I didn't realize upon requesting this that its the third book in a series. As such I didn't read it.

Going into this book I knew there would some character deaths and some might be my favorites. I was not however expecting to be absolutely gutted by the death of ALL of my favorites but 1. Wulfhere is the one that hurt me the most! He was my number 1 and I wanted him to live so bad. I was happy to see that Brand redeemed himself, at least in my eyes he did. Even though Olaf is the villain I like his character alot. It makes me look forward to the next time installment because I need to see him suffer! I hope what Beo does to him is worse than what he did to Ragnar. Once again I have to say how much I love the author's dedication to include actual historical events and figures and tie them in seamlessly to the story. I feel that with each new installment the books get better and better. If you love The Last Kingdom and Vikings this is definitely a series for you. I'll always recommend this author and series.

Brothers of the Sword is book 3 in the The Saxon Warrior Series by Peter Gibbons and picks up where the last book left us.. The Vikings are still on English soil… the last battle cost both sides heavily but the Viking’s won’t be deterred that easily.

A lot happened during the last battle and while Beornoth and his fellow warriors fought one threat another, Sweyn Forkbeard, took advantage and now holds a strategic piece of land.. but why have the locals not sent him packing? Were they overwhelmed? Or is something more devilish at play?

Beornoth is sent to learn his plans under a banner of truce, the idea being if he will leave peacefully all the better but you already know that won’t happen.

A few worrying issues appear quickly.. an old foe is brought before Beornoth which shows danger is mounting and an attack could come from more than one direction.. but also there’s a religious angle at play.. Forkbeard is a Christian and many English have had enough of the Church’s influence and the current King.. so are actually in two minds two welcome Forkbeard in the hope this will change things for the better but can a Viking ever be trusted? Would they ever really see the English as anything other than lambs to slaughter?

Beornoth and the other warriors prepare for the war that they know will come and have little time to be with their loved ones..but a worrying thought plays deeply.. the Viking’s are vicious warriors to a man.. the English however do not have the numbers to match.. The Fryd if called upon for numbers are everyday folk.. farmers.. not killers..If the Viking’s come as one there just isnt enough fighting men to stop them but that won’t stop Beornoth doing what he must.

Beornoth has some wonderful development throughout as he is still reeling from his personal terrors.. his two girls killed in a Viking raid and his wife left broken..but you see the ice thaw a little more each time they are with each other.. the pain will never go but can they grow close again?

What I really love is that Beornoth’s power comes from his pain.. the pure need for vengeance plain and simple.. he’s a good man at heart but he would be the first one to admit he just wants to kill these ba****ds to repay what they did to his, and many others families.

Brothers of the Sword is brutal and full of blood and gore but it offers so much more than that..it’s the characters.. the connections.. the men are brothers by blood oath and they will fight till the death to save their people and the place they call home.

Peter Gibbons clearly knows how to weave a tale perfectly with the right amount of balance of plot and character development, paced superbly leaving the reader with a beautifully murderously delicious tale packed fully of detail. Sometimes I can struggle with historical fiction when you can tell an author is purposefully putting detail in.. so much so it stands out as strange and sometimes distracts from the plot.. Gibbons has no such trouble.. its almost effortless how easily he weaves the different aspects together, nothing felt forced or over done.. just marvellous!

Oh and that cover… AMAZING!

Outstanding 5* read from an author I’m eager to see more from.. Clear knows what his readers want and knows how to take it to the next level.

Another cracking instalment in the series! We once again follow Beo and his hearth troop across England in defence against the viking invaders.
Having read the previous two books, it was easy for me to pick up where I left off but I feel the story is written in such as a way that you don’t have to have read the series before.
Action, adventure, easy to like heroes and easy to hate villains, this book is a great read for those who enjoy a good fiction novel!

Brothers of the Sword is the third book in the Saxon Warrior Series, which began with Warrior and Protector, and Storm of War set during the early 990s in Saxon England. Æthelred II is the king of the English, but the Viking raiders have begun to turn their eyes once more toward England. The second viking age is underway.

Beornoth is a man with divided loyalties, to his wife, his warriors and Ealdorman Byrhtnoth. His enemy, Olaf Tryggvason, has sworn vengeance against him, while Sweyn, king of Denmark, has also laid claim to parts of East Anglia and perhaps turned some of the English to his side as well. Worse, both enemies know of one another and might well be allies. Does the riddling contest that Beornoth loses to Sweyn portend what is to come? (I was pleased to have solved the riddles along with the characters:))

What follows is a blood-drenched battle, between Vikings and the English, which, alas, is only ever going to have one outcome, but which ebbs and flows, as does the tide on Northey Island.

While the ending may never be in doubt (it can’t be, as it’s based on the surviving Battle of Maldon poem), Brothers of the Sword is sure to thrill readers as it reaches its blood-drenched finale.

The action takes places in 991 AD during the reign of Ethelred.
The English have twice paid tribute to Viking raiders to stop raiding, rape and pillaging.
Olaf with his Norsemen have overwintered around Folkstone and started to raid deep into Essex.
Meanwhile Sven Forkbeard with his Danes have invaded Suffolk and taken Gippeswic (Ipswich) and the Royal mint.
Ethelred tasks his Essex and East Anglian thegns with driving them out.
Brythnoth ad his liege man Beornnoth try to bring the Norsemen to battle before they can join up with the Danes.
An action packed novel in the style of Bernard Cornwall's last kingdom but makes you imagine the horror, blood, sweat and smell of the shield wall where to run means certain death.
Fast paced but depicted in a way that doesn't glorify the action but makes you appreciate the fears of those involved in trying to stop the invader from killing and looting with a high chance of injury and death.T he book culminates in the Battle of Malden, one of the pivotal battles between the Saxons and the Danes.
Looking forward to the next installment of Beornoth's trials and adventures.

Plot

Following on from the earlier books in the series, Warrior and Protector and Storm of War, we are once again thrown into an action-packed novel. The life of a Saxon warrior is never a quiet one. Especially not for someone as reputed as Beornoth. 
As ever, Vikings continue to raid and plunder throughout the kingdoms of now England. Despite attempts to pay the Vikings off to leave, these bloodthirsty men keep returning to English shores. It is Beornoth’s duty to cast them back into the sea. 
I’m sure it goes with the territory with this book and setting, but it’s only fair to mention that the narrative in places is quite violent and in some places, graphic. I personally enjoyed this level of description, although I appreciate it may not be for everybody. I knew going into this book that it was going to feature a lot of war and battle scenes. 
 


Setting

If Viking troubles weren’t enough, ongoing internal political conflict throughout the kingdoms divert the attention of those warriors who would protect the innocent. The particular time period this book’s set in is around the time when England first started to operate as a single country rather than independent kingdoms. It is apparent that this is still a recent development in the books as there are still shadows of division present, both in the events of the book, as well as the attitudes of characters. Although a work of fiction, Peter Gibbons incorporates historical elements in an interesting, but still informative way. 
There is a lot of travelling that takes place throughout these books, and that gives us the opportunity to appreciate how vastly different locations were at the time. From established, fortified burhs to small villages on the roadside, a slightly geeky side of me enjoyed experiencing the architectural and technological advancements ongoing at the time. Compared to our modern day life, it seems very primitive. Even still, the descriptions are beautifully vivid, and so help immerse you into Beornoth’s world.
 


Characters 

Beornoth was established as a multi-dimensional character from the first book. Even still, he continues to grow throughout the series. He is a well-known Saxon warrior, renowned for his skill and courage in fighting to protect Saxon land. He has his fair share of troubles. Having suffered at the hands of Vikings as a younger man, he detests those who would cause harm to others. And he fights against them savagely, and doesn’t shy away from putting himself in danger in order to try and protect others. 
Even so, he is far from an altruistic character. Hellbent on revenge, a character from the second book (whom Beornoth deliberately debilitated in the previous book), makes a real appearance in Brothers of the Sword. Beornoth’s actions in Storm of War come back to haunt him, as the circumstances of the maiming of this character have spurred the Vikings into trying to dominate the Saxons for good… more savagely than ever!
As with all people, Beornoth is multifaceted and at times, morally grey. It makes him a very plausible character in terms of motives and understanding how he thinks, as well as allowing for growth in learning from his mistakes. Overall, I really enjoy Beornoth’s perspective on events. Whilst he may not be perfect, he more often than not has the best of intentions.
 


Summary

Brothers of the Sword is an exciting sequel to the Saxon Warrior series. I’m really enjoying the amount of action and conflict present throughout each of the books. The events of this particular book show that the author does not pull his punches - something I really enjoy. It’s more exciting to read a book if you don’t know if everything will work out in the end. In every battle scene, I was questioning whether my favourite characters were going to make it out alive. After the heat of battle, I couldn’t help but wonder what was next on the horizon for the survivors!

Brothers of the sword the Saxton Warrior third book end with the battle of Malden and OMG if I was not emotionally spent after the end of this book. Many great men were lost in this battle and although Peter Gibbons interpretation of the great poem that depicts the battle gave me time to cool off but OMG… OMG! The book starts with the leader of the stupid Vikings Olaf declaring to his stupid men that he is going to bring war back to England in how weak King Ethalridge is and even mocked the God Jesus Christ. Beornyth has gone north to do business for the king and he is supposed to arrest a traitor and has no idea of the tragedies he will be facing during and at the end of this book. He is still worried about his despondent wife who hasn’t been the same since the Vikings killed their daughters but before it’s over he will have more to worry about like being caught between two warring factions the stupid Vikings and the Danes and oh yes there’s a traitor in their mitts. Someone message me and said I give way too much away in my reviews of these books I want to apologize as I didn’t know that many people read them so I will in my review here and say if you want to read about a fight to the death that was in the end called the battle of Malden with great battle scenes and tragic deaths then you definitely should read this book Peter Gibbons is a genius and an author whose books I love to read. I want to thank BoldWood books and net galley for my free art copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

I love reading about the Vikings and in Brothers of the Sword there is a epic battle to protect the land from a Viking invasion. With blood, gore and tough battles what is not too love but it is so much more than that it's a lesson of our history and I really appreciate it. Some characters I loved and most I didn't but getting to know there underhanded fighting tactics was a eye opening experience. The book is written with knowledge and skills that I loved. If you enjoy books from the Vikings Age then you will definitely need to read this page turner.

This is a very exciting series. The author knows just how to keep you on the edge of your seat. I love all his books and can’t wait for me installments.