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Kingmaker #2
Broken Faith
England: October, 1463.
The great slaughter of the battle of Towton is two years past, but England is still not at peace. The Northern Parts of the land remain in the hands of the Lancastrian king, while in the south, the princes of the house of York prepare for war.
Uneasy alliances are forged and just as quickly broken: a friend one day might be your enemy the next, and through this land, pursued by the Church and the Law, a young man, Thomas, and a young woman, Katherine, must make their way, bearing proof of a secret both sides would kill to learn.
Bent on revenge for a past outrage, Thomas and Katherine must turn their backs on their friends and journey to the mighty castle of Bamburgh, there to join a weakened king as he marshals his army to take up arms in one of the most savage civil wars in history: the Wars of the Roses.
The great slaughter of the battle of Towton is two years past, but England is still not at peace. The Northern Parts of the land remain in the hands of the Lancastrian king, while in the south, the princes of the house of York prepare for war.
Uneasy alliances are forged and just as quickly broken: a friend one day might be your enemy the next, and through this land, pursued by the Church and the Law, a young man, Thomas, and a young woman, Katherine, must make their way, bearing proof of a secret both sides would kill to learn.
Bent on revenge for a past outrage, Thomas and Katherine must turn their backs on their friends and journey to the mighty castle of Bamburgh, there to join a weakened king as he marshals his army to take up arms in one of the most savage civil wars in history: the Wars of the Roses.
480 pages, Paperback
First published May 7, 2015
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513 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
February 15, 2016
The thing that I like most about this series is that it isn’t told from the point of view of historical figures; it is told from the point of view of two normal people. The Wars of the Roses is a very popular era for historical novelists to write about, so it’s quite hard to come up with something new. By the protagonists, essentially, being commoners we get to see how the wars affected the everyday man as well as the major political figures of the age. So that, in itself, is a fresh take on this era of historical fiction.
Two well written protagonists
The two central characters of this are both very believable people. Thomas is a priest hoisted into the role of a reluctant solider, and after fighting at Towtan, at the end of the last novel, he has got himself into quite a state. He has short term memory loss and has to piece together the events of the last book, so he turns up at his brother’s door completely mute with a massive head injury. Katherine was a nun who was abused by her fellow sisters, so she fled from the cloisters. She still clings to her faith, but she doesn’t trust the church in which she was abused.
Both protagonists are undergoing a crisis of faith, which, for me, evokes their reluctance to be a part of the wars. They are normal people and have a normal crisis within their souls. Happenchance has hoisted them both into the wars and they are forced to make decisions that no wearer of the cloth should ever have to make. This leaves them in a situation where they are forced to fight, and kill, to survive; it renders them in a situation that questions their Christianity: can they truly call themselves faithful after what they’ve done?
But, it’s too similar to the first book
In spite of the well written characters, whose relationship has also developed, the plot of the book has a striking resemblance to that of the first one. Thomas and Katharine both find themselves back at the priory which, again, they have to escape. They live in fear of Sir Riven, this time the son of the first, and the book builds up to another similar battle sequence. I was hoping to see the plot develop and go off in a new and exciting direction; instead the series took two steps back and began where the last book did. Eventually, some progress was made, but not until two hundred pages of very familiar plotting was delivered.
This really affected my rating of this novel. However, it did redeem itself in the second half somewhat, but the damage was unfortunately already done. This was through the revelation of what the Pardoner’s book contained. This thrust the two characters into the politics of the wars rather than just being bystanders of the events. I think what his book contained was a clever idea that helped to bring everything together. I’m still unsure why this series is called “Kingmaker.” Thus far the Kingmaker, Earl Warwick, is no more significant than any other nobleman in the plot; he has no more importance than the Duke of Somerset or King Edward IV. So, the question lingers: why does the series bare his name? Maybe time will tell.
Despite my criticisms the reading experience remains a fairly positive one. I think the first in the series was a better novel, and I hope that the third, and final, instalment is not the same thing repeated again. Also, I think the cover art on this edition is disgusting; the publishers should have kept the authentic brown parchment effect of the first novel. This blue cover with a flag is just plain ugly. But, that’s beside the point. I hope the third book saves this series.
A repetitive, and disappointing, two stars
Two well written protagonists
The two central characters of this are both very believable people. Thomas is a priest hoisted into the role of a reluctant solider, and after fighting at Towtan, at the end of the last novel, he has got himself into quite a state. He has short term memory loss and has to piece together the events of the last book, so he turns up at his brother’s door completely mute with a massive head injury. Katherine was a nun who was abused by her fellow sisters, so she fled from the cloisters. She still clings to her faith, but she doesn’t trust the church in which she was abused.
Both protagonists are undergoing a crisis of faith, which, for me, evokes their reluctance to be a part of the wars. They are normal people and have a normal crisis within their souls. Happenchance has hoisted them both into the wars and they are forced to make decisions that no wearer of the cloth should ever have to make. This leaves them in a situation where they are forced to fight, and kill, to survive; it renders them in a situation that questions their Christianity: can they truly call themselves faithful after what they’ve done?
But, it’s too similar to the first book
In spite of the well written characters, whose relationship has also developed, the plot of the book has a striking resemblance to that of the first one. Thomas and Katharine both find themselves back at the priory which, again, they have to escape. They live in fear of Sir Riven, this time the son of the first, and the book builds up to another similar battle sequence. I was hoping to see the plot develop and go off in a new and exciting direction; instead the series took two steps back and began where the last book did. Eventually, some progress was made, but not until two hundred pages of very familiar plotting was delivered.
This really affected my rating of this novel. However, it did redeem itself in the second half somewhat, but the damage was unfortunately already done. This was through the revelation of what the Pardoner’s book contained. This thrust the two characters into the politics of the wars rather than just being bystanders of the events. I think what his book contained was a clever idea that helped to bring everything together. I’m still unsure why this series is called “Kingmaker.” Thus far the Kingmaker, Earl Warwick, is no more significant than any other nobleman in the plot; he has no more importance than the Duke of Somerset or King Edward IV. So, the question lingers: why does the series bare his name? Maybe time will tell.
Despite my criticisms the reading experience remains a fairly positive one. I think the first in the series was a better novel, and I hope that the third, and final, instalment is not the same thing repeated again. Also, I think the cover art on this edition is disgusting; the publishers should have kept the authentic brown parchment effect of the first novel. This blue cover with a flag is just plain ugly. But, that’s beside the point. I hope the third book saves this series.
A repetitive, and disappointing, two stars
August 24, 2025
After having read and thoroughly enjoyed "Winter Pilgrims", the 1st part of the Kingmaker series, I have to admit that this 2nd volume "Broken Faith" is just as good or even better than its predecessor.
Wonderfully described historical details at the end of the book, and real lifelike Family Trees at the beginning of the book, along with great storytelling where all the characters come vividly to life within this tale, these ingredients make this thrilling book an absolute joy to read.
The whole story which is about the Wars of the Roses, mainly about the House of Lancaster v the House of York, is exciting, quick paced, and with greatly pictured bloodthirsty battles between hateful bitter enemies, as well as sweet tender loving emotions between certain people high and low.
It's also a story which continues between the years AD 1462-1464, where alliances, treachery and battles will decide the power and fate of those who will eventually rule England.
Our main fictional characters of the book, a common and humble couple called Thomas and Katherine, are having a hard time to remain alive while being pursued by the Church and the Law, because they know of a dangerous secret, a secret which both sides with power will certainly protect, even if they have to kill them for it.
To get their revenge in the end for a past outrage, Thomas and Katherine must leave their friends behind, and so they will journey to the mighty Castle of Bamburgh, where they will join a weakened King as he marshals his army to take up arms in one of the most savage civil wars in history, the famous "Wars of the Roses".
