“I will take care of the body of my lord and you can carry the sword, story teller. For all good stories are about a sword.”
I find this time period fascinating. The period of history following the departure of Roman troops from Britain in about the year 416 and lasting until the reign of Alfred the Great almost five hundred years later, represent the most poorly documented in the history of Britain. Enormous changes overtook the Island. Large parts of the country passed from the domination of one race to a completely different one. Place names, history, culture and language were swept away. Invasions, battles and wanton destruction raged across the land as never before, or after. In this time, there would have been heroes and villains. Legends would have arisen. Folk would have spoken with familiarity of battles and warlords, as we today talk of celebrities and sports teams. Amongst all this, normal people lived normal lives. People were born and died. They lived and loved, as we do today. Yet we know almost nothing about these people. That seems unfair to me - so I decided to write a fiction set in this time. Hope you enjoy it.
What Jill Murphy on the Book Bag says about The Amber Treasure:
'Enjoyable novel set in sixth century Northumbria. Accurate detail and vivid fight scenes together with an engaging central character and his coming-of-age make this an absorbing read for fans of historical fiction...'
Read the full review here:
http://thebookbag.co.uk/reviews/index.php?title=The_Amber_Treasure_by_
'...well written and entertaining novel, which has a sympathetic lead character and a good feel for its very obscure period and for the brutal nature of battle in the shield wall'
From History of War - Review - The Amber Treasure.