The Traitor's Apprentice

by Eleanor Swift-Hook

‘A superb blend of history and intrigue… A likeable hero and engaging plot.’ Richard Foreman, author of Turpin’s Assassin.

Late September 1642.

A bloody civil war is tearing the kingdoms apart. But, in Yorkshire, some are striving for a countywide Treaty of Neutrality, in the hope of maintaining peace and order.

Gideon Lennox, once a London lawyer, now serves in Philip Lord’s mercenary company. But Lord is a traitor with a mysterious past. As they occupy the manor house of Wrathby in Ryedale, they are confronted with the suspicious death of a servant - and talk of a curse which has afflicted the Belamy family for generations.

Lord’s new captain, Mags, is plotting to gain greater influence within the company and his popularity with the men begins to cause problems.

As tensions increase, a guest of Lady Belamy is poisoned and Gideon is tasked by Lord with investigating both murders, making himself a target for the killer.

When an attempt is made on the life of the infant baron, Zahara, the enigmatic beauty who travels with Lord and has captured Gideon’s heart, is accused.

In order to save the woman he loves, Gideon has to trust an ally of his enemy.

Zahara's life - and his own - will hang in the balance.

Eleanor Swift-Hook fell in love with the early Stuart era at university. The Mercenary's Blade is the first book in the Lord's Legacy series. She lives in County Durham.

Praise for Eleanor
'Brutal, dark, and brilliant; it kept me gripped from the gruesome opening to the thrilling conclusion.' Jemahl Evans, author of The Last Roundhead.

Genres: English Civil War

305 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 25, 2022

About the author

Eleanor Swift-Hook enjoys the mysteries of history and fell in love with the early Stuart era at university when she re-enacted battles and living history events with the English Civil War Society. Since then, she has had an ongoing fascination with the social, military and political events that unfolded during the Thirty Years' War and the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. She lives in County Durham and loves writing stories woven into the historical backdrop of those dramatic times.

You can find her on Twitter @emswifthook or learn more about the background of Lord's Legacy on her website www.eleanorswifthook.com.

Reviews

[Zita Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wanted man, Philip Lord, continues on his quest, taking us on a riotous journey full of treachery, duplicity, and bloodshed in war-ridden England. And indeed, as the subtitle says, “Who can you trust?”

The white-haired, blue-eyed Lord seems honorable at times but not so much at others. Is Nick barking up the wrong tree? Is Lord actually a traitor, or is he nobility who’s been vilified? Mags appears in the beginning to be on Lord’s side but proves not to be so, barbaric and savage instead to the point of atrocity.

Gideon, or “Fox” as they call him, is the only open book, and rather annoying in my opinion. I do see more growth and understanding in him than in the first book, but he still struggles to break out of his black-and-white judicial point of view and vacillates between admiring Lord and judging him. His constant mooning over Zahara gets old. This woman he cannot have for mysterious reasons seems to be his main purpose for staying with Lord. Surprisingly, she seems to return his affections, which I don’t understand since she has so much more to offer and could do so much better.

The most intriguing and engaging character in the story, as before, is Philip Lord, reminiscent of the Targaryans in “Game of Thrones” in appearance. And who is this woman who looks exactly like him? Not one white-haired, glacial-eyed character but two! And they both quote poetry! I couldn’t wait for them to meet, and I’m dying to find out, more so than Lord himself it seems, what their connection is.

Characters are well-developed and consistently unfathomable, and the author’s skilled pace and descriptions of the settings and the action keep us engaged. Throughout the book, I found myself intrigued, horrified, and tense as well as impatient to know what happens. Great read.

[P.J. Ashton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the pleasure of reading book one and while I enjoyed it, I felt the author neutered a lot of the subject matter that had made this part of English history so bloody. However, book 2 is fantastic, it doesn't cover the same subject matter of witch trials, it does something completely different, becoming an almost murder mystery, but to describe The Traitor's Apprentice as that also does the book injustice as it is far more.

This time the book is split into two, covering two different povs in each chapter, that of Gideon and that of Nick. Gideon changes over the course of the book and while he still maintains his black and white morality, you can see that he gradually begins to understand Philip Lord and why he acts the way he does. Nick, the other pov, becomes the lord of Howe after the death of his uncle (the antagonist from the first book) and it's interesting to see that in order to inherit, he also has become a pawn in his uncle's games. He has to marry, and his secret betrothal has no inclination of doing so.

