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thelibraryofimagination's review
4.0
Bloodlines by Chris Bishop is the fourth book in this Anglo-Saxon historical fiction series. Even though this is the fourth book, it can be read as a stand alone. But be warned: you will want the backstory!
This book focuses on a boy named Edward. Edward is a stable boy with a secret past that he is unaware of. He is protected by King Alfred and his trustworthy men. Edward is the son of Matthew who was a valiant warrior and highly respected by the King. His tragic death and the death of Edward’s mother at birth left Edward an orphan. This story focuses on Edward’s development as a soldier and his becoming aware of his bloodline.
I enjoy historical fiction immensely, so this book was an anticipated read. I was not disappointed. This was my introduction to Bishop’s storytelling and I can honestly say I will be reading his next book in the series The Prodigal Son, which is the continuing story of Edward. And I imagine I will go back in time to read the first three books in this series. There is just so much I want to know.
The writing was engaging as the story unfolds. The description of time and place were realistic and the characters enjoyable. Some characters were quite unpleasant but it would not suit the story to not include the barbarians of the time.
There were a couple of instances where I skimmed passages, unfortunately. My reasoning? I found some descriptions and explanations were repetitive and felt that I did not need to read it a second or third time. I do understand that the situations and explanations were necessary for the characters in the story but I was so eager to find out what happened next I rushed my reading. I suppose there is nothing wrong with that.
I must thank Chris, Red Door Publishing and Literally PR for the copy of this book to read, enjoy and review.
This book focuses on a boy named Edward. Edward is a stable boy with a secret past that he is unaware of. He is protected by King Alfred and his trustworthy men. Edward is the son of Matthew who was a valiant warrior and highly respected by the King. His tragic death and the death of Edward’s mother at birth left Edward an orphan. This story focuses on Edward’s development as a soldier and his becoming aware of his bloodline.
I enjoy historical fiction immensely, so this book was an anticipated read. I was not disappointed. This was my introduction to Bishop’s storytelling and I can honestly say I will be reading his next book in the series The Prodigal Son, which is the continuing story of Edward. And I imagine I will go back in time to read the first three books in this series. There is just so much I want to know.
The writing was engaging as the story unfolds. The description of time and place were realistic and the characters enjoyable. Some characters were quite unpleasant but it would not suit the story to not include the barbarians of the time.
There were a couple of instances where I skimmed passages, unfortunately. My reasoning? I found some descriptions and explanations were repetitive and felt that I did not need to read it a second or third time. I do understand that the situations and explanations were necessary for the characters in the story but I was so eager to find out what happened next I rushed my reading. I suppose there is nothing wrong with that.
I must thank Chris, Red Door Publishing and Literally PR for the copy of this book to read, enjoy and review.
helen_lewis's review
5.0
This was my first introduction to Chris Bishop's writing and it won't be my last read - I'm so happy to hear that there are other books in this world that I can now read, and that there's another book called A Prodigal Son coming out soon. I read Bloodlines as a standalone book and it worked really well. Historical fiction isn't my go-to, but I enjoy dipping in and out of this genre, especially when a cover catches my eye - as this one did. I am now looking forward to watching Seven Kings Must Die when it releases on Netflix shortly - this period of history (Saxons, King Alfred etc) really is fascinating!
Food pairing recommendation: Got to be some kind of delicious sandwich - oat bread was a major staple of Saxon meal times!
Drinks pairing recommendation: A drop of mead from the Lyme Bay Winery @LBWdrinksltd @lymebaywinery
Food pairing recommendation: Got to be some kind of delicious sandwich - oat bread was a major staple of Saxon meal times!
Drinks pairing recommendation: A drop of mead from the Lyme Bay Winery @LBWdrinksltd @lymebaywinery
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