Anna Dreda of Wenlock Books reviews All the Winding World by Kate Innes (Mindforest Press, £8.99 paperback; also available as an ebook)
The country is under siege, threatened by treachery and invasion. In the contested territory of Aquitaine, the incompetence of the English command has led to the capture and death of many of King Edward’s most trusted knights. Amongst the angry hostages, there is one who will choose to betray his country.
Meanwhile, in the Welsh Marches, resentment against crippling taxes and conscription boils over into rebellion. Lady Illesa Burnel, determined to protect her family and home, must find an ingenious way to free her imprisoned husband before Fortune’s Wheel tips them all into death and ruin.
This gripping sequel to The Errant Hours interweaves old and new characters in a moving story about the savagery of war, the insistence of love and the power of illusion. This beautifully written and meticulously researched novel is a joy to read and is lauded by the internationally acclaimed Manda Scott, author of the Boudicca series and the forthcoming A Treachery of Spies. Manda says of All the Winding World, “Rich, intricate, and full of ordinary women finding power in a society that seeks to rob them of autonomy. Second novels rarely live up to the promise of the first, but this delivers wholeheartedly. A fantastic testament to the power of love.”
Trained as an archaeologist, teacher and museologist, Kate now writes novels and poetry and leads writing workshops. She lives with her family near Wenlock Edge.
