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King's Bane #3
The Scathing
In an epic tale of courage and ferocity, the kingdom of Mercia is born.
More than a year has passed since the English crossed the German Sea to settle the island of Britain.
Secure now in their Anglian fastness, their gaze turns to the West.
But other kingdoms also covet the middle lands.
Sweeping down from the western hills Cynlas Goch and his army of Powys lay waste the valley of the River Trenta, burning, killing and enslaving as they go.
Heavily outnumbered but trusting to their valour, can Eofer king’s bane and his war band slow the onslaught until the English and their allies wrest a final victory from the ashes of defeat?
The Scathing is the third book in the Bestselling King’s Bane series, the genesis of England.
More than a year has passed since the English crossed the German Sea to settle the island of Britain.
Secure now in their Anglian fastness, their gaze turns to the West.
But other kingdoms also covet the middle lands.
Sweeping down from the western hills Cynlas Goch and his army of Powys lay waste the valley of the River Trenta, burning, killing and enslaving as they go.
Heavily outnumbered but trusting to their valour, can Eofer king’s bane and his war band slow the onslaught until the English and their allies wrest a final victory from the ashes of defeat?
The Scathing is the third book in the Bestselling King’s Bane series, the genesis of England.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
326 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 21, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 19, 2019
The Scathing is the 3rd and final book in the King’s Bane series and we are back with Eofer and his loyal troop.
Years have passed since Eofer earned the title of King’s Bane.. he’s older but also a little wiser.
With the Powys on the attack our heroes are tasked the unenviable task of putting an end to their rampage..and they’re heavily outnumbered…they must do what they can to protect those that can’t defend themselves.
This story really develops Eofer for me, many friends have come and gone and he’s haunted by his past as it walks beside him..he will never let the memory of those lost be forgotten. Not only were these moments quite moving but I thought it linked the books together well. Eofer’s memories tugged at my own and I found myself reliving past events in the series.
May sets a vivid scene of tumultuous times..people are dying horribly and something must be done.. many more lives will be lost…it’s a tale of camaraderie and hard-fought battles..
What the author did superbly for me was the connection between Eofer and his men…not only is it believable but each member of the team has value and is developed in their own right… they really are a tight team of loyal men who would die for each other.
The main storyline of war was vivid and engrossing but so emotionally charged..each chapter tearing at me as the tale progressed. So much so that the ending left me shattered..heartbroken..what a cracking ending to a very detailed and exciting series.
The Scathing has the perfect mix of plot and character development, there’s a big picture but lots of personal titbits to make you fall in love with the characters..their humour..I’ll truly miss them.
There’s something to keep everyone happy with this book..it just ticks so many boxes.
I can’t give it any less than a 5 star rating.. that ending.. just wow. Top marks!
Years have passed since Eofer earned the title of King’s Bane.. he’s older but also a little wiser.
With the Powys on the attack our heroes are tasked the unenviable task of putting an end to their rampage..and they’re heavily outnumbered…they must do what they can to protect those that can’t defend themselves.
This story really develops Eofer for me, many friends have come and gone and he’s haunted by his past as it walks beside him..he will never let the memory of those lost be forgotten. Not only were these moments quite moving but I thought it linked the books together well. Eofer’s memories tugged at my own and I found myself reliving past events in the series.
May sets a vivid scene of tumultuous times..people are dying horribly and something must be done.. many more lives will be lost…it’s a tale of camaraderie and hard-fought battles..
What the author did superbly for me was the connection between Eofer and his men…not only is it believable but each member of the team has value and is developed in their own right… they really are a tight team of loyal men who would die for each other.
The main storyline of war was vivid and engrossing but so emotionally charged..each chapter tearing at me as the tale progressed. So much so that the ending left me shattered..heartbroken..what a cracking ending to a very detailed and exciting series.
The Scathing has the perfect mix of plot and character development, there’s a big picture but lots of personal titbits to make you fall in love with the characters..their humour..I’ll truly miss them.
There’s something to keep everyone happy with this book..it just ticks so many boxes.
I can’t give it any less than a 5 star rating.. that ending.. just wow. Top marks!
October 6, 2017
Well written and delightful.
The Scathing is the third book in the Kings Bane series. Now, I have to admit that my knowledge of the era is extremely limited, so my review will be purely on storyline and if the plot seems feasible. I have read C R Mays books before and it is testament to his skill that he keeps pulling me back to an unfamiliar period in history.
The novel itself is set in the 6th century, the Romans were gone and England had yet to define itself as a singular nation. Smaller kingdoms were the power if the day. Briton, Angle and Saxon made for uneasy neighbours. It is within the unease that the author weaves his craft. The characters are sculptured with skill, Eofer is an absolute delight. The plot fits perfectly with what I would imagine 6th century would be. This is not a hack and slash book, its a measured and thoughtful plotline but keep an eye out for the battle towards the end...very skilful writing. All in all its a superb novel that the author has skilfully used his imagination to fill in the blanks of the time.
Robert Southworth ( Author of the Spartacus Chronicles and Ripper Legacies)
The Scathing is the third book in the Kings Bane series. Now, I have to admit that my knowledge of the era is extremely limited, so my review will be purely on storyline and if the plot seems feasible. I have read C R Mays books before and it is testament to his skill that he keeps pulling me back to an unfamiliar period in history.
The novel itself is set in the 6th century, the Romans were gone and England had yet to define itself as a singular nation. Smaller kingdoms were the power if the day. Briton, Angle and Saxon made for uneasy neighbours. It is within the unease that the author weaves his craft. The characters are sculptured with skill, Eofer is an absolute delight. The plot fits perfectly with what I would imagine 6th century would be. This is not a hack and slash book, its a measured and thoughtful plotline but keep an eye out for the battle towards the end...very skilful writing. All in all its a superb novel that the author has skilfully used his imagination to fill in the blanks of the time.
Robert Southworth ( Author of the Spartacus Chronicles and Ripper Legacies)
August 15, 2017
The trilogy
When I picked up the first book, by the opening chapter i was caught. The history, beautiful descriptions and characters were woven so intrinsically that you could actually believe that you were almost part of the books. Personally I can only say I'm relieved that the remaining character's will love on, thank you for all your books
When I picked up the first book, by the opening chapter i was caught. The history, beautiful descriptions and characters were woven so intrinsically that you could actually believe that you were almost part of the books. Personally I can only say I'm relieved that the remaining character's will love on, thank you for all your books
September 25, 2017
After leaving Engeln and carving a own place for themselves, the Engles now live on part of Britannia with a new set of neighbors. Eofer has his own hall on Anglia but things are not so easy as they seem to be. Some natives collected under the flag of Powys nation raid constantly the borders of this new nation and the Engles need to strike before this escalate. Also, Aetheling Icel "The Haystack" has to expand his influence and instead of sitting on his father's realm waiting for his time to come he prefers to make a kingdom on his own. Meanwhile this is happening, Geat King Heardred will request help from Eofer to avoid his downfall.
Struggling both to keep his promises and his duty to his Lord, Eofer will decide to lend a hand to both, being the compromise with his liege the top priority. On the way, Eofer will develop ruses and schemes - along with his fighting skills - to balance the conflict on his favor, as the Engles forces will be outnumbered many times.
Despite achieving a great rank and succeeding tough challenges, fate has an ace on its sleeve, as our hero will face an ultimate betrayal that will lead him into the place he always sought.
*****COMMENTARY MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*****
Eofer comes back to bring us a new story that is a roller-coaster of moments that at its end is both sad and rewarding at the same time. The story begins with our hero hunting on his lands and being lowly wounded on his butt. Despite the pace around them, Eofer uses hunting to avoid home and Astrid, with all the tension between them. He rides back with loyal Thrush Hemming on his side just to find that they have Wulffings guest on his home that bring beautiful gifts (horses among them) and Eofer rides again to give them to Aetheling Icel on Leicester, as they will be needed on the frontier. Icel is using the city as a vanguard point against the raiding Powys army and encourages Eofer to stay. The eorle understand that horses will balance the scales in a very likely event that a conflict with the Powys begins and learns where he can steal them some of those precious horses. As the attack succeeds, Eofer will also capture a Saxon warlord's son that he will release into his people without accepting ransom for him. He also has to be willingly relinquished of his most trusted weorthman, as Hemming now will become a lord on his own on the new fort of Tantum, a place that will be on the very frontier with the Powys.
As Eofers returns back to Leicester a new set of problems wait our hero. Einar, a geat scout, has arrived informing that King Heardred (Eofer's brother in law) is struggling with his neighbors. Also, Aetheling Icel has made clear his vision of what he wants Eofer to do in order to defeat the Powys to the last man and rewarding the eorle with the honor of the ealdorman title and the burh of Leicester at his command. Struggling with Icel's orders, Heardred's oath and of course the fate of his first son Weohstan as he is also on Heardred fosterage, our hero will have to decide on pressure. Acknowledging that the Geat-Swede conflict can wait until spring and that Icel and his forces have the chance for defeating Powys' leader once it for all, Eofer embarks on the quest to defeat the welsh on the frontier along carving a new kingdom, where Briton and Engle could live together.
Facing a great threat, tired and outnumbered, the full might of the Engles will be support by the Saxons and the Lindisware, and emerge victorious on the battle. The battle has its own share of fate and some of its consequences will be key on the future. After that, Eofer will be rewarded as ealdorman and Leicester will be his stead, without giving up his lands on the south.
When Eofer rides on his way south to go home and prepare for going into Heardred hall's a ghostly black dog will appear to show him that his luck has ran out and something bad will follow. Eofer travels south without knowing that tragedy is upon him.
On his return, he just waits welcoming smiles and a warm hug from his wife, but will be the opposing as Geat people will receive the warband with cold stares and Astrid's anger will materialize into a great slap into our eorle's face and spitting the words "you're late hero, my brother is dead". Eofer will freeze, trying to collect him in the few seconds after, but Beornwulf's oath will punish the insolent woman with a spear thrust on her chest, setting a "snowball effect" on which Geat and Engle will die and our hero will meet his end. After this, Hemming and Icel will collect Eofer's remains and give the proper funeral where will be full of warriors of mighty deeds. Icel and the Saxon aetheling, Cynric will assure Hemming this is not the end and we learn the implicit though that the ones that did that to Eofer will pay sourly.
As always, I did a condensed summary but it doesn't do any justice to the entire plot. Not even the the ending. Eofer's adventures reach its end and what a way to do this!
The story is well told and has a good pace, the setting great and the characters enjoyable. You're getting the same mixture that make on other C.R. May books, but less ship traveling as main action will happen on land (there is a brief fight on a ship deck, but it almost doesn't count). The plot is unveiling with each page turn and it is difficult to predict with memorable moments.
As for characters, Eofer's return with full might, a bit unfortunate on some events but struggling to keep going forward. His relation with Astrid is not on the best moment as her ambitions are a sad spike on the eorle's life. I enjoyed the brief plot line dedicated to this idea and I'd would like to further expand it as Astrid as a enemy would be awesome. Eofer's decisions are key as always, and some as letting Thrush go, accepting Einar into his warband, rescuing Seaxwine and Emyr in the end, will show a lot phases of the eorle, giving him more complexity as a character.
On his side, Icel will feature more than previous books forging a close friendship with our hero and being more open to reveal what he has on hand to expand his influence. We also learn about his dream of making a great kingdom with briton and engles.
The rest of the cast performs well as always, and we see different type of personalities within the plot. The secondaries play their part in great way giving a more complete experience about the story.
It is impossible to not come back to the end of the story. I knew that Heardred will die (That 's included in a lot Norse sources) but I expected the story to continue and Eofer trying to rescue the Geat King was the perfect setting for an upcoming novel. When I read that the mood of the welcoming party was cold, I froze. I realized that something was not quite right and just to read Astrid's words pierced my heart. Then you have a "snowball effect" in which our eorle, king's bane, hall burner and mighty warrior can't do anything. In few seconds, everything was screwed up and our hero dies, not without knowing that the hall of the bronze shields is open to him as he says: No, Astrid. You killed us all". Very tragic but with a small shine of light and the sense that our hero died well.
I read the two final twice, before getting into the Author's note. I couldn't believe it, but the inside the note was my only reward and I also got over Eofer's death. I also remembered, that discussing Cornwell's "The flamebear" with C.R. May, he wrote something like this: "I'll be going bananas to keep myself interested in writing a lot of books of a same character" and I knew why Eofer had to die.
What I like of tragic endings is that even that this is a work of fiction, you can see the hand of Fate on decisions that may be small, but pieced all together are the downfall that no one expect.
The good thing is that this is not over yet and May will keep writing about this age of turmoil, but now this story will be told from another's champion eyes.
September 3, 2017
What a time to be alive!
When dreams are born, legends created, heroes emerge - and books like this published.
You see what I did there?
If The Scathing is your third encounter with Eofer Wonreding, King's Bane, Astrid Hygelacsdottir, Thrush Hemming, and the island of Britain before it became England or English, or even if it is your first, any way you look at it - you're in for a real treat.
Reading The Scathing was such an emotional, all-enveloping blast, it was one of those where I'm trying to sleep faster, so I can wake up tomorrow and read some more. Having finished it, I'm quite exhausted, with a million thoughts running around my brain. The whole series (so far) are not so much as books, as an experience. The next best thing to actually bring there. Though I do feel like I've been there, seen what happened and...I didn't want to come back. I want to go back there again and soon.
The good Mr May put me through the emotional wringer before even leaving the first chapter - it grabbed me immediately and then hurled me head-first back into early 6th century Britain. The book is full of warmth, charm, colour and character, the writing is captivating and bristling with incident, interest, excitement and not a little tension. Not everything goes where you think it will, you are certainly kept on your toes - not least in that it's the English who are the ones travelling to Britain in these stories.
The book vividly builds an absorbing picture of these tumultuous times, peopled with well-drawn and developed characters - even those we don't see (until the end), like Eofer's wife. They are characters you care about - even if that is hate - and, unlike some period novels, there are absolutely no passengers here, no people wearing the red sweatshirt.
The Scathing may well be part three of C.R. May's King's Bane trilogy (so far, as informed speculation has it), but reads like a complete, stand alone novel in its own right. You could start here, but why would you want to? What you need to know about what happened to the characters and their journey to Britain, before the book opens, is imparted as you go, and deftly woven into the story. However, you really shouldn't read this on its own, make sure you read the first two and then you too can be sat staring, mouth opening and closing like some sort of fugly goldfish with shock and pleasure - if those two can be combined - when you reach the end.
With the King's Bane saga and The Bernicia Chronicles, C.F. May and the boy Harffy are carving out a wonderfully rich and engaging vision of how 6th Century Britain could have been. They're making the Dark Ages sparkle and absolutely the place to be for true Historical Fiction fans right now.
The world's best book blog: Speesh Reads
When dreams are born, legends created, heroes emerge - and books like this published.
You see what I did there?
If The Scathing is your third encounter with Eofer Wonreding, King's Bane, Astrid Hygelacsdottir, Thrush Hemming, and the island of Britain before it became England or English, or even if it is your first, any way you look at it - you're in for a real treat.
Reading The Scathing was such an emotional, all-enveloping blast, it was one of those where I'm trying to sleep faster, so I can wake up tomorrow and read some more. Having finished it, I'm quite exhausted, with a million thoughts running around my brain. The whole series (so far) are not so much as books, as an experience. The next best thing to actually bring there. Though I do feel like I've been there, seen what happened and...I didn't want to come back. I want to go back there again and soon.
The good Mr May put me through the emotional wringer before even leaving the first chapter - it grabbed me immediately and then hurled me head-first back into early 6th century Britain. The book is full of warmth, charm, colour and character, the writing is captivating and bristling with incident, interest, excitement and not a little tension. Not everything goes where you think it will, you are certainly kept on your toes - not least in that it's the English who are the ones travelling to Britain in these stories.
The book vividly builds an absorbing picture of these tumultuous times, peopled with well-drawn and developed characters - even those we don't see (until the end), like Eofer's wife. They are characters you care about - even if that is hate - and, unlike some period novels, there are absolutely no passengers here, no people wearing the red sweatshirt.
The Scathing may well be part three of C.R. May's King's Bane trilogy (so far, as informed speculation has it), but reads like a complete, stand alone novel in its own right. You could start here, but why would you want to? What you need to know about what happened to the characters and their journey to Britain, before the book opens, is imparted as you go, and deftly woven into the story. However, you really shouldn't read this on its own, make sure you read the first two and then you too can be sat staring, mouth opening and closing like some sort of fugly goldfish with shock and pleasure - if those two can be combined - when you reach the end.
With the King's Bane saga and The Bernicia Chronicles, C.F. May and the boy Harffy are carving out a wonderfully rich and engaging vision of how 6th Century Britain could have been. They're making the Dark Ages sparkle and absolutely the place to be for true Historical Fiction fans right now.
The world's best book blog: Speesh Reads
November 6, 2018
Awesome series.
Another brilliant read from Cliff May. My main addiction is Roman historical fiction and I first discovered Cliff May through his novel Terror Gallicus, conqueror of Rome and part 2, Nemesis. I couldn't put them down until I had finished them. Next I read Bloodaxe, Erik Haraldson part 1 and am eagerly awaiting part 2 which is due out this month. Over the past few weeks, I have read all the other books written by Cliff. Starting with Sorrow Hill and culminating in this book, The Scathing, (Kings Bane Book 3). The fact I have read all 7 books in a few weeks should tell you all you need to know. Absolute must reads.
Another brilliant read from Cliff May. My main addiction is Roman historical fiction and I first discovered Cliff May through his novel Terror Gallicus, conqueror of Rome and part 2, Nemesis. I couldn't put them down until I had finished them. Next I read Bloodaxe, Erik Haraldson part 1 and am eagerly awaiting part 2 which is due out this month. Over the past few weeks, I have read all the other books written by Cliff. Starting with Sorrow Hill and culminating in this book, The Scathing, (Kings Bane Book 3). The fact I have read all 7 books in a few weeks should tell you all you need to know. Absolute must reads.
January 22, 2021
Excellent author and all of his books are engaging, entertaining and very enjoyable!
C.R.May is a very creative and entertaining author. I have read most of his books, and all are riveting. Excellent.
C.R.May is a very creative and entertaining author. I have read most of his books, and all are riveting. Excellent.
August 14, 2022
the early story of the English
I did like this story of the British (Celts) against the early English (Saxons & Engles) only gave it 4 stars as there was bad grammar & spelling in bits.
I did like this story of the British (Celts) against the early English (Saxons & Engles) only gave it 4 stars as there was bad grammar & spelling in bits.
October 2, 2019
Like the last book great until the unnecessary ending. Seemed tacked on again. Sensationalist for the sake of it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 8, 2020
As always C.R May tells a great story begging with the nuggets of history and legends from the dark ages.
SPOILER (ish)
What an ending!
SPOILER (ish)
What an ending!
October 21, 2020
Really enjoyed the whole Kings Bane series, right up until the terrible, pointless tacked on last chapter of this book. Spoiled the whole series for me, puts me off reading any more CR May.
August 3, 2017
The Engeln have now settled on the isle of Britannia and are intent on staying, and will fight to maintain and expand their territory and culture. The people of Powys are not too happy with this and are intent on driving the invaders out as they expand their own reach. A clash is inevitable and the author is on top of his game in this tale of that confrontation. Great characters, wonderful verbal byplay, thrilling action and an insightful look into Dark Age Britain make this book hard to put down. A good tale needs to be able to surprise the reader on occasion and The Scathing certainly fulfills that requirement. In fact, it is the surprise element that has me looking forward to the continuation of this series. 4.7 stars and The Hoover Book Review's prestigious "You Just Blew Me Away" award. :-)
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews