Steven A. McKay's Blog, page 11
May 13, 2021
Conn Iggulden – PROTECTOR review
I was sent an advance copy of this novel by the publishers, Penguin/Random House and I was very happy to accept it as Iggulden was one of the writers who got me into this historical fiction stuff with his Emperor series. I enjoyed those immensely but must admit I’ve not read anything else by him as the periods he was covering didn’t really interest me. That is, until now. Protector is actually book two in his Athenian series and I really would have liked to start with the first, The Gates of Athens, but I simply don’t have time to read much fiction these days.
You will all know who Conn Iggulden is since he’s one of the biggest names in histfic alongside the likes of Mr Cornwell and Simon Scarrow and, when you start reading Protector it hits you pretty quickly just WHY he’s held in such high regard. The writing is excellent, with many sentences popping out at you and catching the attention because they’re so well crafted. The same goes for the little snippets of historical detail that tell you a) the author really researched this period and b) he has the ability to effortlessly slide these into the text without it ever feeling like a dry history lesson. Rather, you feel enriched by his knowledge. Well, I did anyway. I love that kind of thing.
Similarly, we learn just how difficult it was, logistically, to keep a massive army on the move every day. One chapter starts with a description of the incredible amount of water needed to quench the thirst of thousands upon thousands of men and horses and it really does drive home the monumental task facing the leaders of the Persian army, or any other huge army. “Like trying to fill a bucket with a hole in it,” is the line used to sum it up I believe and it’s really interesting for the author to take the focus away from the more obvious aspects of war – battles! – for a moment, to make the whole thing seem more realistic and less about heroism and simple skill with a blade.
That’s just one section, though, so don’t worry, there’s lots of fighting and killing to whet your thirst for violence! The sea battles at the start are very well described as are the fights we see on land later on. There’s a duel near the end which I really enjoyed as it ends a little differently than I expected but all the fight scenes are visceral and exciting.
The tale told here is massive in scope – you’re looking at armies numbering in hundreds of thousands! That’s quite a difference to many historical novels, especially my own which usually have warbands of a few hundred or even just a dozen. I think the author has made a choice in writing this book to make the whole thing feel BIG – there’s very little dialogue and we flit between characters without ever really seeing them as normal people. We’re TOLD about them, but there’s not many scenes of basic human interaction like men sitting drinking together, sharing jokes and songs, couples being intimate or the like. I can’t be sure, obviously, but I think Iggulden must have decided to avoid scenes like that – avoided making the people too minutely detailed – because he wanted to focus on the greater overall picture. These events were momentous and we do get a vivid sense of how incredibly powerful these nations were. Sparta’s incredible fighting prowess, Persia’s sheer numbers and ambition, and Greek cunning and resilience.
Can’t beat a good book and a beer in the garden when it’s sunny!One issue I had with all this, however, is the fact there’s just so much prose. I like reading dialogue (unless we’re talking about an HP Lovecraft story) and I felt Protector could have used more. I missed a sense of camaraderie between the characters and it’s a very long book to have so much unbroken text. I mean, I’ve just opened the book at random to look and chapter 28 has no dialogue at all. Like I say, I believe this must have been a decision the author took on purpose and I think it certainly works in terms of imparting a sense of the enormous scale of this conflict – this novel is about PEOPLES rather than PEOPLE – but I think it took me longer to finish the book as a result.
With that gripe out of the way, I have to say I enjoyed Protector, it is truly epic, and I expect fans of the aforementioned Scarrow and Cornwell will too, especially if this historical period interests them. Might be best to start with the first book in the series though!
Buy a copy at the links below:
May 2, 2021
The Abbey of Death UK & Australia Kindle Deal
My Will Scaflock novella, The Abbey of Death, is just 99p in the UK and $1.49 in Australia this month. I expect everyone here has already read it, but tell your friends! 
UK link – https://amzn.to/3ecB4Tj
Australia link – https://www.amazon.com.au/Abbey-Death-Kindle-Single-ebook/dp/B074J3XVVV
He wanted to find peace in prayer, but some men serve God best with a sword in their hand.
Will Scaflock wants only to live in peace. He had more than his share of adventure when he went by the name Will Scarlet and fought corrupt authority alongside Robin Hood. Now widowed and alone, and estranged from his adult daughter, he has taken holy orders and sought refuge in a remote Benedictine abbey.But even there, trouble and violence follow him. The abbot, John de Wystow, is a good man but a weak leader, and easily undermined by a faction of dissident monks.
When the rebels, led by Brother Robert de Flexburgh, run riot in the local community—stealing, drinking, fornicating—Scaflock’s old instincts return. Reluctantly taking charge of the abbey’s moral defence, he finds himself embroiled in a series of fierce clashes with de Flexburgh’s rowdy gang. As the abbey’s tranquility is shattered, its cloisters stained with blood, Scaflock is forced to reconsider the direction of his life. Has he really left Will Scarlet behind him—or has he simply been running from reality?
April 30, 2021
Warrior Druid of Britain Book 4 – title AND cover reveal!
If you watched the livestream chat I did with Matthew Harffy you’ll already know the name of my next book, since I mentioned it in passing on there. Bear of Britain is the title and this follows on from The Northern Throne with Bellicus, Cai, Duro, and Eburus joining Arthur and Merlin in an attempt to take the fight to the Saxons. It was never my intention to make this series “Arthurian” as such, and I will continue to focus on Bel and Duro mostly, but some of the famous characters like Arthur and Lancelot do play a bigger part here, hence the title.
The cover art was done, as always, by my designers at More Visual but I actually contributed more than just the concept this time: the bear on the shield.
I found a similar bear picture in some online clipart and drew a version of it myself on a piece of paper which was then scanned, turned into a transparent image, and placed onto the shield by the designers. Since it’s supposed to be a shield belonging to, and painted by, a warrior rather than some highly skilled artist, I think it fits well! Who knows, I might give the drawing away along with a signed copy of the book to someone on my email list, so make sure you’re signed up by clicking HERE.
I’m expecting Bear of Britain to be published in the summer, around July/August although that all depends on how the pandemic pans out over the coming months and how much free time I get to work on it. Even when I’ve had a fair bit of time recently, it’s hard to get into the right frame of mind to be creative or this might have already been completed. But I do hope to put the book out in the summer, and then publish another Forest Lord novella around Christmas time, just as I’ve done the past couple of years. It’s becoming something of a Yule tradition!
If you still haven’t read the Warrior Druid of Britain books, check them out at the links below:
April 16, 2021
Wolf’s Head Kindle edition offer!
My debut novel, Wolf’s Head, the first in the sprawling Forest Lord series, is on special offer for this weekend only.
77p in the UK! And just 99c in the USA, Canada and Australia. So if you haven’t tried it yet, now is the best time to get started. And don’t forget, if you buy the Kindle version even at this reduced price you can then get the Audible edition at a similarly lower rate! Bargains galore, so fill yer boots people, and tell your friends, enemies and random strangers!
UK – LINK HERE
Worldwide – LINK HERE
March 2, 2021
LUCIA is FREE with Prime Reading UK
My standalone Roman slave novel, LUCIA, is now available to read for FREE to UK Amazon Prime subscribers! There’s always a really good selection on there so it’s a good thing for me to be part of. It’s also still available worldwide as part of the Kindle Unlimited program and as paperback, hardcover, and on Audible.
UK link – https://amzn.to/302Dgow
Worldwide – viewbook.at/LUCIA
What makes life worth living for a slave of Rome? The promise of vengeance, no matter how long it takes…
At eight years old, Lucia is torn from the life she knew. Her village burned to the ground and parents murdered by Romans, she is kidnapped, sold and shipped abroad to the Villa Tempestatis in Britannia to serve the young Roman army officer Castus.
Faced with a bleak future of decades of servitude to her master, as well as sadistic brutality at the hands of his manageress, Paltucca, she finds herself fixated by one thought alone: vengeance.
Yet Villa Tempestatis, with its picturesque surroundings in Britannia’s green countryside, offers a life that’s a little easier than elsewhere in the Roman empire. The slaves form strong bonds of love and friendship, enjoy feasts and holiday celebrations together, and are even allowed, sometimes, to start a family. Many of them are happy enough with their lot.
Despite that, every moment of Lucia’s life is blighted by her hatred for Castus and Paltucca, and only seeing them both destroyed will bring her a measure of peace, even if it takes decades of work and planning…
This standalone novel from the bestselling author of The Druid tells the tale of one woman’s life against a richly woven backdrop of love and hate, revenge and redemption, and is quite unique in modern fiction.
