Feud

The Wars of the Roses #1

by Derek Birks

It is 1459 and England stands on the brink of the Wars of the Roses. Young Ned Elder, a Yorkshire knight, finds himself caught up in the wars when his family is brutally attacked by a local rival, Lord Radcliffe. For the Elders, nothing will ever be the same again. Ned's sisters, Emma and Eleanor, are abducted and he must find a way to rescue them. With only a few loyal companions, Ned is hounded across the land by the Radcliffes. Ned and his sisters fight back, but they are young and they make mistakes. They will need help if they are to survive, for once the Feud begins, no-one is safe... Ned, his sisters and the girl he loves struggle for survival whilst the brutal civil war rages across the snow-covered battlefield of Towton, where all will be decided. "From the eye-catching cover to the last page, Feud is an exciting story of survival through personal upheaval during a vicious war, where the outcome is not always certain." Historical Novel Society.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Medieval, Historical, War, British Literature, Fiction

558 pages, Paperback

First published August 17, 2012

About the author

Derek lives in Dorset but was born in Hampshire and spent his teenage years in Auckland, New Zealand, where he still has strong family ties. For many years he taught history in a Berkshire secondary school, but took early retirement to concentrate on his writing. Apart from writing, he spends his time walking, watching films and taking part in archaeological digs.
Interested in a wide range of historical themes, Derek began his writing career with the late medieval period. He writes character-driven, action-packed fiction which is rooted in accurate history. His debut historical novel, Feud, is the first of a series of eight books and one novella entitled The Wars of the Roses which follows the fortunes of the fictional Elder family.
Derek has also written an Amazon bestselling trilogy set largely in post-Roman Britain. The Last of The Romans focuses on the real Romano-British character of Ambrosius Aurelianus during the fifth century AD.
Recently, Derek has published Rebel Sword, the first of a new historical fiction series set during the Anarchy of twelfth century England.
A new venture is the publication by Pen and Sword of a non-fiction history book entitled: A Guide to the Wars of the Roses.
Derek has written and produced over 40 podcasts on the Wars of the Roses. With historian, Sharon Bennett Connolly, he also co-hosts the podcast series, A Slice of Medieval, which is a fusion of history and historical fiction featuring popular historical novelists and medieval historians.

Reviews

[Magnús Friðriksson · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you just picked up this book, or you're about to do so, keep this in mind... Relaxing? No! This is a dose of non-stop action and suspense, straight from known history.

This book offers a very plausible glimpse into the lives of the people who lived and died during England’s most turbulent times or what has become known as the War of the Roses. As a devotee of Historical Fiction, this one hit the spot even though at times the endless string of “unfortunate events” that seem to hit our protagonists get to be a little bit too much. The battles and other major events so vividly described in the book are historical facts as well as the many historical figures that appear. The fictional characters have been delicately woven into the story and who is to say that they’re not founded in real persons… I like to think it is.

[Speesh · Rating 4 out of 5]

With a start that fair knocks you off your feet and takes your breath away at the same time, ‘Feud' opens with one hell of a bang and throws us almost physically back 500-odd years to England during the War of The Roses. There’s no time to settle, we’re straight in at the deep end of the action and incident of later Medieval England.

I know most books try and go straight at it and grab the reader’s attention with a violent start (those of the Historical Fiction type I want to read anyway), but few can have done it as successfully and convincingly as ‘Feud’. As an aside, it reminded me of the first of Robert E Howard’s ‘Conan' series I read way back when, as a teenager, where Conan also emerges from the forest into a clearing and straight into a fight. With ‘Feud', the silence of an otherwise normal day in a forest clearing is shattered as steel-clad death thunders out from the trees and towards our heroes and is is as, exciting, tense and relentless start as starts come.

Our heroes are the various members of the Elder family. Mainly Ned, Emma and Eleanor and their friend Will, and we follow their feud of the title with the Radcliffe family of Lord Robert, Richard and - boo, hiss - Edmund, and their partially reluctant involvement in the larger feud of The Wars of The Roses. Neat, eh?

