David Pilling's Blog, page 85

THE BEST WEAPON cometh...

Looming large on the horizon, dim yet glittering, is THE BEST WEAPON, co-written by myself and Martin 'Bol-Tan' Bolton, and due to be released on the 3rd of March by Musa Publishing.

Unlike my previous Musa tales, The Best Weapon is no historical tale, but an epic fantasy focusing on the adventures of two warriors from opposite ends of The World Apparent. Without giving anything away plot-wise, the book contains more swords and sorcery than you could shake a very large stick at, and we are both very proud of it!

http://www.musapublishing.com/index.p...

ROYAL FAVOUR is out today!

You want armoured knights smacking each other about the field? You want a Queen tumbling to her doom, a horse cut in half by a falling spar, and a man who wears no armour on his legs just to show how pretty they are? Then come get some ROYAL FAVOUR, latest in the FOLVILLE'S LAW series - and all this, for just one shiny dollar!

http://www.musapublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=8&products_id=190

Who could resist?

Royal Favour!

The saga - and the trials - of Sir John Swale will continue in "Royal Favour", the latest instalment from Musa Publishing due to be published on the 24th February.

Now a knight at the court of the young Edward III, Sir John has wasted no time in trying to attract the notice of the king by smashing his fellow knights all about the tournament field. But there is more than one way to win royal favour, as his increasingly isolated and neglected wife Elizabeth is soon to discover...

Folville's Law review!

Nice review of Folville's Law by The Historical Novel Society - I am very happy right now :)

FOLVILLE'S LAW David Pilling, Musa Publishing, 2011, e-book (Kindle edition), $4.99, 398 KB, ASIN B00669O0BO

The very grimness of this novel of the last year of the reign of Edward II is one of its best features. The plot follows several of the players in the events leading to the fall of the Despensers and their king and the mixed benefit of the new regime under the queen, her lover, and her son, the future Edward III—and no character, fictional or factual, is entirely sympathetic. The result is a novel that tells more of the real story of the time, no glossing over or romanticizing, something this reviewer found rather refreshing. The central plot concerns Sir John Swale, a Despenser follower sent to discover why justice has not been served on a blatant murder, leading the reader into the decay of Edward II's base of support and the rise of his enemies'. Corruption has become the standard, and ironically, it is outlaws and corruption that spell the reign's doom. The most admirable of the characters know they must make painful compromises. Away from Swale's story, we receive insightful glimpses into the historical figures Isabella, Mortimer, Hugh le Despenser the Younger, and Edward II himself. No warm fuzzies here. They all are flawed and forced to make compromises as well. The writing itself is sound and compelling, and for the most part, the research faithful to the events and conditions of the setting. --Nan Hawthorne

http://historicalnovelsociety.org/hnr-online.htm

Exiles!

The 2nd of February sees the release of 'Exiles', the third episode in the saga of Sir John Swale, and by no means the last.

As the title suggests, this latest mini-sequel to Folville's Law follows the (mis)adventures of Sir John and his wife Elizabeth, now living in exile in Gascony, one of England's few remaining territories on the Continent. However, war is looming on the horizon between the King of France and England's new hyper-aggressive monarch, Edward III, and Sir John has an itchy sword hand...

The Chronicles of Sir Kay

Today sees the release of MORDRED'S APPLE, first in my series of short stories written from the perspective of Sir Kay, King Arthur's foster-brother. I've put it up for just one shiny U.S. dollar (or 77pence) on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mordreds-Apple-Chronicles-Sir-ebook/dp/B006YVJ4U6/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1327343487&sr=1-1#_
The much-altered and abused character of Kay has always interested me, and I thought it was high time he was permitted to voice his own version of events at Camelot (or Caerleon, as I've called it in my version of the tale, after the naming of Arthur's city in Geoffrey of Monmouth).

Kay is also one of the oldest characters in the legend. He first appears in various Welsh texts as Cai, one of Arthur's chief warriors and capable of superhuman feats, such as breathing underwater for nine days and nights and giving off magical heat with his hands. In Geoffrey of Monmouth he is downgraded to a brave but ordinary knight, and from Chretien de Troyes onwards he is downgraded further to a malicious, spiteful, incompetent braggart, a foil for the more heroic knights to play off against.

Pondering the development, or degeneration, of his character led me to create my own version of Sir Kay. 'My' Kay is a sort of Francis Walsingham figure, a ruthless, scheming politico whose chief concern is to protect Arthur and the security of Arthur's realm, no matter the cost.
The following is my first attempt at recasting him in this mould. See what you think…

Kristie Davis Dean!

Something different today. The lovely Kristie Davis Dean (pictured) has a book out full of helpful advice for those who wish to travel to Europe on a budget. Check out a preview below!


How I Travel to Europe Every Year on a Teacher's Salary



I am a school teacher, so I don't get paid all that much. Yet, I've managed to travel every year to Europe since 2001. I'm often asked, "How do you do it?" like there is some secret fountain of travel wealth to which only I have access.

How You Can, Too

It's not a secret – I manage to go to Europe – especially the United Kingdom – because I've studied the information necessary to do it. I've practiced what I've learned and worked out what did and didn't work. Now, I'm planning to show you how to benefit from my experience. And on a tight budget, too.

Budget travel itself is not glamorous. But, the joy of seeing another country for the first time or meeting people from another country and learning firsthand about their customs is amazing. Seeing places that you've only dreamed about is an experience worth repeating often!

http://divorceyourtravelagent.com/top...

Release Day!

THE KING STAG, first in a series of mini-sequels to FOLVILLE'S LAW, is now available - and for a mere 99 cents :)

http://www.musapublishing.com/index.p...

www.musapublishing.com

The King Stag

The lovely folks at Musa Publishing are set to release THE KING STAG, first of a series of planned mini-sequels to Folville's Law, on the 13th January!

The King Stag is set five years after the events in Folville's Law, and picks up with the adventures of the young Edward III of England, chafing under the controlling influence of his mother, Queen Isabella, and her paramour Roger Mortimer. Since taking over England in 1326 Isabella and Mortimer have had a high old time, executing their political opponents right and left and indulging in a spot of large-scale corruption.

The dubious pair have reckoned without young Edward, though, no longer an easily manipulated child but a man grown, itching to tear away the reins of power from the grubby hands of his mother and her appalling bedmate.

While the struggle for power hots up, one lingering question remains in the troubled young man's head...what happened to his father?

http://www.musapublishing.com/index.p...

The Might of Kings!

I recommend all readers of Norwegian to check out the following historical epic by Egil Moe...

Kongsmakt. (The Might of Kings).

Written by Egil Moe

Published 2010 by Sogesmia publishing. www.sogesmia.no


The Might of Kings is an epic historical saga set in the bleak, war-torn landscapes of the Isle of Skye, the Isle of Man, Bergen in Norway, and the Hebrides, and features the bloody Battle of Largs.

This 566-page novel follows the adventures of a young man, Torleif Haraldsson, and his struggle to survive after his father kills his own nephew, the King of the Sodor Isles and the Isle of Man, to claim the throne for himself. Travelling to Norway to swear fealty to his overlord, King Haakon Haakonsson of Norway, Torleif's father is imprisoned for the murder and his son is left with the responsibility of ruling the kingdom.

Torleif finds himself surrounded by enemies as the Scots try to claim the Sodor islands, and the younger brother of the murdered king is crowned by Haakon Haakonsson. The young man is pitched into a deadly war between Norway and Scotland, and forced to fight for his life and his claim to the throne of the Isle of Man.'