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The Forest Knights #1
Altdorf
A wild land too mountainous to be tamed by plows. A Duke of the Holy Roman Empire, his cunning overshadowed only by his ambition. A young Priestess of the Old Religion, together with a charismatic outlaw, sparking a rebellion from deep within the forests... and an ex-Hospitaller caught between them all.
At the end of the thirteenth century, five hundred orphans and second sons are rounded up from villages in the Alpine countryside and sold to the Hospitaller Knights of St John. Trained to serve as Soldiers of Christ, they fight in eastern lands they know nothing about, for a cause they do not understand.
Thomas Schwyzer, released from his vows by the Grandmaster of the Hospitallers, returns to the land of his birth a stranger. Once a leader of men, and captain of the Order's most famous war galley, he now settles into the simple life of a ferryman. He believes this new role to be God's reward for years of faithful service fighting the Infidel in Outremer.
Seraina, considered a witch by most, a healer by some, is a young woman with a purpose. A Priestess of the Old Religion, and the last Druid disciple of the Helvetii Celts, she has been gifted by the Great Weave to see what others cannot. Her people need her guidance and protection now more than ever. For Duke Leopold of Habsburg, in his efforts to control the St. Gotthard Pass, builds a great Austrian fortress in Altdorf. Once finished, the Habsburg occupation will be complete, but the atrocities visited upon her people will have just begun.
At the end of the thirteenth century, five hundred orphans and second sons are rounded up from villages in the Alpine countryside and sold to the Hospitaller Knights of St John. Trained to serve as Soldiers of Christ, they fight in eastern lands they know nothing about, for a cause they do not understand.
Thomas Schwyzer, released from his vows by the Grandmaster of the Hospitallers, returns to the land of his birth a stranger. Once a leader of men, and captain of the Order's most famous war galley, he now settles into the simple life of a ferryman. He believes this new role to be God's reward for years of faithful service fighting the Infidel in Outremer.
Seraina, considered a witch by most, a healer by some, is a young woman with a purpose. A Priestess of the Old Religion, and the last Druid disciple of the Helvetii Celts, she has been gifted by the Great Weave to see what others cannot. Her people need her guidance and protection now more than ever. For Duke Leopold of Habsburg, in his efforts to control the St. Gotthard Pass, builds a great Austrian fortress in Altdorf. Once finished, the Habsburg occupation will be complete, but the atrocities visited upon her people will have just begun.
321 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 6, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 151 reviews
January 8, 2025
Interesting story with a good sense of place, marred by amateurish storytelling and many anachronisms. Think of it as historical fantasy. Set in medieval Switzerland Altdorf proposes to tell the—or a—story behind the legend of William Tell. So far as it goes, the story itself is plausible.
Apparently meant to be historical fiction, it’s more historical fantasy. While bashing Christianity and praising all other religions is de rigueur for modern novels, this version of druidism exists only in epic fantasy. Readers finds themselves in “a galaxy far, far away” as the Weave so resembles the Force.
Everything is slightly over the top. The hero is stalwart, the heroine a mystic who feels a saddening in the Weave (“There’s a great disturbance in the Force.”), the buddy is a seven-foot gentle giant, the villains are doubly evil because they are Christians. Another buddy manages an impossible crossbow shot: 300 yards through the neck of a man sitting on a sailboat underway, and the bolt retains enough power to pass entirely through the neck (horizontally). The hero’s “conversion” is unconvincing.
The storytelling suffers from many verbal anachronisms. References to adrenaline, penicillin, catalysts and connections are either improbable or simply jar the reader out of the spell of the story. (If you slap moldy bread on a wound, you're more likely to kill than save the patient.) Many readers will skip over the modernisms; students of history will shudder.
Awkward punctuation throughout. A good editing would save the reader much confusion. “Why so negative brother?” can mean several things. Yes, modern writers eschew commas, but they serve a purpose. If readers must stop to figure it out, you’ve betrayed them.
The cover art must have been drawn by a friend of the author. Why else hobble your book with such a poor image?
Good ending. Draws together the threads of this story while drawing the reader into the sequel.
Apparently meant to be historical fiction, it’s more historical fantasy. While bashing Christianity and praising all other religions is de rigueur for modern novels, this version of druidism exists only in epic fantasy. Readers finds themselves in “a galaxy far, far away” as the Weave so resembles the Force.
Everything is slightly over the top. The hero is stalwart, the heroine a mystic who feels a saddening in the Weave (“There’s a great disturbance in the Force.”), the buddy is a seven-foot gentle giant, the villains are doubly evil because they are Christians. Another buddy manages an impossible crossbow shot: 300 yards through the neck of a man sitting on a sailboat underway, and the bolt retains enough power to pass entirely through the neck (horizontally). The hero’s “conversion” is unconvincing.
The storytelling suffers from many verbal anachronisms. References to adrenaline, penicillin, catalysts and connections are either improbable or simply jar the reader out of the spell of the story. (If you slap moldy bread on a wound, you're more likely to kill than save the patient.) Many readers will skip over the modernisms; students of history will shudder.
Awkward punctuation throughout. A good editing would save the reader much confusion. “Why so negative brother?” can mean several things. Yes, modern writers eschew commas, but they serve a purpose. If readers must stop to figure it out, you’ve betrayed them.
The cover art must have been drawn by a friend of the author. Why else hobble your book with such a poor image?
Good ending. Draws together the threads of this story while drawing the reader into the sequel.
April 26, 2021
In a fit of whimsy, I hereby announce I will give everyone five stars, but the reviews may not reflect it.
This was pretty good. A supposed retelling of William Tell, this could easily be a retelling of Robin Hood too. A dastardly duke, blinded by his own ambitions, raises the ire of the wrong person, an ex-soldier back from the Holy Land planning to live out the rest of his life in peace. Our hero also has a 7-foot tall buddy (sounds familiar) and a druid to help him on his way. It's a bit waffly (absolutely a real word) at first, but once you stick with it, it turns out to be a good tale. It's also written with the air of older yarns, so be warned if you like stories with a modern vibe.
On a side note, I listened to the audio, and have to say the narrator did a good job.
This was pretty good. A supposed retelling of William Tell, this could easily be a retelling of Robin Hood too. A dastardly duke, blinded by his own ambitions, raises the ire of the wrong person, an ex-soldier back from the Holy Land planning to live out the rest of his life in peace. Our hero also has a 7-foot tall buddy (sounds familiar) and a druid to help him on his way. It's a bit waffly (absolutely a real word) at first, but once you stick with it, it turns out to be a good tale. It's also written with the air of older yarns, so be warned if you like stories with a modern vibe.
On a side note, I listened to the audio, and have to say the narrator did a good job.
March 19, 2015
Once I got into this I did enjoy it. I found the first several chapters completely disorienting, however. I think a simple thing like noting the date or month/year and location at the beginning of each chapter would have gone an enormous way in helping keep things straight while you're trying to sort out all of the characters. I honestly thought there was major time jumping going on for a little while.
Once I figured all that out I found the characters interesting and engaging. I'm not at all familiar with this period/place in history, so I found that quite interesting too. I also was a tiny bit confused whether this was supposed to read as a straight historical fiction or if it was supposed to be fantasy/historical? It was an enjoyable read all in all though.
Once I figured all that out I found the characters interesting and engaging. I'm not at all familiar with this period/place in history, so I found that quite interesting too. I also was a tiny bit confused whether this was supposed to read as a straight historical fiction or if it was supposed to be fantasy/historical? It was an enjoyable read all in all though.
February 28, 2017
I never thought I could say in my lifetime that I read a book that was set in Medieval Switzerland. At first, the characters are set up in a way that you don't really know who the main protagonist is nor whether you're supposed to like each of them. The character development had taken hold by about halfway which is where I started to enjoy this book a lot more. I will have to read the next book as all my questions haven't been answered yet.
October 24, 2014
An OK read, but difficult to get into, then the cool, planning, crafty protagonist does something incredibly stupid, at which point I considered giving up on it. But stuck with it because I had so much time invested in it.
November 12, 2017
The author explains this is a variation on the apocryphal story of William Tell, but it reads a lot like a Robin Hood variant as well. The setting is slightly unusual: Switzerland shortly after the crusades, with the involvement of veteran Hospitallers enriching the story. It starts a bit slowly with the return of said Hospitallers, then builds as we increasingly see injustices brought on the local community by conquering Austrian Hapsburgs. The story becomes increasingly gritty and engrossing at the same time, making it extra frustrating that it doesn't stand on its own -- it and the second in this two-part series seem to be one book split down the middle.
The characters are vivid, relatable, and plausible, if a little archetypal, and the story moves decently, and it's very readable. It's a shame it doesn't stand on its own.
The characters are vivid, relatable, and plausible, if a little archetypal, and the story moves decently, and it's very readable. It's a shame it doesn't stand on its own.
May 31, 2023
2.5 Stars - Enjoyable First Half with a Clipped "Ending"
For the full review, check out: medium.com/@essentialreadingsandrevie...
What's the story about: Altdorf is a multiple POV, historical fantasy story centering around a retired Hospitaller, his giant friend, a witch, a young man trying to initiate a rebellion, and a despicable Duke. The main plot is the burgeoning of fighting back against the suppression forced by the Duke.
Altdorf is an enjoyable enough first half of a larger story. This is a fun historical adaptation of someone (William Tell?) that's not Robin Hood, but reminds you of Robin Hood more often than not. While I enjoyed the reading experience, I hope that the second half (Morgarten) utilizes everything presented and purposefully moves along considerably. The writing was good, but it felt like it was spinning wheels for a long time until the last third where things finally heated up. Interested to see where it goes and think that you truly should NOT read or listen to Altdorf by itself and just buy The Forest Knights book or audiobook. It will just be frustrating unless the complete story is read.
For the full review, check out: medium.com/@essentialreadingsandrevie...
What's the story about: Altdorf is a multiple POV, historical fantasy story centering around a retired Hospitaller, his giant friend, a witch, a young man trying to initiate a rebellion, and a despicable Duke. The main plot is the burgeoning of fighting back against the suppression forced by the Duke.
Altdorf is an enjoyable enough first half of a larger story. This is a fun historical adaptation of someone (William Tell?) that's not Robin Hood, but reminds you of Robin Hood more often than not. While I enjoyed the reading experience, I hope that the second half (Morgarten) utilizes everything presented and purposefully moves along considerably. The writing was good, but it felt like it was spinning wheels for a long time until the last third where things finally heated up. Interested to see where it goes and think that you truly should NOT read or listen to Altdorf by itself and just buy The Forest Knights book or audiobook. It will just be frustrating unless the complete story is read.
May 22, 2025
A good story
I enjoyed the historical aspects and the heroic flair. This was a fun read and well written. The characters were well rounded and believable.
I enjoyed the historical aspects and the heroic flair. This was a fun read and well written. The characters were well rounded and believable.
June 13, 2012
Well, well, well what a little gem. It is a mixture of Templars meets vigilante with a strong sense of justice. The author has interwoven many details from the Holy Crusade and the exodus of the Swyzer children draws parallels from those crusades.
The author has managed to capture the essence of fear that hovered in that era, when strips of land were ruled by minor despots. It is also hints at the creation of the country of Switzerland. People lived in terror of being accused of heresy or witchcraft and subjected to torture and death.
Which brings me to one of the other interesting subjects in this book. The author has researched various techniques of torture used in that era and how the accused had to prove they were worthy of God and/or not a man/woman of witchcraft. It is written in a way that captures the moment and image without use of gore or graphic details.
It ended on quite a bit of a cliffhanger and I am left with a need to know what happens next..arrgh. Commendable storytelling and a joy to read.
I received a free copy of this book for my review.
The author has managed to capture the essence of fear that hovered in that era, when strips of land were ruled by minor despots. It is also hints at the creation of the country of Switzerland. People lived in terror of being accused of heresy or witchcraft and subjected to torture and death.
Which brings me to one of the other interesting subjects in this book. The author has researched various techniques of torture used in that era and how the accused had to prove they were worthy of God and/or not a man/woman of witchcraft. It is written in a way that captures the moment and image without use of gore or graphic details.
It ended on quite a bit of a cliffhanger and I am left with a need to know what happens next..arrgh. Commendable storytelling and a joy to read.
I received a free copy of this book for my review.
October 7, 2018
This book was fun in a couple ways. First I'm a big fan of games like EU4 and CK2 from Paradox and this book allowed me to live out some of that in a story mode. This book didn't spend much time discussing the politics of the 13th century, but it was certainly a major backdrop.
I would probably put the book in the historical fiction category rather than fantasy, but it does have some fantastical elements.
The second way the book was fun is introducing to me some basic scenarios that challenge heroes, especially reluctant heroes that want to stay out of the conflict. I plan to use some of these in my D&D campaign.
I listened to this book on Audible, and I enjoyed the voice actor, and although the book is shorter than what I would typically listen to, I'm fairly certain I'll pick up book 2.
I would probably put the book in the historical fiction category rather than fantasy, but it does have some fantastical elements.
The second way the book was fun is introducing to me some basic scenarios that challenge heroes, especially reluctant heroes that want to stay out of the conflict. I plan to use some of these in my D&D campaign.
I listened to this book on Audible, and I enjoyed the voice actor, and although the book is shorter than what I would typically listen to, I'm fairly certain I'll pick up book 2.
January 2, 2023
This is so not my typical genre/read, but I truly enjoyed the tale that Swift wove. We follow a number of characters (told in a third person pov), and each one has it's important role to play in a world ruled by the elite, who already have everything, but want even what the poor have.
We hav heroes who don't want to be heroes, those who take up the mantle easily and willingly, and weak/scumbags who use others to get their deeds done and run at the first sight of trouble.
I wasn't going to read the second one (against mostly because its not my typical genre), but that ending is making me add it to my to buy list.
Think "Braveheart" and that pretty much describes this book in a nutshell. Very good read.
We hav heroes who don't want to be heroes, those who take up the mantle easily and willingly, and weak/scumbags who use others to get their deeds done and run at the first sight of trouble.
I wasn't going to read the second one (against mostly because its not my typical genre), but that ending is making me add it to my to buy list.
Think "Braveheart" and that pretty much describes this book in a nutshell. Very good read.
Want to read
February 16, 2012Kindle free download 2/16/12.
February 3, 2020
A good read..
I seem to choose series books these days which always leave me hanging when I finish one but I hope book 2 of this series is as good as this one.
I seem to choose series books these days which always leave me hanging when I finish one but I hope book 2 of this series is as good as this one.
January 8, 2020
I’m going to start off by saying this book really wasn’t what I expected. Specifically, because I expected fantasy, since it was part of the Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off, and, well, it rather lacked in fantastical elements. It was, for is part, pretty decent historical fiction, with vivid descriptions and interesting characters set in medieval Switzerland. And it may well have been alternate history, but I’m not so familiar with that time and place that I can say for sure. But the only elements of fantasy that were really a part of this book were a few small incidents that could have just as easily been hallucination and the vagaries of weather as they could have been magic.
It did, however, get me thinking that sometimes the only difference between fantasy and historical fiction is the setting. Were this to be set in some secondary world, the plot could have remained the same and yet I would have classed it as fantasy. Which is weird, when you think about it.
Altdorf is a relatively quick read, being less than 80,000 words, and with the exception of a large number of missing commas, Swift’s writing style is quite good. The beginning is a little awkward, but after a couple of chapters it’s very easy to fall into the story and get lost in the political games being played. Swift paints a vivid picture of the various settings, drawing the reader into beautiful scenery and medieval buildings.
As in many good stories, there is no clear right or wrong side of the fight; only layers and shades, and that’s what makes this exploration of history so interesting and so realistic. Abuses of power abound on all sides, people have their reasons for doing what they do, and I enjoyed seeing the justifications that everyone used for themselves and their actions. The characters are the high point of the novel, I’d say. There were a couple that didn’t get as much development as I’d hoped, but on the whole, they were quite fleshed-out and unique.
Over all, this reimagining of the William Tell legend is pretty decent, though, unfortunately, one that won’t be passed on to the second round of the SPFBO due to the lack of identifiable fantasy. But for those who enjoy decent historical fiction, then I urge you to give Altdorf a try. It’s currently free for Kindle and Nook, so it’s a no-risk venture if you do want to read it, and the writing is impressive enough to stand out in the self-published crowd. It may not have been entirely to my taste nor what I was hoping for, but I’m still glad to have read it.
