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The White Hawk #2
The White Hawk (II): Loyalty
“A Warwick! A Warwick!”
England, 1470. The Earl of Warwick has fled England and the wrath of his former friend, King Edward of York. Barred from entering Calais, he turns to piracy and attacking merchant ships in the Channel.
The surviving members of the Bolton family have also fled their homes in England. Landless and condemned as traitors, they follow Warwick to France and the court of Margaret of Anjou, who has lived in exile since the destruction of the Lancastrian army at Towton. Desperate to regain power, Warwick sends James Bolton with a message to Margaret, his old enemy, offering to forge an alliance with her and overthrow King Edward. Together they plan to restore the mad Henry VI, who has been a prisoner for ten years in the Tower of London.
Warwick gathers a new army from the surviving Lancastrian nobles, and begins to assemble an invasion fleet. King Edward must keep one eye on this threat, while also coping with fresh rumours of conspiracy and rebellion in the north. The peace in England is once again shattered as the war-drums beat and the banners unfurl for the final death-struggle between the rival Houses of Lancaster and York.
Part III of The White Hawk chronicles the further adventures of the Boltons, caught up in a conflict not of their own making, and forced to play their part by powers beyond their control.
The White Hawk (II): Loyalty is a new edition, previously published as The White Hawk (III): Restoration.
England, 1470. The Earl of Warwick has fled England and the wrath of his former friend, King Edward of York. Barred from entering Calais, he turns to piracy and attacking merchant ships in the Channel.
The surviving members of the Bolton family have also fled their homes in England. Landless and condemned as traitors, they follow Warwick to France and the court of Margaret of Anjou, who has lived in exile since the destruction of the Lancastrian army at Towton. Desperate to regain power, Warwick sends James Bolton with a message to Margaret, his old enemy, offering to forge an alliance with her and overthrow King Edward. Together they plan to restore the mad Henry VI, who has been a prisoner for ten years in the Tower of London.
Warwick gathers a new army from the surviving Lancastrian nobles, and begins to assemble an invasion fleet. King Edward must keep one eye on this threat, while also coping with fresh rumours of conspiracy and rebellion in the north. The peace in England is once again shattered as the war-drums beat and the banners unfurl for the final death-struggle between the rival Houses of Lancaster and York.
Part III of The White Hawk chronicles the further adventures of the Boltons, caught up in a conflict not of their own making, and forced to play their part by powers beyond their control.
The White Hawk (II): Loyalty is a new edition, previously published as The White Hawk (III): Restoration.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
313 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 20, 2013
11 people are currently reading
70 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 17, 2015
I had high expectations for this novel and was not disappointed. 'White Hawk (I): Revenge' was my introduction to David Pilling's writing when I happened to catch it as a Kindle freebie a few months ago. This one I purchased the day it came out, so anxious was I to continue the story of Richard Bolton during the Wars of the Roses. The second installment of The White Hawk series begins approximately 8 years after the end of the first and covers the rebellions of Robin Redesdale and Lord Wells. Though he is briefly taken prisoner by the Earl of Warwick, Edward IV manages to crush both attempts at removing him from power.
Richard Bolton is a diehard Lancastrian obsessed with putting Henry VI back on the throne. He has become so removed from the idea of regular life with a wife, family, and estates, that he jumps at the opportunity to fight against Edward regardless of who he must ally himself with or what the odds of success seem to be.
Though this novel is written from the Lancastrian point of view, Pilling does an excellent job of balanced storytelling. Henry VI does not enter the story at all, only those who are willing to risk their lives for his benefit, whether they believe him to be slightly addled or not. Edward may be the enemy, but he is still written as the glorious, larger than life soldier that few deny him to be. The only person written as a true villain is Warwick, and, really, for good reason. He did lead rebellion and cause the deaths of thousands, first to put Edward on the throne, then in attempts to remove him.
Pilling writes realistic, moving battle scenes with some men who bravely charge forth regardless of the odds and others who manage to hide in the back even if their side is victorious. Some men go bravely to deaths that they don't deserve, while others bribe their way out of those that are well earned. This is no historical fiction fluff. It is gritty, harsh, and real.
Richard has not forgotten the revenge he vowed in the first book of this series and it controls his life, effects his relationship with his remaining family, and keeps him from starting a life of his own not based on war. Pilling also describes the indecision and questions of loyalty of the Lancastrians who must decide whether fighting for Warwick or one of his agents is desirable. Is it enough to be fighting against Edward, who they consider to be a usurper, or should they hold out and fight only for Henry VI himself. It is a conundrum that I had not previously considered.
This novel may not be long, but it packs a big punch with fantastic and varied characters, remarkable historical research, and high quality writing.
Richard Bolton is a diehard Lancastrian obsessed with putting Henry VI back on the throne. He has become so removed from the idea of regular life with a wife, family, and estates, that he jumps at the opportunity to fight against Edward regardless of who he must ally himself with or what the odds of success seem to be.
Though this novel is written from the Lancastrian point of view, Pilling does an excellent job of balanced storytelling. Henry VI does not enter the story at all, only those who are willing to risk their lives for his benefit, whether they believe him to be slightly addled or not. Edward may be the enemy, but he is still written as the glorious, larger than life soldier that few deny him to be. The only person written as a true villain is Warwick, and, really, for good reason. He did lead rebellion and cause the deaths of thousands, first to put Edward on the throne, then in attempts to remove him.
Pilling writes realistic, moving battle scenes with some men who bravely charge forth regardless of the odds and others who manage to hide in the back even if their side is victorious. Some men go bravely to deaths that they don't deserve, while others bribe their way out of those that are well earned. This is no historical fiction fluff. It is gritty, harsh, and real.
Richard has not forgotten the revenge he vowed in the first book of this series and it controls his life, effects his relationship with his remaining family, and keeps him from starting a life of his own not based on war. Pilling also describes the indecision and questions of loyalty of the Lancastrians who must decide whether fighting for Warwick or one of his agents is desirable. Is it enough to be fighting against Edward, who they consider to be a usurper, or should they hold out and fight only for Henry VI himself. It is a conundrum that I had not previously considered.
This novel may not be long, but it packs a big punch with fantastic and varied characters, remarkable historical research, and high quality writing.
July 3, 2021
David Pilling is a brilliant writer.
November 28, 2016
Grand
A really good read with lots of adventure and some battles. Set as it is in real history there has to be some adherance to the actual fact and that's fine. My only problem is the sheer volume of people involved which I found difficult to keep track of. That aside the obligatory romantic thread did not interfere with the storyline which is a good thing and our hero rides off to more adventures alone not giving too much away.
A really good read with lots of adventure and some battles. Set as it is in real history there has to be some adherance to the actual fact and that's fine. My only problem is the sheer volume of people involved which I found difficult to keep track of. That aside the obligatory romantic thread did not interfere with the storyline which is a good thing and our hero rides off to more adventures alone not giving too much away.
August 23, 2013
The avenger of the first book is now an outlaw, the drunkard is a spy, the coward has reached the highest levels of power, but nothing has really changed. England is torn by wars that leave no winner.
Not for the faint of heart the vivid description of an execution by hanging, drawing and quartering.
Not for the faint of heart the vivid description of an execution by hanging, drawing and quartering.
May 8, 2015
Good Historical Fiction
As the sequel to book number one, this story continues the tragedy of the Bolton family. There seems to be no hope for the remaining two brothers and their sister. Very dramatic ending and apparently hopeless. Book three?
As the sequel to book number one, this story continues the tragedy of the Bolton family. There seems to be no hope for the remaining two brothers and their sister. Very dramatic ending and apparently hopeless. Book three?
January 16, 2017
Good story le
This is the second book of David Pilling's trilogy that I enjoyed very much as a lover of historical fiction. I am looking forward to reading the last one.
This is the second book of David Pilling's trilogy that I enjoyed very much as a lover of historical fiction. I am looking forward to reading the last one.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews