4.5/5 stars

I received an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Better late than never.

I read Oath Bound just as a random read. I wanted something epic without diving into a dense fantasy novel. That's exactly what I got. I loved Stykar's story. I was intrigued to know what happened next.

I still have my doubts about the romance that took place in the first book...it gave me insta-love vibes and I do not do insta-love. So, I have to put that thought out of my mind while reading the sequel. It just seemed very illogical that these two people are so hung up on each other based on him saving her a couple of times and the short time they were together. I don't get it. However, the second book, after putting that out of my mind, showed a very endearing story back and forth between the two of their points of view.

Everything else is pretty much on par with the first book. There's plenty of action, multiple points of view from both sides of the war, and plenty of introspection that provides the level of character focus I enjoy. If you liked the first one, the second one won't disappoint unless you're hoping for something different than the first.

I did like the plot progression in Shield Breaker. With the characters down, the atmosphere set, we get much more into the plot than before. I did feel like the political machinations took a back seat in this one, however.

Overall, I wasn't disappointed, which is great, but I also didn't get much more than I did in the first one. I am still intrigued enough to want to see where the story goes. I want to know if Stykar will survive the end, if he'll finally lay his axe down for a quieter life, and if he will decide to find this new littlest character. I'm excited to see if we get more on that.

Shield Breaker reunites us with our protagonist Styrkar, but it should be noted that even though we pick up with this familiar character, it is not entirely necessary to have read Oath Bound first. Both books work well as a stand-alone, although you absolutely should pick up both of them, and there is definitely a benefit to following Styrkar from the first book.

One of the most impressive aspects of this series, is how it takes a well-known period of English History but looks at it through a different lens, not just in the sense of how well it balances history and story. Instead, here we have the aftermath of William the Conqueror’s victory at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, and rather than the almost ‘legendary’ status that conquest has taken in media at times, and even in the history we learn in school, Shield Breaker peeks beneath the hood. It looks at the reality of life in the wake of a conquest, across the strata of society, from those who saw the Normans as little more than invaders, to the ordinary people just trying to continue their life as peacefully as possible, to those in between, and Cullen does an excellent job of highlighting that variety of viewpoints and experiences. The history aspect is well-written and researched, and provides a rich, multi-faceted backdrop, to what is an incredibly personal and human story playing out against conflict, resistance and brutality of the time, and creating a fantastically immersive experience.

The human aspect is incredibly well done, and the characterisation which was one of the strongest elements of Oath Bound, feels even more developed here. Cullen has a fantastic grasp of how the characters wrestle with their situations and doubts, and the development continues to feel believable and organic, both on a personal level and for the relationships between the characters.

Styrkar is our primary gateway into the human aspect of this story, and he makes for a fascinating protagonist (especially if you are coming to this one having read Oath Bound), as on the one hand he is the ‘Red Wolf’, an almost legendary warrior in his own right, but also a man caught up in the situation around him, and one who must balance loyalty and duty, along a knife edge, as everything he holds dear is on the line here. He is an incredibly dynamic and realistic character, and Cullen allows us to play through his emotions and the sides of himself that the situation demands. Ronan is another great character, and it feels almost as though he has the most potential of the characters, as it is not entirely clear where his arc will end. The two of them make for interesting mirrors of one another, with Gisela acting as the lynch-pin between them, and it felt as though she came far more into her own in this book, and it was interesting seeing her experiences against the women alongside her. .

Cullen’s writing also really shines in the action scenes in this book. Again, we see that balance of historical knowledge and research, and a fantastic instinct for creating a gripping story. There is an almost cinematic feel to the battle scenes, and Cullen manages to capture both the motion and emotions of those scenes, making them incredibly compelling without becoming too bogged down in the details. This paired with the characterisation really conjures up a feeling of danger for the characters, as well as an investment in the outcome of what they are facing.

Shield Breaker is another excellent addition to this series, and Cullen once again nails that balance of history and story, and the few issues that I’d had with the first book have disappeared here. The flow of the story was much smoother this time, and I was thoroughly engrossed from start to finish. Compelling characters, fantastic action, and a gripping look at history in a way that we rarely get to see, make this book one I have to recommend to anyone looking for a new historical fiction series to dive into.

Shieldbreaker is the sequel to Oath Bound, I was a little worried I may miss out by not reading the first one prior to this but I can honestly say this is brilliant on its own although after reading this I'll certainly be going back to the first one.

Shieldbreaker starts in Ireland with Styrkar feeling mixed emotions about betraying the boys he has come to think of as his brothers but has no alternative, the love of his life, Gisela, is being held prisoner.
Over in England, William the Conqueror and his men are busy putting down rebellions. This includes Ronan, the man who holds Gisela hostage. Gisela is a determined woman who through her will and actions improves her own conditions but is it enough?

Styrkar is a brilliant character and the book is full of battles, betrayal and loyalty.
The battle scenes are fantastic, you can almost hear the clash of Styrkar's axe as the he let's the Red Wolf out to fight.

I also really liked the development in the relationship between Ronan and Gisela, I wasn't expecting it to develop in the way it did.
Edgar was a favourite of mine too, particularly in his actions towards Styrkar.

If you are looking for something that keeps you turning the pages, has incredible battle scenes and descriptives and will leave you waiting for more when you finish then this is for you.

The second book in The Wolf of King’s series and this time our hero; Styrkar is back for another blood-thirsty and exciting adventure. If you haven’t read the first in this thrilling series, then do go and grab a copy of Oath Bound, you don’t need to read these books in order as they are pretty much stand-alone, but I definetly recommend them you meet Styrkar from the beginning.

This time Styrkar is leaving Yorkshire and crosses the water to Ireland, he is once again thrown head first into a war, not of his making, but being the ‘Red Wolf’ the legendary warrior he takes everything in his stride, but this time is different as he has something to lose if all goes badly, his love and unborn babe and he will do anything within (and beyond) his ability to keep them safe, his driving force is them.

As with the previous book in the series; Sheild Breaker impressively entwines history with a gripping and engaging story, the characters once again hold all of your attention you can’t but like Styrkar he is a dynamic, loyal and highly interesting man, one I can’t wait to get to know more of as this series progresses and his love; Gisela is a wonderful calmness to his storm, and she is such an integral part of the story.

The fight scenes are brilliant they are brutal, grizzly, bloody-thirsty, you the writing is so descriptive and compelling that you feel the thundering of the horse’s hooves, the clanging and crashing of steel on steel. You get a real sense of the horror, the fear and the violence that the characters feel as they face their enemy, the blood and anger rushing through their veins as they braise themselves for battle.

I thoroughly enjoyed the previous book in the series; Oath Bound, it was completely different to what I usually picked up but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it and was looking forward to reading the next in the series and this was well worth the wait, In fact, I think I prefer this one to Oath Bound and I am really looking forward to reading more from this series and this author.

Shield Breaker is a novel of epic historical conflicts and provides a backdrop to an area of English History that isn’t normally shown in the popular media. The legend of William the Conqueror and his army defeating Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 is etched in English History as a mythical and historical context. What Richard has done here is to show the reality of William’s conquests in England, and how the Normans were seen as the invaders by the elites. But to the ordinary Saxon peasant? As long as he or she managed to live their life peacefully, they didn’t care too much. But that’s not a snapshot of every single viewpoint of every Saxon. Some resisted and fought the Normans to the bitter end, perhaps fleeing to Wales or Scotland. Others went to the Byzantine Empire to serve in the Varangian Guard where they would fight against Robert, the Norman Duke of Sicily, and exact revenge.

I would say that this is a backdrop to how the Kingdom of England that we know today was formed. William was a legendary King, but he was brutal and his army massacred many thousands of innocent souls, but of course, this was the Medieval period, or perhaps the beginning. Moving aside the history for a moment, we witness the Red Wolf, once a great warrior in Harold’s army now fighting for his chance to be reunited with his unborn child and lover, Gisela. And then in comes Ronan, and what starts is an epic journey of a roller-coaster of emotions; love, tragedy, hate, war, and ruin. Without spoiling too much, we get to witness just how weak the Saxon resistance became once the Normans, or the Franks in a way, began their consolidation of rule in England.

It’s an excellent story written with great prose, great action battle scenes, and completely well done. I felt completely immersed in the time period, and not a lot in my opinion is known about it. I feel if a TV show adaptation was made out of this, it would do supremely well. 10/10 and well done to Head of Zeus/Aries Fiction for publishing a great book!

Thanks to Head of Zeus for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this latest great book from Richard Cullen.

I thought that following on from 'Oath Bound', the first in this series of adventures for Styrka the Red Wolf, was going to be a tough task. However, this new novel is genuinely even better than the first.

The battle/fight scenes are incredible. The reader can feel the fear, the rage, the terror; hear the swing of steel and crunch of bone and smell the blood, sweat and mud of battle. Great stuff.

Styrka's journey this time is really involving. The adventures he has and the situations he finds himself in due to love and loyalty, and the thirst for vengeance are many and varied, and for me there was something Conan-esque about his focus - his need to reunite with Gisela, whatever stood in his way.

Ronan's character arc is similarly interesting, and we're left wondering where he's going to end up. A new man, or a return his old ways?

Gisela drives both Styrka and Ronan's stories, in different but equally interesting ways, and will continue to so I suspect.

The filthy Franks are terrific bad guys, without redemption, and the political/social matters of the time are always interesting, generating motivations amongst the conniving invaders.

So another 5 stars from me, cannot wait for the next one, and can't recommend highly enough.