For Lord and Land

Beobrand is back, and you might be pleased to know, as surly and grumpy as ever (at this point, I will say that even his gesithas are discussing it these days). Luckily, the reader is quickly introduced to young Cuthbert, someone to lighten the mood with his eagerness, and there’s also a split narrative that follows the story of Cynan.

For Lord and Land begins quickly, the warriors of Beobrand already on their way to the next problem in need of solving, in the kingdom of the East Angles. Penda of Mercia is on the war path once more, and Beobrand has no choice but to intervene, setting in motion a chain of events that brings more difficulties for him in the long run.

In the background, Cynan has his own conundrums to contend with, and both Beobrand and Cynan find themselves bedevilled by oaths given, and the implications of them. There’s a lovely juxtaposition between how the two of them combat their difficulties, and the story progresses at a fair old rate.

I had to smile when I realised who Cuthbert was going to turn out to be, but I’ll leave that one for you to discover.

This is a longer book than normal, the hardback is 463 pages long, and it needs to be to contain the dual storyline which neatly joins together much later in the story. (It’s really a triple storyline with Beobrand, Cynan and Cuthbert all sharing the point of view.)

Come the end of the book, I confess to being intrigued with the way Matthew Harffy has read his sources and devised the plot For Lord and Land. It feels incredibly complete, perhaps aided by the use of the two lighter characters of Cynan and Cuthbert and I eagerly await book 9, and look forward to seeing how Beobrand and Cynan handle the next problem presented to them.

For Lord and Land brings together many intertwining elements of previous books, and you know what, I think it is absolutely my favourite instalment of The Bernicia Chronicles. A firm 5/5 from me. Enjoy readers, enjoy.

Beobrand is back!

For Lord and Land is book no. 8 of Matthew Harffy’s excellent Bernicia Chronicles. I have read each of these books as soon as they have come out, and I have never been disappointed. And For Lord and Land is no exception! This was another one of those books that makes you read late into the night, saying ‘just one more chapter’.

A slight change in style from the last book, with two stories running side by side for most of the book, For Lord and Land is a fabulous, engaging, entertaining, engrossing (and all the other ‘en’s) read. Matthew Harffy has surpassed himself yet again, combining a fast paced narrative with an intricately-woven storyline that, inevitably, leaves the reader wanting more as the last page is turned.

Matthew Harffy skilfully recreates the world of 7th century Northumbria, bringing the landscape, the politics and the people to life in the reader’s mind. he really is a master storyteller. He fits his stories into the known history, which is, as ever, thoroughly researched. The mixing of historical and fictional characters melds together to bring the 7th century to life.

As you may have come to expect from Matthew Harffy, the battle scenes are beautifully choreographed, highlighting the actions of the individuals, especially of Beobrand and his men, whilst never losing sight of the big picture. The instances of combat are ferocious and deadly, with the reader waiting with bated breath to see who would survive, and who would die. It is heart in the mouth time every time, with Harffy drawing out the tension until the reader finds it almost unbearable.

Besides the gripping action and engaging storylines, the character development has always set Matthew Harffy apart from many authors. Beobrand, the eponymous hero, has been through an awful lot in 8 books. The reader doesn’t forget that – and neither does the author – and Beobrand’s scars, both mentally and physically, serve to create a deeper personality, and a more in-depth story with every book. And it is not just Beobrand. Harffy gives depth and vitality to every character in the book, no matter whether they are in there for a chapter, for the whole book, or for the last 6 books.

For Lord and Land goes a step further than the usual book in the Bernicia Chronicles with a dual storyline in which Beobrand shares the stage with Cynan. Cynan has grown immensely in the last couple of books, becoming a character demanding attention in his own right, and probably developing a fan-base of his own. And no wonder! He has become one of Beobrand’s most trusted warriors, despite being a former slave. He is devoted to Beobrand but has a mind and responsibilities of his own and in For Lord and Land he comes into his own. His storyline draws from the past to remind the reader of how far both he and Beobrand have come, and of how far trust can be stretched – and how easily it can be broken. But I’ve already said too much….