Highly recommended, I'm already looking forward to the next volume, for this is a fantastic sequel, and that's why I would like to call this book, "An Astounding Achievement"!
Wonderfully described historical details at the end of the book, and real lifelike Family Trees at the beginning of the book, along with great storytelling where all the characters come vividly to life within this tale, these ingredients make this thrilling book an absolute joy to read.
The whole story which is about the Wars of the Roses, mainly about the House of Lancaster v the House of York, is exciting, quick paced, and with greatly pictured bloodthirsty battles between hateful bitter enemies, as well as sweet tender loving emotions between certain people high and low.
It's also a story which continues between the years AD 1462-1464, where alliances, treachery and battles will decide the power and fate of those who will eventually rule England.
Our main fictional characters of the book, a common and humble couple called Thomas and Katherine, are having a hard time to remain alive while being pursued by the Church and the Law, because they know of a dangerous secret, a secret which both sides with power will certainly protect, even if they have to kill them for it.
To get their revenge in the end for a past outrage, Thomas and Katherine must leave their friends behind, and so they will journey to the mighty Castle of Bamburgh, where they will join a weakened King as he marshals his army to take up arms in one of the most savage civil wars in history, the famous "Wars of the Roses".
Highly recommended, I'm already looking forward to the next volume, for this is a fantastic sequel, and that's why I would like to call this book, "An Astounding Achievement"!
April 6, 2016
For me, this was a substantial improvement on 'Winter Pilgrims' although to be honest, I didn't think so for the first quarter of the book. Katherine and Thomas are very much prey to the twists and turns of malign fate. On this occasion it seems that fate has a nasty sense of humour and drops them straight back into Haverhurst Priory. Thomas (missing presumed dead after Towton) and Katherine (caught in what can best be called an assumed identity trap) need to be reunited. Sending them both back to that nasty corner of Lincolnshire seemed a gratuitously cruel thing for the author to do but in the context of the whole book I can see why it was done.
Once clear of Haverhurst the plot gets into its stride and the real positives of this book start to show. Clements has some considerable skill in showing the impact of the struggle on the lives of ordinary men and women caught up in it. The effect of an act of attainder on the immediate friends and family of those named in it could be devastating. So too could the sudden reversal of that act and the arrival of the former owner to turf out the new man and reclaim his property.
The focus of the second half of the book is the war in the north between 1463 and 1464. To be fair, 'war' is a bit of a misnomer. The remnants of the Lancastrian forces are holed up in the border castles of Bamburgh, Alnwick and Dunstanburgh. Morale, supplies, men and effective leadership are all in short supply and Clements' depiction of this is never less than excellent.
So why not five stars? My first reason is relatively minor as regards the overall plot. Clements never satisfactorily explains Katherine's knowledge of surgery - especially her seemingly instinctive understanding of the need to clean the wound. Also, the way she uses ligatures seems to parallel the methods of Ambrose Pare and are thus about eighty years ahead of time.
Secondly, Clements is not kind to his two protagonists. Don't get me wrong I'm not expecting the reverse. You know, the sort of story where the hero bats aside all opposition, his nice best friend dies so they can survive the final showdown and then it's back home for tea and medals. It's just that life for our two heroes is a constant two steps forward, three back. There are few if any triumphs for them. For me, the last third of the book is an emotional wringer - a very well written one but an emotional wringer nonetheless. The final scene in Warwick's camp outside the walls of Bamburgh Castle was especially painful. Yes, they've found the ledger evidencing the bastardy of Edward IV but they can't use it and in most other respects they seem to have run out of options. Possibly surviving all they've been through is triumph enough but it doesn't feel like it. One of their main banes is dead, but his equally unpleasant son survives him - and he's on the Yorkist side.
I'll be watching for the next instalment of this story ('Divided Souls') with interest. Clements' period feel is excellent and has helped kickstart my own fledgling writing efforts. Here's hoping for a (slightly) easier road for Thomas and Katherine though.
Once clear of Haverhurst the plot gets into its stride and the real positives of this book start to show. Clements has some considerable skill in showing the impact of the struggle on the lives of ordinary men and women caught up in it. The effect of an act of attainder on the immediate friends and family of those named in it could be devastating. So too could the sudden reversal of that act and the arrival of the former owner to turf out the new man and reclaim his property.
The focus of the second half of the book is the war in the north between 1463 and 1464. To be fair, 'war' is a bit of a misnomer. The remnants of the Lancastrian forces are holed up in the border castles of Bamburgh, Alnwick and Dunstanburgh. Morale, supplies, men and effective leadership are all in short supply and Clements' depiction of this is never less than excellent.
So why not five stars? My first reason is relatively minor as regards the overall plot. Clements never satisfactorily explains Katherine's knowledge of surgery - especially her seemingly instinctive understanding of the need to clean the wound. Also, the way she uses ligatures seems to parallel the methods of Ambrose Pare and are thus about eighty years ahead of time.
Secondly, Clements is not kind to his two protagonists. Don't get me wrong I'm not expecting the reverse. You know, the sort of story where the hero bats aside all opposition, his nice best friend dies so they can survive the final showdown and then it's back home for tea and medals. It's just that life for our two heroes is a constant two steps forward, three back. There are few if any triumphs for them. For me, the last third of the book is an emotional wringer - a very well written one but an emotional wringer nonetheless. The final scene in Warwick's camp outside the walls of Bamburgh Castle was especially painful. Yes, they've found the ledger evidencing the bastardy of Edward IV but they can't use it and in most other respects they seem to have run out of options. Possibly surviving all they've been through is triumph enough but it doesn't feel like it. One of their main banes is dead, but his equally unpleasant son survives him - and he's on the Yorkist side.
I'll be watching for the next instalment of this story ('Divided Souls') with interest. Clements' period feel is excellent and has helped kickstart my own fledgling writing efforts. Here's hoping for a (slightly) easier road for Thomas and Katherine though.
August 29, 2023
A solid continuation of the Kingmaker series. Not quite up to the lofty heights of book 1 but I am still excited to see what happens next.
January 3, 2018
The Wars of the Roses were a bleak and bloody time for England, for all levels of society from its displaced kings and disgraced lords to its archers and farmers, as well as the surgeons who had to sew the soldiers back together after the battle. Toby Clements spares us none of the horror and drama. It's so good to return to the story of Thomas and Katherine.
September 14, 2017
4.5 stars. Great MP3 recording as was the first in the series. The 3rd book Divided Souls is not on MP3 so I am going to miss the voices. I have seen some people on Goodreads didn't like this 2nd book as much as the 1st. I liked this one more and I understand the 3rd in the series is even better. I will be reading the book version.
I highly recommend this series which has Hilary Mantel's approval.
I highly recommend this series which has Hilary Mantel's approval.
April 24, 2021
Third book in this series and I’m still finding this story riveting. The Audiobook is so good, the scenes so cinematically written, and the narrator so expressive, I feel like I’ve watched this as a film. I can see each scene play out in my mind. This would make an amazing set of movies or TV mini series. No wonder Hilary Mantel endorsed it, it makes a great prequel to her Wolf Hall series.
June 2, 2025
This series is so underrated aaaahhhhhhh Toby Clements is such a good writer and the story is soo good. Also love how well-written the female main character is. Toby Clements made her just as complex and strong and realistic as the male protagonist and the other men on the battlefield... It's really cool to read a book set in the Middle Ages that puts you on the front line of a battle but at the same time makes you see events unfold through the eyes of a woman.
