Hi everyone!
Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Saxon Spears by James Calbraith. Thank you to Historical Fiction Book Tours for my spot on this tour! Don’t forget to enter the giveaway!
Publication Date: December 11, 2019
Flying Squid
Paperback & eBook; 481 Pages
Series: The Song of Ash, Book 1
Genre: Historical Fiction
The old world is burning down
A hero will rise from its ASH.
Thirty years have passed since Britannia voted to throw off the Roman yoke. Now, the old world crumbles.
Pirates roam the seas, bandits threaten the highways, and barbarian refugees land at Britannia’s shores, uninvited. The rich profit from the chaos, while the poor suffer. A new Dark Age is approaching – but all is not lost.
Ash is a Seaborn, a Saxon child found on the beach with nothing but a precious stone at his neck and a memory of a distant war from which his people have fled. Raised on the estate of a Briton nobleman, trained in warfare and ancient knowledge, he soon becomes embroiled in the machinations and intrigues at the court of Wortigern, the Dux of Londinium, a struggle that is about to determine the future of all Britannia.
A child of Saxon blood, an heir to Roman family, his is a destiny like no other: to join the two races and forge a new world from the ruins of the old.
The Saxon Spears is the first volume of the Song of Ash saga, perfect for fans of Bernard Cornwell’s “The Last Kingdom” series, Simon Scarrow and Conn Iggulden.
AMAZON.COM | AMAZON.UK
Praise
“Fast paced and full of energy.” –Adrian Tchaikovsky, author of the Shadows of the Apt
“James Calbraith’s writing is reminiscent of a classic, epic fantasy -immersive, and detailed to the letter. The real-world cultures he draws from are incredibly well-researched and truthful, and yet well-balanced with the fantasy elements he sprinkles in between. An intriguing and impressive series.” –Ben Galley, author of the Emaneska Series
“This manuscript is full of highly crafted detail that will make readers shiver at times with fear and delight. (…) a familiar yet highly original fantasy that is a worthwhile read.”–Publisher’s Weekly
“Calbraith weaves a story that is wholly original while following the traditional fantasy tropes.” – eFiction Steampunk
“The detail and intricacy of the writing is impressive. With inclusion of races and histories, it almost reminds me of Tolkien – in Asia.” – YA Book Bridges review
Review:
The Saxon Spears has the two things I look for in a book going for it. Rich, detailed writing and compelling characters. My first read by James Calbraith left me really wanting more, and I can’t wait to read more from him. .
I absolutely was engaged in this plot the entire time. The action is riveting and as I said, the writing is so wonderful, I felt as though I was transported into this novel.
The characters are intense and so realistic. I love character driven novels, and The Saxon Spears has this with beautifully written plot to back them up.
I loved everything about this one and can’t wait to continue in the series. Highly recommended.
Rating:
5/5☆
*I received a free copy of this book from Historical Fiction Blog Tours in exchange for an honest review on the blog tour. All opinions are my own and unbiased.*
James Calbraith is a Poland-born British writer, foodie and traveller.
Growing up in communist Poland on a diet of powdered milk, Lord of the Rings and soviet science-fiction, he had his first story published at the ripe age of eight. After years of bouncing around Polish universities, he moved to London in 2007 and started writing in English. His debut historical fantasy novel, “The Shadow of Black Wings”, has reached ABNA semi-finals. It was published in July 2012 and hit the Historical Fantasy and Alternate History bestseller lists on Amazon US & UK.
TWITTER | GOODREADS
Giveaway
During the Blog Tour, we are giving away a paperback copy of The Saxon Spears! ENTER HERE.
Giveaway Rules
– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on March 6th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Paperback giveaway is open internationally.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud will be decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen.
Blog Tour Schedule
Monday, February 24
Review at Donna’s Book Blog
Tuesday, February 25
Excerpt at Passages to the Past
Wednesday, February 26
Review at Gwendalyn’s Books
Thursday, February 27
Review at Broken Teepee
Friday, February 28
Review at Books and Zebras
Saturday, February 29
Excerpt at Historical Fiction with Spirit
Monday, March 2
Review at Hoover Book Reviews
Tuesday, March 3
Review at Jessica Belmont
Wednesday, March 4
Review at Historical Graffiti
Thursday, March 5
Excerpt at Carole Rae’s Random Ramblings
Friday, March 6
Review at YA, It’s Lit
Let me know what you think in the comments. I’d love to interact with you. If this sounds like something you would read, let me know!
Jessica Belmont 
Thanks so much for your great review, Jessica!
Amy
HF Virtual Book Tours
LikeLike
Reblogged this on James Calbraith.
LikeLike