Stormbird
The Wars of the Roses (Book 1)
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4.2 • 191 Ratings
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- £3.99
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- £3.99
Publisher Description
THE EPIC FIRST INSTALMENT IN THE THRILLING WAR OF THE ROSES SERIES, PERFECT FOR FANS OF GAME OF THRONES, BERNARD CORNWELL & WOLF HALL
King Henry V - the great Lion of England - is dead.
It's up to his son to take the throne, but frail in body and mind, he is dependent on his supporters to run his kingdom.
Richard, Duke of York, believes that without a strong king England will fall.
And as the threat from France grows, and rebellion on home soil spreads, his fears seem justified.
Who can save the throne?
Who will defend the kingdom?
Praise for Conn Iggulden:
'This is energetic, competent stuff; Iggulden knows his material and his audience' Independent
'Iggulden is in a class of his own when it comes to epic, historical fiction' Daily Mirror
'An absolutely cracking story' The Times
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Iggulden's (The Emperor Series) latest exploration of the past hearkens back to 1443 during a transitional time for England. King Henry VI is nicknamed "The Lamb" because he is known more for his prayers than fortitude, and his advisors fret the French might realize Henry doesn't have the backbone that his father had and could launch an attack. Derihew "Derry" Brewer a close advisor, devises a plan to marry the King to a young, elite French woman to bring about a peace treaty, despite losing land in the process and angering the English, who had fought for it years before. The King's intended, 14-year-old Margaret of Anjou turns out to be a strong woman. As she settles into her new role, a rebellion is led by the outraged English against France's King Charles, dissolving peace between the countries. Henry's throne and the country is thrown into peril with threats from all directions. Iggulden's meticulous research brings history to life, especially with Margaret, showing how a mere child can be transformed into a determined royal.
Customer Reviews
Storm bird
Very good I know more of war of the roses very interesting.
Great introduction to a new period in Conn’s repertoire
As a lover of historical novels and a big fan of Conn Iggulden’s work (read all his stuff) I always approach a new period and a new set of characters with some trepidation. I needn’t have worried. They way Conn writes you soon feel at home with the panoply of characters that Stormbird introduces to us. Having read Bernard Cornwall’s excellent Grail series and Agincourt I had a good grounding in The Hundred Years War that provides the historical context to Stormbird which introduces us to events leading up to the War of the Roses. This period and the Tudor period that followed has become immensely popular thanks to authors such as Phillippa Gregory and Hilary Mantel and it’s great to see an author of Conn’s stature moving into this space that seems to be so dominated by female writers . Not that I have anything against female historic novelists (I enjoy their work) but a male treatment of the period is somewhat refreshing. Get this book. You’ll enjoy it and I swear you’ll be Googling everything you can about Margaret of Anjou and the other protagonists in a bid to quench your thirst for the history behind the novel.
Riveting read
Not the usual enthralment of an Iggulden classic, but once the story got going I couldn't put it down.