Conquest (Stewart Binns)

When writing historical fiction, the author must remember two things (among others):
1) the characters don't know their future; you do.  Don't let your knowledge bleed into theirs.
2) when gaps exist in the historical record, fill them with things that are plausible.

Conquest by Stewart Binns fails on these two points.  It deals with the story of Hereward the Wake, an Anglo-Saxon who lived before (and during) William's conquest of England in 1066.  It reads easily enough, but I read only a quarter of the novel before deciding to give up.  The plot has a number of implausible meetings and dialogue, and the characters demonstrate an uncanny knowledge of the future (phrases like "I know you'll be instrumental in history" are prevalent, with no basis for such comments).  Additionally, because history of this time period is so foggy, there has to be much speculation; sadly, the author's insertions are better suited for a pure fantasy novel (the best example is this magical amulet that just happens to weave its way into the story).

There is a little value here, but not enough for me to finish the book.  For now, Bernard Cornwell is my historical fiction author of choice.

Rating: D