The Saracen Storm: A Novel of the Moorish Invasion of Spain

by J.M. Nunez

"An intense, action-packed story that will have you hooked from the moment you start reading it." - Reader's Favorite.

Hispania, 704 AD. When young Pelayo, the rebellious illegitimate son of the Duke of Asturias, is tasked with hunting down a party of Saracens raiders, he seizes on the chance to escape the city and the scandals that have swirled around him for years. As he follows the trail of devastation left by the raiders, he learns that Valentina, the headstrong daughter of his father's closest ally and his hated half-brother's betrothed has been taken captive.

As Pelayo leads his cohort toward the eastern coast, the sudden death of the king in Toledo unravels old alliances and sparks a fierce competition for the throne. As the kingdom descends into civil war, the ambitious Saracen governor, Musa Ibn Nosseyr, sees the Iberian nation's troubles as the perfect opportunity to expand the reach of the caliphate into the underbelly of Europe.



Based on historical figures and events, The Saracen Storm is the sweeping saga of one of Spain's best-loved heroes and the role he played during the nation's darkest the Moorish invasion of its lands in 711 AD.

Critical Reviews

"The writing is excellent, the prose delectable... It makes for an enjoyable read. Pelayo is a sophisticated character and his character arc defines his development in this beautifully written conflict. The action is strong, and the plot ingeniously done to excite the curiosity of the reader. For those who love adventure and narratives filled with intrigue and surprises, The Saracen Storm will make for a delightful read." - Christian Sia, Critic for Readers' Favorite. Five Stars Review.

"The book got me from its opening pages. The author does an impeccable job of exploring the political climate of the times. The characters are grounded in history, each written with enough background to augment the sophistication. It takes a skillful author to meld elements of fiction with history and Jose Nunez has that gift. The Saracen Storm is written in beautiful prose and has very strong plot points. This is a historical novel that transports the reader back in time and that brings history alive in their imagination. A balanced, deftly narrated and engaging read." - Tomual Dzemo, critic for Readers' Favorite. 5 Stars Review.

"This is an intense, action-packed story. The narrative is perfect, the flow is simple yet powerful. This is an entertaining story, one that will have you hooked from the moment you start reading it." - Rabia Tanveer, critic for Readers' Favorite. 5 Stars.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Spain, Fiction, Adventure, Medieval, War

511 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 26, 2019

About the author

Jose M. Nunez is a writer residing in Montreal, Canada, with his wife, Mimi. Prior to devoting himself to writing, he was the president of a software company. While vacationing in Spain, visiting the northern province of Asturias, he came across the statue of an ancient warlord named Pelayo. Never having heard the name before, he spent the next few months reading everything he could find about the life and turbulent times of this historical figure. This novel, a story of one of Spain’s greatest heroes, is the result of that research.

Reviews

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book I purchased a little while ago that caught my eye as it’s an era of history where my knowledge is lacking bar a few documentaries that cover Spain, one in particular I’d recommend “Blood & Gold: The making of Spain” by the BBC.

The first few chapters cover our “hero to be?” Pelayo’s early years, background, coming of age, who eventually joins a cohort becoming an officer. He’s a likeable rogue, who we might call a “cheeky chap” these days, amongst his adopted aristocratic family, he being an illegitimate son of a Duke whose taken in at an early age after his mother dies. It’s a good start, giving us early characterisations of the major players through their interactions with the young Pelayo.

From a promising start though, it then meandered a bit in terms of its quality where I did roll my eyes a bit with some of the characterisations, the staid to overtly flowery language, and stilted dialogue at times. It wasn’t as smooth as the opening potential. (it does pick up again though after around 100 pages, its jus a fair noticeable drop in standard) – Addition – Having now finished the book I can add further to this by pointing the finger at the characterisation of the female lead & her interactions with Pelayo as once her character isn’t around anymore the story flowed a lot more as did the dialogue…. At times there like a pair of cringy teenagers on a first date….. The female lead really was a pain, I’ll leave it at that bar saying wilful. Although bad things do happen to her that you wouldn’t wish on anyone.

I should also mention that having taking time out to read the author’s bio it all makes sense (the style) as whilst on holiday he came across the statue of the Hero Pelayo in Northern Spain, knowing nothing of him he then spent the next few months researching him, resulting in this book. Which holds true as the passion for Pelayo is within the text if perhaps some of the characterisations/dialogue of others fall a little short in places. When Pelayo is centre stage it’s a good read, fast paced, page turner et al, it’s when he's not, it perhaps falls a little short in places, so it’s good that Pelayo is in most scenes driving the book forward 😊

As for historical content, it was a little lacking in detail but gave somewhat of a post Romanised vibe that had descended into a feudal system. The intricacies were jus not there tbh, where I would have liked some 8th century Spanish flavour, I could really have been anywhere in early Feudal Europe.

In terms of language & actions its certainly got the “Family friendly” tag for sure, talking of which….

There were no real gory/detailed fights, the major battle(s) is done from afar rather than being up close & personnel, the weaponry was not detailed in the account & the tactics/action relayed being very scant. You don’t get the feel of battle as you do in other reads…. if that’s yer thing then this book might not be for you, if on the other hand you don’t like the gory deets…….

Had the Moors down as a fairly blood thirsty lot so was expecting a little more in terms of grit & violence from their camp (in fact even a presence), where in reality, they were jus Sunday afternoon baddies, perhaps more suited to nicking a handbag from a little ol lady coming home from a WI afternoon tea. I did mention it was family friendly didn’t I.

All that said, which on read back sounds slightly negative, It was certainly a page turner as I read it fairly quickly each night, so can’t really fault it in that respect at all. So I would surmise that the author’s a promising storyteller if not a polished one jus yet. In all, Its certainly not bad, especially so as it’s his first novel.

3.5 stars rounded to a three, which could jus as easily be a four, an easy read & a decent yarn. I think many will certainly enjoy this

[David Canford · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable read focused on the life of Spanish hero, Pelayo, who I had never heard of and of whom not a great deal, it would seem, is known. He is credited with leading resistance to the invasion by the Moors and keeping northern Spain out of their grasp. It’s a good ’swashbuckling’ kind of tale, albeit I could guess at the start of most chapters what was going to happen next. My main gripe is that it presents the invaders as uncultured barbarians, even though they would establish a society way in advance of anything else in Europe and would show religious tolerance, something which the Spaniards did not when they reconquered Spain centuries later. Still, this isn't a history book but entertainment and at that it certainly succeeds.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! This definitely was a book for a history lover. This was a new part of history for me. Though I've always known Spain's trouble with the Moors, I never knew when it begin.

I really loved Pelayo and Valentina. They both faced a lot of trouble and sadness. I was starting to wonder if anything else bad could happen to him. Luckily, He always previeled.

This was a well written, good read. I highly recommend for history lovers!

[Rich · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really terrific story. I don't usually write reviews, but I genuinely loved this one. I see this is the author's only work to date - hoping he releases something else down the road. I'd read it in a heartbeat.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh!
Solid 2.5 stars, so I rounded up to three.
I don't know . . . *shrug* . . . I mean I finished it, so it wasn't all that bad. But I honestly don't know where all the four- and five-star reviews came from.
First, the story -- so many missed opportunities by the author. For example, when we first meet Diego, we see the skirmish coming and then the next chapter opens with the aftermath. Seriously? We don't get any fight details? What a perfect time to introduce the tactics and styles of each side. There were several instances like that.
Overall, the action was severely lacking. I'm left wanting and disappointed.
Then, the writing. So many typos and grammatical errors. And I'm sorry, but could neither the author nor the editor decide if it was "Tariq" or "Tarik"??
I picked this up because it was an area with which I had no experience. So I'm glad to have learned some things. But it will be a while before I read any more by this author.

[Helen Hollick · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is always a pleasure to pick up a book set in an era that is rarely represented in historical fiction. In this case, Mr Nunez leads us back to the years around 700 A.D, Spain. At the time, Spain did not exist. The former Roman colony had been invaded by the Visigoths some centuries after the birth of Christ, but now the various Visigoth kingdoms are quaking under the advance of the Saracen conquerors. It is a confused time, a time when the Christians are pushed further and further north. It is a time brought to vivid life by Mr Nunez, his obvious extensive research resulting in a multi-layered depiction of the historical landscape.

Any Spanish schoolchild will have heard of the battle of Covadonga, as pivotal an event for the future Spain as the Norman invasion in 1066 is for England. At Covadonga, the hero of the day led his Christian countrymen to victory over the advancing Moors. At Covadonga, the determined Saracen expansion was brought to a brutal halt, thereby kicking off the Spanish Reconquista—a struggle to reconquer the former Christian Spain from the Moors that would not end until 1492, when the last Moorish Kingdom, Granada, fell to Fernando and Isabel.

The hero of Covadonga is a certain Pelayo, a man shrouded in mist. Mr Nunez has made Pelayo the hero of his narrative and does an excellent job in breathing life into the myth, the man, the legend. Born the bastard son of the Duke of Asturias, Pelayo overcomes the stigma of his birth, the hatred of his half-brother, the loss of the love of his life and emerges harder and sharper, a bit like a tempered blade of steel. But the young Pelayo is something of a wastrel, more interested in enjoying a good time with wine and wenches—likely an attitude he adopts to annoy not only his father but primarily his half-brother, Julian. But then, one day, Pelayo comes face to face with the destruction wreaked by the Moors on a village of his people. A new Pelayo is born that day, a man of action and brains, of integrity and honour who will rise to the occasion despite all those who do their best to see him tumble. Mr Nunez’ Pelayo is an engaging man, a character one roots for.

At times, Mr Nunez’ erudition and love of the period results in something of an information overload. But this is easily forgiven given a narrative that so firmly takes the reader by the hand and expertly guides him or her through the complex historical landscape that is Spain of the 8th century. Warmly recommended!

Reviewed for Discovering Diamonds

[Richard Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book

This book is about the early invasion of Spain by the Moors (Islamic hordes). The character descriptions are very well done and I can picture them and the locations in my mind while reading. I recommend this book to everyone.

[Barefoot Gypsy Jimerson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well I'm not really sure

I was really excited to read this book. But it just took to long to get going. I was expecting more.

[Marcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book mostly as it is about a part of history I knew little about. While there is no real need for me to learn about the history of Spain, I like to challenge my old mind once in a while.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent historical fiction

Well researched and gripping, this action packed historical fiction period piece is a delight. I couldn’t put it down. Oh, and the hero gets the girl.

[Lance A Impoco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saracen Storm

My preferred genre are westerns. But Saracen Storm was well written and an exciting adventure tale. Well researched and highly recommended.

[Adam Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great novel about Pelayo and his effort to thwart the Moorish takeover of Spain.

[Mr A J Landeg]

A good read from beginning to end.

I knew very little about the Moorish invasion of Spain.But this book has inspired me to learn more. It was easy to read and I would recommend it to anyone.

[Dennis Stokes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I could give it 4.5 stars. It was an exciting story filled with rich characters that took the reader on a journey through an often forgotten period of history. It is no wonder that Spain and Portugal are replete with Islamic art and architecture after 800 years of conquest.

[Etienne Slabbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful and enthralling

Wow just finished this remarkable story. Full of intrigue and twists. What a great way to learn about that time in the history of the Spanish nation.

[lorena caso · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy to read

Great novel, easy to read. Even though the moors were expelled centuries later, it was the northern people who never let them settle there.

[Liz C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read

This was very good. I didn't know much about this part of Spanish history so if was an interesting read. I hope he writes more like this.

[J Gemmell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read

Very good read of political intrigue and treachery .Fast flowing with strong characters and good historical facts of the Moors in Spain .

[Coleen Dailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed listening to this book about the early invasion of Spain by the Moors. We all know of the final defeat by Ferdinand and Isabella and who doesn't know the story El Cid -but this story is from the earliest invasion and how the northern barons finally united to defeat their common enemy. I wish there was more to this series (no pun intended).

[Yosea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story of Pelayo of Asturia, the Iberian hero who defied the Moor invader and supposedly starting the Reconquista (though it will take another 800 years to finish). The book is well written, very descriptive and the author manage to keep the pace of story well. However knowing a bit of Pelayo story and the Moor conquest of Spain, feels like the author rather take more liberty than it should to to re-tell the story. Granted that this is historical fiction, but it seems that the author have aspiration to have a major studio make this book into a movie as in general the storyline is rather hollywood-ish 😅

[Cindy Woods · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good read!

I have read extensively about the Saracens versus Iberians 88th century wars. This is a great book recounting battles that may have been.

The plot of half-brothers of a Duke is done well with many interesting characters using historical data. I have to say the romance aspect was sorely lacking though. There was no feeling whatsoever in the characters.

Overall, this one is pretty good when you consider the military battle planning, and the depth of the characters are very limited.

[Malacima · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,70 stars...I was expecting something a lot more gritty ... so many predictable turns... It was very easy to read, the story moves rapidly...but romance or any kind of intimacy among the characters aspect was sorely lacking for sure..But there is interesting information on the state of Spain before it was Spain...I love reading books like this that reveals history to me i never heard about...at the end the book was well maintained.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good! I’m not usually into historical fiction but I loved this book! The story was really exciting and I was totally captivated. The author manages to paint a vivid picture with visual descriptions while still moving the story along quickly. Plus it had an excellent romantic story line ❤️ super fun read!

[Brian V · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very engaging story about a pivotal figure in the little known (to me) history of Spain. Fast paced, suspenseful, great characters; a rather predictable plot, although the specifics of how the hero escapes apparent impossible situations to triumph keeps the tension throughout. Well worth the read.


Based on historical figures and events, The Saracen Storm is the sweeping saga of one of Spain's best-loved heroes and the role he played in the nation's darkest period: the Moorish invasion of its lands in 711 AD.
.
When nineteen-year-old Pelayo, the illegitimate son of the Duke of Asturias, is asked to lead a cohort of soldiers to hunt down a party of Saracen raiders, he seizes on the chance to escape the city and the scandals that have swirled around him for years. Trained in combat since he was a youth, and taught the dark arts of war by a brilliant ex-monk, he is determined to prove wrong those who say he is unfit for command. As he follows the trail of devastation left by the raiders, he discovers that Valentina, his half-brother's betrothed, has been taken captive. The mission that he has viewed merely as an adventure now turns into a personal quest to save the headstrong daughter of his father's closest ally from the slave markets of Arabia.

In the capital of Toledo, the sudden death of the monarch unravels old alliances, sparking a fierce competition for the throne. As the country descends into civil war, Musa ibn Nosseyr, Caliph al-Walid's ambitious governor in Carthage, sees the Iberian nation's troubles as an opportunity to expand the reach of the caliphate into Europe.

[Samuel Dole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad novel just not a particularly interesting one. The pacing and sense of time are easily the weakest parts. After Part I the story begins to really get going and becomes far more enjoyable but even then its marred by its bland main character and his lack of personal stakes. Even his love interest doesn't help make the protagonist more interesting. During a particular crisis point when the love interest is captured we never get a chance to see how Pelayo reacts, instead a year passes and we move on to the next historical event.

What I enjoy most about historical fictions is getting the chance to experience a time period from the eyes of the characters. Unfortunately, Saracen Storm doesn't really bother on the more nuanced aspects of the time period. The audience is never treated to the intricacies of this period. The story covers a handful of holidays and explains a little of the history... and that's about it.

My final gripe is the lack of interesting antagonists. The half brother Julian there's an attempt to give him a full arc but the story skips around so much in the beginning that by the time his plot comes to an end the audience has moved on. The Saracens / Moors who are the big shadow looming over the whole book are barely explained on a personal level and are just a boogey man who show up just to call people infidels and act menacing. I would've preferred that the Saracen general and governor characters actually received more fleshed out arcs. Instead their just props to be defeated by the hero.

Overall, flawed but enjoyable.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Saracen Storm by JM Nunez is a very readable historical novel about the incursion of the Saracens into the Iberia Peninsula in the early 8th Century. The leading character is Pelayo, who at the age of eight is taken to live with his father after his mother dies. We follow him, off and on, for the next 25 years as he maneuvers through a life in which his step-mother and step-brother hate him and make his life a misery, until his father sends him to war against the Saracens. He spends the rest of his life fighting them, sometimes to victory and sometimes not. He is very difficult to kill, although many try. He has enemies and they always seem to find him. He is a good man and a tough soldier who does his best for his family and his country.

This book is loosely based on fact. Many of the major players appear, including his half-brother, Julian, who was a real person, whether Pelayo was or not. There is much in the book that is today considered politically incorrect regarding the Saracens and how bloodthirsty and corrupt they were. The book moved quickly, skipping through repetitive or unimportant parts so that many years were covered. It was a very readable book and was another example of how little loyalty there sometimes was in royal families of the time. I enjoyed it. I recommend it.

I was invited to read a free ARC of The Saracen Storm by Netgalley. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #thesaracenstorm

[Dominic Berretta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am and avid reader of many authors of historical fiction two of the main being Ken Follet and Dan Brown. This is my first written opinion on any author. I attribute it to the immense enjoyment I had in reading the Saracen Storm by J.M. Nunez. Mr. Nunez managed to combine some historical facts mixed into a story of a torn family. Which there are many of today. There were wars to be won and lost and hearts to be broken and mended with the outcome favorable to those of us with tinder hears when the final brother hood reconciles. I knew of the Moors attacking southern Europe but adding the intrigue of some of the Iberians adding their effort put a new twist into my thoughts about the area and time. As I read I was also driven to research some of the people and places that I had heard of but actually new nothing such as the Brusque civilization of the area.
Respectfully submitted,
Dominic (Nick) Berretta

[Bruce Cable]

Excellent Historical Fiction!

I found this to be quite an engaging book, and I'm so glad to have stumbled upon it. I am somewhat familiar with the historical Moorish invasion of Iberia, which the Moors named Al Andalusia, which is the country known today as Spain. I had just finished watching an excellent documentary named "Storm Over Europe: The Wandering Tribes," which told the story of the Germanic Visogoth's who conquered Spain, several centuries prior to the timeline of this book, so when I noticed it in the Kindle Store I thought I'd check it out, and I'm so glad that I did. The characters were likeable, the story exciting and I learned a great deal, which is always important to me. I highly recommend this book!

[Jacob · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a rather uninspiring fleshing out of the legend of Pelayo (first Asturian king, that set the initial seeds for the Reconquista 700ish years later). It's your standard tale of a flawed, but noble man, fighting the cruel Moors (Saracens) and their equally nefarious Christian allies.

This tale lacked the nuances of El Cid, who fought in a patchwork of Christian / Moorish noble domains, finding allies and friends among both. El Cid sought to tell a human tale of struggle with varying shades of honor, The Saracen Storm strives to tell a story of the good guys vs bad guys and comes across heavy-handed as a result.

Complaints aside, I was entertained enough to finish. Probably a 2.5 star book, but I am okay giving it 3.