Richard Ayre's 3 favorite reads in 2023

After several years, Bernard Cornwell brought his Napoleonic soldier Richard Sharpe back, and I was ecstatic to read another adventure of what has to be my favourite historical hero.

Set straight after the Battle of Waterloo, Sharpe finds himself in an occupied Paris, searching for a secretive assassin, who is determined to change the fortunes of war, or die trying.

Bernard Cornwell has always been one of my ‘go to’ authors, and two of his books feature in my favourite reads of the last 12 months. His writing is fast-paced, taught, and crisp, and his depictions of Sharpe and his faithful sergeant Patrick Harper are a masterclass of writing skills.

The action never lets up, and Sharpe and Harper once again find themselves standing against overwhelming odds, leaving only their skills and ingenuity to save the day, which of course they do, with their usual violent aplomb. A fantastic return for Sharpe. Can’t wait for the next installment.

I picked up a copy of Kill Sequence after chatting to the author via Twitter (Or X or whatever it’s called nowadays). It sounded intriguing so I thought I’d give it a shot, and I’m so glad I did.

I really struggle to define a genre for this book, and this is one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much. If pushed I would call it a thriller with a twist of grounded Sci-Fi. What I didn’t expect is how well-written the book is. It starts with a bang in the middle of a violent fight and the story unfolds itself as you read on.

The main character, Shawn, is a likable, sympathetic man, and I found myself quickly rooting for him as the mystery unfolds around him, taking him from England, to Greece and several other locations. Shawn is accompanied (sort of) by the elegant and charismatic Michael, who is another fantastic creation.

It’s written in a short, sharp writing style that really brings the story to life and I will certainly be looking out for more by this author as I really rate his writing. This book would make a wonderful movie or series, as the story lends itself to this media. An excellent book.

This book forms the first of a trilogy by Cornwell, re-telling the Arthurian legend, but setting it in the gritty, muddy, dangerous world of 6th Century Britain.

All the major characters are here; Merlin, Lancelot (brilliantly described as a narcissistic, scheming coward) and of course, Arthur. However, Arthur is not really the main character in the novel. It is told, instead, by one of Arthur’s warriors, Derfel. And it’s with Derfel that we get the usual Cornwell hero, seen in characters such as Richard Sharpe and Cornwell’s Saxon hero Uhtred of Bebbanburg.

Derfel is a likable, skilled soldier, and it’s through his eyes that we see the story of Arthur unfold. I particularly liked the characterisation Cornwell uses for the famous figures from the Arthurian legends, as he turns most of them on their head and makes them human; with the foibles and faults we all have. Arthur is often wracked with doubt, Lancelot is plain awful, Merlin is cunning and ruthless, Guinevere is haughty and brutal.

I loved the ‘reality’ of this book, using some of the tropes we all know, eg. Excalibur etc, but grounding it all in a spectacular, historical adventure. No magic, no ladies in lakes, but fantastic all the same.