December 21, 2025
It didn't take me long to realise that this was a 5-star book. A few of the opening chapters are extremely powerful, and I was also fully invested in the two main characters, early on. This book also taught me about part of the Cousins' War that I didn't know much about, and I believe it to be historically accurate (though half of the characters are, of course, fictitious). Books 3 and 4 should take me up to the end of the year, and I'll be there with my ledger, my poleaxe, and my felt hat.
November 22, 2017
Still good but It feels like the author took the writing plan from th first book and repeated them. Mind you I suppose that is the war of the roses for you.
April 18, 2017
This book seemed much shorter than the first. Again 3 stars as it falls in the "ok" category. I actually feel like this book wasn't nearly as good as the first.
This book started off weird. Almost like the author changed his mind as to how the story would go. Which is fine, if it worked out well and I didn't find it did.
More of politics and unanswered questions that continue from the first book. I'm sure it will be told eventually but it feels like it's just dragging on and on.
To some up this book is people deceive each other, than they like each other, than they fight each other, than they are back to liking each other and the cycle continues.
The main character still isn't anything special. No hero status, just an ordinary person really who gets lucky, a lot. There are a lot of different characters too. Not that it's an issue, but it just seems like so many really weren't needed.
Again, the author has potential but there are things missing. To much useless character conversations or character "thoughts", dumb characters (as in the author makes the characters seem like they are not getting/understanding obvious situations. Which is a huge pet peeve of mine when authors try to dumb their smart characters. If you don't have to play it out for your readers, than you shouldn't have your characters doing it. Last but not least, the characters again are just there. No real like or dislike for them. Some are actually more annoying than likeable, when I think the authors intention was to have them likeable.
This book started off weird. Almost like the author changed his mind as to how the story would go. Which is fine, if it worked out well and I didn't find it did.
More of politics and unanswered questions that continue from the first book. I'm sure it will be told eventually but it feels like it's just dragging on and on.
To some up this book is people deceive each other, than they like each other, than they fight each other, than they are back to liking each other and the cycle continues.
The main character still isn't anything special. No hero status, just an ordinary person really who gets lucky, a lot. There are a lot of different characters too. Not that it's an issue, but it just seems like so many really weren't needed.
Again, the author has potential but there are things missing. To much useless character conversations or character "thoughts", dumb characters (as in the author makes the characters seem like they are not getting/understanding obvious situations. Which is a huge pet peeve of mine when authors try to dumb their smart characters. If you don't have to play it out for your readers, than you shouldn't have your characters doing it. Last but not least, the characters again are just there. No real like or dislike for them. Some are actually more annoying than likeable, when I think the authors intention was to have them likeable.
May 17, 2020
I gave this book 4 stars not for the plot but for the writing and in particular the development of the main characters. Thomas and Katherine were as riveting as ever although I do think that the plot was a trifle same-y to the first book. I loved the fact that Katherine was a 'skilled' surgeon and yet there's nothing which made us think there's no way she could have known that for the time. I liked the part where she was boiling the instruments but she didn't know why, it just felt right. I really dislike it when characters who are supposedly medieval have thoughts, opinions, and especially knowledge that they just wouldn't have had. So kudos for that. It reminded me in the medical bits a little bit like Dr Quinn Medicine Woman but I'm not really sure why!
I also liked the fact that the 'cause' was not really relevant to the main characters, after all why would they really care who was king? And that sides changed when it was convenient rather than trying to assert that these two commoners had a quest to put either king on the throne, after all that's for nobles to decide and not for peasants.
I didn't like it quite as much as the first one, I would have given 3.5 stars if I could, but I did like it, enjoy it, and want to read the next one. That's if I can find it online without having to remortgage my house (online book sellers, I'm glaring at you taking advantage of a global pandemic).
I also liked the fact that the 'cause' was not really relevant to the main characters, after all why would they really care who was king? And that sides changed when it was convenient rather than trying to assert that these two commoners had a quest to put either king on the throne, after all that's for nobles to decide and not for peasants.
I didn't like it quite as much as the first one, I would have given 3.5 stars if I could, but I did like it, enjoy it, and want to read the next one. That's if I can find it online without having to remortgage my house (online book sellers, I'm glaring at you taking advantage of a global pandemic).
November 20, 2021
Note: This is the second part in a series, so the short description might include hints about how things ended in the first part, Winter pilgrims.
After the bloody battle of Towton, Edward IV sits on the English throne. Catherine, mourning Thomas, has married Richard Fakenham under the disguise of Margaret Cronford. But when the whole village turns against her, she is locked again at Haverhurst Priory. Thomas, returned from the death, and Catherine now have to run for their lives as an old enemy returns to their doorstep. Bearing proof of a royal secret, they travel to the north where the Lancastrians are waiting to fight for their rightful king Henry VI.
This is the second part in the kingmaker series. Winter Pilgrims ended at Towton, so I though the next battle would be Barnet, but I was wrong. This book is set in the years after Towton (1463-1464) when there are some small battles in the north between Lancaster and York. Lancaster was occupying castles such as Bamburgh and Alnwick, while Margaret of Anjou and her son were living as exiles in France to force alliances. I have never read before about the Battles of Hedgeley Moor and Evesham, especially not from a Lancastrian view, so I liked this perspective.
But the beginning of the story is a mess. Catherine and Thomas need to get together again and for that Clemens invents some unbelievable story lines. The story only picks up after discovering the secret in the ledger. Although I was a bit disappointed as to what the secret contained. It always comes down to the same ‘secret’ in every novel about this period it seems. The pair decides to travel to the north, Catherine once again in the disguise of Kit. We meet some new characters along the way: Jack, John Stump and master Payne.
Although this is part of the Kingmaker series, we don’t actually meet Warwick or any of the other Yorkists. We do get Henry VI and John Beaufort, the earl of Somerset, but they are more secondary characters. Of course, the Rivens are back to haunt Thomas and Catherine. We also learn more about the medical knowledge at the time. The ending is great, but the whole plot felt like an in-between story. There are still two more books to come in this series and I’m curious to see where they will take our two main characters next.
Dutch review:
Na de slag bij Towton is Catherine ervan overtuigd dat Thomas gesneuveld is en dus blijft ze bij de Fakenham familie onder de identiteit van Margaret Cornford. Maar wanneer ze het dorp tegen zich krijgt, komt ze Thomas opnieuw tegen. Met een koninklijk geheim op zak trekken ze naar het noorden waar Henry VI en zijn aanhangers zich schuil houden.
Dit is het tweede deel in de kingmaker series en ik dacht dat we redelijk snel naar Barnet zouden gaan. Clemens kiest echter voor de kleine veldslagen in Hedgeley Moor en Hexham en ik vond het echt fijn om eens over die opstootjes van Lancaster te lezen, ipv alleen maar de grote battles.
In de eerste helft van het boek draait het om Catherine en Thomas weer bij elkaar te brengen, en dan vond ik het allemaal nog ongeloofwaardig. Eens dat ze echt naar het Noorden trekken, komt het verhaal op gang.
Er is nog steeds een aartsvijand, er is een focus op het medische, er zijn gevechtscènes en politieke intrigers. Alle ingrediënten dus die je kan verwachten. Alleen miste ik de kingmaker in dit boek ofzo, of Edward IV. Henry VI komt niet sterk genoeg naar voren als personage.
Ik had uiteindelijk meer verwacht van dit tweede deel, het voelt aan als een tussenboek. Maar het einde was nog wel best sterk en dus lees ik graag verder.
After the bloody battle of Towton, Edward IV sits on the English throne. Catherine, mourning Thomas, has married Richard Fakenham under the disguise of Margaret Cronford. But when the whole village turns against her, she is locked again at Haverhurst Priory. Thomas, returned from the death, and Catherine now have to run for their lives as an old enemy returns to their doorstep. Bearing proof of a royal secret, they travel to the north where the Lancastrians are waiting to fight for their rightful king Henry VI.
This is the second part in the kingmaker series. Winter Pilgrims ended at Towton, so I though the next battle would be Barnet, but I was wrong. This book is set in the years after Towton (1463-1464) when there are some small battles in the north between Lancaster and York. Lancaster was occupying castles such as Bamburgh and Alnwick, while Margaret of Anjou and her son were living as exiles in France to force alliances. I have never read before about the Battles of Hedgeley Moor and Evesham, especially not from a Lancastrian view, so I liked this perspective.
But the beginning of the story is a mess. Catherine and Thomas need to get together again and for that Clemens invents some unbelievable story lines. The story only picks up after discovering the secret in the ledger. Although I was a bit disappointed as to what the secret contained. It always comes down to the same ‘secret’ in every novel about this period it seems. The pair decides to travel to the north, Catherine once again in the disguise of Kit. We meet some new characters along the way: Jack, John Stump and master Payne.
Although this is part of the Kingmaker series, we don’t actually meet Warwick or any of the other Yorkists. We do get Henry VI and John Beaufort, the earl of Somerset, but they are more secondary characters. Of course, the Rivens are back to haunt Thomas and Catherine. We also learn more about the medical knowledge at the time. The ending is great, but the whole plot felt like an in-between story. There are still two more books to come in this series and I’m curious to see where they will take our two main characters next.
Dutch review:
Na de slag bij Towton is Catherine ervan overtuigd dat Thomas gesneuveld is en dus blijft ze bij de Fakenham familie onder de identiteit van Margaret Cornford. Maar wanneer ze het dorp tegen zich krijgt, komt ze Thomas opnieuw tegen. Met een koninklijk geheim op zak trekken ze naar het noorden waar Henry VI en zijn aanhangers zich schuil houden.
Dit is het tweede deel in de kingmaker series en ik dacht dat we redelijk snel naar Barnet zouden gaan. Clemens kiest echter voor de kleine veldslagen in Hedgeley Moor en Hexham en ik vond het echt fijn om eens over die opstootjes van Lancaster te lezen, ipv alleen maar de grote battles.
In de eerste helft van het boek draait het om Catherine en Thomas weer bij elkaar te brengen, en dan vond ik het allemaal nog ongeloofwaardig. Eens dat ze echt naar het Noorden trekken, komt het verhaal op gang.
Er is nog steeds een aartsvijand, er is een focus op het medische, er zijn gevechtscènes en politieke intrigers. Alle ingrediënten dus die je kan verwachten. Alleen miste ik de kingmaker in dit boek ofzo, of Edward IV. Henry VI komt niet sterk genoeg naar voren als personage.
Ik had uiteindelijk meer verwacht van dit tweede deel, het voelt aan als een tussenboek. Maar het einde was nog wel best sterk en dus lees ik graag verder.
July 25, 2019
This is a great story, well plotted, but with some aspects not very well thought out. The present tense style raises the tension and makes it overly dramatic and almost depressing. There is little cheer in this book. There's a lot of misery, and nothing goes right for the poor heroine and hero. I found it hard to warm to the characters, although I am sure the intention is to find them sympathetic. But its a likeable book despite this, because of the clever plotline and the historical background. I will continue to listen the the next in the series.
May 1, 2020
⭐️ 4.5 stars ⭐️
April 15, 2022
Excellent sequel to Winter Pilgrims - grim but with compelling heroes one roots for
March 1, 2017
This second book in the series though not as good as the first and following dissapointingly similar lines is still a fantastic read. It is very visceral and gritty which helps to bring it to life.
November 2, 2015
Kingmaker: Broken Faith is an engaging historical adventure full of period detail. Convincing strong characters lead this heroic and action packed story.
It is set in 15th century Northumberland during the violent period of history with the warring Houses of Lancaster and York. Edward IV is on the throne having deposed Henry VI following his victory at the Battle of Towton in 1461.
However this is the story of the ordinary man and woman, of heroism and love. It is the story of Thomas, a monk turned soldier, and Katherine, a nun hiding under the guise of a surgeon called Kit. They are fleeing their past, from their religious orders and the law. They travel north towards Bamburgh in possession of a damning ledger in search of King Henry. In finding Henry they find he is in the company of their nemesis Riven. They are then drawn into a cause and battle they have no heart for.
The ending leaves you waiting to see what is going to happen next. I have not read the first book, however I shall be purchasing. Now I also can't wait for the next book. I did wonder about the title of the book, "Kingmaker" as Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick does not really play a significant role in this book. "Broken Faith" I understand as this reflects Thomas and Katherine's feelings of betrayal and sever from King Edward.
I loved the way Toby Clements depicts life of the common man and soldier from this unstable period. His passion and perception shine through in the details in this novel. This extends from the fundamental way of life in the harsh north east of England, to the struggles in surviving in a fortress, and to innovative medical procedures. Not for the squeamish as it does contain fascinating procedures such as limb amputation and a caesarean section.
A special mention must be made of the passage and the description of Dunstanborough. Having spent the week in Bamburgh earlier this month and walked from Craster past Dunstanborough it describes exactly how we felt on passing around this now ruined imposing castle.
The 1864 battles of Hedgeley Moor and Hexham, have been vividly interpreted. I enjoyed this take on the play out of the battles and various company's and the renegade factions.
A great read.
4.5 Stars
- Received free from publisher Random House UK, Cornerstone for honest review
It is set in 15th century Northumberland during the violent period of history with the warring Houses of Lancaster and York. Edward IV is on the throne having deposed Henry VI following his victory at the Battle of Towton in 1461.
However this is the story of the ordinary man and woman, of heroism and love. It is the story of Thomas, a monk turned soldier, and Katherine, a nun hiding under the guise of a surgeon called Kit. They are fleeing their past, from their religious orders and the law. They travel north towards Bamburgh in possession of a damning ledger in search of King Henry. In finding Henry they find he is in the company of their nemesis Riven. They are then drawn into a cause and battle they have no heart for.
The ending leaves you waiting to see what is going to happen next. I have not read the first book, however I shall be purchasing. Now I also can't wait for the next book. I did wonder about the title of the book, "Kingmaker" as Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick does not really play a significant role in this book. "Broken Faith" I understand as this reflects Thomas and Katherine's feelings of betrayal and sever from King Edward.
I loved the way Toby Clements depicts life of the common man and soldier from this unstable period. His passion and perception shine through in the details in this novel. This extends from the fundamental way of life in the harsh north east of England, to the struggles in surviving in a fortress, and to innovative medical procedures. Not for the squeamish as it does contain fascinating procedures such as limb amputation and a caesarean section.
A special mention must be made of the passage and the description of Dunstanborough. Having spent the week in Bamburgh earlier this month and walked from Craster past Dunstanborough it describes exactly how we felt on passing around this now ruined imposing castle.
The 1864 battles of Hedgeley Moor and Hexham, have been vividly interpreted. I enjoyed this take on the play out of the battles and various company's and the renegade factions.
A great read.
4.5 Stars
- Received free from publisher Random House UK, Cornerstone for honest review
May 13, 2017
I adored the first book in the Kingmaker series, but unfortunately the second did not live up to my (admittedly high) expectations. For the most part, it was still an enjoyable enough read; our two main protagonists are back, two well-written, believable characters thrust into the War of the Roses by happenstance. The supporting characters are different, but likeable (Jack, John Stump, and Master Paine come to mind). The descriptions of battle and the surgery Katherine performs are vivid and sometimes still made me squeamish (which I don't necessarily consider a bad thing, but just be warned!)
