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Longsword: Edward and the Assassin
If you like Bernard Cornwell, Ken Follett, David Gemmell, John Gwynne and Conn Iggulden, you will love this medieval adventure packed with battles, betrayals and swords.
The debut novel Edward and the Assassin by Award Winning author Dimitar Gyopsaliev marks the start of the gripping historical fiction series Return of the Son.
★★★★★“The plot is incredibly well-written and the characters are engaging. I was captivated by the story till the very end because of the challenges that Peter faced and how he overcame them. I applaud Gyopsaliev for the quality of his work since it captures the world of sword brothers’ bravery and the strength of camaraderie engagingly. I’d recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys historical fiction and action stories..” —Trevor Otieno for Readers’ Favorite
"The War must be for the sake of Peace" —Aristotle
City of Acre, Holy Land, Friday, 17th of June, in the year 1272 of the incarnation of Christ, on the eve of Edward's birthday. The Crusaders and Mamluks have recently signed a peace treaty when Peter Longsword, an orphan raised in a monastery, is caught in the storm of an assassination attempt on the royal Crusader. When he saves the life of the crown prince of England on his first day as a guard in the royal household, Peter is drawn irreversibly into a deep plot to discover who ordered the assassination and why. Peter encounters knights, mercenaries, infidels, and nobility and he learns about treachery, love, and loyalty in his journey toward the truth of his own origins as well as the truth of the murder attempt. With the help of his new friends, Peter will ride to the edge of the realm to prove the strength of his bloodline. Enemies will unite and new alliances will be forged in the struggle for power and peace. Longsword shows you the world of sword brothers' bravery and the power of friendship.
The debut novel Edward and the Assassin by Award Winning author Dimitar Gyopsaliev marks the start of the gripping historical fiction series Return of the Son.
★★★★★“The plot is incredibly well-written and the characters are engaging. I was captivated by the story till the very end because of the challenges that Peter faced and how he overcame them. I applaud Gyopsaliev for the quality of his work since it captures the world of sword brothers’ bravery and the strength of camaraderie engagingly. I’d recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys historical fiction and action stories..” —Trevor Otieno for Readers’ Favorite
"The War must be for the sake of Peace" —Aristotle
City of Acre, Holy Land, Friday, 17th of June, in the year 1272 of the incarnation of Christ, on the eve of Edward's birthday. The Crusaders and Mamluks have recently signed a peace treaty when Peter Longsword, an orphan raised in a monastery, is caught in the storm of an assassination attempt on the royal Crusader. When he saves the life of the crown prince of England on his first day as a guard in the royal household, Peter is drawn irreversibly into a deep plot to discover who ordered the assassination and why. Peter encounters knights, mercenaries, infidels, and nobility and he learns about treachery, love, and loyalty in his journey toward the truth of his own origins as well as the truth of the murder attempt. With the help of his new friends, Peter will ride to the edge of the realm to prove the strength of his bloodline. Enemies will unite and new alliances will be forged in the struggle for power and peace. Longsword shows you the world of sword brothers' bravery and the power of friendship.
382 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 18, 2017
68 people are currently reading
266 people want to read
About the author
Dimitar Gyopsaliev
8 books11 followersDimitar Gyopsaliev, an award-winning and internationally bestselling author, is devoted to giving his readers fast-paced adventures full of plot twists. He doesn’t live in a castle with his family and doesn’t possess shining armor. However, he loves history and uses his imagination to tell good stories. By day, he’s an engineer supporting others in building their projects. By night, he helps princesses and knights achieve their dreams. He tries to be a doting father because his children inspired him to create stories for them.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
December 21, 2017
I read this book without any expectation. I have to admit that the story is very good and develops on an interesting historical background and easy to follow. That made me want to explore some of the events too. I am impressed by the research made by the author. The characters are well-developed, both the historical and the fictional ones.
I hope there is more to come from Peter and Red Herring.
I hope there is more to come from Peter and Red Herring.
