Angus Donald has produced a winner yet again with Blood's Campaign. The 3rd book in his series following the exploits of Holcroft Blood is another action packed blockbuster. Full of espionage, larger than life battles, exuberant characters and a great dollop of daring-do - I loved every page of this book.

Without labelling the book with a broad brush, this does have the feeling of one of Cornwell's 'Sharpe' books, which is high praise indeed.

I cant wait to get my hands on whatever Angus Donald produces next. Great stuff.

The sign of a really good book is always that you find yourself absorbed in it, desperate to finish it but bereft when you do. Blood’s Campaign is a really, really, really good book!

I was extremely excited to be offered this book to review by NetGalley. The first 2 books in the series, Blood’s Game and Blood’s Revolution, were both fantastic and refreshingly unique stories, introducing a hero who was sympathetic and quirky in a very distinct way.

Blood’s Campaign, the third in the series following the exploits of Holcroft Blood, it takes us to Ireland and the campaign that led to the Battle of the Boyne and the end of James VII and II’s hopes to regain the throne from his daughter and her husband, the joint monarchs, William III and Mary II. Angus Donald combines the story of the campaign with Blood’s own personal mission to find and destroy the French spy, codenamed Narrey – Holcroft’s one-time friend, Henri d’Erloncourt.

In today’s society, Holcroft Blood would be on the Autistic Spectrum. In the 17th Century, there was no such diagnosis. He was simply seen as a peculiar character. Holcroft is well aware of his failings, of his inability to understand jokes and to read some people; this, and his black-and-white outlook on life can lead to distractions which in themselves could lead him into trouble, especially with women. He feels more comfortable when order is enforced, which makes the army the ideal home for Holcroft.

Holcroft Blood’s penchant for mathematics makes him the perfect gunner and he feels at home calculating angles and distances and the flight of a cannonball – the science of gunnery offers him a home in a world that he often finds hard to understand. However, his mathematical mind also means he has a knack for codes – a skill which has drawn him into the world of espionage before, and which he uses again in an attempt to corner his implacable enemy, Narrey.

Holcroft not only has to negotiate the machinations of his enemies, but the enmity of his commanding officer, and his own feelings, in order to track down his enemy and fulfill his duties within the army. The story of the campaign which led to the Battle of the Boyne and beyond is laid out beautifully by Angus Donald – as is the gorgeous Irish landscape.

The author’s research is impeccable and thorough, not only with the battle itself, but also with his knowledge of provisions, troop movements, training and 17th century society in both Ireland and England. His knowledge of the campaign, gunnery and the minutiae of army life help to bring to life the Stuart world in vivid and colourful detail.

Blood’s Campaign is exciting from the first page to the last. A totally absorbing story, it will keep you reading ‘just another chapter’ long into the night. You don’t just read this book – you devour it.

Blood’s Campaign is definitely in my 10 best books of 2019. It takes you on a wonderful adventure and leaves you wanting more!

As well as being a book geek, I am also a history geek too. I must admit that I usually read books set fairly recently. Well when I say recently, I mean the 19th and 20th Centuries. They do say that a change is as good as a rest and I am always up for reading something set outside of my usual reading material. I couldn't wait to settle down and read the book. Well having just finished reading 'Blood's Campaign' and having enjoyed it as much as I did, I will definitely be reading the first two in the Holcroft Blood series.
I must admit that it did take me a little while to get into this book. I don't mean that in a negative sense but I am not used to reading books set in the 17th Century, so it took me a little while to get used to that era and people had a different way of talking so it took me a little while to get used to that too. Once I got used to all that, I was into the story and away. I had to binge read the book in stages but that was ok because it meant that I could read a section, think about what I had read and then read another section and so on. In that respect I treated this book as you would watching a television drama series. The more I read, the further into the story I got and the more intrigued I became by the plot. I would say that I raced through the latter half of the book because I was so desperate to find out how the story concluded. The pages turned that quickly that it was almost as if they were turning themselves and then all of a sudden I reached the end of the book, which I was disappointed about. Don't get me wrong, I was pleased to finish the book because it meant that I knew how the story ended but I was enjoying the book so much that I didn't want it to end.
'Blood's Campaign' is well written. The author has a writing style that draws you into the story from early on and he takes you on one hell of an at times scary ride through 17th Century Ireland with Holcroft involved in battle after battle. The author writes so convincingly that if I closed my eyes I could easily have imagined that I had travelled back in time and I was actually on the battlefield myself with all the relevant sights and sounds. I did feel as though I was part of the story myself too. I found 'Blood's Campaign' to be both a compelling and a thrilling read and it is a book that I will definitely be recommending to other readers. I enjoyed this book so much that I will definitely be getting hold of copies of the first two books in the series and I will read them just as soon as I can. I am sure that I will enjoy reading them just as much as I enjoyed this one.
The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 4* out of 5*.

