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Spirals of Fate
East Anglian Book Awards - Runner Up (31st Oct 20): 'This truly is a story of rich vs poor and it was written with very high literary merit. I am drawn to this book not only as it is set locally in East Anglia and embodies the local culture and history of the area, but is also written about a genuine local hero, it is the kind of story that you can get lost in which is a sure sign of a good read! The characters are believable, easy to visualise and identify with, thanks to the wonderful way in which the story is written.
Bittern Books (5th Nov 20): For a first novel, this is a remarkable book, taking us on the journey with Robert Kett from a seemingly minor outbreak of high-spirited vandalism in Wymondham and Hethersett, to an uprising of thousands which changed the course of government and a monarchy. Tim Holden uses the historical fiction format to present a theory of how local small landowners and merchants Robert and William Kett ended up leading this massive uprising. But in addition to laying out the historical events, Tim weaves in the stories of fictional characters and how their lives were changed by the events of 1549.
'IndieReader 5/5 (20th Jan 20): 'Draws the reader back into the socially, economically, and religiously conflicted world of Edward VI, son of Henry VIII. Author Tim Holden does a particularly spectacular job of tracing not only the individual and personal growth, but also the inevitable-in-hindsight growth of the rebellion... Characters leap off the page, full of personality, with understandable human motivations and human feelings, changing and growing as the story goes on.'
1549 - A COUNTRY DIVIDED
Two years after the death of King Henry VIII, England is a turbulent realm. His son, Edward, the child monarch is too young to rule, and the government is factious. The nobility jostle for personal power and prestige. The treasury is empty and the elite of wealthy landowners are bent on exploiting the poor.
AN UNLIKELY LEADER
When a yeoman farmer from Norfolk, Robert Kett, finds himself at the centre of a local dispute, his impulsive actions plunge him into a precarious alliance with the dissenting commoners.
THE AFFRAY
To prevail, Kett must bring order to the chaos, impose his own justice, overcome the deception and betrayal that surrounds him and stay true to his cause. As events spiral and disobedience sparks rebellion, can his leadership withstand the dangers and opportunities of a country struggling to leave its past and discover its future?
BASED ON REAL EVENTS
Bittern Books (5th Nov 20): For a first novel, this is a remarkable book, taking us on the journey with Robert Kett from a seemingly minor outbreak of high-spirited vandalism in Wymondham and Hethersett, to an uprising of thousands which changed the course of government and a monarchy. Tim Holden uses the historical fiction format to present a theory of how local small landowners and merchants Robert and William Kett ended up leading this massive uprising. But in addition to laying out the historical events, Tim weaves in the stories of fictional characters and how their lives were changed by the events of 1549.
'IndieReader 5/5 (20th Jan 20): 'Draws the reader back into the socially, economically, and religiously conflicted world of Edward VI, son of Henry VIII. Author Tim Holden does a particularly spectacular job of tracing not only the individual and personal growth, but also the inevitable-in-hindsight growth of the rebellion... Characters leap off the page, full of personality, with understandable human motivations and human feelings, changing and growing as the story goes on.'
1549 - A COUNTRY DIVIDED
Two years after the death of King Henry VIII, England is a turbulent realm. His son, Edward, the child monarch is too young to rule, and the government is factious. The nobility jostle for personal power and prestige. The treasury is empty and the elite of wealthy landowners are bent on exploiting the poor.
AN UNLIKELY LEADER
When a yeoman farmer from Norfolk, Robert Kett, finds himself at the centre of a local dispute, his impulsive actions plunge him into a precarious alliance with the dissenting commoners.
THE AFFRAY
To prevail, Kett must bring order to the chaos, impose his own justice, overcome the deception and betrayal that surrounds him and stay true to his cause. As events spiral and disobedience sparks rebellion, can his leadership withstand the dangers and opportunities of a country struggling to leave its past and discover its future?
BASED ON REAL EVENTS
558 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2019
17 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 21, 2020
Thoroughly enjoyable read. Must admit that I was not aware of the real life events that the book is based upon so I was not only entertained but educated as well.
There are interesting parallels with England today eg the 2016 peoples vote for Britain to regain its independence from the EU. This was despite London/the establishment telling us not to vote for independence.
I think the Norfolk rebels would be very proud of us.
There are interesting parallels with England today eg the 2016 peoples vote for Britain to regain its independence from the EU. This was despite London/the establishment telling us not to vote for independence.
I think the Norfolk rebels would be very proud of us.
June 13, 2021
It's probably as good as anything that Conn Iggulden has published. It's just that neither is all that good. Gets bogged down in nitty-gritty and righteousness of the cause and forgets trifling details like "what happened to the Royal army that was occupying Norwich" and similar. It's fine as a work of amateur fictionalised history though.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews