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The Crusader Chronicles #4
Master of Mayhem
Estonia may be at peace but Conrad Wolff, now a master of the Sword Brothers, seethes with anger against a wrong committed against him and his friends. The aftermath will lead to Livonia and Estonia being dragged into international politics as the Papacy intervenes in the affairs of the Sword Brothers and Livonia.Meanwhile a frustrating war continues against the pagan Lithuanians in the south, a conflict that puts a severe strain on the resources of the Sword Brothers. But it is in the north where a crisis suddenly develops, resulting in Conrad and his order facing annihilation in the freezing wastes. Against this dire backdrop Conrad is forced to make a decision that will have major ramifications for both him and the Sword Brothers. And in the aftermath of that decision a giant of the crusader kingdom in the Baltic leaves the stage. ‘Master of Mayhem’ is the fourth volume of the Crusader Chronicles and continues the story of Conrad Wolff and the Baltic Crusade in the first half of the thirteenth century. Maps of Livonia in the thirteenth century, the Lithuanian kingdoms and the tribal lands of Estonia can be found on the maps page of my www.peterdarman.com
- GenresHistorical Fiction
501 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 19, 2015
37 people are currently reading
40 people want to read
About the author
Peter Darman
117 books92 followersI was raised in Grantham, Lincolnshire and attended the King's Grammar School after passing the Eleven Plus exam. In the latter I clearly remember writing an essay on Oliver Cromwell – my first piece of military writing.
Then came a BA in history and international relations at Nottingham followed by a Master of Philosophy course at the University of York. The subject was the generalship and cavalry of Prince Rupert of the Rhine, my boyhood hero, during the English Civil War. The year I spent researching and writing at York, Oxford and at the British Library in London was a truly wonderful time.
I moved to London and eventually joined a small publishing company as an editor. Thus began my writing career.
Then came a BA in history and international relations at Nottingham followed by a Master of Philosophy course at the University of York. The subject was the generalship and cavalry of Prince Rupert of the Rhine, my boyhood hero, during the English Civil War. The year I spent researching and writing at York, Oxford and at the British Library in London was a truly wonderful time.
I moved to London and eventually joined a small publishing company as an editor. Thus began my writing career.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 27, 2017
I first came across Peter Darman's work when I picked up 'The Parthian', the first in his series which became The Parthian Chronicles. Set at the same time as a lot of Roman fiction - and connecting with some of the same events - the focus was on a culture that was outside the Roman area of influence, and was never conquered by it. If you haven't read any of this series, I can warmly recommend them.
The author then turned his attentions to a lesser known theatre; the Northern Crusades. My knowledge of these events was extremely limited; I'd heard of the Teutonic Knights, and knew that there had been crusades into Russia and the Baltic area in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, but that was about it. The Crusader Chronicles series follows Conrad Wolff, a young lad in a German town, cruelly orphaned, who is offered a chance to join the Sword Brothers (officially, the Livonian Brothers of the Sword). The series follows him to Riga, and through his training and subsequent adventures in what were, in reality, a morally dubious campaign to convert the pagan populations.
This is the fourth book in the series. Conrad has become a powerful figure in Estonia; a powerful knight and, more importantly, a great leader of men. He has built what amounts to his own personal army - the army of the wolf - by working with some of the many local tribes (Christian or not) and helping them to achieve peace. Whilst this is pragmatic, it doesn't go down too well with the Church or incoming merchants, or with those crusaders who turn up fresh every year and are expecting an easy campaign against barbarians. As with their Middle Eastern equivalent, the incoming crusaders have taken no account of the hostile conditions, and certainly don't believe that the local people can teach them anything. They are there to convert, conquer and kill.
There is a wealth of potential stories here for an author. Firstly, there are a huge number of native tribes in the area, all of which are at best, wary of one another. Others have been raiding, killing and enslaving each other for centuries. Add in the Russians, the Danes, the various German states (ridding themselves of bands of ex-soldiers causing mayhem by paying them to go on crusade as mercenaries) and the Church (with it's hypocrisy and in-fighting). All this means there is a rich palette to choose from.
Peter Darman has built a convincing set of storylines around all this. The main protagonists all have slightly different aims and agendas, and this leads to misunderstanding and surprising alliances. The principle characters are an interesting group, and have developed well over the series, as they have aged and matured. Some appear more or less throughout, others come and go as the plot lines diverge and rejoin. There is a good mix of friendship, rivalry, loyalty and betrayal, much of which is fluid as the story progresses.
For me, his style has improved over the series. In the first couple of books he had a tendency to overdo the long descriptive passages; lists of what was in wagon convoys, or what each knight wore tended to be repeated too often. Now, he does this sparingly but effectively and it adds to the atmosphere. You do need to concentrate, as all the various tribes, and their principle characters, can get a little confusing at times. But it's worth it, and adds much to the enjoyment of the book. It makes a refreshing change to read good fiction in a new setting, but if this review has whetted your appetite, I urge you to start the series at the beginning, otherwise you may struggle to make sense of what's going on.
The author then turned his attentions to a lesser known theatre; the Northern Crusades. My knowledge of these events was extremely limited; I'd heard of the Teutonic Knights, and knew that there had been crusades into Russia and the Baltic area in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, but that was about it. The Crusader Chronicles series follows Conrad Wolff, a young lad in a German town, cruelly orphaned, who is offered a chance to join the Sword Brothers (officially, the Livonian Brothers of the Sword). The series follows him to Riga, and through his training and subsequent adventures in what were, in reality, a morally dubious campaign to convert the pagan populations.
This is the fourth book in the series. Conrad has become a powerful figure in Estonia; a powerful knight and, more importantly, a great leader of men. He has built what amounts to his own personal army - the army of the wolf - by working with some of the many local tribes (Christian or not) and helping them to achieve peace. Whilst this is pragmatic, it doesn't go down too well with the Church or incoming merchants, or with those crusaders who turn up fresh every year and are expecting an easy campaign against barbarians. As with their Middle Eastern equivalent, the incoming crusaders have taken no account of the hostile conditions, and certainly don't believe that the local people can teach them anything. They are there to convert, conquer and kill.
There is a wealth of potential stories here for an author. Firstly, there are a huge number of native tribes in the area, all of which are at best, wary of one another. Others have been raiding, killing and enslaving each other for centuries. Add in the Russians, the Danes, the various German states (ridding themselves of bands of ex-soldiers causing mayhem by paying them to go on crusade as mercenaries) and the Church (with it's hypocrisy and in-fighting). All this means there is a rich palette to choose from.
Peter Darman has built a convincing set of storylines around all this. The main protagonists all have slightly different aims and agendas, and this leads to misunderstanding and surprising alliances. The principle characters are an interesting group, and have developed well over the series, as they have aged and matured. Some appear more or less throughout, others come and go as the plot lines diverge and rejoin. There is a good mix of friendship, rivalry, loyalty and betrayal, much of which is fluid as the story progresses.
For me, his style has improved over the series. In the first couple of books he had a tendency to overdo the long descriptive passages; lists of what was in wagon convoys, or what each knight wore tended to be repeated too often. Now, he does this sparingly but effectively and it adds to the atmosphere. You do need to concentrate, as all the various tribes, and their principle characters, can get a little confusing at times. But it's worth it, and adds much to the enjoyment of the book. It makes a refreshing change to read good fiction in a new setting, but if this review has whetted your appetite, I urge you to start the series at the beginning, otherwise you may struggle to make sense of what's going on.
July 8, 2015
A good continuation of the series. The book suffers from the same flaws that affect every book by Peter Darman. There is sometimes an excess of repetition of the information. But overall, a very good series that focuses on a period that that is not well known and that more than makes up for the small style issues. Should really be a 4.5 stars!
February 1, 2016
Another Good Volume
The author is a good writer, creating a good plot and sub-plots. However, the repetitive lists of animals in the forest, birds in the air, fish in the lakes and rivers, numbers of warriors, and weapons grows tiresome.
The author is a good writer, creating a good plot and sub-plots. However, the repetitive lists of animals in the forest, birds in the air, fish in the lakes and rivers, numbers of warriors, and weapons grows tiresome.
October 24, 2016
Conrad finally gets Estonia
Good story with a lot of the characters from the previous books.Am starting to really enjoy the plot now as I have a greater understanding of the geography and the period. Will be reading the next book very soon.
Good story with a lot of the characters from the previous books.Am starting to really enjoy the plot now as I have a greater understanding of the geography and the period. Will be reading the next book very soon.
January 7, 2016
Book 4 of the Crusader series - just as gripping as the first 3. Now on to book 5 Schism with much anticipation !
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews