The Sword and the Shield of the Realm
by Florian Stone Wells
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Great read, great fun Author Florian Stone Wells, a native of the area he writes about, uses his extensive knowledge of the history of the area and times to weave a tale that takes his hero, Lorian, a native of the kingdom of Wallachia and heir to his father's knighthood, and Lorian's younger brother, Silvan, on an adventure that leads from their home village high in the Carpathian Mountains to the city of Hermannstadt, a major trading center in Transylvania. Along the way, the brothers encounter Sir Gregor Dahr Altair, a knight who leads them to the city with a great many adventures en route. The tale of their adventures in the city is enhanced by scenes that are carefully and artfully presented lessons in the history of the area and the world of the time. The story ends after a great battle and with some wonderful twists and turns, the reader is left with a true cliff-hanger of an ending. Mr. Wells has a genuine talent for presenting some of the European history lessons we slept through in high school in a manner that makes the lesson interesting and provides a pretty good yarn in the bargain. Mr. Wells has a keen eye for detail, and keeps the reader's interest with his descriptions of the land and people his characters encounter. The characters are finely drawn, and come across as human, with likable main characters, properly heroic heroes and enjoyably despicable villains. There are quite a few terms in Latin and other languages contemporary to the story, and some historical references that may seem obscure, but Wells keeps the story moving and holds the reader's interest with a comprehensive glossary. This lexicon doesn't detract in any way; it adds greatly to the story line by providing a way for the reader to relate easily to people and events in the book. Florian Stone Wells has written an excellent first novel, which will not only interest you in its own right, but which will definitely leave you eager for the next installment: "The Field of the Black Birds." Jon Rogers – freelance writer and literary reviewer, Aurora, CO |
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More than a novel, a true documentary of the calamitous 15th century Europe I had the pleasure to read the Florian Stone's book, "The Sword and the Shield of the Realm," more than a novel, a true documentary of the calamitous 15th century. As a history teacher, I can appreciate the author's effort to reconstruct with accuracy that particular time of the European Middle Age. This exceptional first novel, is enhanced with a comprehensive glossary that contains terms contemporary to the story and to relevant historical references and characters. Also, it is interesting to find in it one of the most notorious characters of the gothic novels, the Prince Vlad the Impaler, known as Dracula. Here, in Florian Stone's novel he is a young pupil of Darkness but I'm more than sure that he will be one of the main characters in the following volume... as I understand the "Sword and the Shield of the Realm" is just the first one. George S. Doreanu "Sebi" – history teacher, Denver, CO |
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Beautifully written novel, pure enjoyment This is a beautifully written first novel. The setting is Eastern Europe in the middle of the 15th century. It has everything you want in a story, religion and politics as well as economic issues that defined that part of the world. There are characters that are very enduring such as Sylvan the younger brother of Lorian (the main character) who is on a journey of a lifetime. Lorian the young hero, who is thrust in to the world of his father, who must fulfill his destiny, and finally Gregor, a powerful member of the excubitors and an Imperial Knight with a lot of secrets of his own. And there are villains that will satisfy everyone's evil quotient! It is fast paced and the history lessons are nothing like I remember. I recommend this to people of all ages. Florian Wells has a way of transporting you back to a time where you can experience what it must've been like so many centuries ago. His attention to detail is amazing. I eagerly await the next installment, "The Field of the Black Birds". Linda Manary – Denver, CO |
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Look Back into the Mirror to See What Lies Ahead I agreed with the previously written reviews as to the general presentation and unfolding of this historically based novel. However, I think very little has been said about the profound influence of the ideas within this text. There is certainly an entertaining adventure story that compels a reader to turn to the next page, but woven underneath are the sobering realities of humanity. The Author masks within his prose the fundamental driving forces behind human cultural evolution; religion, truth and those who power to control them. The following book exerts highlight these central themes.
This exert underscores the source of early religious power. Control through fear and ignorance. A learned mind is much more receptive to doubt and mistrust a veiled spirituality. However, the words also suggest little has changed today, though we have a far more literate and learned world. "Islam means total submission to Allah and Prophet Muhammad’s teachings. Christianity believes Jesus the Messiah is the only savior and path to God. Both, resolved in their righteousness, are ready for the ultimate confrontation. Do any of you believe that such adversarial religions, which have been at war for more than five hundred years, can break with the past, find a way to tolerate one another, and live in peace? And what is the price they must pay? Can any of the bishops and mullahs, popes and muftis, sultans and kings be persuaded to make so drastic a change?" These are ageless questions who’s interpretations continue to gravely influence the relationships between modern human cultures. With regard to that which motivates our loves and our hates, how little things have changed in the last six centuries. "Isn’t it written in the Good Book that God is always on the side of those who follow the truth?" he asked, his eyes filled with the ardor of youth. "Ah, truth, that which everyone demands, but few can bear it," Nicolaus answered instead. "You see, it is much more murky and ambiguous than you think. The color of truth is neither black nor white but gray, and the border between right and wrong is not a line but a wide expanse in which most men could lose themselves, wandering aimlessly, if not guided by the principle that the good of the many outweigh the good of the one." The ambiguity of truth: Truth to one man is a lie to another. The objectiveness of truth is brought into serious question. Many very basic philosophic principles are introduced in this book exert. One could argue that effectively all human history has been defined by wandering men trying to elevate their brand of truth. That which is accepted as truth by an individual or a group becomes a controlling force influencing that entity. Truth is in effect an ephemeral human variable of influence and subjectivity. The examples in our history are without bounds, the ‘murkiness’ of truth is the scepter of power. As Orwell wrote, "he who controls the present controls the past, he who controls the past controls the future." "To indulge in judging who’s right and who’s wrong is a fallacy of the worst kind, for the chain of evil deeds goes deep into the maze of time and cannot be traced to its beginning." "You see, in their struggle, both Muslims and Christians allow themselves to be allured by the same error. Both judge the other and demand retribution for the wrongs they have suffered. Neither can bear the truth that, on both sides, men driven by religious fervor and the uncontrollable desire of power and possession committed evil deeds." This exert speaks once again to the way religion has been used by men to control and destroy each other. It makes an interesting argument that the pure divisiveness of religious doctrine was created for just this purpose, as it certainly has been proven to be an effective force of destruction. Even if the believer accepts his written faith was divinely inspired, religious dogma clearly and inarguably inspires hate, fear and violence, just as it inspires love and compassion. "From an early age, Excubitors are groomed to hold positions of trust and knowledge in the entourage of kings, emperors, sultans, despots and heads of churches alike in order to have a broad insight into world affairs and to be aware of what these men might do next. We believe it is in the interest of all that no one should be allowed to absolutely predominate over the world, and for that we stay constantly vigil." I found this one of the most interesting themes in this book. If this group was active and effective in controlling world power balance in the 15th Century, why wouldn’t we consider that it’s modern evolution wouldn’t have the same role and success. It fits well into modern conspiracy theory, but is intriguing none the less. Who are the Excubitors of present day and can we see their forces at work when we view world events against a more profound time-scale of centuries rather than the myopic distortion that feeds us with daily news. Steve W. Towne - Boulder, CO |
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This expansive and timely historical novel should not be taken lightly or read hastily . . . storytelling . . . forms a layer in the foundation of the world; and glinting in it we see the trace elements of every tribe on earth – Frank Delaney, Ireland No man is so foolish as to desire war more than peace, for in peace, sons bury their fathers, but in war, fathers bury their sons – Herodotus ________________________________________________ Repelling the Ottoman Expansion of 1448. The narrative is jam-packed with facts, heraldic and military titles, extrinsic place names and dates, and an assemblage of real and fictional characters. Wells’ protagonist is Lorian Comosicus, heir to his dead father’s knighthood. In his teens when we first meet him, Lorian lives with his grandfather in a mountain village called Silverfir in a part of today’s Romania. As the curtain rises on this engaging tale, the village chieftain summons Lorian and entrusts the youth with taking an “epistle” across the Carpathian Mountains and delivering it to the castellan of the Red Tower, a fortress in Transylvania. He’s accompanied on the perilous journey by his younger brother Silvan. On route the brothers become entangled in numerous adventures and chance upon sundry characters, including Sir Gregor Dhar Altair, “one of the most valiant knights of Christendom,” and member of the Excubitors. This “mysterious brotherhood” believes that “no one should be allowed to absolutely predominate over the world.” Its members, as a result, are committed to preventing such an event from happening. In Sir Altair’s company, the brothers continue their journey until they ultimately end up in the city of Hermannstadt, a leading administrative and trading hub about to be besieged by Ottoman armies. To the unsuspecting reader, the initial chapters may seem baffling due to the staggering array of foreign and unfamiliar terms that pepper the narrative. Wells, however, provides a 29-page glossary that allows readers to navigate through the maze of old-world titles, military terms and ranks and place-names of old. And while the novel on the surface reads like an adventure story, it present a strong undercurrent reflecting present-day somber realities about religion and religious truths, and those who covet the power to interpret them. At one point, for example, after witnessing a barbaric scene perpetrated by Ottoman soldiers outside one of Hermannstadt’s gates, Lorian expresses a strong desire to “send Sultan Murad to hell where he belongs.” In response, Sir Altair mentors the young squire that “to indulge in judging who’s right and who’s wrong is a fallacy of the worst kind, for the chain of evil deeds goes deep into the maze of time and cannot be traced to its beginning.” “In their struggle,” the knight explains, “both Muslims and Christians allow themselves to be allured by the same error. Both judge the other and demand retribution for the wrongs they have suffered. Neither can bear the truth on both sides, men driven by religious fervor and the uncontrollable desire for power and possession committed evil deeds. “The sultan must be stopped,” he says, “not because of the barbarism you saw” but because “a world possessed by divisiveness and intolerance is fertile ground for those men whose nature it is to wage war until nothing is left in front of them.” This work of fiction (and the volumes to follow) is a testament to the author’s dedication to and fondness for medieval history. This fervor for historical knowledge among the peoples of the region, especially history of the Middle Ages when many of the small nation-states now comprising central and south-eastern Europe had reached their zenith of prominence, has helped them to sustain their respective languages and national consciousness and to survive the subsequent and prolonged periods of domination by powers that emerged in the western parts of the Continent. Readers who relished "The Sword and the Shield of the Realm" will do doubt welcome the second novel in the series, "The Field of the Blackbirds," which is scheduled to be published by year’s end. ________________________________________________ Frank L. Kaplan is a retired professor who writes from Wheat Ridge, Colorado
Frank L. Kaplan Professor Emeritus |
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A compelling tale to view today’s philosophical and religious differences I am not a fast reader and, from time to time, I have difficulty staying engaged and interested in a book, but the beautiful language, gripping story, and attention to the detail of the period drew me to finish the book in short order. I found myself awakening during the darkness of night to experience the saga at the same time the story was taking place. The development of characters and personalities throughout the book brought me quickly to an understanding of how each played a role in the story that ensued. I am particularly impressed with how the author has developed the depth of personalities and has depicted the true character of the individuals as they rely on each other’s strengths in pursuit of a common goal. Using the compelling tale as a backdrop to view today’s philosophical and religious differences, Florian Stone Wells provides the reader with greater insight and understanding of the events that impact our daily lives. I am anxious for the story to continue. Bob Smith – Erie, Colorado |
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Great reading, great adventure Reading this novel, I had the distinct feeling that I was transported back in time, into a colorful, mysterious world of danger and excitement, a world which until now was just a blurred black and white picture created long ago by the history lessons from high school. A great novel which left me asking for more ... Great reading, great adventure. Mihai Novac – Denver, CO |
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