Three Hills

The Borderer Chronicles #1

by Mark Montgomery

Set on the Anglo/Scottish border in the sixteenth century, a child’s dream of war is shattered, a boy is interned and the man travels a dangerous path not of his own design. This is the first volume of the Borderer Chronicles. Where life leads, someone always suffers.

Three Hills is a core of one man's story; poignancy, adventure and wit. Opening with the Battle of Solway Moss, it covers three periods of a life born out of the troubled English and Scottish Marches, where hardship and strife mould the local people. When English and Scottish sovereigns could only pick at each other, only to make their subjects bleed to satisfy their own royal vanity. It is a story that is the commencement of a sweeping saga of mystery, romance and adventure set against the backdrop of sixteenth century Europe and the terrible conflicts born out of man's ambition.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Scotland

291 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2012

Reviews

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read... couldn't put it down.

(Below is my ammendment to my original review after an enjoyable second read.)

A highly enjoyable story, never dragging, with great language and dialogue. Quite poetic in places, which helped the story flow extremely well (and I'm no lover of poetry). The historical elements were well placed within the story without slowing the plot, or the character's story.

The author cleverly ties three periods of the main character's life together, with a lead out to other books at the end of each time period. The first period is in first person narrative which is delivered very well (I actually could sense myself in the character's shoes), the second in third person, and the third as a flashback, again in third person, as if the lead character could not retell his painful story, so left it for another to tell.

Considering the depth of story, it was relatively short for an historical novel (I reckon around 70-75,000 words), but in my opinion, the author's concise, descriptive storytelling never suffered.

It was refreshing to read a Tudor period story about the common man, without the usual princes and intrigue of the Tudor Court, which frankly are beginning to bore me. (There's only so many variations of Anne Boelyn's story you can take, only so many manipulative nobles and scheming kings and queens you can read, without rolling the eyes and sighing deeply).

My husband read it too, and although he likes more gory storytelling with his adventure, he found the book as enjoyable as I did, citing the author's profound thought applied to his hero (rather deep for him, methinks!).

My only complaint is I would have liked to have picked up the next installment from the author, a lot sooner.

[Mark Montgomery · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've given my own book five stars, simply because it was amazing to write it. It is for others to judge if it is worth the read.

VISIT: http://www.ruffthedog.com

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very engaging and far more readable than many other fiction offerings dealing with the sixteenth century Anglo/Scottish wars.

I rated this three stars (liked it) originally, but since reading it again on my kindle, I'm awarding an extra star... Proof some books deserve a second reading.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enthralling first novel from Mark Montgomery set in the Borders in the 1500’s. First of a series, The Borderer Chronicles, it tells the story of a Border horseman in three Acts. The plot takes the reader on an exciting journey through the life of John Brownfield.

As a child he has dreams of war that are shattered. He is mixing with the men in battle, trying hard to please his father, the headsman of the clan. He is however mocked by his older brothers and disregarded by his father. Then as a boy he is interred, used as a pledge for the release of his father and his brother and as a man he travels a dangerous path which is not one of his own design.

The novel opens with a battle, so descriptive you can almost smell the blood. It is written from different locations to keep the reader entertained and a great sense of time and place is created. Although the story of John is fictional the settings are certainly real.

Its language differs for each storyline making it very readable and authentic. As a writer Montgomery is able to transfer from emotional feeling to humour with no effort at all. There is a nice flavour of Cumbrian dialect and 16c language but the novel is written in modern language making it an easy read, but authentic. Great atmosphere is created, through horrific battles, evocative romance and slightly chilling mystery, murder and adventure. The tension builds well, especially in the battle scenes both on land and sea, making it a real page turner.

Excellent research is obvious, and the book is educational about the period. As I read the book I wanted to know more about some of the characters and how their stories evolved, future works are mentioned in the text so there is much more to come from this new author.

The dialogue is believable; descriptions are vivid and colourful and bring John’s story to life. Its action scenes are fast paced and the letters add an extra dimension to the story and a welcome interlude for the reader to get their breath back.

Characters are well rounded, each character has a different and totally plausible voice, by the end of the novel you genuinely care for them. Relationships develop as the story unfolds and you just know that there are other stories to come.

It is a good standalone story, that will be great as part of a series. Try this one if you enjoy the novels of great authors like C J Sansom, Simon Scarrow or Conn Iggulden.

[Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sensing my ratings were far from equitable (depending on my mood, and the circumstances surrounding my reading of the book), and for a bit of fun, I created a ten-point Historical Fiction Checklist. Tried it out on a couple of books I recently read. Funny thing is, some books that I rated five star, only came out three on the below checklist (including Mantle's, Bringing up the Bodies), and some I rated three came out five. And the only book that hit five stars was by a new author, a self-published one, who on reading I thought delivered a three star novel (ie I liked it, but did not love it). Proof that my predujice for rating books is effected by the familiarity with the authors, my mood, and the subject on which they write.

