Knights of the Hawk
Late 1071 finds William the Conqueror impatient to storm the English rebels out of Ely. But Ely, surrounded by treacherous marshes, seems to be inaccessible – until Tancred of Earnford devises a way. A half-Breton minor baron, Tancred has a keen mind, a sharp tongue and a fiery temper – resulting in a talent for both brilliant tactics and making enemies. When his ruse works, and he ends up leading the victorious charge on Ely, King William is not overly anxious to acknowledge (let alone reward) his help. Embittered and eager to leave on a quest of his own – the rescue of his long-lost love – Tancred would seem to have his fair share of trouble, but worse is to come when the chance killing of a fellow knight makes our hero an outcast in the feudal system.
In Knights of the Hawk, Aitcheson provides a solid, satisfying conclusion to his really good trilogy – full of thrills, battles, adventures, turns and twists, and great characters that are true to the mindset of their period. As a rule, I’m not fond of open endings, but if this one means that we’ll see more of the headstrong Tancred and his friends, I’ll gladly make an exception.
