Now we all know Matthew Harffy is a master wordsmith. The Bernicia Chronicles has to be one of my favourite sagas and The Wolf of Wessex packs a punch, so of course I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy of his latest work… A Time for Swords.

Word of warning, I don’t like spoilers but I can’t help but give little tit bits away on this one.  Otherwise, I can’t do the review justice. Do not worry, I’ll be sure to keep it to a minimum 😊

This is a fresh tale for the author who moves away from his well-established characters to bring us the tale of Hunlaf, a monk, forced to stand tall when the Norse attack!

Oh, you miss Beobrand and his Black Shields just as much as me? Don’t worry.. the author adds some really nice touches to the tale.. it might not be Beobrand’s tale but his legend lives on! It’s this gentle nod the author gives to his tales that really make you appreciate the effort he makes.. he’s writing these tales for you.. he knows exactly what you want to hear.

Hunlaf, where to start. God I loved his character. He loves nothing more than a good book (who doesn’t? 😊 ) and lives a life under the protection of God. Along with his mentor Leofstan he visits Lindisfarne after a exciting discovery is made… only to have his life turned on end.

The Norse attack.. and it’s brutal.. savage.. gut wrenching. This might be a work of fiction but it’s based on real facts..The Norse really did attack, rape, pillage and murder and while we can never really know how it would have felt at the time to see it through Hunlaf’s eyes was hard to swallow.

This battle is a turning point in Hunlaf’s life as he makes a stand in order to save his cousin..he’s not a warrior though.. or does he hold that fire within him to run towards danger rather than away from it?

An unlikely ally emerges from the smoke and fire.. a heathen devil called Runolf. Hunlaf is torn..does he truly believe this man was brought to him by God to help..or does he just not want to see other people die needlessly.

Either way the Norse will return, of that is there is no doubt… they know the riches the monks have. Can Runolf and Hunlaf really stand up against an onslaught?

Help isn’t easy to come by. No one knows when the Norse will return. There’s just not enough fighting men to go around.. It’s all on Hunlaf and a small band of men to turn the tide.

This little band of men really bloody excited me, each have their own talent and purpose for being and they are here to defend those who cannot defend themselves.

Hereward, a man I loathed at first.. his role is to lead and on his head be it if Runlof should disgrace his lord.

Drosten, a man of few words.. he prefers to let his fists do the talking.

Gwawrddur, whose skill with a blade cannot be matched.

Cormac, the cocky one with skill but who also needs to keep his temper in check.

When the battle comes it’s intense and there’s a beauty of a twist thrown in. It’s a twist I hoped for if I’m honest..Let’s see if you can spot which twist I’m referring to 😊

Now the ending! Come on! It’s killing me already.. I need more ha. What the author manages quite brilliantly to do is to leave a cliff-hanger so perfect..it’s designed so well for the author he can either write a sequel or leave it as a standalone… Although I do hope this isn’t the end.

Truthfully, I’ve read everything Matthew Harffy has published. I’ve been a fan from day one. A Time for Swords is the best yet from him and quite easily a top read of 2020! Harffy never fails to deliver, every offering is new and refreshing but you instantly feel at home with his writing and warm to the characters.

Flawless!

Quiet humble monk Hunlaf is visiting the monastery of Lindisfarne for the first time when ships arrive from the North. They’ve come to take and destroy all before them.
With his fellow monks fleeing, Hunlaf makes a stand and fights and from then on in he comes to realise he may be a better warrior than monk.
With the unlikely help of a Norse man he survives the attack but he also knows the ships will return and he must be ready.
In an epic tale of bravery Hunlaf must protect all he holds dear or it will be lost.
Sometimes there is a time for prayer and sometimes there is a time for swords.
Matthew Harffy has crafted something very special with this novel. With its brilliant battle scenes and intense personal struggles for many of his characters you will be hooked from start to finish.
Not only a great storyteller, Harffy is also a damn fine writer, and this is a great start to, hopefully, a long running series of books to come. The easiest five star review I’ve given this year. Simply put it’s glorious.

A Time for Swords by Matthew Harffy
Publication Date: December 10, 2020 - Out Today!
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Description from NetGalley...
“There had been portents – famine, whirlwinds, lightning from clear skies, serpents seen flying through the air. But when the raiders came, no one was prepared.
They came from the North, their dragon-prowed longships gliding out of the dawn mist as they descended on the kingdom's most sacred site.

It is 8th June AD793, and with the pillage of the monastery on Lindisfarne, the Viking Age has begun. While his fellow monks flee before the Norse onslaught, one young novice stands his ground. He has been taught to turn the other cheek, but faced with the slaughter of his brothers and the pagan desecration of his church, forgiveness is impossible.

Hunlaf soon learns that there is a time for faith and prayer... and there is a time for swords.”
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Thank you to @NetGalley @headofzeus for the digital ARC in return for my honest review.
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My thoughts...
If you’re into Viking historical fiction, Medieval Times, and interested in reading an attempt at a retelling of a Viking attack on Lindisfarne, England then this is the book for you. I wasn’t sure where the book was heading in the first couple of pages until the bloody, thrilling and disturbing attack happened! Not for the faint of heart. Typical of the time, there was a religious theme, since Hunlaf was a monk but this was paralleled well by his desire to protect. There were not as much fighting as I was expecting, but that didn’t bother me. The fighting at the end was good. Nothing totally new in here in terms of Viking/Raider/Monk/Medieval themes but I thought it was still enjoyable. I like the author’s writing style and the story moved at a good pace.

When I started to read this book I was a bit concerned that it was going to down the well worn path of a Viking invasion and the boy that became a warrior but I need not have worried and was pleased that I stayed with it.
The book was well written and very descriptive so that you could imagine yourself in the scene with all the sights, smells and sounds.
I would recommend this to anyone that has an interest in Viking invasions, Northumbria or Lindisfarne
Many thanks to Aria & Aries, Matthew Harvey and NetGalley for providing me with an advance digital copy of the book

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this gripping book

think kirk douglas and tony curtis in the vikings and that will give you a taste of what is to come

northmen aka vikings invading, pillaging and raping and looting for gold and silver

and on this day they came upon a village that was not guarded but full of monks and their monastery full of silver and gold and it was plundered and the village was hacked to death, many were killed and some were taken as slaves

but amongst the monks one rose to take up battle against the northmen and with the aid of a few good men they aimed to secure the next village that was destined to be attacked and with the aid of one of the northmen who was captured they began to train....

well didnt really know what to expect from this book but it held my imagination and i was hooked by it
will be keeping an eye out for more of this authors works

I could summarize my impression in a very simple way: now i want to know more about Hunlaf’s future and what will be next.
I started this book and didn’t know what to expect, I know that I was at 20% and ready to go on.
It starts in a quite idyllic way with the description of a travel, an exciting event in the life of a young monk. An exciting discovery, meeting someone from his past.
Then fate strikes and his life changes forever.
I loved this gripping and highly entertaining story. I was hooked since the first pages and couldn’t put it down as I was involved in this excellent mix of historical facts and fiction.
Hunlaf is an interesting characters, he faces the necessity to change and choose between two very different paths. We read about his doubts and how he grows accepting what his life will be.
Matthew Harffy is an excellent storyteller and his character and plot development are excellent.
The characters are well thought and interesting, the historical background is vivid and well researched. I learned a lot reading this book and I want to learn more about this historical time.
I loved the style of writing and I loved how vivid and realistic the characters are.
I loved the other books by this author and I loved this one.
It’s strongly recommended.
Many thanks to Head of Zeus and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I had read a previous book by this author (Wolf of Wessex) and loved the story and the writing style. I had high hopes for this one as well. Unfortunately, it didn't quite live up to my expectations.

Initially, the book seemed an awful lot like Bernard Cornwell's The Last Kingdom. The book started out well, with an intriguing start and a sense of action early on. But after that, the pace slowed significantly. To the point where it almost seemed as though the majority of the book involved Hunlaf's internal struggle over his choice to abandon his life as a monk and become a warrior. There was almost no action for the majority of the book, aside from the very beginning and then again in the last quarter of the book.

I liked Hunlaf's character, and it was interesting to see how he changed over the course of the book. The other characters were intriguing as well, although I would have liked to learn a little more about some of them. While I would have appreciated more action, the battle scenes that were written were done very well.

The end hinted at the possibility of a sequel. While I love his writing, this book wasn't my favorite. It paled in comparison to The Last Kingdom, and just moved way too slowly.

Hunlaf travels as a young monk to the minster of Lindisfarne with his teacher Leofstan only to witness the first Danish attack on the English coast. While the brethren are being slayed, Hunlaf discovers the warrior within him when he tries to defend two children together with Runolf, a big redheaded norseman. Hunlaf is convinced that God has sent Runolf to help them defend the other minsters on the English coast from the next attacks. They recruit their own war band and prepare for a bloody battle to defend everything they hold dear.

I'm always in for a bloody viking story. Although I prefer to use the more historical correct term 'Danes' when England is involved. I hadn't read anything by Harffy before and his writing certainly doesn't put me off.

The story isn't new and full of clichés that you've read before. A monk turning into a warrior. A Dane and an Englishman joining forces to defeat the Danes. A group of outcasts preparing to defend a bunch of villagers. If you're looking for an original story, you should look elsewhere.

I'm still happy that I've read 'a time for swords'. I loved the character building of the different fighters and their underlying relations. The battle scenes aren't that great, but entertaining enough to read. Entertaining is the perfect word for this book. Don't expect more than that.

The ending was fine and hints to a sequel. But I must admit that I'm not inclined to read the next book as I wasn't interested in 'the romance' part of the story.

Matthew Harffy is no Bernard Cornwell or Conn Iggulden. But if you're looking for your next viking read when the world outside is still a mess, this might be your next go to.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.

A coming of age / hero's journey adventure set in 8th Century England, in which a young monk struggles with his identity in the face of Viking incursions.

The first in a series, which the author himself says, pays homage to that great underdog film "The Magnificent Seven". A motley crew of warriors drawn from all corners of the Anglo-Saxon and Celtic world must pit themselves against the might of the Vikings. Told in the first person, Hunlaf recounts the tale of his youth, struggling with his identity - he is " ... a warrior in the clothes of a monk ... ".

The Anglo-Saxon period is well known to Harffy, whose "Bernicia Chronicle" series is set in this time, so there is no doubt that he had on hand a dearth of information from which to craft his tale.

I am sure that readers of Bernard Cornwell, Edoardo Albert, Robert Low, Giles Kristian, Tim Hodkinson would enjoy this.

A Time for Swords is an attempt to retell the story of England's first recorded Raider (Viking) attack on Lindisfarne which is confidently dated to AD793.

It is an event that demands to be written about, and the beginning of A Time For Swords, which recounts the attack, is a thrilling beginning. Our young hero, Hunlaf, is caught up in the attack, but lives to see another day. Others are not as fortunate.

The story progresses at a steady pace, as the shock waves of the attack begin to be felt throughout the kingdom of Northumbria, and people react to the news in different ways. The addition of a captured Norse Raider, Runolf, with his strict code of honour, adds an intriguing dimension to the story, allowing the author to confidently state that the attack on Lindisfarne will not be a singular occurrence, and that the people of Northumbria need to be prepared for such.

Much of the action takes place not at Lindisfarne, but rather at Werceworthe, (Warkworth) which happens to be about 5 miles down the road from where I live. This made the story feel immediate, perhaps helped by a long-ago Sunday afternoon row down the Cocueda (Coquet) River

I thoroughly enjoyed A Time For Swords. The opening scenes are particularly well told, and the eventual battle, when it comes, makes clever use of the physical landscape of Warkworth.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my review copy.

I have to start this by saying I absolutely adore Matthew Harffy's writing. I'd probably be quite happy reading his grocery list. The plot of "A Time for Swords" is a simple one, but thoroughly enjoyable. It's one of those stories that seeps into your soul and carries you along. Having said that, it's pretty gruesome in parts and probably isn't a read for the faint of heart. There are some cracking characters that I can't wait to catch up with in the next book.

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

Very good, description and depiction of life in the time of Viking raids, and how hard life was. I think this will definitely do very well with certain people who loved The Vikings show on tv, who also loved The Last kingdom and Bernard Cornwall’s books on an Anglo Saxon/Viking warrior. Has a similar feel and style.

If you have read any Viking historical fiction, along the lines of Bernard Cornwell's The Last Kingdom or have watched the show Vikings, there will be nothing new for you here.

In addition to being unoriginal, the storyline was overly simplistic and surrounded by copious amounts of filler.

The first half was constantly reminding me of better scenes from shows or books I'd already read, and the second half, after threatening to pickup and get the blood flowing, ended up being so disappointing that I had to skim a lot of it.

I have other books of his on my to-be-read list. I hope they're better than this or off they go.

I recieved a copy of this book from Netgalley for a honest review.

A historical fiction story holds through the eyes of a "warrior' monk. A library monk gets transformed into a warrior monk when he sees his cousin killed during one of the Viking raids. His transformation and the band of warriors that gets formed to fight the Viking raids forms the theme of this series with much more expected in later ones.
Recommended read floor historical fiction lovers.

This historical fiction novel takes you to Northumbria, England, 793AD. The story centers on Hunlaf, a monk who travels to the monastery at Lindisfarne, right before it is attacked by raiders form the sea(Vikings). His experience during the battle at Lindisfarne sets Hunlaf on a new path as he realizes he should be a warrior instead of a monk. As Hunlaf battles with himself over his decision to fight in defense of his own monastery, he is thrown into a group of warriors sworn to help in its defense, even though they are greatly outnumbered. Each of these warriors has their own reasons for wanting to fight and defeat the raiders. The author does a wonderful job of describing what the typical life of a monk is during this time period. It is easy to like Hunlaf and understand his struggles as his faith competes with his desire to be a warrior. His willingness to see Runolf as an individual and not just a heathen from the north, and the friendship that ends up growing between them is a highlight of the story. You will quickly come to care about Hunlaf and the fates of his band of warriors as they defend the monastery. This is an excellent read for fans of early medieval British history. I was unaware of the events that happened at Lindisfarne and really enjoy learning about these historical events. I am certainly hoping that Hunlaf continues to write of his adventures in future books.

This is a new to me author so I didn’t know what to expect. I love historical novels and the Viking age is such an interesting time in history. I loved the idea of the book of how a young monk changes his life after being a witness to the first Viking attack on the English Coast.

It is a journey of self discovery, filled with doubt but also of a being on the right path.

I enjoyed the book a lot, but have to admit I skimmed a lot of the fight and battle scenes, because there are a lot and they are lengthy.

My thanks to Aria and Aries, Matt Harffly and Netgalley.
13% and full stop!
I knew from the get go that this was not my groove. I'm sure that many others will enjoy this, but not me.

Another fantastic historical history novel from Matthew Harffy.

This book was a great read, while most historical fiction with Vikings of course, focuses on the vikings, with this story we get to experience a viking raid through the eyes of a Monk as he lives through it. Not just any monk though, one who seems to be of a different breed and decided to stand his ground instead of following his fellow monks.

Our main character Hunlaf discovers that turning the other cheek isn't always the best course of action and that maybe, his calling wasn't to the church after all.

A wonderful story, with fantastic descriptions. It definitely makes you feel like a fly in a wall in that area and time. Harffy does a remarkable job plotting and detailing both Hunlaf's journey as well as the town's transformation. It seems like a sequel may be in the works and I can't wait!

Matthew Harffy takes us back to the middle ages; a period also termed the "Dark Ages" due to the lack of creative arts and the overall existence of a prescribed and regimented feudal system. In an afterwards for the novel he does point out that there is scholarly evidence that certain of the events have their grounding in actuality thanks to the written word by monks spending their lives transcribing existing descriptions of these happenings. And, additionally studies by current day persons and groups interested in bringing to life the world of the eighth and ninth centuries, A.D.
The novel begins with the introduction of the Monk Hunlaf living through the Viking invasion of his town and the murder of many inhabitants whose lives have known only peace and existence in a proscribed place in the feudal system in existence. In witnessing the invasion Hunlaf dashes into the melee taking place in the invasion and succeeds in killing one of the invaders. His beliefs are that killing is a sin and unthinkable. He does, however, find that his real nature is that of a warrior and in the course of a short time joins a group of men sent to the town that was invaded to prevent future Viking raids. He seeks and is given training in the weapons of the period and the tactics necessary to use them.
The author, in skilled descriptions takes us through Hunlaf's transition and events leading to the town's acceptance of the necessity for becoming able to take on their own defense. It is a fascinating read and one that does a good job of bringing another period to life for people living in the 21st century. Mr. Harffy does set up the eventual, and hopefully near term, publication of a sequel to this book and I would be remiss if I did not suggest that the reader pick that up to read as soon as published.