The heart-pounding Arctic thriller

Where Blood Runs Cold

** WINNER OF THE 2022 WILBUR SMITH ADVENTURE WRITING PRIZE ** 
 
THE TIMES' THRILLER OF THE MONTH 
 
'A heart-pounding survival thriller set in the starkly beautiful far north of Norway. Gripping and adrenalin-fuelled, yet also written with a tenderness that warms even the most chilling of chases.' LUCY CLARKE, author of The Castaways 
 
Erik Amdahl and his spirited daughter, Sofia, have embarked on a long-promised cross-country ski trip deep into Norway's arctic circle. For Erik, it's the chance to bond properly with his remaining daughter following a tragic accident. For Sofia, it's the proof she needs that her father does care. 
 
Then, far from home in this snowbound wilderness, with night falling and the mercury plummeting, an accident sends them in search of help - and shelter. Nearby is the home of a couple - members of Norway's indigenous Sami people - who they've met before, and who welcome them in. Erik is relieved. 
He believes the worst is over. He thinks that Sofia is now safe. He could not be more wrong. 
Because he and Sofia are not the old couple's only visitors that night - and soon he and his daughter will be running for their lives . . . 
 
And beneath the swirling light show of the Northern Lights, a desperate fight ensues - of man against man, of man against nature - a fight for survival that plays out across the snow and ice. 
 
A story of endurance and of the desperate, instinctive will to survive, of a father's love for his child, of knowing when to let go - and of a daughter's determination to prove herself worthy of that love, Where Blood Runs Cold is a pulse-racing thriller from a master storyteller. 
 
'A terrific winter chiller . . . utterly gripping.' AMY McCULLOCH, author of Breathless

A high speed avalanche of a thriller.

Stunning . . . spell-binding tension.

A terrific winter chiller set in the unforgiving Norwegian mountain landscape, Where Blood Runs Cold depicts exactly how far we will go to survive - and to protect the ones we love. Utterly gripping.

Riveting . . . Kristian gives this extended chase a nightmarish intensity.'

'Where Blood Runs Cold is a heart-pounding survival thriller set in the starkly beautiful far north of Norway. Gripping and adrenalin-fuelled, yet also written with a tenderness that warms even the most chilling of chases.'

Impressively sustained . . . echoes of Hammond Innes's tales of adventure . . . even of Michael Crichton. But the strongest element, the crystalline depiction of the Arctic landscape, where the sapping cold is the real enemy, is all the achievement of Kristian . . . also an affecting tribute to paternal love and the power of the human spirit.

Compulsively readable, and written with real heart - I devoured this.

The best Giles Kristian novel so far - and that's setting the bar almost impossibly high. Moving from the past has freed up one of our generations most creative and thoughtful writers to craft a story of generational love, of care and loss, of knowing when to let go of that to which we most want to hold on - and all within the envelope of a narrative thriller that is absolutely of our time and essential to our moving beyond where we are. It's exciting and beautiful, and inspiring and thought-provoking, all in one. Unmissable.

MANDA SCOTT, author of A Treachery of Spies

'From its slowburn start, Where Blood Runs Cold moves rapidly to become a white-knuckle, explosive ride with more twists and turns than a skiing black run. It takes you to the edge, to the awful 'what would I doto save my child' moment. First class.'

Giles Kristian takes the reader into the Arctic's terrible beauty with the authenticity of a man who's been there and done that. This is a prescient, hard bitten roller-coaster of a thriller.

I think Giles Kristian has a film deal on his hands here.

Wrap up warm! . . . this is a book which drags you in to its lethal environment.

Giles Kristian . . . is a superb storyteller, one of the very finest writing today . . . [he] has demonstrated that not only can he make any period of history his own but that he can also master a new genre entirely . . . a wonderful writer whose books belong on your shelf.

Family history (he is half Norwegian) and a passion for the fiction of Bernard Cornwell inspired GILES KRISTIAN to write. Set in the Viking world, his bestselling 'Raven' and 'The Rise of Sigurd' trilogies have been acclaimed by his peers, reviewers and readers alike. In The Bleeding Land and Brothers' Fury, he tells the story of a family torn apart by the English Civil War. He also co-wrote Wilbur Smith's No.1 bestseller, Golden Lion. His contemporary survival thriller, Where Blood Runs Cold, won the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize. With his Sunday Times bestseller Lancelot, Giles plunged into the rich waters of the Arthurian legend. His epic reimagining of our greatest island 'history' continued in Camelot and draws to a breath-taking close with Arthur. 
Giles Kristian lives in Leicestershire. 
To find out more, visit www.glieskristian.com. You can follow him on X @GilesKristian and Facebook/Giles Kristian

** WINNER OF THE 2022 WILBUR SMITH ADVENTURE WRITING PRIZE ** 
 
THE TIMES' THRILLER OF THE MONTH 
 
'A heart-pounding survival thriller set in the starkly beautiful far north of Norway. Gripping and adrenalin-fuelled, yet also written with a tenderness that warms even the most chilling of chases.' LUCY CLARKE, author of The Castaways 
 
Erik Amdahl and his spirited daughter, Sofia, have embarked on a long-promised cross-country ski trip deep into Norway's arctic circle. For Erik, it's the chance to bond properly with his remaining daughter following a tragic accident. For Sofia, it's the proof she needs that her father does care. 
 
