The King’s Ships

Volume one of the Reluctant Warrior series told of the adventures and travels of Ranulf, from his lowly beginnings as a ragged orphan, to becoming a national hero and lord of the manor. This book, Volume Two, continues his story as he oversees the preparation of the King’s fleet of warships that becomes the embryo of our modern day Royal Navy.

It should have been a straightforward task, but it became mired in the politics and greed of the King’s councillors, something that would never have happened if the King had been in residence. But the situation wasn’t helped by Ranulf himself, who would much rather be at home with his wife and daughter than in Winchester, being a husband and father is still new to Ranulf and it thrilled him each morning as he opened his eyes to a new day. But that is going to be taken away by a Viking warband that gets too close to home.

Writing this book was a huge amount of fun for me and I shall miss it when I sit at my desk each morning now that it’s gone.

The reader should be warned though, that this time there is not a happy ending for Ranulf and his little family. Writing the final few chapters of The King’s Ships I found to be quite draining on my emotions and several times I tried to do it differently. But, stories sometimes write themselves, and the final version of this tale is steering the course that the story demanded.

I hope you enjoy it and that you’ll watch out for Volume Three in the series that will continue the story. It is called Pirates!