A KNIGHT’S HONOUR
A grief- stricken knight, the loyal friends who can only watch helplessly as his life sinks into despair, and the formidable willpower that drags him from the emotional depths. Welcome to the world of Sir Gregory Averill, champion fighter of Henry V and the principle character of Knight, Ian Anderson’s debut novel.
Set in the Middle Ages during the last throes of chivalry, Anderson strips away the romantic lustre of this soldier class with a hard-nosed strike at the reality jugular. The opening chapter sets the tone with an edge of the seat description of a joust where lives as much as honour are at stake.
Averill’s world is defined by loyalty, war, and ruthless discipline yet for all his toughness he craves stability and it is Mariel, the woman he rescues, who gives him just that. Tragically, their happiness is cut short when she is brutally murdered and the pain of losing her is described with a poignancy that mirrors the author’s own experience of bereavement.
Can Averill avenge Mariel’s death and if so at what price? Knight is an inspiring read that also demonstrates the power of love to conquer emotional adversity.
Reviewed by Juliette Foster
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