About The Breaking Of Kings
In 1066 an old king dies childless, and the question of who wears his crown pulls three rulers and two nations into a single year of war. The Breaking of Kings follows that year through a chorus of voices — kings and clerks, warriors and widows, the named and the forgotten — as coronation gives way to invasion, triumph reverses into ruin at Hastings, and conquest hardens into the long cruelty of occupation. A novel about power and legitimacy, loyalty and survival, and above all about memory: who is written down, who is sung, and who simply endures. For readers of Bernard Cornwell, Ken Follett and Hilary Mantel.
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Author Bio:
The novels of Bruce Smith are multi-POV historical epics grounded in real history and heightened drama, told across shifting perspectives where loyalty, power, and survival collide. The Breaking of Kings follows the Norman Conquest of 1066 through many eyes, from the battlefield to the throne. Readers who appreciate the battle-forward sweep of Bernard Cornwell, the scale of Ken Follett, and the historical depth of Hilary Mantel will find a similar blend of authenticity and unpredictability here. The writing is dialogue-forward, fast-moving, and unsentimental about the cost of conquest.