Then, far from home in this snowbound wilderness, with night falling and the mercury plummeting, an accident sends them in search of help - and shelter. Nearby is the home of a couple - members of Norway's indigenous Sami people - who they've met before, and who welcome them in. Erik is relieved. 
He believes the worst is over. He thinks that Sofia is now safe. He could not be more wrong. 
Because he and Sofia are not the old couple's only visitors that night - and soon he and his daughter will be running for their lives . . . 
 
And beneath the swirling light show of the Northern Lights, a desperate fight ensues - of man against man, of man against nature - a fight for survival that plays out across the snow and ice. 
 
A story of endurance and of the desperate, instinctive will to survive, of a father's love for his child, of knowing when to let go - and of a daughter's determination to prove herself worthy of that love, Where Blood Runs Cold is a pulse-racing thriller from a master storyteller. 
 
'A terrific winter chiller . . . utterly gripping.' AMY McCULLOCH, author of Breathless

Camelot

Following the bestselling Lancelot, Giles Kristian returns to the Arthurian legend in his epic, heart-pounding new novel to tell the story of Galahad, son of Lancelot . . .

'So beautiful, so haunting . . . bitingly real . . . Giles has given us a vital, glorious story: rich, rewarding, and utterly revealing of our times' Manda Scott 
 
Following his acclaimed Sunday Times bestseller, Lancelot, Giles Kristian's new novel returns us to the realms of Arthurian legend . . . 
 
The Saxons have returned and their war bands stalk the land. The lords of Britain look only to their own survival, unable or unwilling to unite as they once did under Arthur. 
 
And in a monastery hidden in the marshlands of Avalon, a novice monk prepares to take his vows. However, two strangers - the wild-spirited, Saxon-killing Iselle and the ageing warrior Gawain - will pluck him from his sheltered existence and his world will be turned upside down. 
 
Together they will go in search of the last druid, to find the cauldron of a god, and to raise an army to hold the darkness at bay. 
 
And as they journey, so the novice will cast aside his training and embrace his legacy. 
 
For he is a warrior born. 
 
His name is Galahad. And he is the son of Lancelot . . . 
 
Acclaim for Lancelot: 
 
'A masterpiece.' Conn Iggulden 
 
'Stands head and shoulders above the rest.' Manda Scott 
 
'Glorious. Tragic. Lyrical. Totally gripping.' Ben Kane 
 
'A gorgeous, rich retelling.' The Times 
 
'An extraordinary writer . . . an exceptional book.' Dr Janina Ramirez

This the second volume in Giles Kristian's retelling of the Arthurian legend which started with the superb Lancelot. Kristian has created a powerful, dark vision of Arthur's Britain, where magic has its limits and the worst monsters are human.

This is SUCH a good book. I loved it - the sense of time and place is so beautiful, so haunting. And the people, as ever, are bitingly real. Wrapped in the rich lore of the Arthurian saga, Giles has given us a vital, glorious story: rich, rewarding, and utterly revealing of our times - Camelot is a novel you'll savour long after the last page has been turned.

What a wonderful book. Beautifully evocative and bone-crunchingly bloody, filled with characters I loved and hated, all conveyed in beautifully lyrical prose and edged with the sense of hope and tragedy that is essential for any retelling of the Arthurian tale. It was fabulous to go back to 5th-century Britain and dive into the fray again.

JOHN GWYNNE, author of the Of Blood and Bone Trilogy

Kristian’s sequel to his acclaimed Arthurian novel Lancelot is, in some ways, even better than the first book . . . evokes post-Roman Britain in a masterly fashion, totally immersing the reader into the dank, misty, marshlands of hounded Britons and brutal Saxon invaders; of Merlin’s twisty, amoral magic and the raw, skinned-knuckle courage of the warrior trapped in the bloody crush of the shield wall. It is, in short, a triumph. Highly recommended, especially to fans of Bernard Cornwell’s seminal Warlord Chronicles.

Adventure, intrigue and love abound in this retelling of a tale that is veiled in myth and legend . . . Kristian's writing weaves a spell on the reader as surely as Merlin at the height of his powers. Kristian has done it again. Camelot is a wonderful book.

MATTHEW HARFFY, author of The Serpent Sword

Camelot gave me one-hell of a punch. It contained some of the best writing in historical-fiction today and completely knocked me off my feet. It had the emotion and intimacy of Lancelot, just with something more. A phenomenal read.

Giles Kristian has set himself a rather monumental task. Namely, how do you follow a novel like LANCELOT - surely already a classic in the Arthurian canon and one of those books that leaves you with your head swimming and your heart thumping long after you’ve read the last word? His monumental answer is: CAMELOT . . . an immense achievement . . . together, these two novels represent something altogether more monumental. Nothing short of a new milestone in British myth-making. It deserves to be an instant classic and I’d bet my last arm-ring that it will be.

After finishing Lancelot, I had my doubts whether Camelot could have the same impact on me, whether it could captivate and enchant me in the same way. I needn’t have feared. Kristian once again works his sorcery, and weaves a superb blend of high fantasy and historical fiction, enriched by luscious prose . . . herein lies the beauty of Camelot, it is a book where the past hauntingly mirrors the present.

Camelot sees the storytelling brilliance of Giles Kristian reach for and attain new heights . . . this duology for me is now the go-to Arthurian tale, surpassing Bernard Cornwell’s . . . it truly is a classic.

A wonderfully crafted novel . . . a good book is one that will take you through a range of emotions, from laughter to tears, and that will – when you get to the final page – leave you bereft that there is no more to read, and disappointed that you know you will not read anything so good any time soon. Camelot fills all these criteria. It surprises you at every turn. It is probably the best book I will read this year – and it’s only April!

Just brilliant . . . I loved this book. From the prose, to characters, to action sequences. Everything in this book is brilliant. That is partly due to my love for anything Arthurian, but it is also due to the intricate and powerful story Giles Kristian has magically created.

'So beautiful, so haunting . . . bitingly real . . . Giles has given us a vital, glorious story: rich, rewarding, and utterly revealing of our times' MANDA SCOTT 
 
Following the acclaimed Sunday Times bestselling Lancelot, Giles Kristian's new novel returns us to the Arthurian legend . . . 
 
The Saxons have returned and their war bands stalk the land. The lords of Britain look only to their own survival, unable or unwilling to unite as they once did under Arthur. 
 
And in a monastery hidden in the marshlands of Avalon, a novice monk prepares to take his vows. However, two strangers - the wild-spirited, Saxon-killing Iselle and the ageing warrior Gawain - will pluck him from his sheltered existence and his world will be turned upside down. 
 
Together they will go in search of the last druid, to find the cauldron of a god, and to raise an army to hold the darkness at bay. 
 
And as they journey, so the novice will cast aside his training and embrace his legacy. 
 
For he is a warrior born. 
 
His name is Galahad. And he is the son of Lancelot . . .

'A masterpiece’ said Conn Iggulden

Lancelot

‘A masterpiece’ said Conn Iggulden

In his acclaimed Sunday Times top 10 hardback bestseller, Giles Kristian brings the epic story of the most celebrated of King Arthur's knights roaring to life as never before.

It is a masterpiece in the true sense of the word.

CONN IGGULDEN, author of The Falcon of Sparta

Some of us grew up with T H White’s Once and Future King as our touchstone for authenticity in the Arthurian myths; others found that Rosemary Sutcliff, Bernard Cornwell or Mary Stewart filled that role. Giles Kristian pulls together the best of the best and infuses it with his own utterly transformative understanding of myth, magic – and the many faces of love . . . There are so many modern retellings of the Arthurian myth, but this one stands head and shoulders above the rest, in the company of true greatness.

Without doubt this is Giles Kristian’s finest novel to date. Glorious. Tragic. Lyrical. Totally gripping. I loved it.

This most fascinating character from Arthurian legend has been plucked from the 14th-century romances and positioned firmly back in the early medieval environment he belongs in. Giles is an extraordinary writer, able to capture sounds, smells, sensations in a sentence. No other writer thinks and feels his way back to the medieval past the way he does . . . Lancelot is an exceptional book and does what only great historical fiction can do: transport you back through time to feast, fight and feel alongside fascinating characters from the past. No one does this better than Giles Kristian.

A gorgeous, rich retelling of the Arthurian tale.

I loved the post Roman chaos of Giles’ vision, just as I imagine it would have been but with the life of that vision breathed into it to render it in stark and bloody tones. But what I enjoyed most was the sheer glorious brutality of the age, delivered by a writer with the heart of a warrior and the soul of a poet. It’s really, really good.

ANTHONY RICHES, author of The Centurions series

His Lancelot is no airy tale of magic and romance, but a muscular telling of warriors and survival, beautifully rendered in a prose that is both visceral and lyrical. This is historical fiction at its very best.

ELIZABETH FREMANTLE, author of The Girl in the Glass Tower

Intense and powerful . . . written with deep expression and enormous feeling. It is a marvellous historical adventure.

Kristian is a writer with rare power to grab you at the opening of the story and to keep the pace going. Lancelot is a powerful reworking of the King Arthur myths. The pages turn by themselves.

My impression as I was reading Lancelot was of a flare being held up in the gloom of this peculiarly dark passage of history. Every detail illuminated, every motive believable, every heart laid bare. A bright intensity but passing away, guttering, about to go out. And, by the time his tale comes to its conclusion, that seems to be his point. A gentle lament at the onrushing of a dark and inexorable tide which comes to extinguish a bright and golden age of Britain forever. Lancelot is a gem of a book. If there were six stars, it could have them all. Or, to use the words of Spinal Tap, “This one goes to eleven.” Loved it.

THEODORE BRUN, author of The Wanderer Chronicles

Truly magical . . . reads with the authority and gravitas of Manda Scott's Boudica books, such that I found it utterly believable throughout . . . it was a stroke of genius to retell this legend through Lancelot's POV, the betrayer rather than the betrayed.

Giles Kristian’s brilliant take on the Arthurian love-triangle is impressively fresh and original . . . the language is arrestingly beautiful, poetic and poignant; the fights are satisfyingly bloody; the background is a believably muddy, pagan and benighted post-Roman Britain, against which Giles unfolds a tender and tragic love story. We know it will end badly, but reading this enchanting and elegiac novel, you can’t help rooting for Lancelot and his love and hoping it will all work out somehow by the final page.

Authentic, epic, and wonderfully Arthurian.

CHRISTIAN CAMERON, author of The Ill-Made Knight

Kristian is one of the finest storytellers in the genre . . . this is a novel that you feel as much as you read. What we end up with is utterly staggering . . . Giles has surpassed the Cornwell trilogy in a single title.

ANNA SMITH-SPARK, author of The Court of Broken Knives

It’s difficult to think of any author more gifted to retell Lancelot’s story than Giles Kristian . . . [he] writes so beautifully. He brings these post-Roman years so vividly to life. I love the way in which the recent Roman past haunts this landscape. There is myth here, there is the Druid Merlin, and we’re reminded of many of the famous Arthurian legends, such as Excalibur, but Giles Kristian evokes a time rooted in history and in the land around us even now . . . his writing comes closest to the feeling, mood and beauty of the Old and Middle English verse that I love so much . . . there is power here, deep expression and enormous feeling. I cried and cried as the story ended in the only way it could.

This is a story that is packed full of imagery and meaning. Kristian’s prose is unique – stunningly beautiful without ever feeling overdone . . . a wonderfully textured story from a perspective I had never encountered before. Truly masterful storytelling.

Family history (he is half Norwegian) and a passion for the fiction of Bernard Cornwell inspired GILES KRISTIAN to write. Set in the Viking world, his bestselling trilogies ‘Raven’ and ‘The Rise of Sigurd’ have been acclaimed by his peers, reviewers and readers alike. The novels The Bleeding Land and Brothers’ Fury tell the story of a family torn apart by the English Civil War and he co-wrote Wilbur Smith’s No.1 bestseller, Golden Lion. In his new novel, Lancelot, Giles plunges into the rich and swirling waters of our greatest island 'history': the Arthurian legend. Giles Kristian lives in Leicestershire.

________________ 
 
Conn Iggulden called it 'a masterpiece' while The Times hailed it 'a gorgeous, rich retelling of the Arthurian tale' . . . 
________________ 
 
In Britain, Rome's legions are but a distant memory. 
 
And Uther Pendragon is dying. 
 
Enemies stalk the land. 
 
Into this uncertain world a boy is cast - an outsider, plagued by memories of those he's lost. 
 
Under the watchful eye of Merlin, the boy begins his journey to manhood. He meets another outcast, Guinevere - wild, proud and beautiful. And he is dazzled by Arthur - a warrior who carries the hopes of the people like a flaming torch in the dark. 
 
But these are treacherous times, and the fate of Britain rests on a sword's edge. This young man becomes a lord of war: loved, hated, admired and feared. He is a man forsaken but not forgotten. 
 
He is Lancelot. 
________________ 
 
Set in a 5th century Britain besieged by invading bands of Saxons and Franks, Irish and Picts, Giles Kristian's epic novel tells - in Lancelot's own words - the story of the most revered yet reviled of all Arthur's knights, the warrior who fought at his lord's side - yet stole his wife. It's is the story of one of the great figures of British myth and legend - a story ready to be re-imagined for our times.

(The Rise of Sigurd 3): An all-action, gripping Viking saga from bestselling author Giles Kristian

Wings of the Storm

Norway 785 AD. It began with the betrayal of a lord by a king . . . 
King Gorm puts Jarl Harald's family to the sword, but makes one fatal mistake - he fails to kill Harald's youngest son, Sigurd. His kin slain, his village seized and its people taken as slaves, Sigurd wonders if the gods have forsaken him. Hunted by powerful men, he is unsure who to trust and yet he has a small band of loyal followers at his side. This Viking series follows Sigurd's quest for vengeance.

The final chapter in No.1 bestseller Giles Kristian's acclaimed Viking saga, chronicling the rise of Sigurd Haraldarson - a story to rank alongside the fiction of Bernard Cornwell, Joe Abercrombie and George R. R. Martin.

A Viking saga of warmongering, honour and loyalty from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Lancelot, Giles Kristian. Perfect for fans of Bernard Cornwell and Games of Thrones. 
 
"A fitting end to a trilogy that fans of Bernard Cornwell should devour" -- THE TIMES 
 
"The master storyteller...whose books throw the reader headlong into the Viking age." -- BEN KANE 
 
"This remains Viking writing at its best: thrilling in it truest sense, heart-rendering and, yes, glorious." -- MANDA SCOTT 
 
"Probably the best Viking saga I have ever read -- ***** Reader review 
 
"Wonderfully written and researched, the whole series makes the entire Nordic world come alive" -- ***** Reader review 
 
"This trilogy is gripping from start to finish" -- ***** Reader review 
 
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THE GODS MUST BE FAVOURED... 
 
Norway, AD 785. A wild place, a place of blood, a place where the gods hold sway . . . 
 
Sigurd Haraldarson and his oathsworn band are winning fame and reputation. But to confront his hated enemy - the oath-breaker and betrayer King Gorm - they must win riches too. 
 
When a daring raid goes wrong, Sigurd finds himself a prisoner of the powerful Jarl Guthrum. Bound like a slave, he is taken to the sacred temple at Ubsola to face the sacrificial knife. 
 
But here Sigurd discovers a potent relic: Gungnir, a great spear that would give him the power to assemble a host strong enough to challenge King Gorm, and avenge the betrayal of his father and the murder of his family. 
The roar of Odin and the wild hunt will be as nothing compared to Sigurd's rage, for he and his warriors will be borne on the wings of the storm . . . 
 
Wings of the Storm concludes the Viking saga, started in God of Vengeance and Winter's Fire.

A fitting end to a trilogy that fans of Bernard Cornwell should devour. The big set-piece battle that completes the book is one of the best that I have ever read.

‘Warrior-like and bloody, homely and heartfelt, ranging across oceans, yet nestled around hearth fires, Giles Kristian’s writing transports you through the Viking world as the thrum, rhythm and holler of the battle field rings out from the page. Wings of the Storm isn't simply an historical novel – it is the glorious embodiment of a time of adventure and passion, of dying old worlds and thrilling new encounters.’

This concludes, in magnificent fashion, Giles Kristian's mighty Viking saga . . . with this marvellous trilogy complete, now is the time to immerse yourself in it, beginning with God of Vengeance.

What more could we ask for than a thrilling conclusion to Giles Kristian’s epic saga of vengeance and betrayal? Written in his glorious poetic prose with the lift and lilt of the waves beneath every sentence, the sense of the gods pressing in on each page, this remains Viking writing at its best: thrilling in its truest sense, heart-rending, and, yes, glorious…

Nobody writes Viking adventures with the panache, power and sheer plausibility of Giles Kristian . . . with supreme skill and a genuine passion, Kristian weaves what little we know about the religion, culture and codes of Dark Ages Scandinavia into a novel that grips like a limpet on the rocky Norwegian coast and rings absolutely true from first to last. The book plunges you into a gore-drenched, glory-decked time of treacherous jarls and lethal shieldmaidens; a time of dark magic and human sacrifice, of wild hunts and vicious feuds, a time of blood-letting and betrayal. But it is also a time of comradeship and selflessness, when the bonds forged between men, and women, can endure beyond death. It’s a time you may never want to leave.

Wings of the Storm is the real Viking stuff. Giles Kristian is the best!

One hell of a dramatic thrilling conclusion . . . the ending is powerful and worth waiting for. Another contender for the book of the year.

‘Kristian eclipses the master of the genre, Bernard Cornwell, in the last set-piece battle, a vivid melee of sword and axe; one of the best battle scenes that I have read’

(The Rise of Sigurd 2): An atmospheric and adrenalin-fuelled Viking saga from bestselling author Giles Kristian

Winter's Fire

The Vikings return in Giles Kristian's thrilling, heart-in-mouth sequel to God of Vengeance, which Conn Iggulden called 'a masterwork’ and Wilbur Smith declared that it 'stirs the blood and thrills the soul'...

A thrilling and breathtaking Viking saga of betrayal, bloodshed and brotherhood from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Lancelot, Giles Kristian. Perfect for fans of Bernard Cornwell and Games of Thrones. 
 
"Nobody writes this type of swaggering historical fiction better than Kristian" -- THE TIMES 
"A belter of a novel...perfect for fans of historical fiction and fantasy alike, from Cornwell to Abercrombie" -- BEN KANE 
"Combines gritty, brutal history with the lyrical essence of men as war...written with a panache that made the pages fly by. More!" -- ANTHONY RICHES 
"I love a good Viking romp and these are really good!" -- ***** Reader review 
"Giles Kristian certainly knows how to spin a yarn." -- ***** Reader review 
 
*********************************** 
 
A VOW OF VENGEANCE MUST BE KEPT... 
 
Norway AD 785. Sigurd Haraldarson has proved himself a great warrior . . . and a dangerous enemy. 
 
And yet the oath-breaker King Gorm, who betrayed Sigurd's father, still lives. 
 
The sacred vow to avenge his family burns in Sigurd's veins, but he must be patient and bide his time as he knows that he and his band of warriors are not yet strong enough to confront the treacherous king. They need silver; they need more fighters to rally to the young Viking's banner; they need to win fame upon the battlefield. 
 
And so the fellowship venture to Sweden, to fight as mercenaries. And it is there - in the face of betrayal and bloodshed, on a journey that will take him all too close to the halls of Valhalla - that Sigurd's destiny will be forged... 
 
The Vikings return in this thrilling, thunderous sequel to Giles Kristian's bestselling God of Vengeance. Sigurd's adventures continue in Wing's of the Storm.

Storm-blown, salt-flecked and gore-spattered, Winter’s Fire is a belter of a novel. It’s just what I have come to expect from the master storyteller, Giles Kristian, whose books throw the reader headlong into the Viking age . . . this is a stirring tale of comradeship, bloodshed and treachery. It’s perfect for fans of historical fiction and fantasy alike, from Cornwell to Abercrombie.

Wild as the waves, savage as a wolf pack in full flight, this is Viking writing at its best. bloody and savage and glorious, this tale of courage and cunning, of vengeance and of lives touched by the Gods is all we could possibly ask for from a historical novel: perfect.

Nobody writes this type of swaggering historical fiction better than Kristian. Big swords, bigger beards and lots of action, all delivered with real panache and poetry.

There are authors whose work I take the time to savour. Ben Kane for gritty, brutal history. Christian Cameron for the lyrical essence of men at war. Joe Abercrombie for grim, scarred characters with no choice except to fight and die. Giles Kristian’s Winter's Fire combined all three, but blended with a panache that made the pages fly by in a single sitting. More!

(Civil War: 2): a thrilling novel of tragic family turmoil and brutal civil war that will blow you away

Brothers' Fury

It is 1642. England is at war with itself. King Charles and Parliament each gather soldiers to their banners. Across the land men prepare to fight for their religious and political ideals. Civil war has begun. A war that will change everything.

In the tradition of Bernard Cornwell, Giles Kristian continues his thrilling story of the Rivers family, whose lives are turned upside down by that most brutal and tragic of wars - the English Civil War.

Fans of Bernard Cornwell will love this action-packed page-turner set during England's bloody and brutal Civil War, written by THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF LANCELOT, Giles Kristian. 
 
"Fantastic, powerful, blood-stirring...it's done with such panache, such daring, such glory that you'll be aching for the next instalment." -- MANDA SCOTT 
"Enthralling, excellently researched and lyrically imagined..." -- ROBERT LOW 
"Could not put this down. Action packed throughout." -- ***** Reader review 
"Gripping" -- ***** Reader review 
 
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AS A NATION BURNS, A FAMILY FIGHTS TO SURVIVE... 
 
Rebel Cast out and rejected by his family, Tom Rivers returns to his regiment. But his commander believes the young hothead's recklessness and contempt for authority has no place in his troop. But to a spymaster like Captain Crafte, Tom's dark and fearless nature is in itself a weapon to be turned upon the hated Cavaliers. He has plans for the young rebel... 
 
Renegade Raw with grief at the death of his father, Edmund Rivers rejects the peace talks between Parliament and the King. He chooses instead to lead a hardened band of marauders across the moors, falling on unsuspecting rebel columns like wolves. But Prince Rupert - recognising in Mun a fellow child of war - has other plans for him. The only peace the enemy will get from Mun Rivers is that of the grave... 
 
Huntress Her heart broken following the deaths of her beloved Emmanuel and her father, Bess Rivers takes the hardest decision of her life: to leave her new-born son and depart Sheer House in search of the one person who might help her re-unite her broken family. She will do whatever it takes but can she douse the flames of her brothers' fury and see them reconciled?

Giles Kristian does it again: another surge of hope and fury, of passion, cannon fire and musketry to blow you away and leave you reeling in its wake. Fantastic, powerful, blood-stirring stuff... done with such panache, such daring, such glory that you’ll be aching for the next installment.

This is enthralling, excellently researched and lyrically imagined. Honour, duty, selfishness and terror – you can’t get better ingredients for a good book.

ROBERT LOW, bestselling author of the ‘Oathsworn’ Viking series

A rip-roaring sequel to The Bleeding Land . . . well drawn, and the language and social norms of the time are used to good effect.

Family history (he is half Norwegian) and his storytelling hero, Bernard Cornwell, inspired Giles Kristian to write his first historical novels, the bestselling Raven Viking trilogy - Blood Eye, Sons of Thunder and Odin's Wolves. For his next series, he turned to the English Civil War. The Bleeding Land and Brothers' Fury follow the fortunes of a divided family against the complex and brutal backcloth of that conflict before returning to the world of the Vikings with the acclaimed God of Vengeance. Giles lives in Leicestershire. His website is www.gileskristian.com

Fans of Bernard Cornwell will love this action-packed page-turner set during England's bloody and brutal Civil War, written by THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF LANCELOT, Giles Kristian. 
 
"Fantastic, powerful, blood-stirring...it's done with such panache, such daring, such glory that you'll be aching for the next instalment." -- MANDA SCOTT 
"Enthralling, excellently researched and lyrically imagined..." -- ROBERT LOW 
"Could not put this down. Action packed throughout." -- ***** Reader review 
"Gripping" -- ***** Reader review 
 
***************************************************************** 
AS A NATION BURNS, A FAMILY FIGHTS TO SURVIVE... 
 
Rebel Cast out and rejected by his family, Tom Rivers returns to his regiment. But his commander believes the young hothead's recklessness and contempt for authority has no place in his troop. But to a spymaster like Captain Crafte, Tom's dark and fearless nature is in itself a weapon to be turned upon the hated Cavaliers. He has plans for the young rebel... 
 
Renegade Raw with grief at the death of his father, Edmund Rivers rejects the peace talks between Parliament and the King. He chooses instead to lead a hardened band of marauders across the moors, falling on unsuspecting rebel columns like wolves. But Prince Rupert - recognising in Mun a fellow child of war - has other plans for him. The only peace the enemy will get from Mun Rivers is that of the grave... 
 
Huntress Her heart broken following the deaths of her beloved Emmanuel and her father, Bess Rivers takes the hardest decision of her life: to leave her new-born son and depart Sheer House in search of the one person who might help her re-unite her broken family. She will do whatever it takes but can she douse the flames of her brothers' fury and see them reconciled?

Giles Kristian

Superb . . . authentic and terrifying . . . fans of Bernard Cornwell’s Winter King trilogy will devour this and conclude that Kristian has surpassed the Master.

Giles Kristian is a sure hand. Great ending and a talented author.

A truly excellent finale to a wonderful trilogy. Gritty and heartbreaking, this is a novel that grabs you and sweeps you along to its emotional and bittersweet ending. A must read.

JOHN GWYNNE, author of The Faithful and the Fallen

For me, Arthur is Kristian’s crowning achievement. Taken together, his trilogy will surely stand in a high place of honour among the many great retellings of the legend of Arthur.

Giles Kristian’s Arthur is brilliant . . . it is a rare gift to be able to transport readers into such an ancient and alien time and make them smell, see, hear and experience every battle, each sword thrust or step of a journey as if they were physically there. But Kristian has that gift in spades . . . an exquisitely poignant and perfect ending.

KAREN MAITLAND, author of Company of Liars

The best re-telling of Arthur's legend I've read . . . Giles brings Dark Age Britain to life in a way no one else could. He touches all your senses, from the sight of a rook in flight to the smell of Britain's rich earth. Every bird, tree, landmark or hilltop painted in vivid colour for the reader as they travel through the Dark Isles in the midst of legends of old . . . bloody and glorious, and very well done.

Shines out like a beacon . . . the characters scarred and ravaged by time, it pulls no punches in its depiction of the dark ages, these were brutal and hard times . . . the ending is sublime . . . full of heart and emotion . . . had me spellbound throughout.