June 14, 2022
Longsword: Edward and the Assassin is a rousing historical fiction piece set in the Holy Land during the 13th century. Backdropped by the failing crusades of western rulers, we follow the tale of Peter, an orphan who has grown up in the Christain-held city of Acre. Living a life of poverty and petty crime, his luck changes dramatically after foiling an attack on the royal Prince, Lord Edward. Peter finds himself thrust into a twisted plot of assassins and betrayal.
Many historical figures from the time period make an appearance, including Prince Edward Longshanks, future King of England, Sultan Baibars, the Mamluk ruler of Egypt, and even Marco Polo! After a series of lucky, if not improbable events, Peter joins a group of Prince Edward’s men tasked with finding the greatest healer in the land. Colorful fictional characters round out the group, from the boisterous Red Herring to the vengeful Diyaab al-Sahra, the Desert Wolf.
The story frequently changes points of view, so readers can see many of the characters’ motivations. Knights, assassins, Templars, Hospitallers, Tartars, Saracens, and their sub-groups all have a stake in the Holy Land, and each side plots and fights viciously for control.
The story is packed full of bloody, visceral battles. Backstabbing and betrayals abound. The novel does dip into what seems like pure fantasy at times, given Peter’s novice, but uncanny fighting skills. He becomes more of a “chosen one,” rather than an everyman dropped into a historical time period.
I quite like Dimitar Gyopsaliev’s Longsword: Edward and the Assassin. While based on actual events, Gyopaliev takes readers on a wild ride. Seeing the world through Peter’s eyes gives readers a sense of longing for adventure, riches, and at times, a little romance. This is a wonderful book for those that enjoy historical fiction and adventure novels.
Many historical figures from the time period make an appearance, including Prince Edward Longshanks, future King of England, Sultan Baibars, the Mamluk ruler of Egypt, and even Marco Polo! After a series of lucky, if not improbable events, Peter joins a group of Prince Edward’s men tasked with finding the greatest healer in the land. Colorful fictional characters round out the group, from the boisterous Red Herring to the vengeful Diyaab al-Sahra, the Desert Wolf.
The story frequently changes points of view, so readers can see many of the characters’ motivations. Knights, assassins, Templars, Hospitallers, Tartars, Saracens, and their sub-groups all have a stake in the Holy Land, and each side plots and fights viciously for control.
The story is packed full of bloody, visceral battles. Backstabbing and betrayals abound. The novel does dip into what seems like pure fantasy at times, given Peter’s novice, but uncanny fighting skills. He becomes more of a “chosen one,” rather than an everyman dropped into a historical time period.
I quite like Dimitar Gyopsaliev’s Longsword: Edward and the Assassin. While based on actual events, Gyopaliev takes readers on a wild ride. Seeing the world through Peter’s eyes gives readers a sense of longing for adventure, riches, and at times, a little romance. This is a wonderful book for those that enjoy historical fiction and adventure novels.
April 26, 2018
One of the best book's I have ever read
I have been reading books for over 40 years and this is one of the best I've ever read,so hard to put down!!! The plots and twists,the action,the heroes are all you dream about in a book.
If you read one book this year,make sure it's this one
I have been reading books for over 40 years and this is one of the best I've ever read,so hard to put down!!! The plots and twists,the action,the heroes are all you dream about in a book.
If you read one book this year,make sure it's this one
July 5, 2018
I really like the flowing of the story it keeps the reader engaged and wanting to know what will happen next.
I chose this rating because is a very good book right the type of book I like to read and I look forward to the next one.
I chose this rating because is a very good book right the type of book I like to read and I look forward to the next one.
July 10, 2024
Some of the worst writing I have ever read.
I almost never quit a book, no matter how bad, but this was just horrible writing in almost every way. I felt I was getting stupider the longer I read, yet remarkably, I still made it nearly half way before giving up this waste of time.
I generally can’t get enough of fast paced historical fiction set in this fascinating period of time.
