...here's another couple of gentle reads to satisfy your bloodlust...
Troy: Lord of the Silver Bow by David Gemmell
David is Conn Iggulden’s favourite author and this is the first part of an epic trilogy that delves deep into the myths of ancient Greece. Hellkaon, the young prince of Dardania, is haunted by a scarred and traumatic childhood. The priestess Andromache has a fiery spirit and fierce independence which threatens the might of kings. While the legendary warrior Argurios is cloaked in loneliness and driven only by thoughts of revenge. In Troy they find a city torn apart by destructive rivalries; a maelstrom of jealousy, deceit and murderous treachery. And beyond its fabled walls blood-hungry enemies eye its riches and plot its downfall. It is a time of bravery and betrayal; a time of bloodshed and fear. A time for heroes. In Lord of the Silver Bow, the first in an epic trilogy, David Gemmell combines vivid characterisation with a wealth of historical detail in a compelling, unputdownable novel of love and hatred, ambition and rivalry, peace and war.
Brethren by Robyn Young
This is a story set around the Crusades, and the first in a series that tells the tale of Will Campbell, a young squire brought up in the ways of the Knights Templar, who finally becomes one of the Order, and who goes off to fight the good fight against the Saracens in a clash of civilisations that still resounds today. With page-turning suspense and thrilling action, Brethren evokes the Crusades with a rich cast of characters, reflecting on each side greed, ambition and religious fanaticism, as well as courage, love and faith.
