A Day of Reckoning

Another epic read following Hunlaf and his band of comrades across the known world! Fast paced from the start with humour, wit, the good, the bad and of course the ugly all chucked in. A great book in a great series 5/5.

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BLURB
The third thrilling historical adventure in the A Time for Swords series by Matthew Harffy. Hunlaf battles peril and intrigue on a dangerous voyage to Muslim Spain.
AD 796. The high seas are a deadly place full of foes. Sailing in search of an object of great power, Hunlaf and his comrades are far from home when they are caught up in a violent skirmish against pirates.
After the bloody onslaught, an encounter with ships from Islamic Spain soon sees them escorted under guard to the city of Qadis: one of the jewels of the Emirate of Al-Andalus, the true destination of their voyage.
Al-Andalus is a realm of learning and incredible wealth. Hunlaf believes the Emir's lands hold the key to his search, but his task is not a simple one. There are dangerous games at play, and to achieve his goal, Hunlaf and his allies must walk a difficult path where friends and enemies alike are not always what they seem – and where a weapon deadlier than any yet seen could change the future of all the kingdoms in Europe.
REVIEW
Firstly, wow! I have read many tales where the main protagonist survives, against all odds, everything the author can conjure up for the character to suffer, and that is certainly true in this tale. What sets this one apart from the others, at least to this humble reader, is the inner turmoil Hunlaf experiences throughout this quest for a world-changing book. An intense, emotional battle between his life as a monk, and as a warrior is one of the driving factors in this tale. Not that the gamut of emotions is limited to Hunlaf; nay, my fellow readers, the author has produced a story where the reader feels the pains, the mind-numbing anguish, and the exaltation of survival.
I've read many books where I've used the phrase 'page-turning'. A Day of Reckoning is certainly that, but even more so, it practically compels the reader to do so; daring the reader with the promise that the lack of sleep, or undone chores, is well worth the effort. 5⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

What a read! A Day of Reckoning by Matthew Harffy is another riveting story following the adventures of Hunlaf and his quest for the mystical book, The Treasure of Life, stolen from the island monastery of Lindisfarne. And, as usual, Hunlaf’s quest lands the monk-turned-warrior and his friends – the crew of the Brymsteda – in deep water, on sea and land!

Matthew Harffy takes us on a voyage to medieval, Islamic Spain in pursuit of the lost book, and on a secret mission for Charlemagne – a mission so secret that no one is exactly sure of its purpose, beyond escorting the emissary, Giso. Hunlaf must use his wits as well as his sword-arm to extricate himself and his friends from Spain in one piece.

Nothing goes to plan. But then, if it did, it would not be a Matthew Harffy novel, would it? Spiced up with a will-they-won’t-they love story, the betrayal of friend and foe alike and a storyline that will keep you engrossed to the very end, A Day of Reckoning is another Matthew Harffy triumph.

In A Day of Reckoning we learn more about the character and lives of Hunlaf’s crewmates. Friendships develop and are stretched to the limit. Hunlaf himself, a natural leader, is learning of the highs and lows of command. His character and beliefs are challenged by the exotic people of Muslim Spain.

Harffy recreates the sights, sounds and tensions of 8th century Spain to the extent that you can imagine yourself in the heart of the city of Qadiz (Cadiz), sensing the mix of languages, cultures and customs, smelling the spices amidst the fumes of Greek fire and burning flesh (it is a Matthew Harffy book, after all). Impeccably researched for the history, culture and politics of the 8th century Iberian peninsula, Matthew Harffy immerses the reader in this strange, exotic world, full of hidden dangers.

Whether or not all our heroes survive is down to a mixture of skill and luck and – well, you’ll have to read it to find out!

Matthew Harffy has honed and perfected his skills as a storyteller over the years, to such an extent that a fabulous week of reading is anticipated and expected when a new book is released. And A Day of Reckoning does not disappoint.

Never a simple quest but one that tests Hunlaf’s resolve to the full in this tale set in the era of Charlemagne. Chronicling his adventures and his continuing search for the book “The Treasure of Life” the small matter of stolen silver and liquid fire lead Hunlaf and his band of brothers through encounters with piracy, imprisonment and pyrotechnics before a frantic escape which nearly seals his fate.
Cracking read.

I love this series and I'm always fascinated by the adventures and the travels of Hunlaf.
A fast paced historical fiction with a lot of adventure and vivid and well researched historical background
This story is entertaining and compelling, it kept me hooked till the end.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine