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Richard Savage #2
The Waste Land
The second in an adventure-filled historical series featuring Irish Knight Templar, Richard Savage, whose nemesis has abducted his daughter...
1316 AD. Ireland has been drawn into the bitter war between Scotland and /b>
Richard Savage thought he had left the war behind, but arch enemy Edward Bruce won't let him just walk away. Savage stole something from him, and there are no depths to which he will not descend to get it back. To force Savage's return, Bruce takes what is most dear to him: his daughter Galiene.
To rescue her, Savage must voyage back to an Ireland devastated by war and decimated by famine, where Scottish invaders ravage the countryside. Soon, Savage's personal mission becomes entangled with the battles tearing Ireland apart, and he finds himself on a final, desperate raid.
This is his only chance to save his daughter and turn the tide of war in Ireland's favour – and he's not going to waste it...
1316 AD. Ireland has been drawn into the bitter war between Scotland and /b>
Richard Savage thought he had left the war behind, but arch enemy Edward Bruce won't let him just walk away. Savage stole something from him, and there are no depths to which he will not descend to get it back. To force Savage's return, Bruce takes what is most dear to him: his daughter Galiene.
To rescue her, Savage must voyage back to an Ireland devastated by war and decimated by famine, where Scottish invaders ravage the countryside. Soon, Savage's personal mission becomes entangled with the battles tearing Ireland apart, and he finds himself on a final, desperate raid.
This is his only chance to save his daughter and turn the tide of war in Ireland's favour – and he's not going to waste it...
300 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 21, 2014
101 people are currently reading
322 people want to read
About the author
Tim Hodkinson
21 books191 followersI love reading and writing historical fiction.
My interest in ancient times, and particularly the medieval period, goes back to my childhood when my parents took us kids around the castles and megaliths of Ireland. I remember riding my bike as a boy to the see the various remnants of the Normans within reach of my home town of Lisburn. What would appear to most as uninspiring hillocks to me became in my imagination the site of heroic battles and I suppose that's where inspiration for some of my stories came from.
My interest only deepened with studying Old Norse, Medieval English and Celtic civilization at university and these topics have informed my first novels, along with a passion to tell stories about areas of Irish history that are sometimes overlooked and forgotten.
"Lions of the Grail" is set in Medieval Ireland, at the time the Scots invaded. Its a tale of knights and tournaments set against a war that time has forgotten. "The Waste Land" carries on the tale where Lions left off, while the novella, "The Savage Forest" takes the hero of this series, Richard Savage back to a time when he was still a young idealistic member of the Order of Knights Templar.
"The Spear of Crom" goes back to the time of the druids and is the story of a celtic cavalry officer in the Roman Army and his hunt for a mystical spear.
"The Undead" takes place in Victorian Belfast and moves into Gothic Horror, taking inspiration from Chapter 20 of Mary Shelley's classic novel "Frankenstein", which takes place in North Ireland.
Apart form that I have a couple of short stories set in the world of the Anglo-Saxons - "All the Kings Thanes" is my retelling of a true story treachery and the paranoia of power, while "Beowulf's Return" is set in the time of myth & legend.
My novels are available in print at all good online retailers and also (as well as the short stories) in Kindle format from Amazon.
I hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoy writing them.
My interest in ancient times, and particularly the medieval period, goes back to my childhood when my parents took us kids around the castles and megaliths of Ireland. I remember riding my bike as a boy to the see the various remnants of the Normans within reach of my home town of Lisburn. What would appear to most as uninspiring hillocks to me became in my imagination the site of heroic battles and I suppose that's where inspiration for some of my stories came from.
My interest only deepened with studying Old Norse, Medieval English and Celtic civilization at university and these topics have informed my first novels, along with a passion to tell stories about areas of Irish history that are sometimes overlooked and forgotten.
"Lions of the Grail" is set in Medieval Ireland, at the time the Scots invaded. Its a tale of knights and tournaments set against a war that time has forgotten. "The Waste Land" carries on the tale where Lions left off, while the novella, "The Savage Forest" takes the hero of this series, Richard Savage back to a time when he was still a young idealistic member of the Order of Knights Templar.
"The Spear of Crom" goes back to the time of the druids and is the story of a celtic cavalry officer in the Roman Army and his hunt for a mystical spear.
"The Undead" takes place in Victorian Belfast and moves into Gothic Horror, taking inspiration from Chapter 20 of Mary Shelley's classic novel "Frankenstein", which takes place in North Ireland.
Apart form that I have a couple of short stories set in the world of the Anglo-Saxons - "All the Kings Thanes" is my retelling of a true story treachery and the paranoia of power, while "Beowulf's Return" is set in the time of myth & legend.
My novels are available in print at all good online retailers and also (as well as the short stories) in Kindle format from Amazon.
I hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoy writing them.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
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June 24, 2014As I wrote it, I obviously really enjoyed it :-)
July 10, 2021
Wonderful work!!!
The Wasted Land says it all. Outstanding story. I can't imagine what hardship people go through during a war. I remember my own Mum telling me story's of World War II. How she would stand in line all day as a little girl just for a loaf of bread.
In this telling Savage has to safe his family from the Scottish an English. So once again he has to go to Ireland this time he has alot of help. The history of this time period is one that needs to be told. The writer takes you on a amazing journey in to history an tail of one mans struggle to find a life for his family. Now Hodkinson leaves you hanging at the end an hope one day soon he will pick up pen an paper and finish the story.
The Wasted Land says it all. Outstanding story. I can't imagine what hardship people go through during a war. I remember my own Mum telling me story's of World War II. How she would stand in line all day as a little girl just for a loaf of bread.
In this telling Savage has to safe his family from the Scottish an English. So once again he has to go to Ireland this time he has alot of help. The history of this time period is one that needs to be told. The writer takes you on a amazing journey in to history an tail of one mans struggle to find a life for his family. Now Hodkinson leaves you hanging at the end an hope one day soon he will pick up pen an paper and finish the story.
March 13, 2018
Pretty good read as was the first however, who ever proofread this and the first needs taking out back and shooting it's awful words are missing all over the place
February 9, 2021
Excellent addictive story
Exquisite workmanship
Congratulations to the author
What a way to end this series and historical accuracy too
Well done Sir
Exquisite workmanship
Congratulations to the author
What a way to end this series and historical accuracy too
Well done Sir
June 3, 2021
Good gripping tale!
2nd book in the series reinforces a very interesting story. Ending hints of the tale continuing but none available yet
2nd book in the series reinforces a very interesting story. Ending hints of the tale continuing but none available yet
February 1, 2024
Riveting!
Just like the first book in the series, this second one is just as action-packed from start to finish. Great story, well-researched, I couldn’t put it down!
Just like the first book in the series, this second one is just as action-packed from start to finish. Great story, well-researched, I couldn’t put it down!
May 31, 2015
Richard Savage is back. The former Templar knight is now a farmer in France, that is until he is compelled to take on a mission back in Ireland. An Ireland that is undergoing a power struggle between the Scots, who have taken control of the north under the command of Edward Bruce and who seek to subdue the whole island and the English. However, they have a problem in Ulster as Castle Carrickfergus is somehow surviving a siege and a famine.
I was riveted to the pages as the author has produced a book at full throttle. The action is relentless, the politics are insidious and the main characters, both the villains and the good guys and girls, are portrayed in a most entertaining fashion. Emotions run high, hardships are endured and intrepid resourcefulness are the order of the day as the story winds it way through a few surprising turns of events. It is indeed a most enjoyable read and what's even better is that this isn't the end of Richard's involvement in the battles between the English King Edward and the Bruce brothers, Robert and Edward. I am looking forward to the sequel. 5 stars.
I was riveted to the pages as the author has produced a book at full throttle. The action is relentless, the politics are insidious and the main characters, both the villains and the good guys and girls, are portrayed in a most entertaining fashion. Emotions run high, hardships are endured and intrepid resourcefulness are the order of the day as the story winds it way through a few surprising turns of events. It is indeed a most enjoyable read and what's even better is that this isn't the end of Richard's involvement in the battles between the English King Edward and the Bruce brothers, Robert and Edward. I am looking forward to the sequel. 5 stars.
