Vendetta

by Nickolas Hight

Betrayal. Murder. Revenge. Just another day in medieval Italy. The year is 1377. Angelo Anchioni has served in the Hospitaller Order for fourteen years. Determination, diligence and skill have made him a squire, but he remains unaware of the evil that those closest to him have within them. Returning home after a long absence, he finds his beloved family has been savagely murdered by the fickle decree of Bernabo Visconti, the lord of Milan and one of the most powerful men in Europe. Enraged, Anchioni sets out on a reckless quest through the deadly and dangerous landscape of 14th century Italy. As Anchioni and his fellow squire, Stuart Heton, become embroiled in the simmering feud between Visconti and the ruthless English mercenary, Sir John Hawkwood, the young men discover they are ill-equipped to survive for long in a land torn asunder by conflict. Anchioni must pursue vengeance and thus forfeit all he holds dear, or he must become a willing pawn in a violent struggle that may very well redefine the balance of power throughout Christendom."

Genres: Historical Fiction

388 pages, Paperback

Published March 20, 2016

About the author

Nickolas Hight was born into a military family and grew up in Germany and Colorado. He joined the Marine Corps in 1991 and -- of all the luck -- was stationed in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii for several years. Following some on again/off again schooling and a stint of work in Saudi Arabia, he graduated from Texas Tech University with a degree in Russian and went right back into the Marine Corps, this time as an officer. He retired in 2015.

In addition to being a Marine, Nickolas has waited tables, tended bar, been a personal trainer, taught swim lessons, driven a food delivery truck, and worked as a wild land firefighter for the National Park Service. He's traveled all over Europe and the Pacific, done some time in Southwest Asia, and spent some time in Africa, as well.

Near the end of his senior year in high school Nickolas had the gall to write a sci-fi short story. He then inflicted a reading of it on his unsuspecting classmates. Though he enjoys science fiction, his heart has always belonged to the Middle Ages. A trip to Italy in 2010 provided him with the initial idea for his first novel. Six years and a whole lot of pain and suffering later, VENDETTA was published by Echo Press.

During the 2017 Pikes Peak Writer's Conference, Nickolas was a panelist at a seminar on crafting authentic military characters. He is hard at work on the sequel to VENDETTA, titled END OF DAYS. He lives in Colorado.

Nickolas can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NLHight.author/ and contacted at NLHight.Author@gmail.com. If you would like a more comprehensive press kit (or to discuss his writing, Medieval history, or lecturing on Medieval topics), please email him.

Reviews

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun book! I wouldn't say this is my typical genre, but I do love historical novels and thought I might give it a go. I was impressed with the author's research on that era and the specific descriptions of the clothing and weaponry. The glossary helped because many of the terms were unfamiliar to me, but I have to admit, even when I didn't use the glossary I understood from context what was being said. I often just kept reading to find out what was going to happen next! And the story was what drew me in and kept me reading. The characters were complex and interesting, the dialogue was fantastic, and I cared about what was going to happen to each character. Overall, I would recommend the book to anyone who loves an armchair adventure in a really well depicted historical setting. I hope there is more to come because I loved the characters and want to read more about them. And Baci the war dog was my favorite!

[Ben Baumgardner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr. Hight writes a good book for his debut title. I initially wasn't sure if I would like it because I don't know much about this period and I don't read a lot of historical fiction. Despite this, Vendetta is full of action and suspense, and it's a page turner. Vendetta is the story of two men on a journey to seek vengeance. Their faith, loyalty, and determination are all tested on the way, and there are some great fight scenes. This is a plot-driven book with blood, guts and political intrigue. You can also tell through the attention to detail that it was well-researched, and that the author has a love for this time period. The back-stories of the characters were intriguing and some of the side plots would have been worthwhile to explore in a longer book. Based on the scope of the plot and the journey the characters took, I think it would have taken a much longer book to explore these things. In any case, I was well entertained the whole way through. I am looking forward to see what he puts out next.

[Iris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book through a goodreads giveaway and am so glad I did. I enjoyed it thoroughly there was plenty of action and suspense, I also like the glossary with the character descriptions as there are quite a few to get to know. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes historical stories

[Kent Dallmeyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic action and suspense in 14th century Italy!

[SM Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-researched and detailed story that immerses the reader into the conflicts of 14th century Italy. A must read for those who enjoy historical fiction, especially with a military twist.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vendetta, Nickolas Hight’s freshman debut leaves us wanting more, and now. In Vendetta, Hight weaves a complex tapestry of historical and fictitious figures and events. The book is rich in research, rich in detail, rich in character, and rich in plot. Picaresque in style, Vendetta is set in 14th century Italy and follows two Hospitaller veterans who diverge from their order to embark on a quest of vengeance.

Hight’s set pieces are vividly orchestrated and memorable, his dialogue peppered with believably colorful period idioms, and his fully developed characters are painted so well one fully roots for the good guys and wants to see them thoroughly trounce the villains. Hight doesn’t hold the reader’s hand, but he was kind of enough to provide a cast of characters as well as definitions of the more archaic period terminology. Keep these sections bookmarked.

Vendetta is a force to be reckoned with and is clearly a sign of good things to come from this independent author.

[Kathy Church · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book at no charge in a contest from Goodreads. The book was really good. It took me a couple of chapters to learn all the characters in the book. But once I got past the first two chapters I didn't want to put it down. Its about a vendetta that Angelo Anchioni declared about a man who had his parents murdered. The book takes him and a good friend named Heton on a journey to avenge his parents murder. The setting is in the 1300's.