You will have to read the book to know more. All I can say is that For Lord and Land is well worth the read – and the late nights!

For Lord and Land is the fourth book I’ve read in the author’s Bernicia Chronicles series featuring the exploits of Northumbrian warrior, Beobrand. Having not read the entire series from the beginning or even read the ones I have in the right order, I think I’m well-placed to reassure readers new to the series that this latest instalment can be read perfectly well as a standalone. The author comes to the reader’s aid as well because, once the intriguing and dramatic prologue is done with, the opening chapters introduce the key characters you need to know.

Chief amongst these is, naturally, the man himself, Beobrand, whose strength, speed and skill with sword and spear has brought him the reputation as ‘one of the deadliest adversaries in all of Albion’, and as a man who rarely backs down from a fight. However, this all comes at a cost as Beobrand is frequently plagued by nightmares of the dreadful scenes of violent death he has witnessed on and off the battlefield. And then there are the members of the Black Shields, Beobrand’s warband of gesithas, whose oaths of loyalty to him Beobrand never takes for granted. Amongst them is a young man, Cuthbert, who dreams of being a great warrior but may be destined for other things.

Throughout the book, the author weaves into the unfolding story brief recaps of significant events from previous books that help to explain relationships – friendly or, more often, the opposite – between characters. And, as the reader soon learns, family ties don’t always mean closeness or affection. It’s a particular sadness for Beobrand. As he reflects, ‘All he had ever wanted was peace and a family to call his own. But however he tried, he could not cling onto love’.

Cynan, the subject of the parallel storyline, has other problems as he sets out on a quest to prevent an injustice to a woman he once knew (and who first appeared in an earlier book in the series, Warrior of Woden). Not only does Cynan put his own life in danger in doing so but he also risks the ire of Beobrand: not something to be taken lightly.

Those familiar with the author’s books will know the action comes thick and fast with battle scenes so vivid you could believe yourself part of the shieldwall and itching to respond to Beobrand’s rallying cry of “Onward, my brave gesithas!”. It’s on these occasions, and in one-to-one combat, that Beobrand releases ‘the tethered beast of his battle-ire to do its work’. Is it Beobrand’s wyrd (fate) that he live to fight another day? Wait and see.

For those who like to know how much of their historical fiction is based on fact, you’ll be pleased to know the author provides just this information in his Historical Note. And, although it wasn’t in my digital proof copy, the book also contains a helpful map.

In For Lord and Land, Matthew Harffy has once again delivered an action-packed adventure, immersing the reader in a tumultuous period of history in which ties of friendship and loyalty are constantly tested, and treachery may lie in wait around every corner.

Matthew Harffy doesn't disappoint and this eighth instalment in the Chronicles of Berenicia is a gripping, action packed and fast paced story that kept me turning pages.
There's plenty going on in this story: battles, political intrigues, and a lot of action.
The author deliver a story that mixes historical facts with fiction and he did an excellent job in creating a series that taught me a lot about the dark ages in England and never failed to make me turn pages as fast as I could.
I love Beobrand and I love his character arc: in this story he's a loyal friend, a great chief and an interesting person. I liked the loyalty towards his friends and his men.
I think that loyalty, friendship are important themes in this story as fighting for a friend is a the base of this story and the loyalty amongst the Beobrand's men is what makes them good fighters.
The historical background is vivid and well researched, I usually look for places and events and it made me read some books about this historical timeframe.
Even if it's part of a series it can be read as a stand alone but it's better to read the previous books.
I thoroughly enjoyed it and it's highly recommended.
Many thanks to Aries and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

My thanks to the Author publisher's and NetGalley for providing me with a proof kindle version of this book to read and honestly review.
This is the eighth book of this successful series, but the first i have read and there are numerous references to previous experiences and incidents that have happened to the characters, but this in no way spoilt my enjoyment of this excellent book, in fact it made me want read the earlier books. Well written and researched with terrific characterisation, and a good mix of real and fictional characters, atmospheric descriptive and engaging with a real feel and sense for time and place. Gripping from first to last page with a reasonable amount of descriptive exciting action scenes.
Totally recommended.

