- Author
- Peter Darman
- ARRSE Rating
- 5 Mushroom Heads
'Castellan' is the third book in the Crusader Chronicles series by Peter Darman (Books 1 & 2 have previously been reviewed here). These books follow the lives of a group of Crusaders fighting in the obscure but historically accurate (I checked!) crusades in the Baltic States.
Darman has come up trumps yet again with another tale of derring-do which moves swiftly along whilst being detailed enough to make the reader feel immersed in its medieval setting. As previously commented upon, Darman's heritage within Defence Intelligence shines through with his eye for detail, especially when describing the weapons, armour and methods of warfare.
The book is available from Amazon on Kindle for £2.34 (at the time of writing) and in paperback. It is perhaps indicative of Darman's rise to prominence in this genre that it is currently rated as the No 1 Amazon best seller on European Crusades.
This is, I think, the best of the three books to date although I would advise readers to read the other two in the series first. Although it could stand alone in its own right, much of the enjoyment comes in the development of the characters over the series of books and a new arrival to the series may find dipping straight in at Book 3 a little confusing!
Where this book really shines is its excellent narrative: it is fast moving and draws the reader with it. I read the book in just a couple of days. The characters have really started to mature in a literary sense without becoming pastiches of themselves; it feels like returning to old friends.
All in all, an excellent book that takes the series to new heights. I look forward to more of the same!
Darman has come up trumps yet again with another tale of derring-do which moves swiftly along whilst being detailed enough to make the reader feel immersed in its medieval setting. As previously commented upon, Darman's heritage within Defence Intelligence shines through with his eye for detail, especially when describing the weapons, armour and methods of warfare.
The book is available from Amazon on Kindle for £2.34 (at the time of writing) and in paperback. It is perhaps indicative of Darman's rise to prominence in this genre that it is currently rated as the No 1 Amazon best seller on European Crusades.
This is, I think, the best of the three books to date although I would advise readers to read the other two in the series first. Although it could stand alone in its own right, much of the enjoyment comes in the development of the characters over the series of books and a new arrival to the series may find dipping straight in at Book 3 a little confusing!
Where this book really shines is its excellent narrative: it is fast moving and draws the reader with it. I read the book in just a couple of days. The characters have really started to mature in a literary sense without becoming pastiches of themselves; it feels like returning to old friends.
All in all, an excellent book that takes the series to new heights. I look forward to more of the same!