March 29, 2022
So many Character Flaws
I don’t have a lot of problems with how the story moves along, jumping back-and-forth anywhere between two or five segments of storylines. That seems to be all the rage these days. It’s not good for fluidity but it allows events to occur in a pattern reflecting more what is happening in close-to-real-time.
My biggest issue is why does the author make the characters make so many mistakes? This when they should be wiser as old (adult?) as they are. Such as when the wife Alys, wife to the protagonist, Richard Savage, blurts out to an evil person in the storyline, “That’s not… That’s my husband!“ so Mr. Evil can quickly figure out a more effective way to deal with the surprising situation, than he would have otherwise.
Overall, there are few editing issues compared to most ebooks, or getting straights what is east or west from a reference point. The author is pretty good with handling English.
Above all he is very entertaining in subtle ways, not in the ‘beat you over the head’ manner some writing artists seem to think is essential. I shall read more of his work.
I don’t have a lot of problems with how the story moves along, jumping back-and-forth anywhere between two or five segments of storylines. That seems to be all the rage these days. It’s not good for fluidity but it allows events to occur in a pattern reflecting more what is happening in close-to-real-time.
My biggest issue is why does the author make the characters make so many mistakes? This when they should be wiser as old (adult?) as they are. Such as when the wife Alys, wife to the protagonist, Richard Savage, blurts out to an evil person in the storyline, “That’s not… That’s my husband!“ so Mr. Evil can quickly figure out a more effective way to deal with the surprising situation, than he would have otherwise.
Overall, there are few editing issues compared to most ebooks, or getting straights what is east or west from a reference point. The author is pretty good with handling English.
Above all he is very entertaining in subtle ways, not in the ‘beat you over the head’ manner some writing artists seem to think is essential. I shall read more of his work.
August 11, 2015
Superb follow-up to Lions of the Grail. One of the most intense periods in Irish history is told with incredible gusto in The Waste Land. The action rarely lets up and there is intrigue aplenty throughout as the former Templar, Sir Richard Savage, attempts to discover who he can - or cannot - trust. Hodkinson certainly knows this period and gives us a wonderful insight into the lives of the warring peoples in Ireland in the early 14th century. Savage is a grim sod, but is able to inspire the loyalty and friendship of a wonderful band of secondary characters including the fantastic mercenary, Conor MacHuylin, the dependable Thomas de Mandeville, and his loving wife, Alys. My personal favourite is the historical figure of Roger Mortimer who connives and colludes for his own ends while Ireland is torn asunder by war. Hodkinson's books continue to get better and The Waste Land again leaves me wanting more. I cannot wait for the next in the series, for the return of Mortimer and Savage (and a certain badly treated Butler??), and all the action of 1318.
August 21, 2021
I loved this one as it's fast paced, action packed and it kept me turning pages.
We met again the characters of the Lion of the Grail and we follow them living in a historical turmoil.
Good world building and character development, vivid historical background.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
We met again the characters of the Lion of the Grail and we follow them living in a historical turmoil.
Good world building and character development, vivid historical background.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
July 29, 2016
Well-written Story
A good follow-up on the first book. Only a few typos and minor errors spoiled the reading. Good characters, good descriptions, and good dialogue. The plot is successful and the action was well done.
A good follow-up on the first book. Only a few typos and minor errors spoiled the reading. Good characters, good descriptions, and good dialogue. The plot is successful and the action was well done.
January 18, 2016
Good read
A very good read it kept me turning the pages full of action would recommend it to anyone looking forward to the next book
A very good read it kept me turning the pages full of action would recommend it to anyone looking forward to the next book
November 19, 2021
Right over wrong
Rip roaring tale impossible to put down. Hope there is a next one. The tale has not ended for me.
Rip roaring tale impossible to put down. Hope there is a next one. The tale has not ended for me.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews