The fourth installment the Vintaine series and the first i have read. For a story of bloodshed and violence the story seems to have a lighthearted feel about it. It jumps all.over the place between the different factions but that does not detract from the story. There are a lot of threads to follow but once the story is established it makes sense.it is not a period of time I have read about so I didn't know the outcome until the end of the story. Well written with characters you warm to. I enjoyed this book and now will have to get the previous books to find out more. With thanks to the author, Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This is the fourth of a series concerning the Hundred Years War between England and France, a period I know very little about apart from the basics of Agincourt and Crécy (and Shakespeare's Henry V!) The action - and adventure - is portrayed here through a group of soldiers, with interesting and entertaining historical description provided by Mr Jecks, who is a talented and skilled writer for these sort of warfare-based historical novels.

I did find it hard to follow some of the supporting-role characters (there are rather a few) but this is a drawback of reading on a Kindle, it isn't easy to flip back to refresh who's who. I also think, for readers who are not familiar with this period of history, that it would probably be best to start at the beginning of the series - there wasn't a lot of backstory for the main events or recapping of character development, so I did get a little lost with the plot on a couple of occasions.

However, for readers who are intrigued by the history and events of this era this is an ideal read, for Mr Jecks knows what he's talking about, writes with authority and creates a vivid sense of time, place and action.

After getting through the initial chapters to set the scene, the story really picked up and turned out to be an enjoyable read despite not having read the first books in the series. It follows a company of Englishmen and two young men who join them to seek their glory and fortune in France to find out it’s not what they expected.

There are vivid descriptions of the gory battles like limbs being hacked up, hangings and blowing up bridges, to sieges and rebellion as different groups clash amid the plunder and pillage. I also enjoyed the camaraderie and banter between the company, especially with Dogface. Even though there were quite a few characters to keep up with, their stories all came together by the end, not to mention that plot twist caught me by surprise! Fans of The Last Kingdom, you won’t be disappointed.

For some reason, the multitude of characters in this book had me back tracking to keep them straight. Not the Vintaine themselves, just those that supported the rest of the story. That being said, it was an interesting read! I had no idea that those things were happening in France after Crecy and Poitiers. I guess rebellion ran deep in the Franks. Michael Jecks' writing style draws the reader in and has them invested in the story in no time. Fascinating characters deliver the plot and it's subplots in style, making Ashes of Rebellion a must read!

In this fourth book set during the Hundred Years war, the action follows a free company of Englishmen and boys who are seeking their fortune in France.

They join other soldiers travelling through France in a period of power struggles and the uprising of the Jacquerie. This is a complex and fascinating period of history, portrayed principally through the eyes of the band of English soldiers.

I love the inclusion of William and Perkin – a direct connection with Sir Baldwin de Furnshill and Simon Puttock from The Last Templar series. Some great characters and a fast-moving plot.

I enjoyed Ashes of Rebellion overall, but it definitely reads like a “middle book.” There isn’t much recap of what’s come before, which makes it harder for someone new to the series to fully connect, and there’s not a lot of character development to carry the story forward. The one exception is the antagonist, who felt like the only character to truly grow and change between the beginning and the end.
That said, the story itself is engaging. The pacing kept me turning the pages, and the conflicts were interesting enough to hold my attention. Jecks writes with confidence, and I never felt lost in the action. While it didn’t push me to seek out earlier or future installments, I still came away satisfied by the experience.
In short: a well-written and entertaining installment that earns four stars. Fans of historical fiction—especially those interested in the period after the Battle of Crécy, with the English invasion of France—or longtime followers of Michael Jecks may find even more here to enjoy.

The action takes place in France in the 1350's in a land torn apart and in chaos .
A large part of the ruling class has been killed at Poiter and King John of France is held hostage by Edward III.
The Dauphin of France is at war with Charles the King of Navare and Burgany.
Against this backdrop a young man at arms Will and his friend, seek fame and fortuneby joining a company of Engish archers looking to add wealth and plunder by fighting in the chaos.
An entertaning historical fictional read.

The master of the 14th century strikes again.

Michael Jecks writes in several time periods, as well as modern stories. But his portrayal of the 14th Century is beyond compare. This story – the fourth in the Vintaine series – not only reintroduces us to some much-admired characters from the first three books but also links cleverly back to his highly acclaimed Last Templar series which is set some decades earlier.

He quickly recreates the atmosphere of a time when life was cheap and – in the later words of Thomas Hobbes's Leviathan – ‘nasty, brutish and short’ and this becomes woven into a web of intrigue that reflects the turmoil of a divided France of the period.

The story offers excitement and adventure, as well as reflecting the pointlessness of war, while showing how ordinary people react to extraordinary circumstances.

While several storylines initially run in parallel, Michael Jecks gradually draws them together into a tapestry to rival that residing in Bayeux. All life is there, including the desperation of peasants caught up in events that must have been terrifying, as well as the angst-filled decisions fighting men must make.

There are also interesting parallels to events in Paris some four centuries later when the sans-culottes rebelled against an absolute monarchy.
This is a book no fan of historical adventure should miss.

Stephen Phillips
(Author of the Pitt Family Sage and Sir Guillaume Cadeil Chronicles.)

I really enjoyed reading this book, it had that element that I enjoyed from the Vintaine series. It was everything that I was looking for and enjoyed the historical fiction book. It uses the 1300s France element that I was wanting and enjoyed from this type of book. The characters worked overall and thought had that feel for the time-period and cared about what was going on in this book. Michael Jecks does a amazing job in writing this type of book and characters that I was invested in.