As I said, ‘Feud’ is set in the Wars of The Roses. It seems it wasn’t known as The Wars of The Roses at the time of course, that came later. As did the white rose to symbolise Yorkshire, the red rose to symbolise Lancashire - and is a period of English history, prior to reading Feud of course, I’ll admit to knowing little to nothing at all about. It will take a few more readings of books on the subject to get me beyond beginner status of course, but a look at some websites have confirmed the feelings I got from reading ‘Feud'. Which is of conflicts between brothers, between families, between neighbours which were played out on a national scale with the rival throne-claiming ‘houses’ of Lancashire and Yorkshire. The whole country was dragged into a confusing mire of shifting alliances, death, revenge and destruction, all dressed up as a noble struggle for the future of England. There were some parts of the ‘Feud' story where I wasn’t entirely sure who was on whose side and who was supposed to be fighting who, but then I thought - and hopefully it was intentional - surely that reflects what the ordinary man in the muddy battlefield must have experienced. Whose side are they on? Are they friends or enemies? What were they yesterday? Are they still the same today? Who knows and who is bothered with such niceties when staring down the wrong end of a sharp pike?

‘Feud' concentrates on the story of the local rivalry, the family feud between The Elders and the Radcliffes. A feud that has existed for some time but comes roaring back as the families use the Wars of The Roses as an excuse to try and settle old disputes. What the story shows is that the period, the clothes and the weapons might be different in ‘Feud', but the themes and the emotions are the same as in just about any conflict you see on your TV today. The story takes us from this local family conflict up in northern England, to battlefields throughout the country. To Wales - not often you read about having to fight your way out of a nunnery. In, yes, but out? - to London and the south, all serving to reflect the countrywide scope of this terrible conflict. And all while the characters try to find each other, or kill each other, or even just find out who they’re supposed to be fighting. They, and we, are the whole time plunged into very hot frying pans and into even hotter fires.

Whilst it is generally a finely wrought book, a tale of many layers and nuances, it's not all smooth reading. There are some what I would call 'speed bumps' along the way. A few things that perhaps don't work so well, or at least jar a little. For example, early on, right at the start actually, after the hectic, breathless opening, the girl Emma Elder is captured by the opposing family. She then seems in an almost indecent haste to accept her fate. She (unwisely as she herself admits) opens the doors to the Radcliffs, gets captured and taken away, gets the chance to rest (or rather doesn't) a while, goes downstairs, is greeted by Radcliff, told she is now his Ward asks to whom she will be married, told it is to be married to his son. And accepts her new fate. One minute free and enjoying life and running away from the evil neighbours, the next minute being told you're now the property of the evil neighbours number one son - with number two son of the opinion that he has an option on her as well. And it's “oh well, ho-hum, such is my fate, nothing to do about it." I seem to remember her even refusing to be rescued, because of this forced marriage. Didn’t really convince, sorry. Seemed a bit quick in terms of the story's time-frame, and the number of pages in between incidents. She seems more shocked and stunned that her wild, waif of a sister is already on her way to a nunnery, than she is of her own fate.

Otherwise, my only other reservation might be that after a hectic, fantastic start, the book becomes a bit bogged down in the central sections. It is in general maybe a bit too long and there were parts where I would have advised him to thin it out to maintain the momentum of that start. There were too many 'extra' incidents that were fun to read and were probably fun to write - which is probably why they were left in, but is always a mistake - which, when looking back at the story as a whole, didn't really serve much of a purpose. Having said that, there were then a couple of parts that felt a little underdeveloped, like more explanation was needed. But really, that's being me being overly churlish. You really should give it a go and see if you agree. Or not.

As a whole, ‘Feud' is a rattling good read. Interesting characters, incident a-plenty and a great introduction - for me at least - to a period I knew very little about. There were those reservations, as I've said above, but they in no way stopped me from thoroughly enjoying the story as a whole and more than ready to get stuck into the follow up, the second in the trilogy, which, if I'm not much mistaken, is called 'A Traitor’s Fate'. This is clearly a series worth getting stuck into and is going to be well worth following all the way.

[Garry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. I like the whole "War of The Roses" history and found this to be a good read told from a knight's perspective on the York side. It follows some of the major battles in the 1461 (Ferrybridge, Towton) era and includes a most villainous villain (Edmund Radcliffe) who you love to hate (think Ramsay Bolton from GoT evil). I appreciated portrayal of Warwick and making him a bad guy, who I've always held in very high esteem after reading Iggulden's series. All in all, very gory all the way through right from the opening pages through to the last page. Looking forward to following this series

[S.J.A. Turney · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Wars of the Roses are a period of British history that I (and I suspect plenty of other people) blithely think they know about, and we’re quite blase about the whole thing. And yet when I think about what I know, all I could really tell you is that it went on for decades and that it ended at Bosworth Field in 1485 with a Welshman with a big nose and a cruel hunchback searching for a horse. Well, a little more than that, obviously, but you get my drift. And I don’t buy into the evil Richard III hunchback myth either, but then I’m a son of the white rose, so that goes without saying.

Feud is the debut novel by Derek Birks and the first in a four book series. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into it. Was it going to be a bloody battles historical novel, or a family saga? Well, simply it is both.

The book follows the … well, the feud, obviously… between the Elder family and their neighbours, the Radcliffes. To some extent, the story of the families opened a little fast for me, launching straight into the moment of critical mass in the families’ struggles from the first page without much of a chance to acclimatise to the characters. In retrospect, given the size and scope of the book, I expect Derek took the deliberate decision to cut down on early chaff.

Driven from his lands and with his family dead, captive or scattered, Ned Elders sets off on a mission to put things right in the face of insurmountable odds. And as the story follows his journey, as well as those of his sisters, his friends and his enemies, the tale interweaves with the events of political and military manoeuvering and warfare leading up to the dreadful battle of Towton in 1461.

Firstly, let me say that this novel is an indie published work and is at the very top of the quality scale. It is exceptionally well written and polished. Apart from the fairly precipitous beginning and a perhaps over-complex web of events that led me to regularly think back and work out where everyone was, everything I found about the book was good. The writing is descriptive and immersive, yet driven along by the characters at a surprisingly swift pace. Those characters are well rounded and quite believable. There is nothing superman about them. They are human, with flaws and feelings, and they struggle through bad times. And Derek is not averse to killing important characters, so don’t get too attached to the supporting cast. The battle scenes are bloody and action packed, and the (many) scenes of individual derring-do are excellent.

Moreover, there is a sense that this feud that forms the backbone of the tale is rather unnecessary. The characters are not black and white on the whole, but grey. The Radcliffes actually contain good people in the end, and the actions of the Elders at times can be a little questionable. Although there can be no doubt that Edmund Radcliffe is definitely a slimeball! Nicely done, I’d say.

The landscapes here – and the book stretches from North Yorkshire to Wales, to Shropshire and London, and back north again – are well painted, and some of the area is local to me, so I could visualise the places well.

The first novel deals with the feud and achieves a good, finite ending on that family squabble, yet we are still left with questions about the future of the family during these tumultuous times. And so this book took me to 1461 and left me wanting to read the other three, which I presume will gradually bring me to Bosworth field and the end of the Wars.

In short, an excellent debut with some memorable characters and a good swift pace. Give it a read and you’ll not be disappointed.

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

At 69p this was well worth it as a cheap read on Amazon. But as a book in competition with other works on the same period (in the Bernard Cornwell style) it was both ok and also forgetable. I resisted putting a review on Amazon because low ratings (three and below) affect sales, and this writer deserves sales for his Sunday afternoon 'bash and grab' historical fiction, aptly titled, as it is one battle after another. A Commando book (remember them boys!) without the pictures for grown-ups. It entertained well enough, but lacked a little content, character and depth for me (what caused the fued?). But I believe it to be a first book, so I'm sure the writer's skill will develop through subsequent titles with time and practice.

[Mercedes Rochelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I tip my hat to anyone brave enough to tackle the Wars of the Roses. At best, this is a confusing, complicated, puzzling era, where you practically need a score card to keep track of wandering loyalties and changes of fortune. Our author Derek Birks has added the treacherous angle of a dynastic feud, where the unscrupulous winners take advantage of the chaos and seek to totally destroy their rivals. One son, at least, survived the initial ambush, though his sisters were abducted and his manor was looted, leaving him the unenviable task of wreaking revenge, rescuing the women, and salvaging his heritage. All this while young Edward of March, heir to the murdered York, goes about recovering his own heritage and, ultimately, the crown. Befriended by Edward, our hero Ned and his best friend Will discover their prodigious skills at swordplay and fight for the Yorkist side, though their efforts are plagued by their arch-enemy the outrageously nefarious Edmund Radcliffe who takes great pleasure in abusing Ned’s sisters. So essentially this novel breaks down into two subplots: the battles—mostly lost—in the early part of the Wars, and the fate of Ned’s sisters and his lady love, while he and Will attempt to save them.

The battle scenes are spectacular and extremely well written; I was able to follow the action and I could really feel the pain and frustration of the Yorkist side. There are times when I had to suspend my disbelief—Ned and Will were almost superhuman in their killing abilities and recovery from near-fatal traumas—but in the spirit of heroic fiction I went along with the ride. As for the women, I have to say there were just too many beatings and rapes and tortures for my stomach to take. All the major female characters were punching bags; even an Abbess gets into the act and beats up Ned’s sister. It was relentless. However, this was a violent age and maybe villains like Radcliffe really could have gotten away with his transgressions. I think more attention to the warfare and less attention to the abductions might have made a stronger novel. But I will say that it moved along well and there were times I couldn’t put it down.

[Diana Ridout · Rating 5 out of 5]

Plunged straight into the heart of the action, the reader is carried along with the characters at a breath-taking pace as the story unfolds and keeps pages turning long after lights out time. With it's rich panoply of characters and vividly described scenes, this seems less a novel, more a first hand account. The characters are three dimensional and the emotions described realistic and much research has gone into making the setting true to the era and the historical facts accurate.

[Tara Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed for Good Book Alert

This book drew me in from the first page.

Overall, this was a great action historical fantasy. The biggest drawback was that you never find out exactly what sparked the feud between the two families. There is a lot of carnage in the book—whole families get slaughtered. And for all this death, it’s important to find out why it happened. Happily, at the end the author included a historical note which said this book was a fictional account of the War of the Roses (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wars_of_... for more information). But I do think that there needed to be more information about the underlying factors at the beginning of the book.

“It matters not that you have right on your side, if you don’t have power.” This was the theme of Feud, of how power shifted so fast in the years of 1455 on, as two rival families tried to kill one another off while also getting their respective royal ally on the throne of England.

There were great scenes of action so real that I could imagine them happening. I loved the character of Birches, and the brave women Amelie and Eleanor and Emma. Ned was harder to like, but I rooted for him, too. My favorite character was Will, whose quiet bravery and two-sword manner of fighting made the passages with his character really stand out from the others of the book.

While a lot of historical accuracy was put into this, the characters often used modern language, specifically swear words. This did not bother me, but it may bother some readers who prefer historical novels not to stray from the language of the time. I will also mention this is not a book for those opposed to violence. There were more scenes of carnage in fighting than all other scenes combined in these pages, much of it very graphic and bloody. I really got a sense of how terrible this period of time must have been for people back then: losing your lands at monarch’s whims, with no due process, having no rights to protect you, and for women especially, being completely at the mercy of men, who controlled everything and could do anything they wanted with pretty much any woman they wanted.


In summary: A great action adventure, with some very real historical facts to horrify the reader. I’m looking forward to the sequel!

Parents:
Language: Swear words
Adult Content: A lot of descriptions of carnage and some rape, the latter not in a positive light
Violence: a lot of violence, including graphic depictions of hand to hand fighting in battles with various weapons.

[Meg - A Bookish Affair · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could not have picked a more appropriate time to read Mr. Birks' "Feud" really. This book takes place in the throws of the War of the Roses in the 1400s. Just last week, Richard III's, one of the kings of the era, body was identified as really being that of the infamous king. The body was found under a car park in Leicester, England. It was definitely an interesting coincidence! It was very cool to be reading about Richard's time period when his body was identified. This is the stuff of a history lovers' dream!

"Feud" is the story of two families (fictional, in this case) who are fighting over land rights while the War of the Roses rages on in England. It was so interesting to me to see how far people would be willing to go in order to extract a little bit more land. As Birks points out in the historical note section of the book (love when authors include these sections; I'm always interested in a good backstory behind a book), because rule of law was sort of not really present during the war, a lot of these little skirmishes between various families were allowed to get totally out of hand, which is exactly what happens between the two families in this book.

Through all of the fighting, we get to see how rough a lot of people had it while the War of the Roses was going on. It was not a glamorous time to live. Some of the things that happen to some of the main characters are a little hard to read (poor Ellie having to go to the horrible convent where she's basically jailed in a building that is falling apart). The grittiness is not overdone or gratuitous. You definitely get a swift dose of reality in this book. Birks' eye for detail is so great in this book!

There are a lot of battle scenes in this book. And for me, they were very long and some of them were very complicated to follow, which kind of took me out of the book a little bit. I also wish that we got to know some of the characters a little bit better.

Overall, this is a great book for anyone who is interested in how people's lives were during the War of the Roses years if you were not directly in either the Lancaster or York parties.

[Lisen Minetti · Rating 3 out of 5]

I generally love historical fiction, but here I felt the plot and timelines were very jumbled and in some places difficult to follow. The story focused on two specific families and their allies, but the characters were not particularly well developed. Further, the whole background of the book (as the title suggests) is a feud between the two main families but you never have any idea what the feud was initially about. Perhaps with that information I would have been drawn into the conflict more.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

TW: Sexual assault and sexual violence.

This is a very action packed book and it gives some context to the Wars of the Roses. It's not great literature. Like, throughout the book, "the children" are shorthand for "obstacles that keep minor characters from making better decisions" or pawns to manipulate the major characters into action. The bad guy, Edmund, is like, comically bad. He's a rapey, rapey dude. You know he's evil because he keeps raping people. It gets to a point where you're just rolling your eyes because it's like, okaaaaaay, I got it. The hero is also extremely heroic, as well. You know Ned is a good guy because he doesn't rape people and there is not a sob story in the whole of England that he won't stop, listen to, and try to fix.

Considering all this, the plot is nonstop and brutal and I can picture a lot of the action scenes like they're from a movie. The first battle Ned and Will are in is absolutely brutal. There is a home invasion-type situation, and it is straight out of an action movie. I would probably watch it.

There is no moral ambiguity here, so if you like action and your heroes golden hearted and your bad guys rotten through and through, pick up this book. There is absolutely no subtlety in this novel, so don't expect any of that.

[Blair Hodgkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel has plenty of action mixed with a bit of romance and political intrigue. The plot centres on the titular feud between two noble families against the backdrop of the Wars of the Roses.

There are truly vile villains and heroes who face their enemies with bravery and self-doubt. Edmund Radcliffe is an utterly evil creation.

The heroines are well-developed and respond to their circumstances in very different ways. The author clearly demonstrates that these poor women live in a man's world. For all that, they have their strength and fight for their freedom and happiness.

The author writes his action and his characters well and I expect to read on in this series.

[Vielka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Feud

This is the best book of action that I have read in a long time. When you read this book, it is so real that you feel so close to the characters that you can touch them, and in the battles you get the impression of been splash with the blood. It's like watching a 3D movie!!!
BRAVO BRAVO , Derek Birks

[Beverley Newman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read

Very gripping and brings to life not only the horrors of the medieval battlefield but the myriad family feuds that carried on disguised by the game of thrones carried out between York and Lancaster.

[margaret russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

good read

Enjoyed this book very much ,very detailed will continue on with the story. A good story line and makes me want to read more

[Nance Roepke · Rating 3 out of 5]

a pretty ordinary read. it was pretty implausible at times and I just could not connect with the characters. not a complete waste of time, but not something I'd want to repeat either.

[Tricia Preston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Big Fued, Little Fued
This wonderful book covers the years 1459 to 1461 and the 'big Fued' is of course 'The Wars of the Roses'. With a diplomatic lull following the 1st Battle of St. Albans back in 1455, the action hots up and this is probably the most the turbulent and bloodthirsty period of the war, covering the battles of Blore Heath, Ludford Bridge, Northampton, Wakefield (where we loose Richard of York), Mortimer's Cross, 2nd St. Albans, Ferrybridge and
Towton.
The author clearly knows his history of the age and demonstrates his extensive knowledge of medieval warfare, the depiction of the different battles, both within towns and on the muddy plain, is superb. The terrifying aftermath of battles, when the victorious run riot for spoils as the vanquished flee in despair, if they are lucky, is also brilliantly portrayed. Although we should be, as readers, faithful to the White Rose, careful consideration as been given to the unavoidable fates of people on both sides and the death of Owen Tudor stand out as a special tribute.
Intertwined with the 'big Fued', we have the 'little Fued', where we have the Elder family of Elder Hall, recently recruited to the Yorkist cause, battle against the Radcliffes of Yordale Castle, long established supporters of the King
Within the first couple of pages we are thrown into the action in this bitter family rivalry, with the death of the patriarch of the Elder family. The playing out of this is truly action packed with strong individual adventures for our hero, Ned Elder, his sisters, Emma and Eleanor, and eventually the love of his life, Amelie. There is also an extensive cast of supporting characters who all have their roles to play. The protagonists are good, albeit somewhat fallible on occasions and the antagonists are almost always really, really bad. There is an incredibly varied interaction between the warring parties throughout the breadth of the country, with a pretty high body count so, be warned, don't get too fond of anybody. It is so busy that on occasion you have to step back and take stock of the situation, although I wouldn't consider this a criticism, merely an appreciation of the complexity of the tale.
With the dramatic conclusion at and near Towton, we are able to close the door on the current crisis but are fully aware that it will all come back to bite the Yorkists and the Elders very soon.
Where the 'big Fued' and the 'little Fued' really come together is with the parallel positions of Edward of March and Ned Elder, both of whom loose their fathers and are suddenly required to step up to the plate. Their initial meeting is an exceptionally poignant piece of writing giving rise to a special relationship in the future.
I already have the remaining three books in the series queued up on my Kindle and look forward to continuing this incredibly series when 'A Traitors Fate' hits the top of my reading pile.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Feud” by Derek Birks is a great novel for lovers of historical fiction. It has the perfect mixture or action, adventure, and romance. The War of the Roses in English history has always interested me, and I’ve read several books from author's who write from the perspective of one side of the other. I like that Birks writes from the point of view of the ‘regular’ people of that era. It was interesting to read the story from the different perspectives of the nobility, servants, as well as men and women. I love historical fiction that is told from more than one viewpoint, and “Feud” does a great job at this.

