Iron William and the Lost Prophecy

The Trials of Iron William Kidd #1

by Michael Gardner

When the renowned seer Nostredame prophesies a new emperor will rise to conquer Europe, the rulers of every nation grow nervous. King Henry VIII of England dispatches his two most trusted secret servants to recover the prophecy from French hands, hoping to unlock its secrets.

As Iron William Kidd and his partner, Tom Flint, hunt for the prophecy, they discover the French are keeping it locked in a formidable vault, complete with deadly and cunning traps designed by Renaissance genius, Leonardo da Vinci.

37 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 14, 2014

About the author

Michael Gardner writes stories from the twilight zone of his mind, a middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition and his sock drawer. Cross over if you dare.

Reviews

[Raymond Elmo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Iron William
(The Trials of Iron William Kidd #1)

This is long short story, no short novel. It is an action caper showing the quick moves of two practiced spy-assassins. Their target: Nostradamus's most crucial, world-shaking prophecy, locked in a vault in the dungeon of a fortress. No ordinary vault: Da Vinci himself designed the traps. Excellent premise for adventure.

The narrative is competent and quick as Kidd and Flint's partner-patter and knife-work. The historicity is solid without becoming a nuisance. I like Gardner's smaller touches to 16th century reality, such as wine in jugs not bottles, and that horses are not bikes to leave by the door. You tend horses, water them, rub them down. Flint-locks and powder pans are high-tech problem-children, touchy as a new operating system.

This story introduces us to the basics of a longer arc; the villainous Caretaker and William Kidd, who may be part of the prophecy. If there is any emotional attachment made by the reader it is to William and his partner Flint. They are not loveable characters, not heroic romantics nor dark-hearted for past evils. Just likeable rogues who enjoy how good they are at being, well, likable rogues. But title and prophecy imply that William's character of background determination, the 'iron' in him, will be the key to later showdowns.

Excellent lead-in to a fuller story.

[Patricia Hamill · Rating 3 out of 5]

A prophesy, an infiltration into a trapped vault, and some banter. A bit of tragedy, too. It's bloody in places.

Hey, it's not bad, but nowhere near as awesome as Book 2 in the series, which I read a few years ago. This is a very short story that just sets the stage for the second book, more like a tickler or a bonus book.

I still very much recommend Iron William and the Carpenter's Tears, though. That's a solid story.

I purchased this book on Amazon.

[Ginger Bensman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Move over Indiana Jones! Loved this swashbuckling adventure. Now I want to read all the adventures of Iron William Kidd and his side-kick, Tom Flint. The historical detail seemed just right. Definitely left me wanting more.

[Michael Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whenever I read what I consider to be an "action" book, I always try to imagine what it would be like as either a film or a short tv programme. Does the plot and characters hold my interest throughout, or would i turn off at the first advert break?

Iron William is one of those books which, now I have seen that it is one in a series, I would put on series link.

The plot itself is simple. Nostrodame has a vision which he writes down. Some powerful people find out and before we know what's happening, other people are trying to steal it. Cue inter-country espionage, Da Vinci traps and double crossing. Mr Gardner set the scenes out well, describing the surroundings and character with just the right amount of detail without going overboard and kept the pace at the right speed.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story and read it all in one sitting, something which is rare for me with everything else that is going on in my own life, so for it to hold my attention, even as a "short" story shows what I thought of it.

My only complaint would be that it wasn't long enough! I would happily have enjoyed this story if it was double the length.

All in all, a good solid start to a series and I'm looking forward to book two.

I received a free review copy of this book for my honest opinion but would happily have paid money for the privilege of reading.

[James Field · Rating 5 out of 5]

Iron William Kidd is a sixteenth century secret agent. Under commission from King Henry VIII, Kidd and his accomplice, Tom Flint, have to penetrate France's most secure fortress to steal a secret document. A document written by none other than Nostradamus, whose unusually clear prediction is of world shattering importance to kings and bishops alike.

This short story is a prequel to the excellent 'Carpenter's Tears', but is a great little story all by itself.

In this fast-paced thriller, Michael Gardner once again displays his unique talent of compelling storytelling. There is cunning, bravery, and adventure in profusion.

[Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Michael Gardner’s “Iron William” is a fun, swashbuckling romp.

Occasionally I step out of my usual genres to see what else is out there. More often than not, I won’t finish the book. This one was an exception. Though short, it was an enjoyable and very fresh story which I read while on a plane. It seems a cross between the Indian Jones and the Three Musketeers movies.

Other reviewers have largely summarized the story, so I won’t do that again, and I won’t share any spoilers other than to say that it is more complex and clever than you’ll likely expect in a volume this slim.

The editing was strong (far better than you see in most indie books, and good by any measure), but I was most impressed by the writing. It was creative without becoming overly complex or purple. Just one example: “They trailed the musketeers along the Marne River, where poplars carved the afternoon sunlight into amber beams.” Simple, descriptive, fresh.

My only quibble – and it is one for which I’m admittedly a stickler – was that on several occasions the events were so improbable that things happened the way they did to continue the story. Given that this is a frolicking adventure, this is not a major issue, but it did give me pause on several occasions.

Recommended for an hour of fun reading. A solid 4 ‘stars’ and confidence that you’ll enjoy it if you are into such tales.

[James Womack · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is set in the 1500's and jumps out at you in the first few sentences. It then sort of settles down into getting the story told and providing details I found picturesque. The actual prophesy creates tension from the get go. Having to retrieve a copy of it from a well-protected lair creates anticipation for intrigue and action. I found myself resenting the fact my wife and her gal pals dragged me away from the book for out of the house time. But around 4:40AM today I was up and back reading. It's that kind of story. I found myself wondering if and when the characters Flint and Kidd would end up killing one another. They seem to be uneasy partners and not necessarily having exactly the same goals. Just the first impression I got early in the story. As the story moves on it becomes more of a shared adventure and more dangerous than that even promised by the opening chapter. And consequently grabs you again but this time with a slow, persistent and increasing squeeze that resists letting you go. By this point you're pretty much hooked anyway so don't want to be let go. And the adventure continues in other books. The reader will not be disappointed with this first story nor I imagine with the succeeding ones.

[Chotley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a short tale that provides background and introduction to the characters who star in the novel Iron William and the Carpenter's Tears. Author Gardner does an excellent job building this historic setting. I felt like I was there with the characters, but he never lets his descriptions impede the forward motion of the story.

The two spies are well differentiated from one another, so it's easy to keep them separated. We don't learn that much about them in this introductory story, but they're clearly clever guys. They're darn quick to kill and don't seem to feel a lot of remorse about it, which made them a tad hard to like.

What I especially enjoyed were the traps protecting the document that is the central quest of this story. They're carefully thought out and believable for the time. The reader has a chance to think through solutions for foiling the traps ahead of the characters, which makes this a bit of a puzzle tale and all the more fun.

If you like action-based spy stories in historical settings, you'll enjoy this read.

[Michael Hebler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short historical adventure, about two Englishmen who attempt to steal a Nostredame prophecy from the French, was a page turner from the start. Well-paced and mysterious, Gardner tells a biting story about a 16th century secret agent, Iron William, who must traverse past three perils to claim his prize.

I give this story 4.5 stars, chipped down from 5 because of the three "traps." The increasing build up of these traps indicated that there would be more of a climax when reached. The traps were ingenious for the time period of the story but were sped through too quickly, not giving this reader time to really enjoy their dangers.

Still, this short story was well planned and written. Gardner is skilled in his descriptions and building intensity.

[Lynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a short story (30 some odd pages). Think Indiana Jones but 16th Century. I really enjoyed the story. There was lots of action and Will is very smart and crafty. Great little read.