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.
The global bestseller Bernard Cornwell returns with his iconic hero, Richard Sharpe.
If any man can do the impossible it's Richard Sharpe . . .
Lieutenant-Colonel Sharpe is a man with a reputation. Born in the gutter, raised a foundling, he joined the army twenty-one years ago, and it's been his home ever since. He's a loose cannon, but his unconventional methods make him a valuable weapon.
So when, the dust still settling after the Battle of Waterloo, the Duke of Wellington needs a favour, he turns to Sharpe. For Wellington knows that the end of one…
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.
After the trauma of his wife Liz's murder, Shawn Nash wanted vengeance. He never expected to be hunted.
A stranger's knock at his door plunges Shawn into a strange underworld of digital espionage, false identities, and violent mayhem. His mysterious benefactor Michael seems to be equal parts guardian angel and trickster, and Shawn has a growing awareness of connection with something else in his mind.
Hunted by hitmen, haunted by memories, and hidden from digital surveillance, Shawn must discover what really happened the night his wife died -- and then find a way to save the world from the monster…
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.
Uther, the High King of Britain, has died, leaving the infant Mordred as his only heir. His uncle, the loyal and gifted warlord Arthur, now rules as caretaker for a country which has fallen into chaos - threats emerge from within the British kingdoms while vicious Saxon armies stand ready to invade. As he struggles to unite Britain and hold back the Saxon enemy, Arthur is embroiled in a doomed romance with beautiful Guinevere.
When Sergeant Rob Deakin is mortally wounded during the First World War, he is destined to become just another nameless casualty of a terrible conflict. However, a chance encounter with a mysterious stranger will change the course of Rob’s life forever… Not only has he been healed, but he cannot die, and he will never age.
What follows is a cursed journey through a century of incredible change, seen through the eyes of a man immune to death, while he searches endlessly for the answers to what makes him so unique.
Rob must find out why he is so different. Before he loses his humanity completely…
