⋙ [PDF] The Splintered Kingdom 1066 The Bloody Aftermath James Aitcheson 9780099558323 Books

The Splintered Kingdom 1066 The Bloody Aftermath James Aitcheson 9780099558323 Books

Download As PDF : The Splintered Kingdom 1066 The Bloody Aftermath James Aitcheson 9780099558323 Books

The Splintered Kingdom 1066 The Bloody Aftermath James Aitcheson 9780099558323 Books

As an avid reader of historical fiction, I must be spoiled by authors like Elizabeth Chadwick and Bernard Cornwell. I actual believed all the wonderful reviews written about Aitcheson's Conquest trilogy and bought all three volumes. Big mistake. I struggled through the first volume, Sworn Sword, and was bored for the most part. Aitcheson's first person narrative style is fresh at first, then stales as our hero, Tancred, constantly retreats into self examination and too often pity as he tries to explain why he kills a lot of people. His (too long) soliloquies are not convincing, so Aitcheson just writes him trying them again, and again, and again. Fact is, as a knight, his job was to kill people, so why not more history and action and less 'thoughtful' thinking? And if Tancred is feeling so badly about his job, why does he enjoy giving the detailed means that he uses to kill? Like sticking is sword into an enemy's body and 'twisting it' to ensure death? For some reason, I started The Splintered Kingdom, the second novel. Gave up after the first 50 pages---same thing, much too much boring first-person self examination by Tancred (after he kills a lot of Welsh enemies). Third book will be tossed---no way I'm going there. Pity. The subject matter of this trilogy is not often treated in historical fiction (immediately after the Norman Conquest). Aictcheson doesn't help meet that need.


Tags : The Splintered Kingdom: 1066: The Bloody Aftermath [James Aitcheson] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. This brilliant second novel, featuring the hero of <b>Sworn Sword</b>, 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. <b> </b> The story begins on the Welsh Marches,James Aitcheson,The Splintered Kingdom: 1066: The Bloody Aftermath,Arrow,0099558327,Fiction General

The Splintered Kingdom 1066 The Bloody Aftermath James Aitcheson 9780099558323 Books Reviews

VERY FAST READ AS THERE IS NO SUBSTANTIAL CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT. TANCRED HAS THE "OH, POOR ME" SYNDROME THROUGHOUT FOLLOWED BY "OH CRAP, WHY DID I DO THAT- ISMS"
The author gives an interesting story line that matches with history. There is a lot of blood and gore---battles and killings are graphically written. Prefer to read the series in order because of the interesting characters in the book. Looking forward to the next book.
A great character climbs out of the blood and gore of medieval warfare in search of peace. Evil always follows and the hero is thrown back into the life of the sword to overcome forces that would drive the Normans back into the sea. The hero suffers more pain and loss of lovers and fighting friends. One wonders if he will raise again rescue the fair lady that flits around his life, Since the Normans seemed to eventually overcome the Vikings and Saxons, the splintered kingdom must survive. I am ready for the next adventure.
I was totally surprised by this book. I am a lover of historical novels set in England. But I had never read anything about the aftermath of the 1066 Norman invasion, particularly nothing from the point of view of the Normans. I was also surprised at how young the author is (his jacket photo looks like a child - he is in his twenties) but his knowledge of the era seems very complete. I am no historian but much that he wrote was familiar to me from history books and I also learned some things I had not known. I enjoyed the novel and am looking forward to the next in the series. I am most curious to see if he can keep his protagonist sympathetic during the event known as the "Harrowing of the North."
This was a good follow-up to Sworn Sword. I like watching Tancred's character develop from a sworn sword to a lord, from a seeker of fame, glory, and revenge to a seeker of respect, honor, and love. The story is believable and has some interesting twists and turns. As the reader, it gave me a taste of battles with rich details of the fights, the journeying, and the politics.
This young author is building a reputation for himself. He has carved out a territory, the post-1066 period, as Bernard Cornwell has done of the Alfred of Wessex era. I applaud! Aitcheson has a firm grasp of the essence of the era, what it felt like. He knows how to create a character who will resonate with his readers by showing his weaknesses as well as his strengths. As one looks at the history of England 1066 is often tossed off as though the Normans showed up, imposed their will, then everything just settled in for the long haul. Aitcheson's exploration of the epoch clearly (and logically) shows how simplistic that is. Clearly there was a brutal clash of cultures which didn't end overnight. There is much to explore here, and Aitcheson has created a character who can lead us through the period in a believable way.
I was looking for historical fiction about the Norman Conquest and discovered James Aitcheson's series featuring the fictional knight Tancred a Dinant. These book are exactly what I was looking for - lots of adventure, careful recreation of the historical period and minimal explicit sexual content. Tancred is an interesting hero - arrogant, guilt ridden, impetuous and an intelligent leader. Aitcheson is an excellent writer whose prose flows easily making for very enjoyable reading. Most of my ancestry is French, English, Irish and Scottish and dates back to the Conquest. I'm leaving this week with my family for a visit to the British Isles to discover our "roots" and reading these books is an enjoyable and useful means of learning the early history of the countries.
As an avid reader of historical fiction, I must be spoiled by authors like Elizabeth Chadwick and Bernard Cornwell. I actual believed all the wonderful reviews written about Aitcheson's Conquest trilogy and bought all three volumes. Big mistake. I struggled through the first volume, Sworn Sword, and was bored for the most part. Aitcheson's first person narrative style is fresh at first, then stales as our hero, Tancred, constantly retreats into self examination and too often pity as he tries to explain why he kills a lot of people. His (too long) soliloquies are not convincing, so Aitcheson just writes him trying them again, and again, and again. Fact is, as a knight, his job was to kill people, so why not more history and action and less 'thoughtful' thinking? And if Tancred is feeling so badly about his job, why does he enjoy giving the detailed means that he uses to kill? Like sticking is sword into an enemy's body and 'twisting it' to ensure death? For some reason, I started The Splintered Kingdom, the second novel. Gave up after the first 50 pages---same thing, much too much boring first-person self examination by Tancred (after he kills a lot of Welsh enemies). Third book will be tossed---no way I'm going there. Pity. The subject matter of this trilogy is not often treated in historical fiction (immediately after the Norman Conquest). Aictcheson doesn't help meet that need.