Lionheart

Get in the xigxag app

Listen to a sample

What to expect

REBEL. LEADER. BROTHER. KING.

1179. Henry II is King of England, Wales, Ireland, Normandy, Brittany and Aquitaine. The House of Plantagenet reigns supreme.

But there is unrest in Henry’s house. Not for the first time, his family talks of rebellion.

Ferdia – an Irish nobleman taken captive during the conquest of his homeland – saves the life of Richard, the king’s son. In reward for his bravery, he is made squire to Richard, who is already a renowned warrior.

Crossing the English Channel, the two are plunged into a campaign to crush rebels in Aquitaine. The bloody battles and gruelling sieges which followed would earn Richard the legendary name of Lionheart.

But Richard’s older brother, Henry, is infuriated by his sibling’s newfound fame. Soon it becomes clear that the biggest threat to Richard’s life may not be rebel or French armies, but his own family…

‘A rip-roaring epic, filled with arrows and spattered with blood. Gird yourself with mail when you start.’ Paul Finch

‘Ben’s deeply authoritative depiction of the time is delivered in a deft manner.’ Simon Scarrow

Critics Review

  • Kane deftly draws a portrait of the charismatic and ruthless Richard. The dynastic complications of an ageing, paranoid king
    with four ambitious sons are fascinating. And the battles are gory. Kane’s Richard the Lionheart will rightly win loyal camp
    followers.

    THE TIMES

  • Richard the Lionheart’s name echoes down the centuries as one of history’s great warriors, and this book will immortalise him even more. A rip-roaring epic, filled with arrows and spattered with blood. Gird yourself with mail when you start.

    Paul Finch

  • Ben’s deeply authoritative depiction of the time is delivered in a deft manner. I was immersed in the detail of Rufus’s life, with its heat and cold, its odours, foods, clothing, beasts, politics and all the other minutiae of the age.

    Simon Scarrow

  • Kane’s virtues as a writer of historical adventures – lively prose, thorough research, colourful action – are again apparent.

    THE SUNDAY TIMES

  • Lionheart has plenty of betrayal, bloodshed and rich historical detail.

    INDEPENDENT

  • A fast-paced and thrilling read… it expertly examines what was a complex period in English history… a truly vibrant and
    gripping read.

    THE LADY

More from the same

Author

Narrator

Subscribe to our newsletter

Sign up to get tailored content recommendations, product updates and info on new releases. Your data is your own: we commit to protect your data and respect your privacy.