EXAMPLE:

THREE HILLS, Mark Montgomery
Notes; the first in a series of novels (the Borderer Chronicles) set in the 16th C. An adventure/saga set around the Scottish Borders. (similar in subject to Doroth Dunnett, Lymond Chronicles)

1. Was it page turning (ie sense of drama, tension, humour)? - Check (0.5 stars awarded)

2. Was it entertaining? - Check (0.5 stars awarded)

3. Did it have a good storyline? - Check (0.5 stars awarded)

4. Was it historically well researched? - Check (0.5 stars awarded)

5. Did it have a good sense of time and place? - Check (0.5 stars awarded)

6. Was the prose well and interestingly structured and written. - Check (0.5 stars awarded)

7. Was all the dialogue, realistic and well delivered (ie did each character have a different voice)? - Check (0.5 stars awarded)

8. Did I have great empathy with characters, and were they very believable? - Check (0.5 stars awarded)

9. Would I read another novel by this author - Check (0.5 stars awarded)

10. Will I be actively seeking out another novel by this author? - Check (0.5 stars awarded)


RESULT
10 x 0.5 = Five stars achieved

Five stars awarded

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A charming story, bitter/sweet, set in the borders of England, with a tragic end.

[R Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exquisitely written tale, penned in three parts, and positioned amongst the Sixteenth Century Borders; historical fiction but based in archaeological fact. Recounting the tale of John Brownfield, a fictitious character within a very real setting; Whilst Brownfield is at the core of the tale, he is surrounded by a web of exceptionally well crafted supporting characters, all of whom become easily identifiable and loved, or indeed loathed, within the reader’s mind.

You cannot help but find yourself immersed in the atmospheric story telling; the tragedy is having to leave the book for the practicalities of daily reality.

The first of three chronicles, this first book is extremely difficult to put down ~ so engaging, full of action, thrills, an appropriate level of romance and sentiment, unexpected twists and expertly descripted throughout. It is evocative of a bygone era yet loses nothing in adopting modern language so as not to lose the reader.

Those with a background in archaeology and history will especially love it.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a different book for me, but it was written by a friends husband so I said I would read it. I enjoyed imagining the Border area at that time, and reading local place names in the story. I wondered about some of the phrases that was used, and didn't think that those phrases would be in their vocabulary. But otherwise an enjoyable story.

[Charlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good start to a very promising series. Ties the different times in the protagonist's life... different perspectives, different locations. Very good read.

[S.K. Wee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Historical Based Adventure

Young Jack is just nine when he goes with his father and two older brothers for what they believed would be a skirmish with the English. They are Borderers who live on the Scottish side of the border. The English show up in force and Jack is told to leave quickly and try to make it back home. Not knowing how his family has fared, Jack finds a companion along the way who helps him make it home. Once there he learns the devastating news that one brother is lost and the other taken prisoner. Jack is traded for his older brother and spends the rest of his childhood as a hostage for a pledge of cooperation from his border family.
Given a new identity he makers friends and foes along the way. This story is filled with the history of the time and you can feel the sights and sounds of the area through this well written story. Strongly recommend.

[Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Continuing my obsession with the England-Scotland Border in the 13th to 17th centuries. This one was a well written historical fiction - fascinating characters. Will have to give his other ones a try.

[Francis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read a lot of historical fiction; it’s by far my favorite genre. I'm often disappointed by the Tudor period because it seems a little too overpopulated with mystery and romantic tales surrounding Henry VIII and Elizabeth R, and good, entertaining stories that look beyond the Tudor Court seem to be in short supply. However Three Hills, set in the Borders region between Scotland and England was a book I simply couldn’t put down, one of my better reads lately and one I will most definitely be reading again. It covers a period of colourful history in one of Britain’s most charismatic landscapes. The tale was immensely enjoyable and thoroughly good throughout (makes a nice change!), full of authentic, well-rounded characters and beautiful language. There were stories within stories, adventure, action, drama, romance and murder, all carefully applied and well written. I particularly liked how the history of the period was woven into the story, and not delivered as a history lesson in the narrative, or as unrealistic monologues inflicted on the reader by the characters.

The author claimed Three Hills is a novel and the ‘core’ of other stories (there seemed to be potential for at least four or five further novels), and as such it suffered a little in my view, as stories and characters are left to complete their tales in other books. But I wanted more, so the author perhaps did his job. I will certainly be looking out for other books in the Borderer Chronicles series, as well as any other books the author has planned.

[Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please read my review on other edition

[Marilyn Pemberton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book really fascinating and a very good read. It is not the genre I usually read I was included in a showcase, the caveat being that I would buy the other 5 authors, one of them being this one. Beautifully written and a really interesting story.