The Blade Bearer

by K. M. Ashman Book 5 in the The Blood of Kings series.

First published 2018

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4.5(1,735)

In 1136 a defeated force lies outside Kidwelly Castle as renewed war spreads through south Wales during the disputed reign of King Stephen. The collapse of English royal authority gives Welsh leaders an opportunity to challenge marcher power, but rivalry makes every alliance uncertain.

A warrior entrusted with a significant blade becomes caught between dynastic claims, vengeance and the survival of communities exposed to both armies. The novel extends The Blood of Kings into the generation shaped by the Anarchy and the Welsh resurgence.

The Anarchy weakens the mechanisms by which marcher lords normally defend and administer their territories. Welsh rulers can exploit divided English allegiance, while castles and family followings become more important than distant royal commands. The blade carried by the protagonist therefore acquires political meaning in a landscape where symbols of inheritance and personal loyalty can determine which lord men choose to serve.