Oath breaker is the second book in Staten’s Honour Bound trilogy, following on from Blood Debt, released earlier in 2024.

Before I start, I should confess two things: first, that this era is an era that ranks among my favourites, meaning I am predisposed to enjoy novels set at this time; and secondly, that I recently met Adam (virtually) when we collaborated on the Aspects of History Podcast episode on 1066 (do have a listen if you can). As such, I can confirm he knows his onions, as well as being a thoroughly nice bloke.

Oath Breaker starts in 1068, a couple of years after Blood Debt ends. Our hero, Cadman, is oath-sworn to protect King Harold’s son, Godwin, who has fled to Ireland where he hopes to gather an army to wrest the kingdom back from King William. But when it becomes clear that Godwin is not the man his father was, Cadman decides – after much soul-searching – that he can no longer respect the oath he gave. Instead, he and his warriors strike out for Byzantium to seek their fortune, surviving all manner of perils and adventures along the way.

Arriving in Constantinople, with nothing but his battle skills, Cadman joins the ranks of the Varangian guard – the emperor’s bodyguard – and is immediately sucked into the complex world of imperial machinations and continual rival conspiracies. For a man of honour and principle, Cadman will often find himself conflicted as he attempts to steer a course to fight for the empire as well as his own survival.

Just as the second book picked up where the first left off, so too does Staten’s storytelling. The relentless pace, the breath-taking action and the engaging characters (including a new set of authentically vile villains) all combine to produce a tale that keeps you hooked from the first page to the last.

Of particular interest to me was the chance to weave the Varangian Guard into the story; a body of men whose existence has long fascinated me. Originally formed from Norsemen who had travelled vast distances down the various trade route rivers to the Black Sea, their numbers swelled after 1066 with the arrival of large numbers of Anglo-Saxon refugees. A certain Harald Hardrada had been their leader at one time, amassing vast wealth during his time there, before returning to Norway.

I have previously toyed with the idea of writing about them, but after the great job Staten has done, I may have to leave that for a while longer.

So, if you like your action bloody and your story breathless, you could do a lot worse than dive into Oath Breaker. But make sure – if you haven’t already done so – you check out Blood Debt first; you won’t be disappointed in either one. I just need to be patient now and wait for book three.

Oath Breaker by Adam Staten is out now and published by Sharpe Books.

Paul Bernardi is the author of the Huscarl trilogy, set during the Norman conquest. His latest book is Blood Feud.