Every now and then, a book comes along that stands head and shoulders above the rest . . . it is perfection. If there is only one book you read this year, make sure it is Arthur by Giles Kristian.

A tale elegantly and expertly told; Kristian's novels are the modern exemplar of the Arthurian mythos.

RICHARD SWAN , author of the 'Empire of the Wolf' trilogy

Absorbing and gripping . . . Arthur is a moving, atmospheric, and enthralling experience that culminates the Arthurian Tales in the best possible manner.

Kristian once again breathes new life into these well-loved retellings. There’s a beautiful undercurrent of loss and longing for times gone by . . . Kristian has always had a fantastic way of painting England’s landscape, its nature and its beauty in such vivid ways and Arthur is no different . . . utterly gripping . . . by the end of this tale Kristian does an incredible job of pulling all three books of this trilogy together.

This book was just so good . . . I felt the tension building both in the book and in myself, and that’s the best kind of thrill you can have as a reader . . . Arthur brought this emotional roller coaster ride I never saw coming to a perfect end.

Antonia Senior in The Times said: 
 
'Superb . . . authentic and terrifying . . . fans of Bernard Cornwell’s Winter King trilogy will devour this and conclude that Kristian has surpassed the Master.' 
 
And readers are loving ARTHUR . . . 
'By far the best Arthurian story I have had the honour to read.’ *****‘Brilliant writing, excellent characterization, and immersive storytelling.’ *****‘I've adored this trilogy. The best re-telling of Arthur's legend I've read, and I'd include Cornwell's in that.’ *****‘The ending is bloody and glorious, and very well done. One last thunder of hooves, one last trill of the trumpets. I'm just gutted it's over, I could have read on and on.’ *****‘Enough originality and sheer writing talent to make it a literary must.’ *****‘This is proper storytelling that does not let down those characters of legend.’ ***** 
Years have passed since the clash of shield-walls echoed across the land . . . 
 
The Saxons are now the lords of Britain. And yet the bards still sing of Arthur - 'In our darkest time, when we need him most, shall he come again.' 
 
Ageing mercenary Beran has no love of bards' songs. Nor of people. Unless they are paying him to steal or kill. Now he has been ordered to murder a boy. But this is no ordinary child. The son of King Constantine and the grandson of High King Ambrosius, this boy could be the saviour of Britain . . . if he lives. 
 
Betraying his companions and returning to a world he believed he'd forsaken, Beran vows to take the boy to the one place that still holds out against the invader: Camelot. 
 
Hunted by Saxons, Queen Morgana and those he deceived, he will seek the help of Guivret, called the Little King, and the Saracen, Palamedes who once rode beneath Arthur's banner. They will meet the doomed lovers, Tristan and Isolde. And they will fight for their lives and for each other. 
 
For if there's to be any hope for Britain, Beran must deliver the boy to Camelot. And to do that, he must come to terms with his past . . . 
 
Arthur is the breathtaking new novel from the author of the bestselling Lancelot, hailed 'a masterpiece' by Conn Iggulden.

Arthur

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When raiders ransack his village, Osric is taken prisoner - and into the good graces of the raiders' chief. Immersed in the Norsemen's world, Osric provides a natural warrior and forges a deep bond with the chief, who renames him Raven. But the Norsemen's world is a savage one, where loyalty is often repaid in blood, and a young man must become a killer to survive . . . 
Raven is the thrilling Viking series that launched the career of acclaimed historical novelist Giles Kristian.

Giles Kristian

Praise for Arthur

Superb . . . authentic and terrifying . . . fans of Bernard Cornwell’s Winter King trilogy will devour this and conclude that Kristian has surpassed the Master.

Giles Kristian is a sure hand. Great ending and a talented author.

A truly excellent finale to a wonderful trilogy. Gritty and heartbreaking, this is a novel that grabs you and sweeps you along to its emotional and bittersweet ending. A must read.

Superb . . . authentic and terrifying . . . fans of Bernard Cornwell’s Winter King trilogy will devour this and conclude that Kristian has surpassed the Master.

Giles Kristian is a sure hand. Great ending and a talented author.

A truly excellent finale to a wonderful trilogy. Gritty and heartbreaking, this is a novel that grabs you and sweeps you along to its emotional and bittersweet ending. A must read.

Superb . . . authentic and terrifying . . . fans of Bernard Cornwell’s Winter King trilogy will devour this and conclude that Kristian has surpassed the Master.

Giles Kristian is a sure hand. Great ending and a talented author.

A truly excellent finale to a wonderful trilogy. Gritty and heartbreaking, this is a novel that grabs you and sweeps you along to its emotional and bittersweet ending. A must read.

Books by Giles Kristian

Series by Giles Kristian

Raven3 Books

Sigurd3 Books

The Bleeding Land2 Books

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