Many of the historical fiction novels that I have read over the years are more geared towards a female reader, and put a lot of focus on the character’s romance. “Feud” has the element of romance in it, but I think the story line, which is packed full of action and descriptive battle scenes, will be of more interest to a male reader. Birks has a gift when it comes to describing the battle scenes, and is able to put the reader right in the battle with the characters.

I enjoyed reading “Feud”, but at times the number of battles and general action were a little much for me, but that’s just my taste. Also, as a reader you need to have a little background knowledge of the War of the Roses, or there’s a good chance you’ll be a little lost. However, I definitely recommend this novel to historical fiction lovers, especially those who enjoy reading about the War of Roses.

I give this novel 4 out of 5 stars!

[Paul Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Feud is a masterpiece of fiction woven into the fabric of the history of The War of the Roses in mid 15th century England. Ned Elder, the main protagonist is thrust into the maelstrom of loss and sorrow right from the get go of the book and must find the strength and reserve to combat his doubts and fears as well as a host of really nasty enemies as he seeks to recover what is left of his family and the woman he loves. The author treats us to an astounding array of characters from the grim and determined Ned, the repulsively villainous Radcliffe family, and a host of women whose strength under staggering cruelty is one of the highlights of this entertaining, page turning saga. Many times throughout my reading I had to stop and collect my thoughts as plots unfolded in surprising developments. Kudos to the author for producing a well researched and well written book. I rate it at 5 stars and have already purchased the second book of the series in great anticipation.

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

why do I read medieval history. so much gore, violence, rape, slaughter. women at the complete mercy of men, only as pawns for power. this book had more slaughter than all the others combined. but, I still love the history of the War of the Roses. Birks delivered on the history but a little too much specific battle detail for me. the characters were believable, but were they true to the 1400s? would a woman have really worked out to be strong?

nevertheless, I enjoyed the story and understand more about the Lancasters and York's.

I can not miss the direct analogy of the barbarous behavior then ... to ISIS today. how is it that ISIS is still living back in the 1400s???? We Europeans/Caucasians/Christians had our history of this behavior (and it lasted nearly 1000 years.)

[Dave Yeo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first book in the war of the roses period which I found fascinating, the author has done a good job in creating a story and characters that gave me an insight to one of our bloodiest wars in British history. I gave this 5 stars because not knowing very much about this period I didn't realise most of the cast were fictional although the Elder and Radcliffe family feud does mimic the York and Lancaster or Neville and Percy. Great book!

[Heather Domin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exciting, great action and adventure, but queasy stomachs beware. Full review at my blog: http://teacake421.livejournal.com/125...

[Luke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good action, but as a novel it lacks depth.... It will go down a storm with armchair soldiers.... But it didn't engage me... I got bored.

[Awesome Indies Book Awards · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome Indies Book Awards is pleased to include FEUD (Rebels & Brothers #1) by DEREK BIRKS in the library of Awesome Indies' Badge of Approval recipients.

[Virginia Dick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book but slow.... it took a long time to get into it. Interesting historical novel.