(Received for review as part of the SPFBO.)
It did, however, get me thinking that sometimes the only difference between fantasy and historical fiction is the setting. Were this to be set in some secondary world, the plot could have remained the same and yet I would have classed it as fantasy. Which is weird, when you think about it.
Altdorf is a relatively quick read, being less than 80,000 words, and with the exception of a large number of missing commas, Swift’s writing style is quite good. The beginning is a little awkward, but after a couple of chapters it’s very easy to fall into the story and get lost in the political games being played. Swift paints a vivid picture of the various settings, drawing the reader into beautiful scenery and medieval buildings.
As in many good stories, there is no clear right or wrong side of the fight; only layers and shades, and that’s what makes this exploration of history so interesting and so realistic. Abuses of power abound on all sides, people have their reasons for doing what they do, and I enjoyed seeing the justifications that everyone used for themselves and their actions. The characters are the high point of the novel, I’d say. There were a couple that didn’t get as much development as I’d hoped, but on the whole, they were quite fleshed-out and unique.
Over all, this reimagining of the William Tell legend is pretty decent, though, unfortunately, one that won’t be passed on to the second round of the SPFBO due to the lack of identifiable fantasy. But for those who enjoy decent historical fiction, then I urge you to give Altdorf a try. It’s currently free for Kindle and Nook, so it’s a no-risk venture if you do want to read it, and the writing is impressive enough to stand out in the self-published crowd. It may not have been entirely to my taste nor what I was hoping for, but I’m still glad to have read it.
(Received for review as part of the SPFBO.)
March 1, 2019
Very shody gathering of information
First of all the head of the holy roman empire of german nation was an emporer not a king.To find out about the restrictions of his contact with other people read for instance ksrl der grosse (charles the great) by johannes fried people at that time whede a lot smaller than today like twelfe year olds so somebody seven foot of hight would have been some lord alone for his size.THE CHILDRENS CRUSADE there where two tbe first got sold into slavery after being shipped to tunesia and the second never left europe no children ever reached the holy land.The story is not bad the inconsistencys juzt turn my gut.The constant misrepresentation of all things german is atrocious.For instance while richard lionheart and phillip of france whent to crusade with 5000 knights each,frederik barbarossa whent with 150.000 sadly he managed to drown in the desert,he fell of his horse while having outpased his bodygard fell of his horse into a wadi and drowned in two foot of water.He was not a young man and didn't have the power to lift himself and his armor.I've only read the first quarter of the book so if there is anything else I'll let you know.If you use historical personages in your books then please get the facts right,what I wrote about the childrens crusade was from wikipedia it took me two minutes to find out,so please a bit more effort.
Yours.
Fritz klar
First of all the head of the holy roman empire of german nation was an emporer not a king.To find out about the restrictions of his contact with other people read for instance ksrl der grosse (charles the great) by johannes fried people at that time whede a lot smaller than today like twelfe year olds so somebody seven foot of hight would have been some lord alone for his size.THE CHILDRENS CRUSADE there where two tbe first got sold into slavery after being shipped to tunesia and the second never left europe no children ever reached the holy land.The story is not bad the inconsistencys juzt turn my gut.The constant misrepresentation of all things german is atrocious.For instance while richard lionheart and phillip of france whent to crusade with 5000 knights each,frederik barbarossa whent with 150.000 sadly he managed to drown in the desert,he fell of his horse while having outpased his bodygard fell of his horse into a wadi and drowned in two foot of water.He was not a young man and didn't have the power to lift himself and his armor.I've only read the first quarter of the book so if there is anything else I'll let you know.If you use historical personages in your books then please get the facts right,what I wrote about the childrens crusade was from wikipedia it took me two minutes to find out,so please a bit more effort.
Yours.
Fritz klar
March 30, 2025
The plot of the book is not original to be honest. The brothers-in-arms were fighting for years at a land-grabbing war abroad and finally return home. They have some money but not really enough to live comfortably. So they have to start a new life as civilians. But this life doesn’t promise to be prosperous and calm because while they were spilling blood for God knows what, the new merciless people came to rule over their own land. Now they have a choice either to sell their martial skills to the new lords or to revolt against them. Over this choice, once the brothers-in-arms become enemies.
But what makes this plot truly original is the historical context. The action takes place in the medieval Swiss; the former brothers-in-arms are Knights Hospitaller (the non-noble ones) who return from the Crusade to find their home area under the rule of Leopold I of Habsburg. Thanks to many historical details, the XIV century life opens up to a reader in all its cruelty and darkness.
To me this book felt especially relevant in view of what Europe is undergoing in 2025. For over three years the European continent has been facing the biggest war since WWII and currently there is little hope that this war will end up with a fair, stable peace agreement, punishment of war criminals and reparations to the victims of aggression. With this regard “Altdorf” gives hope because it shows that even in the macabre times there is a place for dignity and a thirst for righteousness.
But what makes this plot truly original is the historical context. The action takes place in the medieval Swiss; the former brothers-in-arms are Knights Hospitaller (the non-noble ones) who return from the Crusade to find their home area under the rule of Leopold I of Habsburg. Thanks to many historical details, the XIV century life opens up to a reader in all its cruelty and darkness.
To me this book felt especially relevant in view of what Europe is undergoing in 2025. For over three years the European continent has been facing the biggest war since WWII and currently there is little hope that this war will end up with a fair, stable peace agreement, punishment of war criminals and reparations to the victims of aggression. With this regard “Altdorf” gives hope because it shows that even in the macabre times there is a place for dignity and a thirst for righteousness.
October 18, 2017
I recommend this book. I hope you like the characters as much as I did. The author's blog defines them and their circumstances in the thirteenth century. As a rule, I like historical fiction with no fantasy, but I rather enjoyed the otherworldly action in this book. I liked the tongue in cheek humor displayed by the main characters, and I enjoyed getting to know Leopold and his henchmen. I liked the author's mechanics of good writing. There were too few errors to even mention.
Thank you, Mr. Swift, for a good read.
Thank you, Mr. Swift, for a good read.
March 27, 2018
No.
I just didn't care for any character. I REALLY wanted to love Seraina. I did. But she disappointed me the most of everyone :( Pirmin was actually not bad. But... ya know. >.<
I also think the version I have could have benefited from more editing. A few typos which I can understand happen, but if it's more than a couple in a published book I think they need more eyes on the final product. Just my two cents.
I just didn't care for any character. I REALLY wanted to love Seraina. I did. But she disappointed me the most of everyone :( Pirmin was actually not bad. But... ya know. >.<
I also think the version I have could have benefited from more editing. A few typos which I can understand happen, but if it's more than a couple in a published book I think they need more eyes on the final product. Just my two cents.
January 13, 2019
The forest
This was a fun read. Set in Roman times with a touch of fantasy. I felt that this was well written and the characters were developed. It had a good storyline that flowed in a direction that was easy to follow. You grow to like the main characters as their pasts are revealed to you throughout the story. If you enjoy fantasy you should give this one a try. It can stand alone or it is continued in another book.
This was a fun read. Set in Roman times with a touch of fantasy. I felt that this was well written and the characters were developed. It had a good storyline that flowed in a direction that was easy to follow. You grow to like the main characters as their pasts are revealed to you throughout the story. If you enjoy fantasy you should give this one a try. It can stand alone or it is continued in another book.
September 6, 2020
War
This story started with many different peoples lives and converged into a war shaping event. It is well written and probable deserves 5 stars but a bit too dark and sinister for me. I know it is necessary to make the bad guy “bad” but this one is evil. I was drawn many times to google the history of the place, time, and key characters. I will not be reading the next book because I like happy stories better. This one reminds me of “Braveheart”. Too much torture.
This story started with many different peoples lives and converged into a war shaping event. It is well written and probable deserves 5 stars but a bit too dark and sinister for me. I know it is necessary to make the bad guy “bad” but this one is evil. I was drawn many times to google the history of the place, time, and key characters. I will not be reading the next book because I like happy stories better. This one reminds me of “Braveheart”. Too much torture.
August 30, 2023
Enthralling read it's a pity it's only the first part as I really wanted Leopold and Landenberg (sounds like an evil double act) to get it in the neck before the end of the book. Not sure who the hero is as it seems to be divided between Thomas, Noll and Seraina. I really would have liked Pirmin to survive even if he only had one arm left to fight with but I didn't write it so I don't get to choose, anyway it gave Thomas reason to hate Gissler. I look forward to the rest of the story.
May 11, 2025
This took a bit of time to get into, but once we got well into Act 2 this became far more engaging. I really liked how Leopold isn't a moustache twirling villain or a foam-at-the-mouth fanatic, but is instead a fairly unpleasant true believer, who genuinely sees nothing wrong in brutalising people - not for his own twisted pleasure (like Landenburg) but because he thinks this is how the world should be. He's heartless and selfish, certainly, but not 2 dimensionally evil.
June 19, 2018
A rough ride through the alps.
Interesting tour through a dark place in history. Characters are well developed and set the stage for classic good versus evil showdowns. Help is often found in unexpected places though these stretched the imagination one too many times. Otherwise it deserved a five.
Interesting tour through a dark place in history. Characters are well developed and set the stage for classic good versus evil showdowns. Help is often found in unexpected places though these stretched the imagination one too many times. Otherwise it deserved a five.
April 4, 2020
Loving this story, the time period, the location and the Celtic ties. It is hard to find historical fiction set in the now German/Switzerland area. I was thrilled to find it included a touch of long past Celtic history from the area. Brilliant!
I am listening to it on Chirp and I like the narrator MOST of the time but he has zero skill with a woman's voice.
I am listening to book two now.
I am listening to it on Chirp and I like the narrator MOST of the time but he has zero skill with a woman's voice.
I am listening to book two now.
October 15, 2021
Lots to like, but could flow better
Overall, this is a great work of historical fiction. The story is strong. The atmosphere dense. The characters well defined. However, the pacing and flow can be erratic. Then again, as the first book in a series, it is inviting and promises a lot of growth.
Overall, this is a great work of historical fiction. The story is strong. The atmosphere dense. The characters well defined. However, the pacing and flow can be erratic. Then again, as the first book in a series, it is inviting and promises a lot of growth.
May 11, 2022
Excellent novel
A very will written historical novel. The characters are interesting and will developed. The story line is very complicated with lots of misdirection leading to the continuation in the next novel in the series. I would recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys historical novels. Enjoy reading. 2020😀
A very will written historical novel. The characters are interesting and will developed. The story line is very complicated with lots of misdirection leading to the continuation in the next novel in the series. I would recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys historical novels. Enjoy reading. 2020😀
January 14, 2025
Vivid
History re-imagined with passion and detail, and beauty and pain. Strong characters! Violence from warfare to sexual assault occurs regularly, and while it's graphic, it totally supports the need of the narrative. (One doesn't need to have knowledge of the history. The story is full of Middle Ages.) Enjoy. Remember to breathe...
History re-imagined with passion and detail, and beauty and pain. Strong characters! Violence from warfare to sexual assault occurs regularly, and while it's graphic, it totally supports the need of the narrative. (One doesn't need to have knowledge of the history. The story is full of Middle Ages.) Enjoy. Remember to breathe...
January 25, 2025
Well, that clearly wasn���t the last we’ll hear of this story!! I’d surely like to know more about Seraina. This story was slow in parts, but it sure ramped up toward the end, leaving things wide open for the next book in the series. I can’t decide if I want to continue on to the next book… but I probably will.
February 9, 2025
ALTDORF (THE FOREST KNIGHTS) by J.K. Swift -- This is advertised as historical fiction, but historical fantasy with a bit of romance may be more accurate. Set in 13th century Switzerland, there are knights, battles, holy wars, an Old Religion Priestess, Christians, villains, and lots of action. Not the best storytelling I've read.
January 28, 2026
A fast paced epic story!
The Brotherhood of the Hospitalers is pushed to the limits and only one ex-crusader surrenders to the temptations of wealth denied them in their previous lives. The extraordinary skills and spirit of Thomas is demonstrated time and again. The reader can't wait to read the next Chapter.
The Brotherhood of the Hospitalers is pushed to the limits and only one ex-crusader surrenders to the temptations of wealth denied them in their previous lives. The extraordinary skills and spirit of Thomas is demonstrated time and again. The reader can't wait to read the next Chapter.
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