The Serpents Sword

The story starts with a young man who has lost most of his family to the plague he decides to find his older brother who has also been murdered. This really when the story starts in his quest to find the murderer & many other atrocities. Of course love comes into it, so you have a softer feel. I hope you enjoy this book as I did, I thoughorly recommend it

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

Gripping

Gripping & Hard to put down, great narration - can't wait to start book 2

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

A Gripping Story

A Gripping novel in my opinion as good as and very much like Bernard Cornwell fast paced action packed a really enjoyable listen I have started the second in the series which proves to be just as good.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Bloody & Brilliant

If you could sum up The Serpent Sword in three words, what would they be?

Bloody, Emotional, Gritty

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Serpent Sword?

The main scene for me is when Beo learns the men he is travelling with aren't nice men at. Emotional charged and something not easy to forget once you've read it.

What does Barnaby Edwards bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Grittiness, his voice suits the tone of the story perfectly

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, I guess you could but I prefer to split the tale in the chunks so I can reflect before moving on

Any additional comments?

Bloody Brilliant!

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

Brutal but engaging

Set in a time when life was cheap and brutal, and allegiances somewhat fluid. Battle is bloody and frequent.

The lead characters are engaging, and likeable, and the narration is perfectly suited to the story. Enough hooks to keep me wondering about what is to come.I will be downloading the rest of the series in the hope that the quality standard is maintained.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

Excellent. Gripping.

I would recommend to any fan of Bernard Cornwells Saxon stories. Bring Me More please!

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Handsome hero, ugly villain, pretty wenches

Against a 'historical ' background that brings the usual slaughter, bloodshed and heroic combat a tale of vengeance and coming of age.
Fairly predictable plot line and the usual 'noble' hero and dastardly villain mixed in with a few pretty wenches. All a little stereotypical really.
The author has done his research and all is set amid a sound social history of the time.
All said, an enjoyable romp and it is quite likely I will follow the series for at least another episode, when in the mood for a non-taxing listen.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

A Real Bone-Cracking Skin-Splitter of a Book!

Over Christmas I fancied the audiobook equivalent of a box set, a bit of a binge and after some deliberation settled on this gem of a series from Matthew Harffy. I’ve gone through all three of the books available on Audible at the time of writing and by golly this is a good one. I see it has been compared to Cornwell’s Dark Ages adventures and the similarity is certainly there. Both authors describe a world where life is frighteningly cheap for the majority. The upper strata of society is held together by an almost primeval belief in Gods and oaths all backed up with the bloody effectiveness of the warrior class and haunted by superstition. I wouldn’t say that Harffy goes for quite the level of sophistication and depth that Cornwell does but to me that’s not an issue. There are strong Lords and Kings, vicious battles, much drinking and feasting, strong women weaving their own intrigues and heroic speeches and feuds galore. It’s a glorious adventure but our hero Beobrand never has it easy.

Harffy doesn’t spare his characters hardship or misadventure. You will see characters you thought would last fall both in battle and to the evil desires of Beobrand’s enemies. It’s a tale of a young man’s struggles as a warrior and we get straight into it. There is no coming of age tale here! That’s history by the time the first book starts as he stumbles through his first bitter experience of the shield wall. With the excellent narration from Barnaby Edwards the atmosphere and harsh character of the period is conjured in thrilling fashion. Maybe Edwards doesn’t quite have the booming tones of a Brian Blessed so he can’t do some of the great warriors and kings full justice but few do and with his variety of voices he gives each protagonist nuance and character.

This looks like being an ongoing series and I can certainly confirm that for the three books so far published on Audible the quality is kept up throughout. I don’t often listen to books in a series back to back but this turned out to be the perfect choice for me. From the author’s website there is clearly more to come! Bring it on!

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

16 people found this helpful

excellent

well written book really enjoyed the story and characters aswell as the back story to a great series

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Up there with the best

Love it, love it, love it. If you like Bernard Cornwell Saxon stories, this is up there! It’s superbly narrated. It’s fast paced, exciting and surprising. The attachment to the characters develops quickly and you are left wanting more! As I say; love it, love it, love it.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!