The Drums of War by Michael Ward is the third book in the Thomas Tallant historical fiction series set in 17th century England.
Title: The Drums of War
Author: Michael Ward
Series: Thomas Tallant, Book 3
First Published: August 18, 2022
Publisher: Sharpe Books
Genres: Historical Fiction
Acquired: from the author
*** Thank you to the author, Michael Ward, for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. ***
London 1642. The King has fled London with the drums of war ringing in his ears. Across the country, lines are being drawn and armies raised. Influential royalist Lady Carlisle switches sides and presses spice trader Thomas Tallant and his partner Elizabeth Seymour into Parliament’s service.
Soon Thomas faces double-dealing in his hunt for a lethal hoard of gunpowder hidden on the river, while Elizabeth engages in a race against time to locate a hidden sniper picking off Parliamentary officers at will in the city.
The capital also witnesses a vicious gang of jewel thieves take advantage of the city’s chaos to go on the rampage, smashing homes and shops, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. They hand pick their targets but refrain from selling any of their loot. Elizabeth believes she has identified the jewel thief and goes underground to trace his hoard.
When war finally erupts, Elizabeth is caught in the brutalising carnage of Edgehill while Thomas joins the Trained Bands in their defence of the city. As he mans the barricades at Brentford, in a desperate rearguard action to repel Prince Rupert’s surprise attack, he realises the future of London rests in the hands of him and a few hundred troopers.
A gripping historical thriller
I’m always excited to dive back into the historical world of Thomas Tallant and Elizabeth Seymour – they’re two characters that I have come to know well in the past two books in the series and it’s always interesting to see what adventures they get up to.
This third instalment may be the most gripping so far. And by gripping I mean it grabs you from the start and doesn’t let go until the very end, which still had me asking “Is there more?”
There is A LOT going on in The Drums of War, from political intrigue to brutal warfare, from sniping assassins to brazen jewel thieves. And yet, while it sounds like it may be a bit too much to squeeze into one book, Ward does it with a deft hand. The action is a whirlwind and yet each plot and storyline is given ample time and the pacing never feels off.
I know that a lot of the book is based on historical fact, but this is an era of British history that I’m not very familiar with so it was interesting to see how it plays out a more common level and 17th century Britain comes to life in these pages. But while I could see the historical events underlying in the story, it was interwoven in such a way that the story itself was very entertaining and never felt like it was a history lesson.
Thomas and Elizabeth continue to shine
One of the things that continues to bring me back to this series is the characters of Thomas and Elizabeth. They are both wonderfully strong and complex people who are written with such charm and intelligence that you can’t help but root for them. They make a brilliant partnership and it has been wonderful to see their relationship develop, with both each other and the people around them.
There were a lot of characters in this book, which is kind of expected in a historical fiction that spans so many events and has so many plotlines happening at once. However, one character that stood out to me in this story because I really I loved to hate her was Lady Carlisle. She was intriguing, devious, and you could see the intelligence she possessed to not just survive, but thrive in the royal court. She switched sides without hesitation and knew how to “play the game” well. At first I disliked her because of her antagonism towards Elizabeth, but I could also see what a crafty character she was and how she was doing what it took to make it in an environment that was so cutthroat.
If you’re in the mood for a compelling, action-packed historical fiction story with complex characters, intrigue and mystery, then you don’t have to look any further than the Thomas Tallant series.
Quote from The Drums of War
