'The cataclysmic events of 1066 seen through the eyes of a strapping youth - a gripping tale of courage and revenge.' Alistair Forrest, author of Libertas

January 1066.

King Edward has died. With no son or brother to succeed him, the throne has passed to Harold, Earl of Wessex, for little other reason than he knows how to fight, a quality that England will have need of before the year is out.

By September, England - the richest kingdom in Christendom - is beset on all sides by its enemies. To the north, the Vikings lurk, supported by Harold's rebel brother, Tostig. While to the south, Duke William of Normandy awaits a fair wind to speed his ships to take the crown.

Thurkill, a young huscarl warrior in the service of the king, wants nothing more than to stand with his father's forces in battle, to win glory and renown. He is eighteen, on the cusp of manhood, and eager to prove himself.

But he soon comes to realise that surviving the bloody carnage of the shield wall is only the start of his trials.

It is only after the conflict at Stamford Bridge and the devastating defeat at Hastings not three weeks later, that the warrior comes to understand the true meaning of duty. Returning to his village, he finds his father's lands occupied by the enemy and his family, the people of the village, looking to him for protection.

With the Normans now rampaging across the south of England, Thurkill not only learns how to fight and survive - but he must draw his sword to save his family and countrymen.

Paul Bernardi is the author of The Huscarl Chronicles and To the Devil His Due.

Praise for Paul Bernardi:

'Thurkill's Revenge, a bravura tale set against the backdrop of the Norman Conquest, presents the exploits of a Saxon bodyguard in cinematic detail. The narrative weaves a rich weft and warp of fact and fiction - the protagonist Thurkill's father, Scalpi is one of the few Saxon fighting men known to have faced the Normans at Senlac Ridge, Hastings - and the author displays an historian's eye for authentic detail in a galloping read.' Paul Bannister, author of Storm of Arrows

'A fast paced, action packed medieval adventure; a boy becomes a man during one of the most tumultuous pivot points of English history.' J.A. Ironside, author of The King's Knight series

'Thurkill is a warrior with a heart and soul, a man of honour and mettle that Beobrand would be proud to have alongside him in the shieldwall.' Matthew Harffy, author of the Bernicia Chronicles