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A Time for Swords
A Time for Swords
A Time for Swords
Ebook548 pages10 hours

A Time for Swords

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When the Vikings attack, a novice monk's life is changed forever in Matthew Harffy's new historical adventure.

Lindisfarne, AD793. There had been portents – famine, whirlwinds, lightning from clear skies, serpents seen flying through the air. But when the raiders came, no one was prepared.

They came from the North, their dragon-prowed longships gliding out of the dawn mist as they descended on the kingdom's most sacred site.

It is 8th June AD 793, and with the pillage of the monastery on Lindisfarne, the Viking Age has begun.

While his fellow monks flee before the Norse onslaught, one young novice stands his ground. He has been taught to turn the other cheek, but faced with the slaughter of his brothers and the pagan desecration of his church, forgiveness is impossible.
Hunlaf soon learns that there is a time for faith and prayer... and there is a time for swords.

Praise for Matthew Harffy:

'Harffy is a master of the Dark Age thriller... A Time for Swords is a bold opening to yet another enthralling series. It promises to be one heck of a ride' Theodore Brun, author of A Mighty Dawn

'Terrific white-knuckle action, absolutely gripping storytelling... Can't wait for the next one. Highly recommended!' Angus Donald author of Robin Hood and the Caliph's Gold

'The gripping novel evokes the turbulence and violence of the first onslaught of the Vikings. I couldn't put it down!' Christian Cameron author of Hawkwood's Sword

'Nothing less than superb... The tale is fast paced and violence lurks on every page' Historical Novel Society

'Harffy's writing just gets better and better... He is really proving himself the rightful heir to Gemmell's crown' Jemahl Evans, author of The Last Roundhead
LanguageEnglish
Release dateDec 10, 2020
ISBN9781838932886
Author

Matthew Harffy

Matthew Harffy grew up in Northumberland where the rugged terrain, ruined castles and rocky coastline had a huge impact on him. He now lives in Wiltshire, England, with his wife and their two daughters. Matthew is the author of the critically acclaimed Bernicia Chronicles and A Time for Swords series, and he also presents the popular podcast, Rock, Paper, Swords!, with fellow author Steven A. McKay. Follow Matthew at @MatthewHarffy and www.matthewharffy.com.

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A Time for Swords open with violence. Out of seemingly nowhere ships land and men attack a monastery – wreaking havoc as they rape, pillage, steal and take prisoners to sell as slaves. One young monk finds a warrior within and fights back rather than cowering in fear. Hunlaf had been sent to the church as a younger son but it had never been a burning desire to be a monk. When his “family” was in danger he found his inner warrior. From that moment on though he could not go back to the quiet life.As Hunlaf goes forward into his new life he finds that traveling this new path is not going to be easy nor is it going to be what he thought it would be when he changed his vocation. But he does find his new band of brothers as it were and he learns his new craft slowly, surely and well.The book is written as if it were Hunlaf’s diary of sorts. His writing down the story of his life as he remembers it. It makes for a bit of a slow beginning but it does pick up as Hunlaf leaves his monastic life behind. It’s the first of two books so one can guess that Hunlaf had one hell of a life!

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A Time for Swords - Matthew Harffy

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