Mags is back, and setup from the first book is followed through on, and we finally understand why Philip Lord allowed him back in the company, although it was interesting to see that even Lord's plans are not infallible.

New characters are introduced, Danny and Cristabel. Cristabel being the secret betrothal and also having the same hair colour as Lord as well as a similar intellect. Danny, one of Lord's closest friends from his past, but also someone who seems to be just as unscrupulous and cunning.

All in all, the story is incredibly well written and it's clear that Eleanor Swift-Hook has done extensive research and has passion for this time period. The Civil War is brewing, and at the moment, is in the background, and sides are forming. I am looking forward to continuing this series and excited to see what comes next.

[Seth Hobbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being a history buff, it is always fun to dive into this author's historical worlds. Many of us, especially from the states, are not heavily steeped in the English Civil War. It sort of gets looked over as a minor footnote, when the reality is that it set the stage for some pretty big future incidents in England, and naturally, abroad, as the British Empire would end up having major impacts around the globe. Our own law in the USA and foundations draw from the Magna Carta, English Common Law, and some of their early forms of trade and government. Therefore, it is actually pretty interesting to delve into this period. I enjoyed the first book in the series, and the second one is just as good, if not better than the first. We get to see several returning characters, as well as new ones, and while the other book focused on witches and laying everything out, the second one is more of an enigmatic murder mystery whodunnit type of affair, but Swift-Hook has a talent for placing such a story in the 1600s. I also enjoy the notes at the end of the books, where we get a lot of additional information on the locations, explanations of actual historical figures that are featured, and reasoning behind many of the well-researched historical practices. This is a great series and highly recommended to lovers of multiple genres, but especially those who like flintlock tales or Stuart-era dramas.

[Ben Bergonzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is both a military adventure and a crime thriller, and is utterly convincing as both. It takes place in early autumn 1642 as England is sliding towards war and men are choosing sides - but some are only out for themselves. Philip Lord the leader of a mercenary company arrives with his men, including the protagonist lawyer and reluctant soldier Gideon Fox, at a Yorkshire manor. Suspicious deaths ensue. Although the killer is identified, a grim conspiracy of double crossing emerges, and Lord and Fox are plunged into lethal jeopardy. I am full of admiration for the way Swift-Hook constructs a world of, as Gideon phrases it late in the book, 'violence and subterfuge, of wild justice and vile individuals who paid no heed to the laws of God nor man.' The fighting is believably described, Gideon's character arc as he has to rapidly toughen up is compelling, Lord's character is as charismatic but maddening as ever. We are here introduced to his assumed sister Christobel, as strong and stylish a character as he is. Excellent plotting, characters and above all excellent world-building.

[Tony Riches · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book I've read in Eleanor Swift-Hook's 'Lord's Legacy' series, and although each would work as a 'stand alone' I recommend reading these books in order, to appreciate the nuances of her storytelling.

The start of 'The Traitor's Apprentice' is worthy of an Agatha Christie mystery as a succession of people are found dead under suspicious circumstances. Surprisingly no one seems too concerned, so it falls to lawyer turned mercenary, Gideon Lennox, to turn detective.

His efforts culminate in a riveting 'trial', and although I expected Lennox to survive, it was by no means certain he could do so unscathed.

I particularly liked the way the author continues to develop all the characters, but particularly Gideon Lennox and the enigmatic Philip Lord. Secrets are revealed which raise more questions, and the looming English Civil War leaves little doubt where we will be going with book three in the series!

Tony Riches

[S.K. Wee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gideon Lennox is not quite the young naïve lawyer he seemed to be in the first book, but he still has a lot to learn about life, love, and the mercenary forms of justice. His decision to follow Phillip Lord has proven to be adventurous. Navigating the half-truths and betrayals while attempting to solve multiple murders without becoming a target seems impossible.
This story set in the English countryside during the 17th century amid all the political and religious upheaval of the times. The second installment was even more enthralling than the first and I can’t wait to begin the next one. Highly recommended to all historical fiction fans, well written with complex and flawed characters.

[Jane Jago · Rating 5 out of 5]

We learn a little more about the mysterious Schiavolo and our respect for Gideon grows.

Read this and marvel at the author’s virtuosity