So why did I only rate it 3 stars? Because the first 200 pages essentially began where the first book did. It started a little strangely to me, like the end of Winter Pilgrims indicated this would start differently and the author changed his mind. But Thomas and Katherine are again at the priory, Thomas is determined to kill Riven (at first this refers to the son of the first Riven, and then...well...I don't want to spoil it too much). Judging from the author's comments on another review, he had intended the similarities to be ironic, but it didn't quite work for me. The story picked up when they discovered what the ledger contained, which was an interesting, if unbelievable twist (it just doesn't jive with what we know of Cecily Neville- in my opinion, anyway). I was excited to see where the story would go from there, but then it seemed to stall again until the last 150 pages or so. The ending was especially well done.
Regardless of my disappointment, I still liked reading Broken Faith, and I will definitely keep reading the series. I have #3 (not started as of yet), and I see #4 is in the works for a release this year (hopefully!) I hope at some point we get to find out who Katherine really is; I had a theory in the first book, but I don't think the dates match up. Curious nonetheless!
So why did I only rate it 3 stars? Because the first 200 pages essentially began where the first book did. It started a little strangely to me, like the end of Winter Pilgrims indicated this would start differently and the author changed his mind. But Thomas and Katherine are again at the priory, Thomas is determined to kill Riven (at first this refers to the son of the first Riven, and then...well...I don't want to spoil it too much). Judging from the author's comments on another review, he had intended the similarities to be ironic, but it didn't quite work for me. The story picked up when they discovered what the ledger contained, which was an interesting, if unbelievable twist (it just doesn't jive with what we know of Cecily Neville- in my opinion, anyway). I was excited to see where the story would go from there, but then it seemed to stall again until the last 150 pages or so. The ending was especially well done.
Regardless of my disappointment, I still liked reading Broken Faith, and I will definitely keep reading the series. I have #3 (not started as of yet), and I see #4 is in the works for a release this year (hopefully!) I hope at some point we get to find out who Katherine really is; I had a theory in the first book, but I don't think the dates match up. Curious nonetheless!
July 20, 2015
If you like books that grip you from the very start, that are fast-paced with fascinating characters, then this is the book for you. Beautifully written, with an exciting plot, this book kept me engaged on every page. Kingmaker: Broken Faith is Book 2, and follows Kingmaker: Winter Pilgrims. Although the two books are supposed to stand alone, I regreted that I had not read book one first, because of the many references in the second book to the earlier story. So I recommend reading these books in order to get the benefit of the full tale. Toby Clements is definitely an author I intend to follow from hereafter.
Thank you to the author and publisher. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to the author and publisher. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 17, 2015
Review
Book two, that terrible, fateful demand on the author, especially on an author who has produced something as exceptional as Winter Pilgrims. Can the author recreate that magic, meet it, and hopefully surpass it?
The beauty of Winter Pilgrims was always in the simplicity, in avoiding the major players as much as possible, or staying on the fringes, but still allowing the horror of the war of the roses to playout in the imagination of the reader.
full review and Q&A follow the link
https://parmenionbooks.wordpress.com/...
Book two, that terrible, fateful demand on the author, especially on an author who has produced something as exceptional as Winter Pilgrims. Can the author recreate that magic, meet it, and hopefully surpass it?
The beauty of Winter Pilgrims was always in the simplicity, in avoiding the major players as much as possible, or staying on the fringes, but still allowing the horror of the war of the roses to playout in the imagination of the reader.
full review and Q&A follow the link
https://parmenionbooks.wordpress.com/...
July 28, 2019
Second book into this series and I'm loving it. The characters and the historical significance of the storyline is simply breathtaking.....and scary
March 15, 2019
This second book in the Kingmaker series picks up the story of Thomas and Katherine. Two years after the traumatic events of the Battle of Towton, Katherine is living a very different life and believes Thomas died on the battlefield. Thomas is still alive but, after suffering a traumatic head injury at Towton, he has little to no memory of his past.
Eventually, our two protagonists find each other and some of their erstwhile companions again. Despite Edward IV being on the throne and Henry VI hiding in Northumbrian castles, things are not going well for our merry band and they find themselves switching allegiance from the House of York to the House of Lancaster.
The story in this book hinges on the ledger the Pardoner gave to Katherine and Thomas in the first novel. Although Thomas lost it at Towton, it pops up again and finally reveals the explosive secret hidden in its pages. It's a secret that could change the fragile status quo and plunge the country into full civil war again.
Armed with the ledger, Thomas and Katherine - once again in the guise of Kit - head for Northumberland and the Lancastrian strongholds to find the former king. Along the way, they fall in with the company of a Lancastrian baron, proving themselves with strength and archery skills (Thomas) and surgical skills (Katherine).
In this book, we get a new supporting cast of characters to add to some of the few that survived the slaughter of Towton. Everywhere they go, it seems Katherine and Thomas manage to create a little family of strangers around them, as John Stump and Jack - one saved by Katherine, one spared by Thomas - become their brothers in arms.
All the characters in this novel are well-drawn and the 15th century is brought vividly to life. The book does feel slightly repetitive to begin with as Katherine and Thomas once again have to escape the place they had to escape at the start of the first book. And although it covers a couple of battles, they are mere skirmishes by the standards of Towton. However, we get several situations where Thomas has to face enemies and Katherine has to perform some grisly surgery under less than ideal circumstances.
This book doesn't have the dazzling historic figures of Edward and Warwick putting in an appearance. Instead it focuses completely on our two ordinary protagonists and their battle to survive, which is no bad thing.
Overall, it's a good book, well written and researched, and involving. It's just not as mighty as its predecessor. I'll definitely be picking up the next book, though.
Eventually, our two protagonists find each other and some of their erstwhile companions again. Despite Edward IV being on the throne and Henry VI hiding in Northumbrian castles, things are not going well for our merry band and they find themselves switching allegiance from the House of York to the House of Lancaster.
The story in this book hinges on the ledger the Pardoner gave to Katherine and Thomas in the first novel. Although Thomas lost it at Towton, it pops up again and finally reveals the explosive secret hidden in its pages. It's a secret that could change the fragile status quo and plunge the country into full civil war again.
Armed with the ledger, Thomas and Katherine - once again in the guise of Kit - head for Northumberland and the Lancastrian strongholds to find the former king. Along the way, they fall in with the company of a Lancastrian baron, proving themselves with strength and archery skills (Thomas) and surgical skills (Katherine).
In this book, we get a new supporting cast of characters to add to some of the few that survived the slaughter of Towton. Everywhere they go, it seems Katherine and Thomas manage to create a little family of strangers around them, as John Stump and Jack - one saved by Katherine, one spared by Thomas - become their brothers in arms.
All the characters in this novel are well-drawn and the 15th century is brought vividly to life. The book does feel slightly repetitive to begin with as Katherine and Thomas once again have to escape the place they had to escape at the start of the first book. And although it covers a couple of battles, they are mere skirmishes by the standards of Towton. However, we get several situations where Thomas has to face enemies and Katherine has to perform some grisly surgery under less than ideal circumstances.
This book doesn't have the dazzling historic figures of Edward and Warwick putting in an appearance. Instead it focuses completely on our two ordinary protagonists and their battle to survive, which is no bad thing.
Overall, it's a good book, well written and researched, and involving. It's just not as mighty as its predecessor. I'll definitely be picking up the next book, though.
November 7, 2018
I enjoyed this book as much as the first one in the series, read wonderfully by Jack Hawkins for the Audible version just like someone telling you a story. I would say this book doesn't advance the plot much when it comes to Thomas & Katherine/Kit as they continue to suffer from the nefarious doings of treacherous villains (Boo hiss) the Rivens, father & son. This is particularly noticeable in the first part of the novel which feels too much a retread of Book 1. However, the history behind the fiction relentlessly goes on, and Clements takes time and care to explore what it was like for ordinary people to live through what we so easily lump together under 'the Wars of the Roses'.
The setting for the book's second half is Northern England's magnificent castles, Bamburgh, Alnwick, and Dunstanburgh, which Henry VI's Lancastrian supporters hold for that unlucky king following catastrophic defeat by the Yorkists in the Battle of Towton (end of Book 1). Clement's main strength as a writer is his attention to detail, the way he recreates the time period, to show how physicians treated illness and wounds, for e.g. (very graphic, not for the squeamish, buckets of urine involved, amputations, extractions),what it was like to be in a castle under bombardment from big canons, what people wore and ate, what they thought about the destructive power struggles among the rich and powerful that made life for the many so miserable, brutish and short.
There are battles (Hedgeley Moor and Hexham) brought convincingly to gory life, betrayals, love and loss. Thomas and Katherine carry the Pardoner's ledger from the first book to the north where they intend to give it to Henry, the rightful king. What is its secret and what will it mean when that is revealed? Familiar characters from Book 1 return, friends as well as foes. It all makes for entertaining, informative reading, if you don't mind sticking with it while it properly gets going. I must say, I am very eager to read the next book, to find out what happens, though we know the historic record. Hopefully, a happy ever after for Thomas & Katherine...
The setting for the book's second half is Northern England's magnificent castles, Bamburgh, Alnwick, and Dunstanburgh, which Henry VI's Lancastrian supporters hold for that unlucky king following catastrophic defeat by the Yorkists in the Battle of Towton (end of Book 1). Clement's main strength as a writer is his attention to detail, the way he recreates the time period, to show how physicians treated illness and wounds, for e.g. (very graphic, not for the squeamish, buckets of urine involved, amputations, extractions),what it was like to be in a castle under bombardment from big canons, what people wore and ate, what they thought about the destructive power struggles among the rich and powerful that made life for the many so miserable, brutish and short.
There are battles (Hedgeley Moor and Hexham) brought convincingly to gory life, betrayals, love and loss. Thomas and Katherine carry the Pardoner's ledger from the first book to the north where they intend to give it to Henry, the rightful king. What is its secret and what will it mean when that is revealed? Familiar characters from Book 1 return, friends as well as foes. It all makes for entertaining, informative reading, if you don't mind sticking with it while it properly gets going. I must say, I am very eager to read the next book, to find out what happens, though we know the historic record. Hopefully, a happy ever after for Thomas & Katherine...
July 4, 2022
‘Broken Faith’, second in the Kingmaker series by Toby Clements, takes place in the lull after the 1461 battle of Towton and 1464 when Edward IV marries Elizabeth Woodville. The history of these intervening years is subject to much confusion, guesswork and mystery, wonderful territory for an imaginative novelist. Clements gives Katherine and Thomas, who we first met in ‘Winter Pilgrims’, a secret which if revealed will change the succession to the throne of England. Exactly what the Yorkists and Lancastrians are fighting about.
The battles are bloodthirsty, the battlefield surgery by Kit [aka Katherine in disguise] is gruesome but surprisingly modernistic, the betrayals of self-seeking lords are countless and amongst it all shine the people of genuine morals, driven by belief in what is right, with humble and generous natures. That brave and endearing pair Thomas and Kit are separated, not sure if the other is alive, and forced to do what is necessary to survive. Life in the 15th century was tough enough without living through war, Clements describes the life of a common soldier, the weapons, the methods of fighting, the battle tactics, the food, the smells. Although the detail is fascinating, Clements doesn’t leave the story languishing. Thomas and Katherine move north from one castle to another, one battle to another, as soldiers run from the battlefield and lords turn their coats. Thomas and Katherine though cannot turn back until a lost book is found and a lord is killed.
Mostly set in the north, while reading the northern scenes I pictured the Northumbrian castles of Alnwick and Bamburgh which makes the adventure come alive. An enthralling chapter in this War of the Roses story which at times, like the real history, is a tad confusing. Just go with the flow and enjoy it!
Read more of my book reviews at http://www.sandradanby.com/book-revie...
The battles are bloodthirsty, the battlefield surgery by Kit [aka Katherine in disguise] is gruesome but surprisingly modernistic, the betrayals of self-seeking lords are countless and amongst it all shine the people of genuine morals, driven by belief in what is right, with humble and generous natures. That brave and endearing pair Thomas and Kit are separated, not sure if the other is alive, and forced to do what is necessary to survive. Life in the 15th century was tough enough without living through war, Clements describes the life of a common soldier, the weapons, the methods of fighting, the battle tactics, the food, the smells. Although the detail is fascinating, Clements doesn’t leave the story languishing. Thomas and Katherine move north from one castle to another, one battle to another, as soldiers run from the battlefield and lords turn their coats. Thomas and Katherine though cannot turn back until a lost book is found and a lord is killed.
Mostly set in the north, while reading the northern scenes I pictured the Northumbrian castles of Alnwick and Bamburgh which makes the adventure come alive. An enthralling chapter in this War of the Roses story which at times, like the real history, is a tad confusing. Just go with the flow and enjoy it!
Read more of my book reviews at http://www.sandradanby.com/book-revie...
June 29, 2022
Second in the series set during the War of the Roses. Our apostate nun and monk, Katherine (Kit) and Thomas, are again wandering the devastated English countryside, trying to find internal and external peace. At the end of the last book, Katherine had adopted the persona of a Lady and married blind Richard Fankenham. Thomas was believed killed at the Battle of Towton, but had received a terrible head injury and lost most of his memory. Katherine saves the life of a baby by performing an emergency C-section on the nearly dead mother (who dies. Katherine is accused of murder and is imprisoned back in the priory she had escaped from in the first book). Tom is working on his brother’s farm until he saves the family from marauders; one of the marauders looses an arrow that kills Tom’s nephew and his sister-in-law blames him for the boy’s death and evicts him. Vaguely remembering that he was once a monk, he makes his way back to the priory, where they make life hell for him. Katherine and Tom escape the priory – again!—and debate with whom to try their luck: King Henry or King Edward, depending on who you think is actually king, and allegiances are constantly shifting. As the author says, “Everybody changes sides at least once, usually twice, there are two kings, and everybody else is called Richard or John.”
Kit and Tom endure endless privations and battles. It’s a wonder anyone was left to fight them. Twenty-thousand Englishmen were killed in the Battle of Towton, more in one day than ever before or ever since. Those not killed in battled faced death from injury, infection, disease, and starvation. The ensuring years of war took more and more men, and the War of the Roses is nowhere near over! Looking forward to reading the next one.
Kit and Tom endure endless privations and battles. It’s a wonder anyone was left to fight them. Twenty-thousand Englishmen were killed in the Battle of Towton, more in one day than ever before or ever since. Those not killed in battled faced death from injury, infection, disease, and starvation. The ensuring years of war took more and more men, and the War of the Roses is nowhere near over! Looking forward to reading the next one.
June 7, 2015
Originally reviewed here : http://bit.ly/1F2kgSo
A historical fiction based against the backdrop of the War of Roses - a reimagining well done. Grim, cold and brutal - If ever a war-novel was called atmospheric, then this one fits right into that mould.
I got a NetGalley approved copy and Hilary Mantel's faith in Toby Clements' ability was enough to spur me on with the reading. And the writing - Damn, it's good - kept me glued to the happenings as the War of Roses played out in the background to another intense personal drama about two lives unfolding in the shadow of this war. It's raw and heart-rending - the story of Thomas and Katherine; A searing narrative that will definitely stay with you after you've closed the book.
