As a long-time subscriber of the author's Modern History TV YouTube channel, my expectations for this book were already high, and yet Lord of Blackthorne still completely blew me away.

The descriptions were gorgeously vivid, rich with sensory details that pulled me straight into the story. It's been a long time since a book had me so deeply immersed. It genuinely felt as if I was right there alongside Blackthorne, Osga, and the villagers, experiencing everything first hand.

What really stood out were the evocative descriptions of landscapes and the changing seasons. The way the scenery shifted as Blackthorne travelled, the local flora and fauna, the smell of the earth, the bite of the wind, the subtle changes in light. These weren’t just atmospheric flourishes, they grounded the story in a physical reality that felt tangible and alive.

Jason Kingsley's deep knowledge and passion for history shines on every page. He goes beyond just using the right terminology or explaining how things would have worked, and adds the subtle, everyday sorts of details that wouldn't make it into history books, and certainly not into most fantasy novels, that make this world feel so authentic and lived-in.

As someone who usually devours books at full speed, I found myself intentionally taking this one more slowly because there was SO MUCH to savour.

The only reason I’m giving it 4.75 stars instead of a full 5 is that the writing in the first few pages felt a little rough around the edges. You can feel the author settling into his stride as the story progresses, and once he does, it’s an incredibly immersive and rewarding read.