Review: King's Warrior by James Gault
Today, I'm delighted to share my review for King's Warrior, a fast-paced medieval adventure by James Gault. It's the third book in a series about Owerd, a Briton who lives through the Norman conquest of England and is forced to adapt to changing circumstances.
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King’s Warrior
James Gault
We're thrown straight into the action at the beginning of King's Warrior, and the pace doesn't let off. It's an intriguing ride through a time of great upheaval, personal ambitions, and political intrigues.
So much is happening, but even though I haven't read the previous books in the series (yet), I had a good idea of what it was all about. Early on, Owerd is returning to his manor in Wilton, to witness the consecration of a new church in the village, and to marry Wenna, his companion of a few years. But despite his successes as King William's Sea Lord, and having the king's trust, Owerd has made enemies in the new Norman elite that seeks to rule England in their own way.
No sooner is the wedding over, bad news arrives. A nearby nunnery is under attack. As he heads there, he discovers a contingency sent by Bishop Odo - the king's half-brother – for valuable items to add to his new collection at Canterbury cathedral, which is rebuilt from the flames that destroyed it. But not only did the men steal the nunnery's valuables, they also attacked nuns. His resulting action leads to a complaint by Odo to the king, and Owerd is soon summoned to the court at Winchester.
But at the same time, he uncovers a plot involving a local mint, but when he finds himself, and his prisoners, under attack, he realises that the real people behind the fraud are much higher up the hierarchy. Again, trying to tread carefully, he is fully aware of making enemies.
In the midst of investigations, he and a contingency of his men are ordered north, to accompany King William who seeks to crush any local uprisings. But Owerd's enemies are everywhere, and he keeps finding his life in danger. Will he survive long enough to expose the culprits, whilst keeping the king's trust? Find out in the novel!
King's Warrior is relentless. One incident follows another, but as many are interlinked, they're easy to follow. Owerd is a good lord to his huscarles and his tenants. He is fair, yet ruthless if need be. He is also easily charmed by beautiful women - not least the king's daughter, Constance! Owerd comes across like a lovable rogue, kind to those he loves, but at the same time, a chancer. He is ambitious and keen to survive in a changing world.
There is a plethora of secondary characters, most notably Wenna and Cuthbert (who I really liked), his second-in-command. I'd have liked to see a bit more of a personal touch at times, rather than the omniscient husband / lord description, but the often omniscient writing style didn't allow for that.
I thoroughly enjoyed the addition of real characters: King William, Bishop Odo of Bayeux, and various other nobles vying for supremacy at the new English court. This added a sense of realism – and political intrigues – to the plot.
As for Owerd, as a warrior and lord, I found him almost too polite. He often says ’please’ to his men (at times, repeatedly) which, in the middle of action, is a bit strange. It makes him appear weak. He also wouldn't say that to Cuthbert, who'd be expected to follow orders, rather than ’pleases’.
Whilst King's Warrior has an engaging plot, often well researched (details about minting and locations are fascinating), it also contains many modern words which threw me out of the story, such as the use of ’majesty’ to address King William, or some clichés such as ’shrinking violet’ or ’bootstraps’ - which weren't invented for centuries. Other terminology, such as ’barracks’, is also too modern. Those took me to different eras.
Another issue is the punctuation, particularly in speech. A good proofreader could sort this swiftly and add commas in all the right places. The quotation marks were also a little haphazard.
For those reasons, I'd rate the novel 3.5 stars (rounded up to 4 on GR). The plot is really gripping, and the intrigue – both political and personal – keeps you reading. Owerd is a likeable character, and I was keen to watch his progress. But the modern terminology and the punctuation issues kept distracting me, sadly.
Overall, King's Warrior is a riveting read that gives you a glimpse at a country in turmoil.
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Blurb:
In 11th Century England, King William has achieved almost total domination of the Englisc and turns his attention to Scotland.
Owerd, possibly the last of the Britons to be deemed ‘lord’, faces powerful enemies from all quarters. He seems to hold the king’s favour by a thread, which only serves to encourage others to try and bring him down.
Treachery abounds as he tries to juggle multiple roles and prove himself and his men worthy warriors for the Norman king. But will his lust for a woman finally prove his undoing?
Author’s Note:
11th century men and women were just as complex beings as we are today. Owerd, the main character in these chronicles, is no different.
In “King’s Warrior”, the third book of the series, he goes from violence (“…the air was filled with the clash of swords, angry shouts, and screams of the injured”) to compassion (“… Owerd had rarely, if ever, made love as tenderly as he did with Runa that night”) in the space of a day.
Happiness, fear, disgust, anger, pride and jealousy all play their part in Owerd’s character but what comes to the fore is courage, with perhaps a helping hand from fate – “wyrd” if you will.
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He lives in a small coastal town in SE Australia – which provides quite a challenge when addressing medieval England with the aid of an old school atlas.
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This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.
About the Author:
James Gault
James is a semi-retired Naval Captain with an abiding interest in storytelling and history. He has written a few contemporary fiction stories and a history text but lately has concentrated on historical fiction.
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About the Author:
James Gault
James is a semi-retired Naval Captain with an abiding interest in storytelling and history. He has written a few contemporary fiction stories and a history text but lately has concentrated on historical fiction.
He lives in a small coastal town in SE Australia – which provides quite a challenge when addressing medieval England with the aid of an old school atlas.
Connect with James:
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