Description

There had been portents—famine, whirlwinds, lightning from clear skies, serpents seen flying through the air. But when the raiders came, no one was prepared.

They came from the North, their dragon-prowed longships gliding out of the dawn mist as they descended on the kingdom's most sacred site.

It is 8th June AD793, and with the pillage of the monastery on Lindisfarne, the Viking Age has begun.

While his fellow monks flee before the Norse onslaught, one young novice stands his ground. He has been taught to turn the other cheek, but faced with the slaughter of his brothers and the pagan desecration of his church, forgiveness is impossible.

Hunlaf soon learns that there is a time for faith and prayer . . . and there is a time for swords.

About the Author

Matthew Harffy grew up in Northumberland where the rugged terrain, ruined castles and rocky coastline had a huge impact on him. He now lives in Wiltshire, England, with his wife and their two daughters.

Praise For…

“A Time for Swords is a bold opening to yet another enthralling series. It promises to be one heck of a ride” —Theodore Brun

“If you have enjoyed Bernard Cornwell's Saxon Stories and don't know where to look for your next fix – well, you've found it and you will not be disappointed!... Excellent prose, interesting characters, visceral battles and a cracking twist or two prove that Matthew Harffy is an author on the rise. An excellent first tale in what I hope will be an eventful and thrilling series'” —Grimdark Magazine

“The gripping novel evokes the turbulence and violence of the first onslaught of the Vikings. I couldn't put it down!” —Christian Cameron

“A riveting great read from cover to cover... An impressively crafted historical novel that will have a very special appeal to fans of the Viking Age, the clash of swords and the medieval struggle of Christianity against the pagan horde from the violent lands of Scandinavia'” —MidWest Book Review

“If you like your fiction fast-paced and action-packed – filled with brutal and bloody battles – but also with characters with whom you can empathise and root for, then this book will not disappoint. Fans of Bernard Cornwell's Saxon Stories will lap this up” —Aspects of History