Duke

Leopards of Normandy #2

by David Churchill

**From the co-author of the No.1 bestselling Wilbur Smith novel, WAR CRY. **

The Leopards of Normandy trilogy continues with Duke, as William of Normandy inherits his father's title and assumes command of his lands. This vibrant series by David Churchill will enthrall fans of Bernard Cornwell and Conn Iggulden. 'An exciting mix of medieval betrayal, violence and sex' Wilbur Smith.

Normandy, 1037.

Sparks fly from clashing swords as the game of thrones plays out in bloodshed. Of those named guardian to the boy Duke, all seek advantage and power. Most wish the boy dead. Some will go to any lengths to make it happen.

Across the sea, the struggle for the English crown has seen Queen Emma's beloved son killed. She has two more sons waiting in the wings but Godwin, Earl of Wessex - kingmaker and arch manipulator - has other plans.

As the noble families of Europe murder each other in their lust for power and fortune, the boy stands apart.

His name is William. His destiny is to conquer.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Medieval, British Literature

480 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 21, 2016

Reviews

[Liis · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you count yourself a fan of historical fiction at all, then it would be madness for you not to get your hands on this mega read.

Duke is book #2 in The Leopards of Normany trilogy by David Churchill. My sincere thanks to Bookbridgr, Headline Publishing and David Churchill for providing me a copy of Book #1, Devil for a review last year. To my utter delight and surprise Headline Publishing followed up by also sending me review copy of Duke. How awesome is that? Now, I must apologize I haven’t got around to reading Duke until recently and the delay in getting this review done.

Devil, book #1 of The Leopards of Normandy follows Robert the Duke- his life, his battles, the deceipt and loyalty of fellow countrymen and neighbors. In Duke, the historical fiction continues with Robert’s son William the Bastard who as a young boy takes over the duchy and faces many a hardship in his young life. The hardships however make William stand up for himself as he grows older and holds his duchy with even more conviction.

This book truly portrays a game of thrones, the moving about of chesspieces by many an ambitious hand. Loaded with fictional and historical characters alike, David Churchill has managed to take what few evidenced historical facts there are and build a tremendous fiction around it.

The writing is of truly high quality and standard while the fiction supporting facts is imaginative and spectactular indeed. With so many characters and everyone’s varying ambitions one could be worried about being able to follow the story, yet as was the case with Devil, this is where the quality comes in- the writing is so simple and easy to follow yet packs a proper punch therefore delivering the whole story in a convincing and adventurous way.

The book has a fantastic balance of everything that historical fiction stands for- betrayal, wit, love and hate, loyalties and death. There isn’t a single moment in this book which doesn’t satisfy the hunger of the bookworm.

Power hungry characters are the most interesting as they will go to any length to get what they want and yet, William, the Bastard, the Conqueror is a character I enjoyed seeing grow from a boy to a man on the pages of this book while keeping an air of level headedness about him earning the respect of any reader.

Devil, book #1 was easily one of my favorite reads last year. This year, Duke is among the favorites as well… and I can’t wait to read how the story ends!

[Adrienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 2 of the Dukes of Normandy series. Incredible reading, superb main characters, easily followed battles and people drama, wonderful writing and unputdownable. I will soon start reading book 3 Conquerer.

[Clemens Schoonderwoert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This tremendous book by David Churchill, real name David Thomas, is the 2nd volume of the delightful "The Leopards of Normandy" trilogy.
The book contains two wonderful explained family trees, Normandy and England, a superb list of characters, whether they are real Historical or Fictional characters, as well as a well documented Timeline.
Storytelling is once more of an absolute wonderful quality, for the author has certainly the ability to make this book come alive with real lifelike characters, and at the same time with fantastic interaction between all those characters involved.
What the book also really possesses are great pictured battle scenes when they are fought in Normandy between different factions.
Besides these great battle scenes, the book itself brings also to the forefront the treachery and backstabbing between the factions whether they are in England or in Normandy, and thus these royal houses are fighting each other for the ultimate prize, the Royal Crown of England.
This 2nd volume starts off, where the first part ended, and that's in the year AD 1037 and it will end in the year AD 1051, the year Duke William is named heir to Edward the Confessor's English Throne.
What will follow is a book that contains a most glorious story of noble families in Europe, families who will fight and kill each other for supremacy, and where Duke William will stand out from the others for his subtle cunning, for his relentless ruthlessness towards his enemies, and for his devious killing instinct, and that all to achieve his ultimate goal, to become the undisputed Duke of Normandy and hopefully later King of England.
Highly recommended, for this is truly "A Terrific Follow-up"!

[Claire (Clairby11xxx) · Rating 3 out of 5]

(6/10) A slightly stronger follow up to the first book, a little muddled in places as there are just so many characters. I particularly enjoyed the plotting which was more fictional than based on fact, an adventurous historical romp but more soap opera than fact.

[Jo-anne Atkinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

After the death of his father, young William is named Duke of Normandy but he has a group of nobles who are acting as protectors until he achieves adulthood. Ralph de Gace is a junior member of the council until he manages to kill off his elders but how will he cope as William grows up? In England Harold Harefoot is dead and his half-brother Edward has come to claim the throne but the earls are politicking to control the throne. As William grows into a strong young man he sows the seeds of his own dynasty by securing his Dukedom.

The back-story of William the Conqueror (or William the Bastard as he is known here) is fairly sketchy, however the connections between England, Normandy and Denmark are well-known. In this book Churchill has built a historical novel around the known facts, he has embroidered on what is known and developed existing and fictional characters in order to tell a coherent story. The story bounces along at a decent pace with lots of thrilling set pieces and a few interesting characters. However the quality of the writing is a little superficial and it does feel like a series of set pieces vaguely linked together. Enjoyable enough but not with a lot of depth.

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review for the Leopards of Normandy: Duke: Leopards of Normandy 2 (Leopards of Normandy #2) - Author David Churchill

I enjoyed this book so much, the first one in the series was an excellent introduction to this author and number two in the series had me totally hooked from page one.
It is one those books where you wake up in the middle of the night with book (or in my case Kindle laying across your body because of not being able to put it down and reading until sleep took over.
This is the second in Leopards of Normandy series about William the Conqueror.
I have a big interest in history and I enjoyed the first book as it took the reader to the first meeting between Williams future parents, the first chapter has Rollo in it, who was Duke Williams Ancestor that first got the lands he was to inherit.
These books also feature other supporting characters in his history, Enemies, Friends, evening going overseas to England, this does not detract from William at all, and it gives more depth to the story as the reader gets to see different viewpoints in the history.
I am a keen historian and as well as reading historical fictions stories, I like to read nonfiction to get an idea of the true history.
The author seems to have really done his research; recently BBC2 had a series about “The Normans” and many events it mentioned are in this book.
All though William is not always in the story, it does not detract as we get to read about the backstabbing, devious scheming of Lords around Duke William.
There are some action scenes in the story, which are quite gory and overall the book as a good pace of plots, not rushing to much or dragging out dialogue so much as to
From past books and television documentaries, I have never had much empathy with William, as according to history he was a hard and bad tempered man. However, this book perhaps helps to understand why he was like this. He grew up with his illegitimate status thrown into his face, a low Bastard born from a woman of low status, always underestimated.
This book takes him from age 10 to 20 where (POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT) he started to gain men’s loyalty with his bravery in battle and leadership skills, even as a young man he was beginning to take charge and be confident enough to order older men about.
Also it may help explain how he treated his own future sons and the sharing of power.
There are some cruel characters in the story, one who takes absolute pleasure in humiliating his wife and plotting his sons usurping the young Duke.
For me personally other characters I will research are Emma who was one of the English queens and could easily have her own series and Williams earlier ancestors particularly Rollo (Gaange Rolph the first Duke of Normandy
Overall, this book is so easy and enjoyable to read.
The next one in the series is due in early 2018, I will also check out this authors other books.

[Graeme J Greenan · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely superb second instalment of the Leopards of Normandy trilogy, by David Churchill. It starts directly after the events which drew a close to its predecessor, Devil.

Bouncing between Normandy, England, Flanders, & Paris (or thereabouts), Churchill does a fantastic job of keeping the reader engrossed in each regions’ power struggles, subtly hinting at the bigger picture which will inevitably tie them all together with each step William takes towards his destiny.

As it is historical fiction, the facts are skewed somewhat to fit Churchill’s story (stated by the author himself in the afterword), but this is due to the lack of source material available nearly 1000 years later rather than laziness by the writer.

What I love most about the novel is that, like book 1, it’s main purpose (in my opinion) is to finely balance fact and fiction in an effort to inform and entertain the reader, which I think Churchill has achieved.

The characters are well written, each arc (although swift at times) flows pretty well, and there’s an eclectic mix of action and intrigue which will have you struggling to put the book down.

I look forward to reading book 3 involving a battle that’s quite famous… 😉

Thoroughly recommend!!!!

[HDubois · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is about: the history of William the conqueror, the second part of a trilogy covering William's struggle as a young duke.
I liked: as in the first part the portrayal of links between the different reigning families and the the conspiracies between the different noble families all related to each other, the tension created by the guards and conspiracies around the young duke and the way in which William finally gets to establish his own supremacy.
I didn't like: the end was less of a surprise than in 'Devil' but that was perhaps to be expected.

[Matthew Hickson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second in the Leopards of Normandy trilogy, charting the rise of William the Conqueror. The story starts out with William as the adolescent Duke of Normandy. His rivals are circling and looking to take advantage of his youthful status. This book focuses on those attempts, and how William thwarts their efforts. Looking forward to book 3!

[Pauline Chamberlain · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good historical book based on the life of William of Normandy before he conquered England in 1066

[GBL · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second instalment of the story of the rise of William the Conqueror and his struggle to become established as the Duke of Normandy.

[Vicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was great read, can not wait for the 3rd book in the series.

[Stuart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part two of trilogy as the boy William emerges as the young Duke secure in his own Dukedom and ready to move on to the final stage as the 'Conqueror'.

[Malacima · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 stars

[Lorreine Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great romp! I enjoyed the first book and this one followed the theme. Young William learning state craft (and war craft). I found the book quite humorous too. A very easy read. Not in the same quality of dialogue, characterisation as Bernard Cornwall , but an easy read and looking forward to the next instalment! Husband enjoyed it too.

[Mieneke · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Leopards of Normandy: Duke is the second book in David Churchill’s series about the legendary William the Conqueror. It picks up the story started in Devil at a point where young Duke William is nine and will take us all the way to William’s taking a bride at twenty-three. The book doesn’t just focus on William and his journey from boy to man, but we also learn about events in England, which set up the circumstances that will allow William to come and claim its throne in 1066.

As with Devil we once again have varying points of view besides that of William himself. Some of them are only one-shots, but others take up a goodly number of pages. We watch as Queen Emma is drawn back into the game of thrones to ensure her son Edward becomes king and how she clashes to achieve this with her rival, Elgiva and the ambitious Earl of Wessex, Godwin. Back in Normandy, William has his own dynastic work cut out for him as there are plenty of people who would like to claim his place. He faces open rebellion and covert operations, not least in the form of assassinations of his most staunch and powerful supporters. It is in this latter capacity that we see Jarl again. This mysterious killer was one of my favourite characters from Devil and it is wonderful to see them again.

Churchill draws a compelling picture of this band of luminaries and great names of history, but none of them looms larger than the Bastard himself. If his father Robert was charismatic in Devil, William outshines him in spades and even if he comes across as a wilful and stubborn little boy given too much power at a young age, especially in the earliest parts of the book, he is also an inspiring leader of men and a magnetic presence on the page. And he is still at the beginning of his rise to greater power at the end of Duke, so I can’t wait to see where he goes in the next book. The Leopards of Normandy: Duke’s paperback edition is out next month, so now would be a great time to read the first book Devil in time for the paperback and be all caught up when the last book comes out hopefully later next year!

This book was provided for review by the publisher.

[Jackie Law · Rating 5 out of 5]

Duke, by David Churchill, is the second book in The Leopards of Normandy trilogy. This series tells a fictionalised version of the story of William, Duke of Normandy, who is remembered as The Conqueror. The first book in the series was Devil, which I reviewed here.

The story opens with the reading of Archbishop Robert of Rouen’s will in which he tried to ensure that nine year old William, the boy Duke, would have loyal advisors and guardians to care for him until he came of age. Despite the many familial links of blood and marriage between the powerful and wealthy families of the region, loyalties could not be relied upon. This period in history was a real life Game of Thrones.

During the fourteen years covered by this installment in the tale there are numerous assassinations and changes of allegiance as each of the key characters schemes to further their own cause. Alongside the rivalries being played out in Normandy, the reader is kept up to date with the goings on in England where three kings are crowned in succession without producing an heir.

Historical fact is intertwined with myth and literary licence to provide a colourful and compelling account of life in these troubled times. The harrying of Worcester and the battle scenes portray how tenuous this could be. A lack of medical knowledge and skill meant injury and illness were treated with little more than prayer.

The reader is taken into the heart of a familiar tale told anew. The protagonist must survive yet tension is maintained as he encounters assassins, a wild boar and erstwhile friends determined to supplant him. The author is a skilled story teller who has done his research and chosen well how to present the accepted accounts of the times alongside more fanciful elements. His notes at the end suggest that many of the apparently imaginative characters and events are lifted from chronicles written at the time.

For fans of historical fiction who relish the intricacies and intrigue of a ruthless, feudal system of governance, this is a fascinating and enjoyable read: history brought vividly to life.

My copy of this book was provided gratis by the publisher, Headline.

[Jaffareadstoo · Rating 5 out of 5]

He came, he fought and he conquered and that's really all I knew about William the first of England, the King who built the Tower of London with stone from his native Normandy. I didn't know anything about his life before the conquest of England and what's been so fascinating about reading David Churchill's excellent trilogy, so far, is that it has started to flesh out William, to give him personality and purpose, and in this second book in the trilogy, which spans the years between 1039 to 1051, William starts to emerge as a strong and decisive character.
Of course, there are going to be gaps in history, and this is most definitely a fictional account of William’s early life but wherever possible the author has used available historical evidence to add motivation and gives a plausible suggestion of what might have happened. The one thing that is certain, however, is that the eleventh century was a time of great political and democratic uncertainty. Conflict between the ruling families of northern Europe was rife and political assassination was both endemic and accepted as commonplace.
There is no doubt that the author writes well around a subject about which he is passionate. Factual and fictional history blends really well and as time and place starts to come alive, before you know it, the creeping menace of the eleventh century starts to surface, and in your imagination you are moving surreptitiously in the cold, dark shadows watching as William's story continues to unfold.
This second book in the trilogy shows just how unpredictable life was in the eleventh century, and as families fought against families, the only certainty was that the victor would be the one with enough ambition and motivation to succeed. I look forward to seeing how the story finally plays out in the final part of the trilogy and although the outcome is known, it's going to be really interesting to see how William finally gets to becomes the conqueror we know from our history books.

[Mikeh5972 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another cracking read, the second book in the trilogy about William the Conqueror. I had forgotten how good the first instalment in the series was. I very quickly was totally engrossed in this well written and engaging piece of historical fiction. My knowledge of the characters from this period of history has been greatly improved by this fictional account. Roll on next year for the final part of this excellent trilogy.

[Jeanette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really must purchase the first book of The Leopards of Normandy' trilogy! Historical fiction has always been one of my favourite genres and was thrilled when I discovered that I was one of the winners in the Goodreads First Reads giveaway. I avoid writing what the story is about for fear of spoiling for others, but I do highly recommend to all who enjoy this period in history.

[It reads and writes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved it. Took me about 100 pages to really get into it; but once I got going with it I thoroughly enjoyed it. There are alot of characters but it becomes easier to recognise who people are as the story progresses. I was surprised as the humour in parts and by the time I got to the end I was hooked.