Wars of the Roses: Stormbird

While it was not immediately gripping, after the first few chapters it started to captivate me in the turbulent 15th century English nation-well getting there still. Lords, Bishops, Yeomen and every man with a bow arm, or a mallet can play this game. At the top of it all sits the King, if only in name. Cloistered in his church, a recluse man-child, he is everything a King should not be, let alone one from the line of Edward III and 'Battle King' Henry V. A brilliant odyssey of betrayal and ambition, a time when England lost everything that was won at Agincourt. While not everything connects, Conn Iggulden paces it well enough to keep the action fast and swift, and doesn't shirk from letting the scale of blunders truly dawn upon his readers to take in. Good Book.

This period in English history is not my favorite. Yet Conn Iggulden makes for compelling reading. I have read all his books (historical fiction only). All of them around charismatic leaders and interesting events He makes even this staid and confusing English period come alive.

The history is fascinating, the story fast-paced, vividly realistic and very readable. Recommended for all those who seeking a living sense of historical events and personalities.

Love conn Iggulden

Gosh I really wanted to enjoy this book and it was my first Conn Iggulden book. I chose it as I’m fascinated by medieval history and particularly this period. I couldn’t get into it as the story line chopped around so much. I was disappointed with the dialogue as well as I just felt for example that it so unlikely that a young French lady would learn the phrase ‘bloody hell’. Is that not too modern?I found Derry very strange too. Would he really concoct a story that the king was ill and unable to attend His wedding in France when he was supposedly there but in fact still in England. Surely the French would have worked out the whole entourage hadn’t even left England?When I got to the point where Margaret and Henry were to marry and the ceremony, I gave up. It felt too modern day. The writing just doesnt seem to fit the period. Feel really disappointed and I dislike giving one stars as it can’t be easy writing a novel.

Having devoured the Emperor series, and lived for several weeks enthralled by the storytelling of Julius Caesar I lept onto Stormbird with the same enthusiasm.Struggling from the beginning with the swapping between Earls title and their common name - never entirely sure who was who, i found the book structure didn't help either: every few pages, the central character changes. The writing style C. iggulden chose is too "decousu" to my taste. Hence 2 stars.

Incredible - I never understood the wars of the roses but here it so clearly documented in a frills-free historical novel series that you can put down. Far better than even Bernard Corwell's "Sharpe". I don't read many books again but I shall be re-reading this series

A very interesting read and very well written. My knowledge of this period in history is rather sketchy so it was good to try and understand the key players in what was a very turbulent period in history both for rulers and the common people who lost their livlihoods and homes in what was then English territory in France.Jackie Bailey

Having read and enjoyed so many of Conn's books - particularly the Khan series - I eagerly went for this series. It is promising, but the early chapters bear so much resemblance to the Bernard Cornwell books featuring archers and longbows that I almost forgot WHO I was reading ! Much better when he gets into the Jack Cade rebellion and the politics of York and Lancaster