Today I am delighted once again to be hosting J.R. TOMLIN on a Coffee Pot Book Club book tour, this time to tell you about On a Sword’s Edge, the recently published first book in her new historical fiction series set in medieval Scotland, William the Bold.
On my blog today, you can find out more about the book, and read an exciting excerpt…
What is the book about?
Scotland. 1263. The scent of rain mingles with the smoke of campfires as word spreads: the Norse are coming…
As tempers rise between King Alexander and the Norse King Haakon, at the center of it all is sixteen-year-old William Douglas, a squire in service to Sir John Stewart, Lord High Steward of Scotland.
When Haakon’s fearsome fleet is espied approaching Scotland’s shores, carrying the greatest invasion force the Norse have ever mustered, the dread of battle settles over the land. Summoned to Ayr Castle, William joins the Scottish forces in a desperate defense. Now tasked with serving his newly knighted brother, Hugh, William has little time to dwell on the fear – or thrill – of his first real taste of war.
And once the Norse’s menacing line of ships finally touches shore, Scotland’s fate may rest on more than noble titles and knightly deeds— it’ll take the mettle of every soul on the ground for them to triumph.
Set against the wind-swept coast of medieval Scotland, On a Sword’s Edge takes you right into the center of The Battle of Largs alongside a mere – yet fearless – squire.
Read an excerpt…
The enemy was only three hundred paces away, but too far for me to make out the emblems on the shields as the enemy began hammering their weapons on them. The noise of their shouts blended into a meaningless cacophony.
“How will we break them?” I asked Hugh as I handed him his great helm, which was too stifling to don before the last moment.
“With our blades and the aid of the good God.” Hugh shifted his lance, holding it upright.
Sweat dripped down my sides, despite the cool of the morning. I would never admit that, at the sight of all those Norse, I felt something close to fear. My mouth was dry, my stomach in a knot, and a muscle twitched in my cheek. I shifted Hugh’s spare shield, which hung down my back by a guige strap, and tried to slow my fast breathing.
Sir John stood in his stirrups and shouted, “Sir Alan, with me.”
Wallace trotted to pull up, stirrup to stirrup, beside our lord.
“Men of Dundonald, form a wedge on us! The rest of you charge within.” He wheeled and rode a little way ahead to give his men room to get into position.
Our knights and men-at-arms regularly practiced this maneuver, each man with his stirrups next to the hindquarters of the horse ahead. Squires like me were not allowed to take part, but I knew exactly how it worked. I had not known that it could be used against a shield wall, but that must have been the position Father had been speaking of. The knights and men-at-arms quickly formed the arrowhead shape.
Father claimed a place next to the last Dundonald man-at-arms, with Hugh nearly next to him. I kept close to Hugh in the middle, with the other squires and the archers all around me. I felt so exhilarated that I laughed out loud.
Hugh looked at me. “What is so funny?”
But I did not answer because just then, crossbows began the characteristic thwack, thwack of their triggers, and bolts whizzed over our heads. There were a few screams, but the Norse quickly had their shields above their heads. Then Sir John raised his lance overhead, held it there for a moment, and slashed it downward. At that signal, all the knights and men-at-arms couched their lances under their arms.
“Charge!” Sir John shouted.
I kneed my horse. We moved forward, at first at a fast walk. Soon, we sped to a canter and, by the time we were halfway up the slope, we had a spurred to a gallop. Around me gleamed lances and swords and shields. Scottish fighters, mail shining in the morning sunlight, grim-faced beneath helms, couched their lances. The spare battleaxe bounced against my knee. The sound of thousands of hooves hammered like thunder. Hoof-thrown clods of mud flicked me as we rode. Sunlight flickered on the points of our knights’ lances. And I bellowed, “Scotland! Scotland!”
Sunlight flashed from our mail, from our blades. Sir John crashed into a shield and knocked a Norseman flat. Sir Alan trampled the fallen man.
We cut through them like an arrow slicing through the air. Our charge took us a third of the way through their shield wall, dividing their camp in two. We were at the top of the hillock. Our charge had taken us all the way up it.
Hugh’s lance speared a Norseman in the neck. He rode on but, caught in the enemy’s body, his weapon shattered. Cursing, he threw down the butt and jerked his sword free. A man raised his war ax, desperately stepping backward. He threw down his shield and ran. Sir Alan’s lance went into his back and out his chest. A spear arced over my shoulder, and, behind me, someone yelped in pain.
Suddenly, all the Norse were fleeing. Some simply ran as fast as they could. Many threw down their weapons. Others raised their shields and tried to protect themselves as they backed up step by step. Sir Piers de Curry galloped ahead, his blade scything as he rode.
Now, it was a slaughter. Our wedge lost shape, but it did not matter anymore. Then Sir Walter’s men attacked from the flank, cutting down more enemies as they fled.
Hugh slammed a man’s head with the flat of his sword, knocking his helmet off and hurling him under stamping hooves. He shouted, “Come on! With me!”
Devil take the rule that I could not fight. I drew my sword.
Book details
On a Sword’s Edge was published on November 16th 2024, as an eBook and in paperback. It is available to buy from Amazon and other outlets.
Buy links
About the author
J. R. Tomlin
J. R. Tomlin is the author of more than twenty historical novels, set for the most part in Scotland. Her love of that nation is traced from the stories of King Robert the Bruce and the Good Sir James her grandmother read to her when she was small to hillwalking through the Cairngorms where the granite hills have a gorgeous red glow under the setting sun. Later, her writing was influenced by the work of authors such as Alexander Dumas, Victor Hugo, and of course, Sir Walter Scott.
When JR isn’t writing, she enjoys spending time hiking, playing with her Westie, and killing monsters in computer games. In addition to having lived in Scotland, she has traveled in the US, Europe and the Pacific Rim. She now lives in Oregon in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
You can connect with J.R. and follow her on Social Media:
Book Bub • Amazon Author Page • Goodreads
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Carolyn, thank you so much for posting the excerpt. I hope people enjoy getting a little taste of the action.
Thanks so much for featuring J R Tomlin on your blog today, Carolyn, and for sharing an enticing excerpt from her new novel, On a Sword’s Edge.
Take care,
Cathie xx
The Coffee Pot Book Club