A Land Divided
Written by K. M. Ashman
Narrated by Napoleon Ryan
4/5
()
About this audiobook
1081. William’s bloody conquest is over and Britain is under Norman rule. But one bastion of resistance remains: Wales. A divided land where brother fights brother and kings battle for power. The English use this to further their own ends, and while one king is tempted by an offer he cannot resist, the others wage war over long-forgotten feuds.
Gruffydd ap Cynan, true heir to the kingdom of Gwynedd, is in exile across the sea. When he hears of the betrayal of the Welsh people by the imposter in his throne, Gruffydd unites with Tewdwr, a monarch deposed by the traitors, and they forge an army from the ashes of their kingdoms. But Tewdwr’s wife and daughter—the source of much of the allies’ strength—are a weakness their enemies will exploit.
Betrayal, treachery and war await, but both men know they must fight to the bitter end, when the sundered lands of Wales are drenched...in the blood of kings.
K. M. Ashman
Kevin Ashman is the author of eighteen novels, including the bestselling Roman Chronicles and highly ranked Medieval Sagas. Always pushing the boundaries, he found further success with the India Sommers Mysteries, as well as three other standalone projects, Vampire, Savage Eden and the dystopian horror story The Last Citadel. Kevin was born and raised in Wales and now writes full-time. He is married with four grown children and enjoys cycling, swimming and watching rugby. Current works include the Blood of Kings series: A Land Divided, A Wounded Realm and Rebellion’s Forge. Links to all Kevin’s books can be found at www.KMAshman.com.
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Reviews for A Land Divided
33 ratings2 reviews
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I normally like Ashman's books. This one has awful narration. I gave it 5 chapters then couldn't take any more.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A time period not much covered in fiction--nearly a generation [late 12th century] after William of Normandy had conquered England, telling of the disputes between the various Welsh kings [Wales long before it become a unified Wales; the land at this time was split into various kingdoms.] I was tickled to read this, having some Welsh blood myself; and I really enjoyed this absorbing, quick read. Gruffydd ap Cynan, King of Gwynedd, allies himself with Rhys ap Tewdwr, King of Deheubath. Together, they and their men fight a decisive battle at Mynydd Carn in the south and defeat an alliance of three other kings, one of whom is usurper to Gruffydd's throne. These three and their armies answer to William of England. Tricked into offer of friendship by Huw, Earl of Chester, Gruffydd is imprisoned in an obliette. There's also a parallel story, Tewdwr's queen, Gwladys and daughter Nesta escape from their castle and try to evade the forces of Caradog, the usurper, aided by Annie Apples, an old peasant woman, and Walters, a cook. Fighting among kingdoms was sometimes gruesome, but nothing I couldn't handle. The only horrible incidents that were too grisly were the murder of Annie Apples. Also, the treatment of the Welsh prisoners at the hands of Huw's henchman was horrendous. Most of the characters were generic nobles, royalty, and commoners. Outstanding characters were the tomboy princess Nesta, Annie Apples, and Gwladys, queen of Deheubarth. If anyone is interested, there's an excellent novel on Nesta, when she's a young woman: The Golden Hive. Names were confusing until I finally sorted them out. The author did try to make it easy as he could and his Note helped me understand better who was who. I thought the book too loaded with deus ex machina incidents and successful, clever ruses to be completely believable. I don't think back then the behavior of the queen and princess while fleeing for their lives would be plausible, e.g., Nesta, an 8 year old, cooking soup. I would have thought royalty back then pretty helpless in common things and they would not interact with commoners as their equals. They would maintain class differences.Highly recommended. The last sentence in the book has whetted my appetite for the sequel; the author, speaking of Angharad, Gruffyth's queen: "Little did she know that one day she would give birth to a child that would change the future of Wales."