However - this being a second book in a series, there were a lot of nuances that I kept missing. Especially with respect to the characterization. The plot itself wasn't a zinger - the story follows the lives of Katherine and Thomas - a couple of star-crossed lovers who were separated at the end of book-one - as they follow the army of King Henry of Lancaster trying to seize back the throne armed with a secret that could change the course of the war - and in the process, discover themselves and each other.
The initial suspense kept me riveted with the narration was unreliable and jumpy. And the descriptions were lurid and heavy – visceral is a good term I suppose – a child-birth in gory detail and a farmstead scuffle that involved shooting and a good body-count. Enough to keep me on the book and the intimate manner in which the POVs unspool didn’t let me go. (Toby uses the war as a good backdrop but it is the excruciating details of a hard grim life led by those affected by war that makes for excellent reading. An experience that’s bloody hard to just flip past or ignore. )
The story starts off in the dilapidated Castle Comcroft - where Katherine - leading a double life as Lady Margaret married to the blind Richard Farkenham gets involved in her Castle-Keep’s wife’s child-birthing. As chance would have it, it goes horribly wrong - and then she stands accused of murdering the mother by a "paid" jury.
In the meanwhile, Thomas returns home to his brother’s farm with little or no memory of where or who he is. But a scuffle with a party of hard war-grizzled veteran soldiers out to loot the farm brings him around to his senses - though still with a woozy memory of what he has been upto in the past. (If like me, you haven't read book one, this one's going to haunt you throughout the book!)
Their lives collide once again in the same priory that featured in their long past – the two had escaped the clutches of the evil lord Giles Riven from here – and in an uncanny reliving of their past – the two unite and escape once again. Under the guises they had used when they were little more than just kids. Katherine posing as Kit – trained in surgical skills and Thomas – an archer. Till here, I was buoyed on by the suspense – to find out how these two disparate plotlines are going to connect. And meet it does – through some quirky twist of fate. ( Or the author’s steadfast plodding plot to ensure this happens!)
After this, the book essentially is a journey. The sort of phlegmatic, inevitable plodding on towards a war that threatens to spill into their lives. Of a group of reluctant group or camp of soldiers. But by the time the war unfolds – In spite of the name (War of Roses) there is nothing romantic about this one. It’s a damp dark brutal war. Of hapless archers at the front loosening that dark torrential rain of arrows into the sky and waiting to be impaled by similar such as shot by the enemy, the slow crush of luckless infantry stampeding each other and the inevitable rout that follows when the will or courage runs out - towards the climax, a lot of the hooks in the initial parts of the story cease to exist.
For me – this was the undoing of the book. A secret leverage that Thomas and Katherine discover during their escape from the Priory which should probably see the tide of the war turn – gets lost in a bizarre turn of events. Older villains reappear in their lives and both Katherine or Kit and Thomas are as clueless and confused a protagonist that ever was. There is no direction to their lives – being swept away by the tides of war and the will of stronger men – and personally I just couldn’t stomach this. Thomas, an incredibly strong-willed individual – strong as an oxen, a gifted archer and obviously madly in love with Katherine cannot disclose his feelings to her. Kit on the other hand, posing as a boy, becomes famous as a gifted surgeon and is pressed into service by their liege-lord Grey who whisks her around England – on the trial of King Henry to whom they have pledged their allegiance to. I found it hard to believe that nobody in the soldier camps discovered the disguise of a grown woman acting as a boy. This took the wind out of my sails as far as enjoying the book was concerned.
There are not too many side characters who stand out. Grey, Payne the King’s surgeon, Horner the captain or Jack, the boy whose life Thomas spares on early in the book who goes on to become their steadfast friend – are all there to fill up specific roles and no more. Grey was perhaps the most colourful for his tendency to brag, bet and swear a bit. The others were boring additions. King Henry is presented as the most uninspiring leader you could fight for.
What pulled me to the end was this sympathy for the star-crossed lovers and their fates as determined by a useless war. The hard life of the sixteenth century is competently portrayed by Toby – he pulls no punches and the life of a foot soldier – a powerless pawn in a petty war – is drawn up beautifully in the book. Be warned that there are scenes dark and detailed drenched in copious amounts of blood – Mainly in Kit’s experiences as a surgeon – rooting around for an arrow-head buried deep inside one’s body is one riveting scene captured in gory detail by Toby’s powerful writing.
In conclusion, the second part to Toby Clements’ Kingmaker saga – that reunites Katherine and Thomas and continues their intense personal drama set against a bloody and pointless war is a good solid book – but one that lacks a definitive direction just like the war seesawing back and forth and meandering like the hapless commons – stuck in the follower- army camps. Fans of the first book would definitely find this to their liking and those new to the adventures of Kit and Thomas would find it grisly and enthralling enough if they like their stories bloody and brutal.
A historical fiction based against the backdrop of the War of Roses - a reimagining well done. Grim, cold and brutal - If ever a war-novel was called atmospheric, then this one fits right into that mould.
I got a NetGalley approved copy and Hilary Mantel's faith in Toby Clements' ability was enough to spur me on with the reading. And the writing - Damn, it's good - kept me glued to the happenings as the War of Roses played out in the background to another intense personal drama about two lives unfolding in the shadow of this war. It's raw and heart-rending - the story of Thomas and Katherine; A searing narrative that will definitely stay with you after you've closed the book.
However - this being a second book in a series, there were a lot of nuances that I kept missing. Especially with respect to the characterization. The plot itself wasn't a zinger - the story follows the lives of Katherine and Thomas - a couple of star-crossed lovers who were separated at the end of book-one - as they follow the army of King Henry of Lancaster trying to seize back the throne armed with a secret that could change the course of the war - and in the process, discover themselves and each other.
The initial suspense kept me riveted with the narration was unreliable and jumpy. And the descriptions were lurid and heavy – visceral is a good term I suppose – a child-birth in gory detail and a farmstead scuffle that involved shooting and a good body-count. Enough to keep me on the book and the intimate manner in which the POVs unspool didn’t let me go. (Toby uses the war as a good backdrop but it is the excruciating details of a hard grim life led by those affected by war that makes for excellent reading. An experience that’s bloody hard to just flip past or ignore. )
The story starts off in the dilapidated Castle Comcroft - where Katherine - leading a double life as Lady Margaret married to the blind Richard Farkenham gets involved in her Castle-Keep’s wife’s child-birthing. As chance would have it, it goes horribly wrong - and then she stands accused of murdering the mother by a "paid" jury.
In the meanwhile, Thomas returns home to his brother’s farm with little or no memory of where or who he is. But a scuffle with a party of hard war-grizzled veteran soldiers out to loot the farm brings him around to his senses - though still with a woozy memory of what he has been upto in the past. (If like me, you haven't read book one, this one's going to haunt you throughout the book!)
Their lives collide once again in the same priory that featured in their long past – the two had escaped the clutches of the evil lord Giles Riven from here – and in an uncanny reliving of their past – the two unite and escape once again. Under the guises they had used when they were little more than just kids. Katherine posing as Kit – trained in surgical skills and Thomas – an archer. Till here, I was buoyed on by the suspense – to find out how these two disparate plotlines are going to connect. And meet it does – through some quirky twist of fate. ( Or the author’s steadfast plodding plot to ensure this happens!)
After this, the book essentially is a journey. The sort of phlegmatic, inevitable plodding on towards a war that threatens to spill into their lives. Of a group of reluctant group or camp of soldiers. But by the time the war unfolds – In spite of the name (War of Roses) there is nothing romantic about this one. It’s a damp dark brutal war. Of hapless archers at the front loosening that dark torrential rain of arrows into the sky and waiting to be impaled by similar such as shot by the enemy, the slow crush of luckless infantry stampeding each other and the inevitable rout that follows when the will or courage runs out - towards the climax, a lot of the hooks in the initial parts of the story cease to exist.
For me – this was the undoing of the book. A secret leverage that Thomas and Katherine discover during their escape from the Priory which should probably see the tide of the war turn – gets lost in a bizarre turn of events. Older villains reappear in their lives and both Katherine or Kit and Thomas are as clueless and confused a protagonist that ever was. There is no direction to their lives – being swept away by the tides of war and the will of stronger men – and personally I just couldn’t stomach this. Thomas, an incredibly strong-willed individual – strong as an oxen, a gifted archer and obviously madly in love with Katherine cannot disclose his feelings to her. Kit on the other hand, posing as a boy, becomes famous as a gifted surgeon and is pressed into service by their liege-lord Grey who whisks her around England – on the trial of King Henry to whom they have pledged their allegiance to. I found it hard to believe that nobody in the soldier camps discovered the disguise of a grown woman acting as a boy. This took the wind out of my sails as far as enjoying the book was concerned.
There are not too many side characters who stand out. Grey, Payne the King’s surgeon, Horner the captain or Jack, the boy whose life Thomas spares on early in the book who goes on to become their steadfast friend – are all there to fill up specific roles and no more. Grey was perhaps the most colourful for his tendency to brag, bet and swear a bit. The others were boring additions. King Henry is presented as the most uninspiring leader you could fight for.
What pulled me to the end was this sympathy for the star-crossed lovers and their fates as determined by a useless war. The hard life of the sixteenth century is competently portrayed by Toby – he pulls no punches and the life of a foot soldier – a powerless pawn in a petty war – is drawn up beautifully in the book. Be warned that there are scenes dark and detailed drenched in copious amounts of blood – Mainly in Kit’s experiences as a surgeon – rooting around for an arrow-head buried deep inside one’s body is one riveting scene captured in gory detail by Toby’s powerful writing.
In conclusion, the second part to Toby Clements’ Kingmaker saga – that reunites Katherine and Thomas and continues their intense personal drama set against a bloody and pointless war is a good solid book – but one that lacks a definitive direction just like the war seesawing back and forth and meandering like the hapless commons – stuck in the follower- army camps. Fans of the first book would definitely find this to their liking and those new to the adventures of Kit and Thomas would find it grisly and enthralling enough if they like their stories bloody and brutal.
March 10, 2018
The War of Roses goes on and does not wait for the people involved to sort out their lives.
Well-researched medieval story about the simple people trapped in the ongoing war of the powerful people.
The medieval times were often cruel (there is a reason why the infamous cruelty of The Game of Thrones is loosely based there). And one is just happy to survive in the games he/she does not understand so well in the first place. And finding the personal happiness might be just a dream in the survival game.
I enjoyed the medieval age portrait (even if I happen to believe that there is much more to these times than just the dark age), but I was not able to relate to the story. Saying it as if I was reviewing the film - the production and execution is smart, but story is too simple to be interesting. The villains are too diabolic and resourceful to be believable and the heroes are not my kind of heroes (this is a personal preference, but I like my men being smarter, Thomas is a bit dim).
But I have a soft spot in my heart for the childhood passions fulfilled and this series is obviously that one for the author. So even if I am not going to continue this series - more power to you, Mr Clements! And kudos for writing your dream!
Well-researched medieval story about the simple people trapped in the ongoing war of the powerful people.
The medieval times were often cruel (there is a reason why the infamous cruelty of The Game of Thrones is loosely based there). And one is just happy to survive in the games he/she does not understand so well in the first place. And finding the personal happiness might be just a dream in the survival game.
I enjoyed the medieval age portrait (even if I happen to believe that there is much more to these times than just the dark age), but I was not able to relate to the story. Saying it as if I was reviewing the film - the production and execution is smart, but story is too simple to be interesting. The villains are too diabolic and resourceful to be believable and the heroes are not my kind of heroes (this is a personal preference, but I like my men being smarter, Thomas is a bit dim).
But I have a soft spot in my heart for the childhood passions fulfilled and this series is obviously that one for the author. So even if I am not going to continue this series - more power to you, Mr Clements! And kudos for writing your dream!
April 23, 2024
I can't thank the book fair guy enough for picking up "Winter Pilgrims" and leaving it at the counter for me. The second installment to Kingmaker series exceeds expectations. It is as poignant and realistic as the first one. "Broken Faith" explores the love-life of Thomas and Katherine, and it was a positive development in the narrative: with every page ringing with war and death, we did need a bit of love to lift our moods. However, just as everything about the unlikely couple, love doesnot come easy for them.
The best thing about this novel is that the author has done justice to the quote "The author is God to the characters he creates." Thomas and Katherine are subject to cruel fate in every turn of event. The Priory of Haverhurst- a place that was so dreaded to Katherine (and rightly so) serves as the rendezvous for her reunion with her beloved. She is tortured beyond human endurance, yet she perseveres. When they reunite- both prisoners in the Priory, they donot exchange any loving gestures, yet their minds are preoccupied with plans to escape the imprisonment. Later though, when they reach the castle of Bramburgh, they are met with similar ill-fortune, as Katherine is forced to treat Sir Giles Riven, who is injured by Thomas' own arrow. He recovers, thanks to the excellent skill of our heroine, but both Thomas and Katherine would have been happy if she had failed.
The best thing about the book is surely the death of Riven (and horrifically so) and also the message that no matter which side wins, the common man always suffers. This message hadn't been very clear in the first book - maybe just like Thomas, we too are being gradually introduced to the 15th century reality. This installment too ends in a cliffhanger, and it is only Clements who know how things will end for our couple.
The best thing about this novel is that the author has done justice to the quote "The author is God to the characters he creates." Thomas and Katherine are subject to cruel fate in every turn of event. The Priory of Haverhurst- a place that was so dreaded to Katherine (and rightly so) serves as the rendezvous for her reunion with her beloved. She is tortured beyond human endurance, yet she perseveres. When they reunite- both prisoners in the Priory, they donot exchange any loving gestures, yet their minds are preoccupied with plans to escape the imprisonment. Later though, when they reach the castle of Bramburgh, they are met with similar ill-fortune, as Katherine is forced to treat Sir Giles Riven, who is injured by Thomas' own arrow. He recovers, thanks to the excellent skill of our heroine, but both Thomas and Katherine would have been happy if she had failed.
The best thing about the book is surely the death of Riven (and horrifically so) and also the message that no matter which side wins, the common man always suffers. This message hadn't been very clear in the first book - maybe just like Thomas, we too are being gradually introduced to the 15th century reality. This installment too ends in a cliffhanger, and it is only Clements who know how things will end for our couple.
June 9, 2019
I absolutely die for the first book in this series. One of my all time fave/ top reads. Unfortunately the follow up had too many coincidences or cliches and it just felt too easy with the way characters reunited or crossed paths. I do love these characters soooo much that I hardly cared about probability or identity crisis (switching from this, that or the other) and no one seeming to catch on or be the wiser. In the end, I really didn't care, suspension of belief where Thomas, Katherine and Kit are concerned and mums the word from me; the reader. I was blown away with the first book and I just am so happy to follow Thomas and Katherine around to see what happens next. Just a few things bothered me, I felt confused with the direction of the "ledger", Riven's surgery and pole axe demise and the flip flop from House York to Lancaster to York seemingly. But I do love a good story and I LOVE Thomas and Katherine. ❤ forever. I'd follow them to whatever hamlet they decided to settle at or any army camp they wanted to follow 😃
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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