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The Anvil of Navarre
A swashbuckling adventure story ... with a twist.
Tristan Navarre is an alcoholic, veteran soldier haunted by torture. When his beloved nephew is kidnapped, Tristan is blackmailed into spying on his hero, the Duke of Arlienne, while on a diplomatic mission to prevent war. Tristan is torn between his loyalty and his secret assignment to discover whether the sword-wielding Duke is really a man, or a woman pretending to be one. If Tristan fails, his nephew will be executed.
Tristan's search for the truth reveals a plot to incite an invasion, assassinate a Queen, and usurp a throne. But who is it's author? Is it the pious archbishop who preys on children? The sleek and sadistic earl who craves power? Or is it the oh-so-reasonable younger brother of the King himself?
The tendrils of the conspiracy are far-reaching, entangling a one-armed girl surviving by her wits; a tailor's son who must prove his manhood by the sword; and a young Queen striving to save her country. Tristan's own journey brings him face-to-face with the torturer who has inhabited his nightmares since the war, and he is forced to examine his wounded life.
Leaping from the polished stage of a magnificent theater to the blood-soaked grass of a dueling ground, from the twisted alleys of a grimy city to the glittering throne rooms of three vying nations, The Anvil of Navarre is an epic tale of love, revenge and sexual identity.
Strap on your sword, this is the new face of adventure.
Tristan Navarre is an alcoholic, veteran soldier haunted by torture. When his beloved nephew is kidnapped, Tristan is blackmailed into spying on his hero, the Duke of Arlienne, while on a diplomatic mission to prevent war. Tristan is torn between his loyalty and his secret assignment to discover whether the sword-wielding Duke is really a man, or a woman pretending to be one. If Tristan fails, his nephew will be executed.
Tristan's search for the truth reveals a plot to incite an invasion, assassinate a Queen, and usurp a throne. But who is it's author? Is it the pious archbishop who preys on children? The sleek and sadistic earl who craves power? Or is it the oh-so-reasonable younger brother of the King himself?
The tendrils of the conspiracy are far-reaching, entangling a one-armed girl surviving by her wits; a tailor's son who must prove his manhood by the sword; and a young Queen striving to save her country. Tristan's own journey brings him face-to-face with the torturer who has inhabited his nightmares since the war, and he is forced to examine his wounded life.
Leaping from the polished stage of a magnificent theater to the blood-soaked grass of a dueling ground, from the twisted alleys of a grimy city to the glittering throne rooms of three vying nations, The Anvil of Navarre is an epic tale of love, revenge and sexual identity.
Strap on your sword, this is the new face of adventure.
- GenresFantasy
798 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2012
1 person is currently reading
21 people want to read
About the author
Craig English
2 books4 followersCraig English was born in Los Angeles, California in 1957. The son of a journalist Robert Arthur English, some of Craig’s earliest memories are the sound of a massive black Royal typewriter’s keys smacking out a story on a deadline. He is an advocate for each character’s strong, clear voice, and he loves storytelling that pulls like a riptide.
Craig’s last novel (release date 2018), Black Swan, is a tale of wall street greed, dragons, and a mild-mannered Shakespeare professor, Harold Swan. The Anvil of Navarre (available in ebook), is a swashbuckling tale of love, revenge and sexual identity. Craig’s nonfiction includes Anxious to Please: 7 Revolutionary Practices for the Chronically Nice (paper, ebook, audio). His article, “Set Your Writing Free,” appeared on the cover of The Writer Magazine. Craig’s latest project, Kit, is a caper novel, in which a young cat-burglar/hacker plots her revenge against the king of cyber trolls.
Mr. English has been featured on radio shows across the United States. Television appearances include KING 5 Morning News with Joyce Taylor (NBC Seattle), Books in Review with Shari Barnes (Fort Worth, TX), and Geraldo at Large with Arthel Neville (Fox Network). For twenty-five years Mr. English worked as a professional actor on Seattle area and regional stages. He has done more than 50 television and radio commercials, and CD ROM game voice-overs. He has acted in more than 20 productions of Shakespeare and was a certified fight choreographer.
Craig’s last novel (release date 2018), Black Swan, is a tale of wall street greed, dragons, and a mild-mannered Shakespeare professor, Harold Swan. The Anvil of Navarre (available in ebook), is a swashbuckling tale of love, revenge and sexual identity. Craig’s nonfiction includes Anxious to Please: 7 Revolutionary Practices for the Chronically Nice (paper, ebook, audio). His article, “Set Your Writing Free,” appeared on the cover of The Writer Magazine. Craig’s latest project, Kit, is a caper novel, in which a young cat-burglar/hacker plots her revenge against the king of cyber trolls.
Mr. English has been featured on radio shows across the United States. Television appearances include KING 5 Morning News with Joyce Taylor (NBC Seattle), Books in Review with Shari Barnes (Fort Worth, TX), and Geraldo at Large with Arthel Neville (Fox Network). For twenty-five years Mr. English worked as a professional actor on Seattle area and regional stages. He has done more than 50 television and radio commercials, and CD ROM game voice-overs. He has acted in more than 20 productions of Shakespeare and was a certified fight choreographer.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 28, 2013
I read an early version of The Anvil of Navarre and ended up losing an entire day of work because I could not put it down. It's wonderful; I love the voices, the characters, and the magical atmosphere that Craig English creates with the story's setting.
The thematic questions of what makes a man a man and what makes a woman a woman form the basis of the story and are nicely threaded through the chorus and prologues that precede each act. The dialogue is another highlight of this novel; English manages to make his characters' speech both interesting and, at times, extremely funny (my favorite scene is the one where the Baron explains to Tristan why he tortured him -- amazingly written, and truly memorable and creepy).
The Anvil of Navarre contains plenty of gender-bending intrigue and swashbuckling heroism to entertain all types of readers, especially those who enjoy GLBT fiction, romantic history, and Elizabethan drama. A fine debut with some truly lovely writing, The Anvil of Navarre is a delightful treat for fiction-lovers of all stripes.
The thematic questions of what makes a man a man and what makes a woman a woman form the basis of the story and are nicely threaded through the chorus and prologues that precede each act. The dialogue is another highlight of this novel; English manages to make his characters' speech both interesting and, at times, extremely funny (my favorite scene is the one where the Baron explains to Tristan why he tortured him -- amazingly written, and truly memorable and creepy).
The Anvil of Navarre contains plenty of gender-bending intrigue and swashbuckling heroism to entertain all types of readers, especially those who enjoy GLBT fiction, romantic history, and Elizabethan drama. A fine debut with some truly lovely writing, The Anvil of Navarre is a delightful treat for fiction-lovers of all stripes.
January 17, 2013
The Anvil of Navarre is that rare book that blends a fascinating plot, a torrid page-turner page, and exquisite writing. If you like getting lost for days in a stirring and thought-provoking adventure, dive into this book.
September 22, 2019
What a waste !!
This book started unraveling quickly the author has the main character a drunk but when important meetings are going on he's always sober little ridiculous amount of unbelievable crazy stuff that didn't go very well with the story line and pace of the book.I tried to skip or read on it was one silly thing after another I couldn't finish this book but maybe you will I found it a complete waste of time and money !!
This book started unraveling quickly the author has the main character a drunk but when important meetings are going on he's always sober little ridiculous amount of unbelievable crazy stuff that didn't go very well with the story line and pace of the book.I tried to skip or read on it was one silly thing after another I couldn't finish this book but maybe you will I found it a complete waste of time and money !!
December 28, 2018
An adventure story in the vein of Alexandre Dumas with a contemporary cultural twist that questions our ideas of gender past and present. Highly recommend it for a fun, fast-paced and intellectual read.
February 5, 2013
You'll get pulled into the vivid, dangerous, and fascinating world of The Anvil of Navarre from the first pages, and you'll race through it breathlessly to the end. Then you'll want more! We demand a sequel! I especially loved the unforgettable character of Sweet Billy Pay--a young girl who dresses like a boy and refuses to be victimized (and marginalized) by her society's attitudes toward and treatment of girls and women. She reminds me of the Lizbeth Salander character from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and the other two books in that trilogy. Brilliant, wily, fierce, and frighteningly competent, Billy Pay steals all the scenes she's in; you can't take your eyes off her. This is a very feminist book. Underlying all the intrique and swashbuckling action are serious questions about gender identification and stereotypes. Mostly, though, it's an expertly crafted page turner. The Kindle price of $4.99 is a huge bargain for the smart, fast-paced, panoramic journey that awaits you in The Anvil of Navarre.
Want to read
January 6, 2013Written by a friend of mine. Looking forward to it!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews