- Hardcover: 288 pages
- Publisher: Old Street Publishing; First Edition; 1st printing. edition (10 Mar 2009)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1905847793
- ISBN-13: 978-1905847792
- Product Dimensions: 21.6 x 14 x 3.2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 921,173 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Knight of Swords
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More About the Author
Product Description
Review
'A story of multiple deceptions and concealed identities that unfolds like a pack of cards . . . A space filled with intrigue and potential danger, with hints of Kafka or Mervyn Peake. Mysterious, beguiling, playful, yet making perfect sense.' GERARD WOODWARD author of I'll Go To Bed At Noon-- 'An exciting and lyrical new voice in fiction. Breckon's work is thought provoking and intelligent. He is one to watch.' MO HAYDER, author of Birdman and Tokyo --*
Product Description
Winter 1944: northern Italy is a battlefield, with Communist partisans locked in vicious conflict with the forces of Mussolini's fascist Republic of Salò. Brookes, a wounded fugitive, finds shelter in an isolated and decaying castle in the mountains, home to a reclusive nobleman and his family. But as he recovers his strength, he discovers that the inhabitants of the castle are not quite what they seem; he also realises that they have no intention of letting him leave. Snowed in through the long winter, Brookes, the Barone and his family are drawn into a complex game of power and seduction. And as the violent demands of the warring world outside the castle become ever more insistent, they face a final choice: a decision that will determine the living from the dead. Knight of Swords is a gripping tale of identity and illusion, of games played for the highest stakes amid the devastation of war. At the heart of its enthralling mystery lies a timeless story: one of loyalty and betrayal, humanity and conflict, and the redemptive power of love.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I took a bit of a punt buying this book - it was the third in my
Waterstones 3 for 2 - but I liked the cover and the plot sounded
good. Luckily I was right - this is an excellent novel and I will
definitely be looking out for more from Ian Breckon. The twists in the
plot are brilliantly original and unexpected - I was guessing until
the very end! It's great to have discovered a new writer of this
calibre. Hurry up with the next one Ian!
Waterstones 3 for 2 - but I liked the cover and the plot sounded
good. Luckily I was right - this is an excellent novel and I will
definitely be looking out for more from Ian Breckon. The twists in the
plot are brilliantly original and unexpected - I was guessing until
the very end! It's great to have discovered a new writer of this
calibre. Hurry up with the next one Ian!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Some of the other reviewers have likened this novel to the work of the young Ian McEwan. They're wrong - Breckon is better than McEwan. Breckon has McEwan's technical expertise, but he doesn't GO ON in the sprawling, self-indulgent, axe-grinding way that McEwan sometimes tends to do. Breckon's writing is precise, chiselled and intellectually satisfying. He writes a great story, featuring three-dimensional, believable characters in desperate situaions, so this novel can be read as a thriller, but it works on many levels, and it stayed with me long after I had finished it.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
The first time I got my hands on this book I dipped in to see what it was like. A day later I was finishing it off feeling more than a little amazed. This brilliant debut reminds me of John Fowles' THE MAGUS. It tells the story of a wounded soldier who is taken in by the inhabitants of a dank, crumbling castle in the mountains of Italy. Supposedly they're from an aristocratic Italian family; supposedly he's ... well, I don't want to spoil it. Suffice to say, I can see this writer following in the footsteps of Sebastian Faulks, Ian McEwan et al. If you like a bit of gothic mystery and enjoy explosive endings, you'll love this book.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Atmospheric mystery (3.5 stars)
An unusual and engrossing book.
This is a multi-layered tale set in the midst of WW2 Italy, as a British officer is wounded and takes refuge with a family in an old... Read more
This is a multi-layered tale set in the midst of WW2 Italy, as a British officer is wounded and takes refuge with a family in an old... Read more
Published on 19 Feb 2010 by N. Brett
Deceptive, Brilliant!
The best advice I can give to readers who begin this book is to expect the unexpected! This book was great as it is one of very few books where I have genuinely been unable to... Read more
Published on 11 Jan 2010 by J. Cooper
A real page-turner. Brilliantly crafted mystery novel...
I stumbled across this book by chance and couldn't put it down. Ian
Breckon is a great story-teller and the unusual plot, chilling
atmosphere and lyrical prose draw the... Read more
Breckon is a great story-teller and the unusual plot, chilling
atmosphere and lyrical prose draw the... Read more
Published on 25 Mar 2009 by Elizabeth Drem
A masterpiece of Modern Gothicism
This superbly plotted mystery thriller kept me up all night. It features excellent characterization and a panoramic vision of its subject. Read more
Published on 16 Mar 2009 by Ms. P. Tuckett
A creepy, juicy page-turner
An excellent read from a writer I knew nothing about. A rundown castle in the snowy Italian mountains. Read more
Published on 10 Mar 2009 by Gregory Stevenson
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