Monk turned warrior Matthew marches ahead of King Alfred to Exeter, to herald the King’s triumphant return to the city, marking his great victory at Edington. It should have been a journey of just five or perhaps six days but, as Matthew is to find to his cost, in life the road you’re given to travel is seldom what you wish for—and never what you expect. Chris Bishop deposits readers into the … middle of Saxon Britain, where battles rage and life is cheap. An early confrontation leaves Matthew wounded, but found and tended by a woodland-dwelling healer he survives, albeit with the warning that the damage to his heart will eventually take his life. Matthew faces many challenges as he battles to make his way back to Chippenham to be reunited with King Alfred and also with the woman he wants to make his wife. This is an epic tale of triumph over adversity as we will the warrior with the pierced heart to make it back to those he loves, before it is too late.
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Great read. I really love this Anglo-Saxon world. It is well researched and gives a vivid picture of life in England before the Norman conquest.
The Warrior with the Pierced Heart by Chris Bishop 320 pgs
EXTREMELY Intense!
This fast-paced character driven medieval historical is set in the day of the Saxons and the Vikings. The writing vividly details this dark and violent time of the gruesome Viking raids and of their decimation or complete annihilation of unfortunate settlements and monasteries they came upon. The accounts of excitement and inciting the grave acts of pillaging, rape, and brutal torture is one you won’t soon forget and what gave Vikings their feared reputations. Some historical based facts of the time were used with author freedom of license filled in the rest. The book’s content is extremely dark and although you see a possible glimmer of hope for a humane act or some goodness to rub off on a character…this isn’t that kind of story. This book can be read as a stand-alone however, it ends with cliffhangers and probably would be better read as a series.
Content Warning: ADULT-dark content, intense and explicit descriptions of battles, numerous methods of torture, killing, and the desecration of bodies. Sexual content including pagan rituals and rape.
If you are sensitive to ANY kind of violence THIS IS NOT YOUR BOOK!
Who knew the ninth century could be so entertaining? Vicious battles, bitter betrayal, and unshakable loyalty make this story a page turner. Told in the first person, the teller of this tale truly is a remarkable hero. Not a syrupy-sweet-hero but a comes-through-at-any-price-to-himself hero. This is the man you want in your corner! No longer under anyone’s protection, this monk-turned-warrior encounters witches, marauders, and moral dilemmas that push him beyond his limits only to find his belief in what he could do fell far short of what he was capable of. This is book two in The Shadow of the Raven series and I highly recommend both books.
Keep on writing, Mr. Bishop!
Warrior with the Pierced Heart* is the second in the series. It is a gripping tale of a young Saxon warrior trying to survive among Vikings.
Matthew was escorting a group of men to prepare the way for Lord Alfred. They decided to take a short cut through the forest where they were ambushed by Vikings and left for dead. He was the only one to survive. How? He doesn’t know as there is an arrow lodged in his chest next to his heart.
A beautiful pagan healer comes along and nurses him back to heal. All this is done in exchange for something that only Matthew can provide. All is going well until he is captured by Viking slavers. This is just the beginning of his troubles. Will he be able to survive his time with the Vikings? Will he ever see his home or the pagan healer, again?
The story is wonderfully crafted. The plot is not your typical plot. It is more of a long journey with setbacks and resolutions. The descriptions of the scenery and men are intricate. Matthew grew as a character throughout the book, which is good as he was pretty naive in the beginning. I think this series would make a fantastic movie.
This is my honest opinion. Thank you to the author and Love Books for this copy.