Matthew Harffy proves yet again why he is the master of historical adventures in his latest instalment in the Bernicia Chronicles 'For Lord and Land'. When Beobrand learns of an impending attack on East Angeln, he does not pause to think about his actions, his sole concern being to risk everything to help one of his oldest friend, Coenred, the monk. But with Beobrand nothing comes easy and his warriors pride forces him to save Kind Anna from getting killed by the forces of Penda. This ultimately leads to the power shift with the stage set now for a final confrontation between Oswiu of Bernicia and Oswine of Deira for power of the Northlands.This narrative also has a side story of Cynan who when faced with a marriage proposal runs away on a quest which many think was ill advised. While this part of the story might have been a separate path by itself, it has been joined perfectly by the end of the story with Beobrand main mission. The battles as usual has been exquisitely described and the events and people match so well with what we know about the earlier history that it sometimes becomes difficult to separate fact from fiction and thats the mark of a master storyteller. Easily the best part of the book is the final confrontation scene, and there we can see the greatness of Beobrand, a born leader, who is at all times aware of the high stakes, and as always keeps his personal prejudice aside to serve his lord and land.
An absolutely swashbuckler of a book, history was never so fascinating, highly recommend this one. My thanks to Netgalley for providing me an advance copy of this book for my honest feedback.

I have been not so patiently awaiting the release of the 8th story in the Bernicia Chronicles and as always Mr. Harffy does NOT disappoint.

The glorious Mr. Harffy has done it again, gracing us with another fantastically written and researched piece of historical fiction. This novel is full of action, with fantastically detailed and well described battles, there's a sense of dread and unease that follows you through the story as you wait to find out what will become of Beobrand and Cynan. A worthy continuation to the series and now begins the long wait for more...please say there's more....

Review as part of the blog tour :)

We are back with Beobrand for the 8th instalment in The Bernicia Chronicles series. As a long-time fan of the series I’ve been impressed how the author manages to keep the things fresh and exciting, and latest effort doesn’t disappoint.

From the outset Beobrand puts his neck on the line when his friend Coenred looks to be in danger. Brobrand and his black shields turn the tide of war but this only angers their King who seems to enjoy making Beobrand squirm as much as possible.. it’s like he purposely will find fault, spiteful.. the pressure has been building for a while now and it’s only a matter of time before things come crashing down around them.

Beobrand is still very much in awe of the Queen and this affection continues to plague his mind..he knows he can never have her, but can he keep his feelings secret? Or does the King already know?

What the author did superbly in this instalment was bring in Cynan to the forefront, one of Beobrand’s sworn men. He has his own adventure when a face from the past reappears in need of assistance.. but will this cost Cynan is life? His lord isn’t going to be pleased when he finds out who Cynan has been helping.

We also see great development of the ensemble cast too Brinin and Cuthbert particularly shine through and keep the reader guessing as to what will happen next. We know Beobrand pretty well now, we know how he will react..but not the other characters, this leads to some rather astonishing developments and gives the tale the shock factor!

Beobrand’s son Octa also plays his part in this adventure. There’s no love lost between father and son.. but why? And can Beobrand do anything to mend the family bond?

For anyone who is familiar with the authors work you’ll know the action is going to come thick and fast but by god it’s good and there’s plenty of blood and guts for the fans of the grizzly details! The pace is perfect, and the detail added to the battle scenes is just mesmerising.

The author manages to give us fresh action with each instalment, that yearns to be devoured from the first page, each new book better than the last!