Look what arrived, all the way from Prague! Copies of Ve znamení meče, the Czech translation of Sworn Sword, which was published last month by Vyšehrad.
Translated by Petra Pachlová, the novel is available in what I think (and I hope you’ll agree) is a beautifully presented small-format hardcover, and it can be yours for
Look what arrived, all the way from Prague! Copies of Ve znamení meče, the Czech translation of Sworn Sword, which was published last month by Vyšehrad.
Translated by Petra Pachlová, the novel is available in what I think (and I hope you’ll agree) is a beautifully presented small-format hardcover, and it can be yours for a mere 368 Kč (around £10).
The grand unboxing…
A closer look…
Even without its dust jacket I think it looks terrific.
I love the elegance of the design, while its format – only about three-quarters the size of the UK and US hardcover editions – means that it sits nicely in the hand and has just the right heft, in my opinion. It’s also nice to see the Bayeux Tapestry making an appearance on the spine!
For more information about Ve znamení meče, including the synopsis, visit Vyšehrad’s website.
My first new book of 2016 is almost here! I’m pleased to announce that Ve znamení meče, the Czech edition of Sworn Sword, will be published next month, and that this will be the cover:
As you can see, it’s very different to the cover of both UK and US editions, and to that of
My first new book of 2016 is almost here! I’m pleased to announce that Ve znamení meče, the Czech edition of Sworn Sword, will be published next month, and that this will be the cover:
Ve znamení meče • James Aitcheson • Vyšehrad • 432 pp. • Hardcover • 368 Kč
As you can see, it’s very different to the cover of both UK and US editions, and to that of the German edition as well, but I think you’ll agree it’s striking in its own way. It’s difficult to go wrong with such a widely known image as the Bayeux Tapestry!
Translated by Petra Pachlová, Ve znamení meče will be published by Vyšehrad in hardcover on 15 February 2016 and can be yours for a mere 368 Kč (around £10). Spread the word among your Czech-speaking friends!
For a fuller synopsis and further details, and to buy online, visit the Vyšehrad website.
Tell your friends! Today, the brand new paperback edition of Sworn Sword will be hitting bookshelves across the United States. Featuring an updated, more vibrant cover design (similar to the UK paperback cover; see below right), it also contains a short excerpt from the sequel, The Splintered Kingdom, which is due to be published this
Tell your friends! Today, the brand new paperback edition of Sworn Sword will be hitting bookshelves across the United States. Featuring an updated, more vibrant cover design (similar to the UK paperback cover; see below right), it also contains a short excerpt from the sequel, The Splintered Kingdom, which is due to be published this August and of which I’ll be posting more details here in the next few months.
Sworn Sword • James Aitcheson • Sourcebooks Landmark • 400 pp.
Trade paperback • $14.99
I’m pleased to say, as well, that Sworn Sword has been picking up excellent reviews since its hardback publication last summer, including one in Publishers Weekly and another recently in the Philadelphia Inquirer. Thanks to all those of you who have kindly taken the time to email me through the Contact page or sent messages on Twitter and Facebook to say how much you’ve enjoyed the book and are looking forward to Tancred’s further adventures. He and his brothers-in-arms will ride again in the not-too-distant future!
If you already own the hardcover edition of Sworn Sword and can’t wait until August to find out where Tancred’s travels will be taking him in The Splintered Kingdom, you can find the synopsis as well as the first chapter, which is available to download for free, here.
The Normans are coming! Not content with conquering England, they now have their sights set on the USA as well…
And their campaign begins today with the Stateside release of Sworn Sword in both hardcover and eBook editions, courtesy of the hard-working people at my publisher Sourcebooks Landmark, who have done an absolutely fantastic job
The Normans are coming! Not content with conquering England, they now have their sights set on the USA as well…
And their campaign begins today with the Stateside release of Sworn Sword in both hardcover and eBook editions, courtesy of the hard-working people at my publisher Sourcebooks Landmark, who have done an absolutely fantastic job of making the book a reality.
Sworn Sword • James Aitcheson • Sourcebooks Landmark • 400 pp. • Hardback • $24.99
As readers in the UK already know well, Sworn Sword is the first instalment in the Conquest Series, which tells the story of the violent and treacherous years immediately following the Norman invasion of England in 1066, when rebellion gripped the kingdom and its fate hung in the balance. As will become clear, the fateful Battle of Hastings was not the end of the struggle for England; in fact, it was just the beginning.
Based on real-life events, the series follows the career of the ambitious young knight Tancred, who is hungry for battle, for glory and for vengeance after his lord is murdered by English rebels. To find out more, have a look at the cover blurb and download the first chapter from Sworn Sword to whet your appetite.
The second in the series, The Splintered Kingdom, will be published in the US in summer 2014, followed by Knights of the Hawk in summer 2015, so there are plenty of Norman Conquest-related adventures to look forward to! As always, I’ll be posting the latest information about the novels as and when I have it, so keep checking back from time to time to see what’s new.
The Normans are taking over – not just Britain but now America as well! In exactly one month’s time, on August 6th, the first novel in the Conquest series, Sworn Sword, will be arriving on bookshelves across the US.
Based on real-life events, Sworn Sword tells the story of the great rebellions that swept England
Sworn Sword • James Aitcheson • Sourcebooks Landmark • 400 pp. • Hardback • $24.99
Based on real-life events, Sworn Sword tells the story of the great rebellions that swept England in the years after 1066, as seen through the eyes of a Norman knight named Tancred, who seeks vengeance after his lord is killed by English rebels.
Published by Sourcebooks Landmark, it’ll be available from all good bookstores and, of course, online as well, in both hardcover and eBook editions. Here’s the full synopsis:
January, 1069. Less than three years after the Battle of Hastings in 1066 and the death of the usurper, Harold Godwineson, two thousand Normans march in the depths of winter to subdue the troublesome province of Northumbria. Tancred a Dinant,a loyal and ambitious knight, is among them, hungry for battle, honor, silver, and land.
But at Durham, the Normans are ambushed in the streets by English rebels, and Tancred’s revered lord Robert de Commines is slain. Badly wounded, Tancred barely escapes with his own life. Bitterly determined to seek vengeance for his lord’s murder, the dauntless knight quickly becomes entrenched in secret dealings between a powerful Norman magnate and a shadow from the past.
As the Norman and English armies prepare to clash, Tancred uncovers a cunning plot that harks back to the day of Hastings itself. If successful, it threatens to destroy the entire conquest-and change the course of history.
This stunning debut sweeps readers into a ruthless, formidable world, where violent warriors seek honor in holy places and holy men seek glory in dark deeds. As the two opposing forces battle for conquest, the fate of England hangs in the balance.
Battles and betrayals abound, and there’s also a touch of romance, too – something, I hope, for everyone. And if that’s whetted your appetite, here’s the first chapter to give a further taste of what’s in store.
Today the paperback of Sworn Sword hits the bookshelves! You’ll notice it has a brand new cover design (see bottom left), which really captures a sense of the drama contained within its pages and which I’m sure you’ll agree looks just as – if not more – striking than the original. Keep a look out
Today the paperback of Sworn Sword hits the bookshelves! You’ll notice it has a brand new cover design (see bottom left), which really captures a sense of the drama contained within its pages and which I’m sure you’ll agree looks just as – if not more – striking than the original. Keep a look out for it in bookshops and supermarkets across the country.
The paperback also contains a sneak peek of the first chapter from the sequel, which is due out in hardcover and in all electronic formats this September. The title, I can reveal, will be The Splintered Kingdom. You heard it here first! More details, including the blurb and of course a picture of the jacket design, to follow in the not too distant future.
I’ll be signing copies of the Sworn Sword paperback in Waterstones in Hereford on Saturday 21 April, and I’m adding more dates to the calendar all the time, so keep checking my Events page to see if I’ll be appearing in your area in the coming months.
Also, if you’re a German speaker, look out for Der Pakt der Schwerter, which is set to be released on 17 April. Find out more on the website of my German publisher, Goldmann, and even read an excerpt.
Sworn Sword | Paperback | RRP £6.99 | Arrow | ISBN: 978-0-099-55941-2
