Wars of the Roses: Stormbird

Written by Conn Iggulden

Narrated by Roy McMillan

Historical fiction master Conn Iggulden retells the gripping story of the English Civil War in this first instalment of his latest Wars of the Roses series.

King Henry V - the great Lion of England - is long dead.

In 1437 his gentle son comes of age and takes the throne. Frail in body and mind, King Henry VI is dependent on his supporters to run his kingdom.

Richard, Duke of York, however, believes that without a strong king England will fall. His fears seem justified as English power comes under threat from France, and discontent and rebellion spread at home.

On the counsel of his advisers, Henry marries the young princess Margaret of Anjou, in order to forge an alliance with France - but is it too late?

As the storm clouds gather, King Henry and his queen are besieged abroad and at home.
Who can save the throne? Who will save the kingdom?

Stormbird is followed by Trinity, also available from Penguin Random House UK. Perfect for fans of Bernard Cornwell, Ken Follett and Hilary Mantel.

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

'Iggulden...tells an absolutely cracking story' The Times

• Language: English
• Publisher: Penguin UK Audio
• Release date: Oct 10, 2013
• ISBN: 9780718178635

Conn Iggulden

Born in London, Conn Iggulden read English at London University and worked as a teacher for seven years before becoming a full-time writer. He lives in Hertfordshire with his wife and their children.

Reviews for Wars of the Roses

[astevepowers · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Conn Iggulden sheds light on a turbulent period of English history with a very readable work on the origins of one of the biggest power struggles in the history of the crown by focusing on the lesser characters and using their stories to illuminate the growing struggle between the descendents of Edward III. Rather than telling the story from the viewpoint of either Henry VI or Richard, Duke of York, as most historical fiction seems to do, Iggulden focuses on the minor characters, showing their feelings and their struggles as they are caught up in the unfolding drama, and how their lives are drastically changed by their masters actions and inactions. Much in the way the story unfolded at the time, you are slowly drawn into the lives of the disparate characters at the heart of the book, and given reasons to care what happens to them, with some beautifully drawn depictions of the turbulence of the time, and a real sense of what the events would mean to those caught up in them, as well as being shown how the characters were shaped and moulded by their participation. There are also plenty of battle scenes in this book that will leave you with a good understanding of why the French hated to face English archers, and of just how much skill and training it took to be an archer ( although a true understanding only comes the first time you try and draw back a longbow! ). The story of Jack Cade also provides you with an insight into the anger and fear felt by most of the population at the time, and their sense of injustice and betrayal, while at the same time leaving you fretting over the safety of the queen.The author has done a wonderful job of weaving together the threads of the story to give a consistent whole, while drawing on so many viewpoints, while also allowing the characters to develop along with the plots - and there is a lot of plotting and scheming going on, from factions trying to protect the throne and from those trying to unseat its occupant. Obviously, as this is the first of an intended series, there is still a lot of the story to be told, but the finale does leave you wanting to read more. This was one of those rare books that I was reluctant to finish, as doing so means having to leave the story only partly told, and I await the publication of the next volume eagerly, but it is also a book I would recommend to anyone with an interest in history, or someone who wants a cracking good read!