Shadows of the Slain

Bernicia Chronicles, Book 10

By: Matthew Harffy

Narrated by: Barnaby Edwards

Bloomsbury presents Shadows of the Slain by Matthew Harffy, read by Barnaby Edwards

The thrilling new instalment in the action-packed Bernicia Chronicles from Matthew Harffy. Warlord Beobrand travels to holy Rome... but sinister plots and bloody conflict line his path once more.

AD 652. After surviving dark intrigues at the Merovingian court of Frankia, Beobrand is finally able to undertake the mission his queen set him: to escort a party of pilgrims to the holy city of Rome.

But Beobrand's life is never easy. His party includes a scheming novice churchman whose ambition is boundless, and a mysterious envoy from Frankia.

Entering the lands of the Langobards, Beobrand discovers unexpected similarities to his native Northumbria in their speech and customs... and their willingness to spill blood.

The roads heading south are filled with danger. Meeting other pilgrims who have been attacked and robbed, Beobrand soon finds himself reluctantly responsible for their safety. Confronting brigands and robbers at every turn, they press on towards their goal.

But when Beobrand reaches the snakepit of ruins and relics that is Rome, his difficulties truly begin... and his homeland has never been further away.

'Harffy is the gold standard of historical action adventure.' Theodore Brun
'The rightful heir to Gemmell's crown.' Jemahl Evans©2024 Matthew Harffy (P)2024 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.

Horribly written book

This is the first review I’ve ever written about anything on any website, that’s how much I hate this book right now. I’ve only just gotten to part 3, but I don’t think I can take anymore. I’ve made it through the previous ones in the series but this is too much. It is so ridiculously slow and just wanders aimlessly. It takes forever for anything to happen, the characters speak about nothing and take 20 mins of speech to get a saddle from the stable. The characters are all mentally challenged, doing the stupidest things in every scenario when any normal person would have been able to extricate themselves without problem. The whole thing up to this point should’ve taken about half the time it did to get there. It’s like the author is in high school and trying to fluff it up to meet a page limit. Every sentence is just drivel. So painful and frustrating to read/listen to.