Burning the Water

by Robert Low

Bandits, soldiers, thieves, all thrive in the lawless hills... The Borders are at war. Henry VIII , fat and pained with a diseased leg, wants to burn them all; to burn the very water if he has to. Batty Coalhouse is still haunted by Maramaldo , the warlord responsible for cutting off his arm. He’s given an intriguing find some stray nuns and bring them to safety. In turn, that will lead him to his nemesis, now rampaging with an army not far away in the Cheviot hills. What seems a routine assignment becomes a living hell, for in the Debatable lands, nothing is as it seems... Brimming with atmosphere and brutal violence, this is Robert Low at his best, perfect for fans of Bernard Cornwell, Conn Iggulden and S. J. A. Turney.

Genres: Historical Fiction

272 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 16, 2020

About the author

Robert Low is a Scottish journalist and historical novelist, with novels based on the Viking Age. He was war correspondent in Vietnam and also several other locations, including Sarajevo, Romania and Kosovo, until "common-sense, age and the concerns of my wife and daughter prevailed". Now he writes novels full time. He's also a historical reenactor performing with the Scotland-based group, the Vikings.

Series:
* Oathsworn
* Kingdom

Reviews

[Clemens Schoonderwoert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This very thrilling historical adventure is the 2nd volume of a trilogy called, "The Border Reivers", from the amazing wonderful author, Robert Low.

At the back of the book you'll notice a very well documented Author's Note, and a wonderfully explained Glossary, both making a great contribution to this amazing tale.

Story-telling is once again of a top-notch quality, although sometimes for me as a Dutchman hard to understand but always willing to learn also where the authentic Scots is interwoven within the story, and all characters, whether they are great historical or wonderful fictional, come all vividly to life, while the hostile and treacherous atmosphere and the people inhabiting and living within the Debatable Land, a part of land between Scotland and England, come superbly off the pages.

Our main protagonist is once again, Batty Coalhouse, aka Balthazar Kohlhase and from his mother's side a Graham, a well-known Scottish name within the Borderlands.

This book starts off with an intriguing prologue, which is set in the year AD 1544, and it includes the term issued by King Henry VIII as "Burning the Water", meaning the burning of all that is Scottish, rebels and land.

The main story starts off in the Spring of the year AD 1545, and we find Batty Coalhouse in the Tolbooth prison in Berwick-on-the-Tweed, but when he's released somehow he's assigned by Musgrave of Bewcastle, also called Mad Jack, with Musgrave's aide present, to collect and protect a group of nuns, who are coming from the Glastonbury in the South towards Kirknewton in the North with important valuables in their possession, but before Batty reaches the nuns murder and mayhem have already occurred.

What is to follow is an intriguing and gripping fast-paced story with a lot of fighting and political scheming, a story in which Batty will be betrayed by the plotting Musgrave and his partner in crime Dacre of Lanercost, where secondly Batty will encounter funny and also deadly interactions with his nemesis and arch-enemy, Maramaldo, a man who's to be replaced by a new deadly nemesis called, Rafael Sabin, and thirdly these important valuables will provoke and turn into a war between rival families, but used as a Catholic uprising, that will end with a big bang and satisfaction for the one part and sorrow and death for the other.

Very much recommended, for this is a tremendous middle episode, look very much forward to the 3rd and last one, and what this tale is concerned I like to call it: "An Incredibly Exciting Hot Border Land"!

[Diane Cranson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Robert Low's stories, his characters and his brutal yet lyrical writing style. Burning the Water follows A Dish of Spurs in the Border Reivers series. I'm looking forward to reading the last of the trilogy, Shake Loose the Border.

Brilliant author, not well enough known and gone too soon.

[David Ebsworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This ranks with some of the very best historical fiction. If you want to find out how it really felt to struggle for survival in the brutal hell of the Borders during the later years of Henry VIII's reign, you'll love this. But if you're looking for some fluffy romance about Anne Boleyn, don't go there. Robert Low has immersed himself into the language and culture of those harsh years and buried characters like one-armed Batty Coalhouse deep in a complex, gripping yarn. I maybe made a mistake by not reading the first of this Border Reiver series beforehand, but Burning the Water seems to work perfectly well as a standalone - and I'll definitely go back and read A Dish of Spurs next. Loved it!

[Edward Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magnificent, wonderful.

Wonderful, a worthy sequel, brings the Border to life, death and everything between. The language is sheer poetry familiar to a Border ear.

[Terry Sampson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another cracker bringing it all together.

The next set of trying circumstances for Batty, told in the authentic style I enjoy so much. Thoroughly and explosively enjoyable.

[Simon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this wasn't as good as the first book with only one character reappearing, and while he's an interesting character, he's not interesting enough to solely carry the story. Another gripe is if the author is going to title a series as the Border Reivers, might want to actually include some Border Reivers in the story - a fair bit of everything else with German/Italian/etc. mercenaries, Gypsies, nuns from the Southwest and a Yorkshire family transposed to the borders to masquerade as a border reiver family.

[Clive Ettritch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Roberts books, I find them hard to read initially but rewarding when you get into the groove. This is a review of this book and the 1st book, i wait with great anticipation for the next.
Apart from Roberts excellent tail the Border Reivers make a fresh arena for those interested in historical based fiction.