Unfortunately this particular book was so poorly done, I was asking myself how this could have ever been cleared to publish, let alone received even one positive review.
The writing is just so bad. The action is nonsensical and unrealistic. The dialog wooden, cheesy and the characters all share the same personality to the point where any sentence could have come from any one of them as they all seem to think and talk exactly alike.
The author insists on calling the characters several different things in the space of a single paragraph. Jumping from referring to the main character as Peter to the orphan and back again, James to Red Herring or just Herring or something else again. The sergeant is David or back to sergeant. This sometimes happens in the same sentence. It’s hard to even explain how ridiculous and clunky this all is.
And WTF is with the characters smiling all the time like lunatics without any sense of tension or grasping the situation or events at hand. Smiling at the sun or the moon is smiling back or the sun is going to sleep? I think the author was maybe trying to be poetic but at times I thought I must be reading a nursery rhyme for simple children.
I could go on more about how bad this book was but I’ve wasted enough time on it.
Apologies for the rant. This review is more for my own reference so I know not to go anywhere near these books in a few years time when I’ve forgotten why I hated it and I’m looking for a series to get into.
I almost never quit a book, no matter how bad, but this was just horrible writing in almost every way. I felt I was getting stupider the longer I read, yet remarkably, I still made it nearly half way before giving up this waste of time.
I generally can’t get enough of fast paced historical fiction set in this fascinating period of time.
Unfortunately this particular book was so poorly done, I was asking myself how this could have ever been cleared to publish, let alone received even one positive review.
The writing is just so bad. The action is nonsensical and unrealistic. The dialog wooden, cheesy and the characters all share the same personality to the point where any sentence could have come from any one of them as they all seem to think and talk exactly alike.
The author insists on calling the characters several different things in the space of a single paragraph. Jumping from referring to the main character as Peter to the orphan and back again, James to Red Herring or just Herring or something else again. The sergeant is David or back to sergeant. This sometimes happens in the same sentence. It’s hard to even explain how ridiculous and clunky this all is.
And WTF is with the characters smiling all the time like lunatics without any sense of tension or grasping the situation or events at hand. Smiling at the sun or the moon is smiling back or the sun is going to sleep? I think the author was maybe trying to be poetic but at times I thought I must be reading a nursery rhyme for simple children.
I could go on more about how bad this book was but I’ve wasted enough time on it.
Apologies for the rant. This review is more for my own reference so I know not to go anywhere near these books in a few years time when I’ve forgotten why I hated it and I’m looking for a series to get into.
July 12, 2018
Not a fighter
I left when there were 7 people fighting in a small room. All of them used longswords. One of them hit from above. There would never be enough space sideways or upwards for any of this. The villain - experienced knight had several attacks on the hero - a 11 yr old who has never held a sword before - before he hits him.
I like to get into a story and am ok with a certain amount of suspension of disbelief but once the setting is done the mechanics should be remotely plausible somehow.
I left when there were 7 people fighting in a small room. All of them used longswords. One of them hit from above. There would never be enough space sideways or upwards for any of this. The villain - experienced knight had several attacks on the hero - a 11 yr old who has never held a sword before - before he hits him.
I like to get into a story and am ok with a certain amount of suspension of disbelief but once the setting is done the mechanics should be remotely plausible somehow.
July 7, 2024
really enjoyed this historical fiction!
Peter has lived his whole life on the streets of Acre. A chance at a new job brings an opportunity to find his destiny. Peter meets the Great Sultan Baibers of Egypt, Edward, the Crown-Prince of England and his wife Eleanor and a whole bunch of other historical figures. Through poisons, plots, and counter-plots a whole lot of really good writing explores the period and some of the main issues of the time.
Peter has lived his whole life on the streets of Acre. A chance at a new job brings an opportunity to find his destiny. Peter meets the Great Sultan Baibers of Egypt, Edward, the Crown-Prince of England and his wife Eleanor and a whole bunch of other historical figures. Through poisons, plots, and counter-plots a whole lot of really good writing explores the period and some of the main issues of the time.
June 3, 2022
Enjoyable piece of fiction!
The story is about the events of the most interesting unsuccessful assassination attempts in history at the time. Full of excitement good battle descriptions a real page turner. Enjoyable piece of fiction that keeps you gripped until the end. I hope there are more from the author.
The story is about the events of the most interesting unsuccessful assassination attempts in history at the time. Full of excitement good battle descriptions a real page turner. Enjoyable piece of fiction that keeps you gripped until the end. I hope there are more from the author.
April 29, 2025
Dear God Man! Get an editor, PLEASE! Great story but horrible editing, HUNDREDS of gramactical errors. Many times while reading this book, I wondered if it was an 8th grade author and this was their rough draft. Same errors in first book of this series but FAR WORSE in this book. I would have given four stars if it was not for the lack of editing or just simple proofreading. Seriously?
October 12, 2018
Very good story!but!
I really enjoyed the story it was well thought out as a piece of historical fiction but there is a distinct lack of editing or at least proof reading ,the book is almost spoilt by typos, pidgin English and bad grammar
I really enjoyed the story it was well thought out as a piece of historical fiction but there is a distinct lack of editing or at least proof reading ,the book is almost spoilt by typos, pidgin English and bad grammar
April 26, 2019
Great Story but need editting
This was a fantastic story and very enjoyable read. However someone need to proof read this writer’s English. A lot of the grammar was terrible with really distracted from the telling of the story.
This was a fantastic story and very enjoyable read. However someone need to proof read this writer’s English. A lot of the grammar was terrible with really distracted from the telling of the story.
June 5, 2019
Excellent
I found this to be a excellent story and so well written. The characters were really interesting. I love historical novels that bring the past alive and this was certainly one of them
I found this to be a excellent story and so well written. The characters were really interesting. I love historical novels that bring the past alive and this was certainly one of them
August 25, 2019
A gripping tale of historic proportions
The story is well told. Despite grammatical errors that required a reread, the writing keeps up a fat pace. The description is vivid and paints a moving panorama of intrigue, valor and loyalty.
The story is well told. Despite grammatical errors that required a reread, the writing keeps up a fat pace. The description is vivid and paints a moving panorama of intrigue, valor and loyalty.
August 5, 2018
Good read
I good historical fiction I enjoyed the development of the MC and the intrigue of the entire series! Can’t wait for the next one!
I good historical fiction I enjoyed the development of the MC and the intrigue of the entire series! Can’t wait for the next one!
October 4, 2018
Excellent
From start to finish a refreshing new set of individual characters. The challenges the young Peter faced combined with how he stood up to them very cleverly handled.
From start to finish a refreshing new set of individual characters. The challenges the young Peter faced combined with how he stood up to them very cleverly handled.
October 21, 2018
More
Very enjoyable read with interesting characters , plots , battles and left me wanting more all for less than the price of a cup of tea ☕
Very enjoyable read with interesting characters , plots , battles and left me wanting more all for less than the price of a cup of tea ☕
June 28, 2021
So much marvelous writing.
May 4, 2022
Excellent story.
May 4, 2022
I really like it
May 4, 2022
Very paced historical action book. Cant wait for the next one
May 4, 2022
Interesting story. i want more.
May 4, 2022
It's the best novel in that style that I have ever read. it kept me in constant excitement.
May 4, 2022
Real historical fiction epic drama. I really liked it
June 4, 2022
I read the book without any expectations and enjoyed it very much. A different and engaging story that makes you thrill to the end what will happen.
June 5, 2022
Fast paced-action thrilled book. I can’t wait for the next book.
July 25, 2018
Love a good war story
I enjoyed this novel. A twisting plot, a cast of larger than life characters, lots of battles, and an underdog hero.
I enjoyed this novel. A twisting plot, a cast of larger than life characters, lots of battles, and an underdog hero.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews