Lionheart by Ben Kane

 

Lionheart by Ben Kane.

Published in hardcover 28th May 2020 by Orion.

From the cover of the book:

1179. Henry II is King of England, Wales, Ireland, Normandy, Brittany and Aquitaine. The House of Plantagenet reigns supreme.

But there is unrest in Henry's house. Not for the first time, his family talks of rebellion.

Ferdia - an Irish nobleman taken captive during the conquest of his homeland - saves the life of Richard, the king's son. In reward for his bravery, he is made squire to Richard, who is already a renowned warrior.

Crossing the English Channel, the two are plunged into a campaign to crush rebels in Aquitaine. The bloody battles and gruelling sieges which followed would earn Richard the legendary name of Lionheart.

But Richard's older brother, Henry, is infuriated by his sibling's newfound fame. Soon it becomes clear that the biggest threat to Richard's life may not be rebel or French armies, but his own family...

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Lionheart is Ben Kane's first novel that tackles a subject that is not related to the Roman empire, and he has made a great job of it. He tips us right into the middle of a family at war, as the four sons of Plantagenet King Henry II battle it out for power, and in his inimitable style there is plenty to get your teeth into, with well-researched historical facts spun throughout a gripping fictional story.

Told through the eyes of Ferdia, who becomes known as Rufus, an Irish nobleman taken hostage in order to keep his rebellious family in line, we get an intriguing glimpse of the politics and social structure of this period of history. Although Rufus is noble-born, his change of circumstances has him taking on the role of a squire without a master, and one with pretty strict boundaries at that. His journey to the castle in Wales that becomes his home is a rough one, and he makes a dangerous enemy on the way, but he soon finds friends among his new found 'family' - although a compulsion to return to the land of his birth and fight for the freedom of his homeland feeds a rebellious streak within him.

However, a meeting with the young Duke Richard, the King's second eldest son, changes the course of his life in ways he never expected. Drawn to the charismatic Richard, a man that should be his enemy, he follows a path that takes him to France as a squire in the Lionheart's service, and many thrilling adventures follow...

Kane's writing is extremely engaging and you soon find yourself caught up in a sweeping story that encompasses rich period detail and a wealth of great characters. The love-hate relationships, jealousy and bitter rivalry between the sons of Henry II is all too apparent and we are along for lots of beautifully written uncomfortable scenes as the bitterness between them overflows into treachery and violence. 

The moments of battle, political posturing and powerplays behind the scenes are particularly enjoyable, and even though I knew a fair bit about this period of history, there was lots to discover from Kane's depiction of the fierce conflict between Henry's sons that I was not aware of. Interestingly, for a man known for his political and military prowess, King Henry comes across as blind and foolish in the partiality shown to the less worth of his off-spring at this stage of his reign, with disastrous consequences for the empire he built. There's nothing like a bit of glorious family backstabbing to keep you glued to the page!

But it is not just the wider historical drama of the ruling family that makes this such a good yarn. Rufus' story itself has plenty of moments of drama, love, laughter and loss to keep you busy, along with some fierce rivalries of his own that get your blood boiling. Cracking stuff!

The story leaves off just as Richard takes the throne at his coronation, with a nice hook to take you into book two, Crusader. I cannot wait to find out what adventures await Rufus in the service of the new King Richard, as they 'take the cross' and head to the Holy Land!

Lionheart is available to buy now in e-book, hardcover, paperback and audio formats from your favourite book retailer. Book two, Crusader, is also available to pre-order and will be released in hardcover and e-book formats on 29th April 2021.

Thank you to Virginia Woolstencroft from Orion books for sending me a paperback copy of this book in return for an honest review. I have purchased a hardcover copy to add to my collection.

About the author:

Kenya born, Irish by blood and UK resident, Ben Kane's passion for history has seen him change his career from veterinary medicine to writing, and taken him to more than 60 countries, and all seven continents. During his travels and subsequent research, including walking hundreds of miles in complete Roman military gear, he has learned much about the Romans and the way they lived.

Ten of his thirteen novels have been Sunday Times top ten bestsellers, and his books are published in twelve languages; a million copies have sold worldwide. In 2016, his research was recognised by Bristol University with an honorary Doctor of Letters degree and he is regular speaker at schools and history festivals around the country, as well as being an official guide for Andante Travels. 

Kane lives in Somerset with his wife and children, where he writes full time.