Shield Breaker

Thanks to Head of Zeus for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this latest great book from Richard Cullen.

I thought that following on from 'Oath Bound', the first in this series of adventures for Styrka the Red Wolf, was going to be a tough task. However, this new novel is genuinely even better than the first.

The battle/fight scenes are incredible. The reader can feel the fear, the rage, the terror; hear the swing of steel and crunch of bone and smell the blood, sweat and mud of battle. Great stuff.

Styrka's journey this time is really involving. The adventures he has and the situations he finds himself in due to love and loyalty, and the thirst for vengeance are many and varied, and for me there was something Conan-esque about his focus - his need to reunite with Gisela, whatever stood in his way.

Ronan's character arc is similarly interesting, and we're left wondering where he's going to end up. A new man, or a return his old ways?

Gisela drives both Styrka and Ronan's stories, in different but equally interesting ways, and will continue to so I suspect.

The filthy Franks are terrific bad guys, without redemption, and the political/social matters of the time are always interesting, generating motivations amongst the conniving invaders.

So another 5 stars from me, cannot wait for the next one, and can't recommend highly enough.