Conquest, by Stewart Binns
At first glance Conquest has the potential to be a fascinating piece of historical fiction. Hereward of Bourne, the main protagonist, is a genuine historical figure whose impact on English history has been sadly overlooked, a figure that fought against the Norman invaders even after the death of the King, a symbol of resolve that represented the hopes and aspirations of Saxon England.
Unfortunately Binns does not do justice to the character. Indeed one of the central concepts of historical fiction, as demonstrated by the likes Cornwell, Iggulden, Riches and Hume, is that of character development, and the contextualising of the dramatis personae to create a believable background upon which to build; taking us step by step through a character-arc to live to the story, and embrace all they become.
Binns appears to discount this, with Hereward leaping within seventy pages from a wayward youth to a warrior of great renown. By page 150 the lead character has been outlawed, has fought against the English alongside Llewellyn and led the personal bodyguard of Macbeth against Duncan in Scotland. The man remains too hard to believe in, as all too soon he becomes this great leader and warrior second-to-none.
As a result it becomes near impossible to empathise with Hereward as he seems all but infallible. His companions are similarly great warriors, experts in their fields and the best of an age. One can not help but consider that if Hereward and his friends truly did have as great an impact on European warfare (because the group also fight in Sicily, Italy, Spain and Normandy before returning to England) that history would have more to say about them. To draw a brief comparison Iggulden’s Genghis Khan, a legendary leader whose empire occupied vast swathes of the known world, was also a flawed and believable character. But to Binns, Hereward must be a peerless leader, a unmatched combatant, a caring lover and a doting father.
Whether this is intentional to create some kind of mythological ideal about the long-disappeared Saxon England is difficult to establish, but to any seasoned reader of historical fiction it leaves the characters weak and the plot unbelievable. By the close of the novel I was entirely indifferent to the fate of Hereward and his friends.
Overall then it is difficult to recommend Conquest. There are moment of well constructed description, and the combat in places is well written. However there remains this overriding feeling of inevitability in Hereward’s capacity to swing a battle, destroy hosts of men single-handed, and still return home to hug his wife and read to his children. I prepared for my journey to Senlac Ridge with anticipation, but like the Saxons and Danes before me I was left beaten and disappointed.
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6 Comments on Conquest, by Stewart Binns
I was enthralled by this book. It was very readable and unlike the critic above, I was drawn to a hero with values and despite the fact that he was a warrior and killer, I understood that the times in which he lived made it impossible to avoid this way of life if you wanted to become a significant leader.
The adventures of Hereward, whether factual or fictional, gave an insight into the events unfolding around the known world at that time and it showed how despite the distances between places, it was possible to travel to many different countries and understand how Europe and the Middle East, the Roman Empire and the Muslim and Spanish world had an influence on each other.
As an avid reader of good historical fiction and with a laymans understanding and love of history, I found it an interesting account and linking of great heroes and ruling houses and a greater understanding of how our kingdom developed so long ago with so many consequences for the present world and of Europe in particular.
Just finished reading Conquest and really enjoyed it. I knew nothing of the central character, Hereward, and felt the book was a good introduction to his life and times. The battle scenes were well written (especially Senlac Ridge) and gave me a sense of what it must have been like to be on the losing side. Overall, a very good first novel.
I agree with the jon owens the article writer. The book was not well written, the author seems to rush the thing. It may appeal to a few inexperienced readers but it will be out of print soon. And lets hope its sooner rather than later because there are actually talented authors out there.
Given how diabolical this book is – I am often surprised at the number of people positively reviewing it. Either a) a significant potion of the population are morons, or b) the author/publisher are paying someone to write positive reviews in the hope that the book actually pays.
@Jacke, I think it would be fairer to say that this is a Marmite book (you either love it or hate it). We’re all about diversity of opinion here on Bookgeeks!
im currently reading this novel and i feel its all crammed into one book this should have been a series of books about hereward growing into this great warrior say 20 years of his life per book still im enjoying it
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