Kindle Edition Amazon Amazon Author Page Category:  Historical Fiction Publisher: Top Hat Books ISBN-10:  1782792368 Type: Fiction Pages: 339 Copyright: 2013 ISBN-13: 9781782792369 Price: $9.07 (eBook) Richard Longsword is a Mercenary, but this time it’s not for money, this time it’s for revenge. 1513 Richard Longsword is a Mercenary. By day he works the desolate orange groves but by night he is in the paid servitude of the Grand Duke of Gandia, serving as captain of the Guardians of Guadalest, an elite group of warrior knights who defend the fortress of Guadalest. When the fort is attacked by men who claim to be enemies of Richard's father, it threatens to spiral into a whirlwind of events that will change his life forever. He is left with no choice but to embark on a perilous journey to not only uncover the truth but to save the lives of his family. A tale of love, loss and ultimate betrayal. Richard Longsword is a Mercenary, but this time it’s not for money, this time it’s for revenge. ★★★★★ AMAZON & GOODREADS   Excerpt Over the course of time there have been many blood feuds; some have lasted only days, some have lasted years and others have gone on to last for generations. These bitter, twisted affairs arise from many factors, whether resentment, anger or hate. There is always a cause to these feuds if you care to peel back the surface and delve deeper into the roots of things. Yet so often these feuds spiral so far out of control and for so long that even the cause can become lost, forever in the pages of history. It makes one wonder, what on earth were they fighting for? What was it really all about? Well one thing that’s certain is that whatever the cause, a feud triggers retribution and vengeance, and extreme acts of violence. At times, one is left with a powerful sense of justice. A blood feud is not something that you volunteer for, it is something that you are born into. It’s quite literally, in the blood. It’s instinctive, it’s overpowering and it’s integrated deep into your bones. Yet not everyone is infatuated in such a way. It is possible to fight it should you choose, but a hatred so deep passed down over generations is no easy thing to rid yourself of. Quite often it is necessary to give in to the inevitability, kill or be killed. What would you do? Now I’m sure you’ve heard of many feuds, both old and new. But there has never been, and nor will there ever be, one quite like that as the one of the Longswords and the Ashbournes. A feud well over three hundred years in the making, stained with blood, death and much worse. The start is hazy of course, but the feud continues on as strong as ever and this is where our story begins…

Ross Cavinder
As a lover of historical fiction, I snapped up the chance to get to read this novel before it was published and it did not disappoint.

The writer paints a picture of what 16th Century Europe would look like and has written the book in such a way that he keeps the reader wanting more.

I for one feel like I am actually standing beside Richard Longsword as he conquers his way through the events of the book.

A fantastic read and I cannot wait until the release of the next book in the series.

Andy Crank
A truly fantastic read. I am not usually a typical fan of History novels but I decided to give this one a try and I was not disappointed.

I found myself creating my own unique picture of 16th Century Europe helped by R.J Connor's descriptive language and ability to bring characters to life.

Fully reccommend giving this book a try even if History is not your typical choice


Mercedes Rochelle
Mercenary took us on an interesting tour through much of early 16th century Europe. Although the protagonist Richard Longsword was Spanish, his quest took him through France, the Netherlands, England, and even Scotland in an effort to track down his antagonists. Plagued by a 300 year-old feud that he knew nothing about, Richard is carried along by events that helped shape his destiny. In proper historical-fiction fashion, the plot introduces us to major characters and conflicts of the period. We meet the great General Cordoba who had taken Richard into his service in his youth, giving our hero the opportunity to make a name for himself. We see the Battle of the Spurs and meet Henry VIII as well as the wicked King Louis XII. We see the chivalrous but ill-starred James IV and witness the carnage at the Battle of Flodden field.

Richard Longsword was betrayed and outlawed early in the novel, and the plot took a great many turns before we could put the pieces together. His wife and daughter were kidnapped and he threw caution to the wind, vowing to track them down regardless of his own risk. Although he suffered great loss in the course of this novel without even knowing why he was targeted, Richard's resourcefulness and reputation won him many followers until he had a small company of skilled fighters willing to champion his cause. With their aid he discovered the mystery of his origin and the legacies of his family, both good and evil.