Master of War
… more depth to the character than many authors manage in the opening pages… Gilman achieves that which many authors have failed to – a character arc that doesn’t jar and never feels utterly farcical…The Battle of Crecy itself is well described, the brutality of the age and the bloodletting of the battlefield superbly constructed. We are dropped into the midst of the mad struggle amongst the mud and bodies, with arrows flitting across the skyline and the mewing cries of the dying. There is little doubt that Gilman manages to communicate just how brutal the time was, and for this he must be congratulated… The aftermath of the violence is also something that I felt was done better than most … when Gilman’s characters are wounded, they stay wounded. Days, weeks, months of healing and rehabilitation are needed. And old injuries are always there with a twinge or dull ache. This really drew me into his characters more effectively than the usual ‘and he took the third arrow but continued’ approach to heroes. You take a sword slash to the leg you’re going to know about it. Gilman’s (arrows) have already firmly struck home. I eagerly await the sequel, and further cries for England. And St George.
Nudge Weekly Reviewed by Jon Owens
