Author: thomasmdbrooke

Ancient Weapons of War!

Published by

It is great to have a castle, or large fortress, to set a scene in a historical novel.  The high curtain walls, the gatehouses, the murder holes and cunningly placed arrow slits.  All give the writer great scope in describing formidable bastions that appear all but impossible to penetrate.  However, history teaches us that the appearance of impregnability can be illusory, as ever since people started building walls to protect their buildings, others have been devising ways to get in – by fair means or foul. Ancient siege weapons – the Greek Catapult. When I started writing my first novel on Alexander the Great, I spent plenty of time researching the early catapults that Alexander used in besieging the many cities of Persia, in his conquest of the Persian Empire.  I proudly presented a long chapter to my father (who was helping me edit the novel) which held long explanations of the mechanics of the engines, describing them in great detail.  My father promptly put great red crosses through all the pages and scribbled “Too …

Malazan Book of the Fallen

Published by

Some stories just cannot be told in one book.  Many historical and fantasy epics span several volumes, taking well known characters through countless adventures, as the twists and turns of their stories unfold through multiple novels.  Sometimes starting such a long journey can be daunting – do I really want to commit myself to such a long story?  When will it ever end? However, recently, I began to miss the involvement such an immersive story gives you, so decided to start Steven Ericksen’s long fantasy epic – Malazan Book of the Fallen.  The story starts with the novel, Gardens of the Moon.  Just reading this series is an ambitious project as it spans nine books and promises to take up a lot of my time.  Now I should point out, that at the time of writing this, I’ve just read the first of these novels.  So I’m unqualified to speak on the series in its entirety, but I was pleased with the start that Gardens of the Moon has made in taking me into this journey. …

Magical Swords

Published by

What is it about magical swords and fantasy fiction?  The concept of such weapons seem perfectly natural in a fantasy realm, and they feature as a centre point to many classics of the genre.  They fill readers’ minds with wistful thoughts of holding such weapons themselves, and being able to smite adversaries with the ease of the heroes (or villains) who wield them in the books.  Despite the regularity of such swords turning up in fantasy novels, the idea never grows tired, as a succession of authors have invented new modifications or types of mythical blades, seamlessly interweaving new flavours of mystery and interest into the forging of their weapons. The list of them all would be endless, so instead I have just a few of my favourites. Excalibur – numerous authors. Where else to start but the mythical blade of King Arthur, King of the Britons, and one true King of its shores.  Also referred to by its Celtic name, Caliburnus, it is interwoven into the legend of King Arthur almost as strongly as the Round Table, …

Heraldry.

Published by

A great device to give both historical and fantasy novels depth, are a Coat of Arms.  A family history, or tradition, encompassed into a heraldic emblem, a brightly painted shield and banner, complete with family motto.  This can give characters an intriguing edge, stories from their family’s past hinting at hidden secrets and mystery. In a historical novel, especially those set in the High Middle Ages, they can be used to show authenticity, being such an important aspect of that age.  Whilst in a fantasy novel, they are equally useful giving the authors world credibility and tantalising the reader into what the mythical land holds. Heraldry in a Historical context Some people date the start of heraldry as far back as ancient Egypt, when standards topped with the names of kings and gods, can be seen depicted in their art.  However, the type of heraldry we would recognise as such today, started to appear in the middle ages when large armies, all being equipped with full helmets and faceplates, required some way for individuals to …

War & Peace.

Published by

Many describe it as the greatest novel ever written, Tolstoy’s historical classic, that takes us across the vast sweeps of Eastern Europe and into the Russian heartland.  Napoleon’s reign of European domination begins and culminates in him leading an army of unparalleled strength – the pride of France – into a doomed campaign against Alexander I’s Russia.  The army reaches Moscow before its calamitous retreat from the great city that now lay in burnt ruins, and Napoleon’s army’s eventual destruction in the long flight. The novel is well named as it brilliantly describes and depicts vivid battle scenes, whilst also following the grandeur and splendour of early nineteenth century Russia, with its large beautiful estates, balls, and the wealth of the ruling aristocracy.  The story follows the Rostov, Bolkonsky and Bezuhov families as they wrestle with the changing times, the struggle of liberal ideals, and the rise and fall of their respective family’s fortunes.  These breaks from the military campaign give the narrative real depth, and you appreciate the titanic sacrifice and strength of the …

A Spanish adventure to write about…

Published by

Sometimes starting a new novel can be difficult, not least because the sheer scale of the work involved can be daunting.  Do I really want to commit so much of my time to such an arduous project? Fortunately, it isn’t all hard work, and the pluses always out-way the negatives.  One such example is going away to do the groundwork for a historical novel.  I recently took a holiday to Northern Spain to research the sequel to my novel Roman Mask.  Spain might seem a surprising destination for those who are familiar with Roman Mask, as so much of that story is set in the forests of Germany, and I’m guessing many readers would expect any sequel to also be entwined into that dark mist-shrouded and menacing landscape.  However, without giving too much away, my story involves the brother of Julius Arminius, and takes my main character Cassius to a completely different land and will show how the disaster in the Teutoburg forest had far reaching effects throughout the Roman world. Spain was always an incredibly …

Spring Madness! Roman Mask 0.99 Sale!

Published by

Spring is finally here and the sun is beginning to shine.  This has always been my favourite season, as the new found warmth in the air puts a smile on everyone’s face.  In this spirit, I have decided to reduce the cost the Ebook\Kindle version of my novel Roman Mask for the rest of the week.  The price will return to normal on Sunday, so grab it whilst you can!  This will apply to the Amazon Kindle version, and the iPad version, and the Nook version which you can buy and Barnes and Noble or Google books. “The classical world is brought vividly to life in this novel by Brooke” Daily Mail, UK National Newspaper  “Ancient Rome comes to life in all of its glory and menace” 5 Stars Brokenteepee “I read Roman Mask in one sitting; it was that powerful, that mesmerizing” 5 Stars TomeTender “As a reader, I became emotionally entwined with Cassius; his fear, inner turmoil, his search for courage and love” 5 Stars readersfavorite   Rome AD 9 Augustus Caesar rules Imperial Rome at the …

The Archer’s Tale – By Bernard Cornwell

Published by

The set of books I have decided to look at this week is Bernard Conwell’s Grail Quest novels, which starts with The Archer’s Tale.  For these novels, Cornwell has chosen a fascinating period of history: The One Hundred Year’s War that raged through the fourteenth and early fifteenth century between England and France.  What is unusual about these novels is they follow the story of a young archer on the English side.  Why is this unusual?  Well, normally in any form of novel, be it historical, fantasy, or Sci-Fi we expect to follow the story of someone fighting to protect their homeland, livelihood, or some other righteous cause.  But by following the English, who were undoubtedly the aggressor during this long conflict in France, he has departed from this usual convention.  At the start of the novel we meet our hero – Thomas of Hookton – as the English coast is attacked by French raids.  I’m not sure whether Cornwell was trying to suggest that these raids may have led to the century of warfare …

10 books that will teach you to read like a writer. Guest Post by Kory M. Shrum

Published by

What are the first steps we take to become writers?  The most important starting point, is to love books ourselves, and to be avid readers.  Kory M. Shrum The successful author of the Jesse Sullivan fantasy series, who has well over 300 Amazon reviews for her  novel Dying for a Living has taken this a step further and explains in this insightful guest post how a writer should read.  She has given strong examples to support her case and shows how much we can learn from other masters of the craft.  So I will pass you over to Kory… Thomas M D Brooke 10 books that will teach you to read like a writer. Before I tell you about the books, let me answer this question: Why SHOULD you read like a writer? It’s important to read like a writer for a couple of reasons.  A reader who is reading like a reader does so for pleasure mostly. Or to be informed about a certain topic or idea. Contrastly, a writer reads to study to the craft. A writer will be …

Blood Ties – Mixing Modern With Old, Guest post by Hazel B. West

Published by

Today,  I have a guest post from the highly successful author Hazel B. West.  Hazel currently has five published novels out, and today she is discussing her latest novel Blood Ties.  I have posted a description of the novel, and it is followed up by a fascinating post by Hazel on how she has managed to combine her love of history with her fantasy writing.  I have also posted a link to Hazel’s website at the bottom of this post where you have a chance to win a signed copy of Blood Ties.  So over to Hazel… Thomas M D Brooke Blood Ties by Hazel B.West In an Ireland that mixes high kings, faeries, and modern warriors who drive fast cars, Ciran, a descendant from the famous warrior Fionn Mac Cool, bands together with a company of young warriors from the legendary order of Na Fianna to go on a quest to recover their missing family members who were captured by the Goblins in a shaky peace between the two kingdoms. Ciran and his companions must …