Book Review: The Bleeding Land by Giles Kristian
If war is Hell, then civil war must be Hell’s nastier, more vindictive
sister*. This is the message I took from Giles Kristian’s historical novel “The
Bleeding Land”.
I’ve been waiting a long time for some quality historical
fiction set during the English Civil War. A few years back I posted a question
on Bernard Cornwell’s forum asking if he would ever tackle the subject. He said
he had no plans to but finally a writer of equal quality has come along to take
up this banner.
Giles Kristian plunges the reader straight into the opening volleys
of the battle of Edgehill. Mun (Edmund) and Tom Rivers- the book’s protagonist
brothers-are on opposite sides. The cavalry begin their charge and the reader
is hooked immediately as the action withdraws back through time to relate how
the characters got into that situation. I remained engrossed as the narrative
made its way inexorably back to Edgehill and the carnage that followed.
The book primarily relates the story of the Rivers family, members
of the English gentry, and the effect the war has on their relationships, both internally
and with their associated circle of relations and neighbours. Don’t worry
though: This is no turgid soap opera and there is an abundance of action and fast
moving excitement. There are several levels of conflict: The war itself between
King and Parliament, and then there is the internal strife within the Rivers
family which leaves the brothers on opposing sides. The author does not shy
away from the cliché of “a family torn apart by civil war”, but that is where
convention ends. It is very human feelings of revenge and family loyalty that
ultimately lead to Tom ending up a rebel while Mun and his father join the King’s
army. In many respects this is what makes the book so engaging. It’s a human
story rather than an exploration of 16th century politics. Men join
the fight for very personal reasons that happen to align with the macrocosm conflict
rather than blindly falling into line with arguments from a conflict now long past.
I may have read it wrong but it seems that the author deliberately
does not “pick sides”. There are bastards in both armies, as there are men of
integrity. Bravery and foolishness appear in equal measure, and that-along with
the way the politics of the time play a background role-make it hard for the
reader (well this one anyway) to discern any possible bias. If anything this
brings across the true tragedy of a land ripped apart by a civil conflict.
The sights, sounds and especially the smells of 17th
century England and London are vividly described and the reader is drawn into
the time setting and kept there. Giles Kristian has obviously done his research
well and there is plenty of technical detail to delight the history nerd and
military buff, particularly in the area of weapons and armour. Something I
personally applaud is his inclusion of historical facts that may make some
readers uncomfortable, because (while true) they don’t fit with conventional
portrayals of the past that are actually based on modern perceptions. For
example, some folk may wonder why an Irishman is fighting for the King of
England and I imagine that it will not just be the characters in the book who might
be surprized by the King’s Scottish accent.
A host of memorable characters bring the story to life and
their portrayal ensures the reader is gripped because he or she cares about
them while being dreadfully aware that they are in the middle of a very
dangerous situation and not all of them can survive it. As an added bonus, fans
of Giles Kristian’s Raven novels will
be delighted to spot a couple of familiar faces (presumably descendants)
lurking in some scenes.
Tension is maintained throughout the narrative by the constant
anticipation of the inevitable, relentlessly approaching battlefield meeting
that must eventually occur between the two brothers. Blood proves thicker than
water on a couple of occasions but the reader is always wondering just how long
that can last, particularly as the bodies mount and the experience of war hardens
the brothers’ hearts.
There is a plenty of violent, bloody action. This land is
not so much bleeding as drenched in the gore, bone shards, splattered brains
and entrails of the slaughtered.
I mentioned Bernard Cornwell at the start of this and it was
not completely by accident. It’s probably Cornwell’s style of work that this
book evokes for me most, but Giles Kristian adds several layers of depth to
create a much richer experience. To give an example of what I mean, when all
the boys-own adventures for the male characters are over, Kristian goes on to
portray the consequences for the women who were left behind.
All in all, a cracking read. “The Bleeding Land” is an excellent,
gripping book and I am looking forward very much to the next book in the
series.
Book Details:
Title: The Bleeding Land
Author: Giles Kristian
Publisher: Bantam Press (26 April 2012)
ISBN-10: 0593066146
ISBN-13: 978-0593066140
*I’m referring to the Old Norse belief that Hell was a woman
who ruled the underworld where the unworthy dead went, not being sexist
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