PRAISE FOR LUCIA
“Lucia is a story that is at once desperate and uplifting, a story that touches you deep in your soul. If you only read one more book this year, it should be Lucia.” – Sharon Bennett Connolly, author of Silk and the Sword
“A compelling 5* story from McKay, an author who continues to amaze me with his writing.” – David’s Book Blurg
“McKay changes gear and slips easily into a different world and commands it from the start. This is the Shawshank Redemption of revenge stories.” – David N. Humphrey, author of Valguard – Knight of Coins
February 15, 2021
LUCIA now available as a hardcover!
LUCIA, my standalone Roman slave novel, is now available in hardcover! It feels, and looks great, as you can see from the photos (hardcover on the left). They are obviously more expensive than the paperbacks but I know a lot of people collect hardcovers so this might be something you’ll like. Most of my readers buy the Kindle editions (or read with Kindle Unlimited) so I don’t expect to sell many of these. If they do okay, though, I’ll look into doing my other books in this format.
UK hardcover link here: https://amzn.to/3qhPPaY
Worldwide: https://viewbook.at/LUCIA
Really nice binding!
Compared to my paperbacks
At home on my bookshelf (with obligatory guitar).
February 1, 2021
The Abbey of Death special offer on Amazon.com this month
Some men serve God best with a sword in their hand…
The Abbey of Death is just 99c in the USA during February so if you haven’t read it yet, now’s a good time to do so! 
As fellow Scottish author Stuart S. Laing says in his 5 star review – “Every single page brings fresh tension, fresh drama and a brooding sense of unease as events move along at a cracking pace towards the climatic scene that is cinematic in feel.”
This was the first of my books to be picked up by a publisher but, for some reason, it’s by far the worst seller. I don’t have a clue why since the reviews are great, with a couple of people saying at the time this was my best book so far (as you can see in the image above). Anyway, if you haven’t checked it out yet, go and get it now (it’s also free on Kindle Unlimited)!
LINK – https://www.amazon.com/Abbey-Death-Kindle-Single-ebook/dp/B074J3XVVV/
December 24, 2020
Merry Christmas. Faces of Darkness is FREE for you!
UK LINK CLICK HERE
WORLDWIDE CLICK HERE
A very happy Christmas Eve to you, dear reader. I hope you’re having a nice time and are excited about the big day tomorrow. If you’re looking for something suitably chilly and atmospheric – something in the tradition of the old Xmas ghost stories perhaps – you might want to check out my Forest Lord novella, Faces of Darkness, if you haven’t already read it. It’s FREE on Kindle for the 24th and 25th of December as a little gift from me to you, with huge thanks for all your support over what’s been a truly shitty year for so many people. Perhaps not as shitty as the final months of Cindy James, whose horrific true story I based Faces of Darkness on, but to find out more you’ll have to read the book and my note at the end…
I hope you enjoy the story (please, leave an Amazon review if you do!) and have a fantastic Christmas day and an even better 2021. I’ll see you there!
Cheers
Steven
December 13, 2020
Warrior Druid of Britain Chronicles now a digital boxset
Yep, books 1 -3 in my Warrior Druid of Britain series – The Druid, Song of the Centurion and The Northern Throne – are all available now in a low-priced boxset. You can also get this as a single borrow from Kindle Unlimited. Check them out if you’ve not read them yet and are looking for a bargain, or even a nice gift for a historical fiction fan who owns a Kindle!
UK LINK – https://amzn.to/3neH5Rn
WORLDWIDE LINK – https://www.amazon.com/Warrior-Druid-Britain-Chronicles-Boxset-ebook/dp/B08QDXMVBG
And book 4 is underway, beginning with a bang as Bellicus and his new friend Lancelot attempt to raid a Saxon camp! Look out for it in summer 2021….
December 1, 2020
Sworn to God by Steven A. McKay – Review
“It’s fresh and fun, thrilling and brutal all in one.”
First review for Sworn to God, check it out and see what you think!
So David’s Book Blurg has been absent of late. 2020 has been a tough year for us all and like many I’ve had my own share of personal events to deal with. While real life takes priority I’ve still been reading and I’m excited to get back to reviewing and sharing my thoughts with everyone.
I’m coming back with a bang!
Today I’m going to be reviewing Sworn to God by Steven A. McKay.
Here is the blurb –
Genre – Historical Thriller
Yorkshire, AD 1329
A new religious group moves into an abandoned church just north of the village of Altofts, but when men start dying under strange and suspicious circumstances the local bailiff decides to investigate.The Disciples of God and their charismatic leader, Lady Alice de Staynton, appear truly holy, but something sinister seems to be going on within the walls of the newly refurbished St Joseph’s…
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