceptive eyes, we see
the hostility or acceptance of the recently conquered
English, the rivalry and bloodthirstiness of his fellow
Normans, and the shifting fates facing men and women,
whether they were born noble or not. While there is a tiny
hint of a romantic relationship in the story, due to the
nature of the times and Tancred's role as a knight,
politics, fights and battles form the bulk of this thrilling
and very well written story.
Whether you are a lover of English history or not, this is
an amazing story you will not want to miss! England truly
was THE SPLINTERED KINGDOM during this very turbulent time.
I can now hardly wait to get my hands on the next book,
Knights of the Hawk, to hear more about what happens next!
This brilliant second novel, featuring the hero of Sworn
Sword, begins in June 1069 on the war-torn Welsh Marches and
ends with William the Conqueror's brutal campaign known as
the Harrying of the North.
The story begins on the Welsh Marches, where Tancred has
been given land by his new lord, Robert Malet, in return for
his services in the battle for York. Now a lord in his own
right, he has knights of his own to command and a manor to
call home. But all is far from peaceful. The Welsh are
joining forces with the English against the Normans and when
skirmishes turn into a full scale battle at Shrewsbury,
Tancred is betrayed by a rival border lord and taken
prisoner by the Welsh. Meanwhile the woman he loves is taken
hostage by enemy English forces and the Vikings invade the
east coast. Never has Tancred faced a more impossible situation.
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