There is also a more serious theme of the nature of friendship and how loss affects us. This does indeed weigh the book down at one point, but don't let that put you off. This is an adventure story, after all, and rest assured you can expect plenty of derring-do, sword blades glinting in the sun, and chases through grimy mediaeval streets. Petroc makes a grand narrator (bouts of introspection notwithstanding) who tells his tale simply and directly, letting us see the panoply of 13th century life through his uncompromising eyes. The mood veers from exciting to tragic, to descriptive, and even to comic in this admirably paced novel, which keeps the reader guessing and the pages turning. It isn't Flashman, but if you are a fan of his and eagerly read C C Humphreys, this is the same type of thing, but particularly well done and hopefully the first in a new series. Highly enjoyable and probably the best thing I've read for at least six months. More please...