Age of Iron is a historical action-adventure novel set in the Britain before the arrival of the Romans. We are introduced to Dug Sealskinner, an aging mercenary who is battle-scarred, roaming and fleeing from the death of his family. He is looking for work with the regional warlord (Zaidar) but gets caught in an invasion of a village and his plans are changed by a young girl and a warrioress named Lowa who is seeking vengeance on Zaidar.<\/p>\n
Some of this book felt like the books of Bernard Cornwell, but Watson keeps it simple \u2013 lots of action, humor, and a straight-forward plot. Dug is an interesting character, likeable, with some good qualities, but he is also hard, tough and determined. There is lots of violent action, suspense, and a touch of magic. The storytelling is strong and I found myself caught up in the story.<\/p>\n
One of the best features of this book is the historical portrait of life in the \u201cIron Age.\u201d Some reviewers speak of historical accuracy, but since there were no written records for this time and place, we have to project from archaeological records to what life might have been like, so \u201caccuracy\u201d is really just speculation.<\/p>\n
As speculative fiction, this is a fine \u201chistorical-fantasy tale.\u201d It is an entertaining and enjoyable read, recommended for those with the ability to turn off the expectations for literature and just enjoy the story.<\/p>\n
My rating \u2013 (4.2 \/ 5)<\/p>\n