(Review)

Ive been a fan of Angus Donald since i got my hands on a little paperback 10 years ago called “Outlaw”, it was the beginning of something totally new, a total rewrite of the Robin Hood Legend, a robin hood meets the godfather, and when it ended after 8 amazing tales i really wondered if he could top it as a series, and for me he did, the beginning of the Holcroft Blood series “Bloods Game” was something truly different because while it followed the norm of taking a hero from childhood to adulthood, it did so with a boy that was different, Angus introduced us to Holcroft Blood a boy who lived with Autism, something they would not have known back then, but surely existed, it took a boy on the ride through dangerous politics and Machiavellian plots, where those around him could consider him to be too simple to understand due to his lack of social skills, but under that quiet exterior lurked a highly intelligent, boy then young man.

Bloods Campaign finds Holcroft a grown man, with his beloved Artillery regiment, an officer and a gentleman of some skill, as always he is front on centre in the action and mired in a personal battle with his nemesis Henri d’Erloncourt a french officer and spy, and the battle for Ireland.

Angus Donald writes in a style that is very character driven and has a talent for introducing lots of well rounded and fun side characters, like Enoch the aged artillery man, and in this book Hogan an Irishman, a brigand and an all round chancer, but one with his own moral code and skills, I love a good side character, and loved the addition of Hogan, a man who could star easily in his own book. We travel the length and breadth of Ireland galloping over bogs and rivers, there are sieges and battles, there are sneak attacks, betrayals, spies, bravery, stupidity in action and so much more. I tore through this book in a single day, so far this is easily my favorite book that Angus Donald has written, a total adventure from first page to last, with some beautiful scenes and scenery. My Favorite is the meeting near the end between Holcroft and the man who is alleged to have cuckolded him, so well written and so beautifully showing the growth of Holcroft from the start of the book to the end.

I highly recommend this book, and all of Angus Donalds books

(Parm)

Blood's Campaign sees Holcroft Blood in Ireland fighting for the English as King William tres to finally see off ex King James.

The story is set in 1689 and 1690 and sees Blood in many battles that are well described by an author who has clearly done his research.

The book moves along at a good pace and keot this reader entertained throughout

Definitely recommended

I have to say at the start that this is my first book by this author and what a find he is. The story is a well-balanced mix of fact and fiction that smooth out any gaps in history and shortfall of solid facts about these historical figures. The encounters are brutal on the field, sacrificing unwitting soldiers to draw the enemy away from the true approach.
The battles are detailed with hand to hand combat but the magnetic draw for me was with the cannons and Captain Holcroft Blood, set in Ireland as the war rages between Catholics and Protestants. Blood has quite radical ways of thinking that don't conform with his peers, so his outspoken views often rustle feathers.
The story centres on three main characters whose futures are determined by each other. Old scores, money and honour rank high in the story. Holcroft Blood, Henri d'Erloncourt and Michael Hogan another firm favourite for me. The story is fast and furious with extremely detailed encounters, making colourful explosions of colour leap out of these chapters. Some of my favourite chapters were the encounter between Blood and Hogan and the respect and honour they had for each other as fellow soldiers.
Do read on after the story where the author explains about the characters. A brilliant book and an era I am loving the more I read about it.
I wish to thank NetGalley for a copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly.

Whilst this was a great re-imagination and re-enactment of The Battle of the Boyne, I didn't find it very interesting in terms of story or plot. 

There was too many battle scenes and not enough plot for my liking and I would have enjoyed more of that rather than what felt like constant fight scenes. If that's something you enjoy, then by all means this is the one for you, but I have become quite attached to Holcroft as a character and would like to see more of his personal life in books to come. 

Trigger warnings for: blood, gore, rape, loss of a loved one, animal death and animal cruelty.

Set during the 1600's in Ireland during the war between William of Orange and James, Captain Blood an exceptional gunner finds himself faced with his own personal war. He receives intelligence that French agent Henri D'Erloncourt, Blood's enemy is with the force of James. Henri and Blood have past scores to settle.

Michael 'Galloping' Hogan a brigand also finds himself embroiled in the war and becomes an agent of Henri with the underlying purpose of helping Henri defeat Blood.

Blood is also faced with the problem that they have a spy in their midst who passes intelligence to Henri and in the process leads to the death of hundreds of their own.

Who will come out of this alive? And who will be the victor?

This was quite an entertaining read. I enjoyed how Blood's character developed but also have to say how well written the character of Henri was. I hated him from the start!
The book contains a mix of emotions, there's sadness, relief and the occasional whoop of success.

I have given it 3 stars as although I enjoyed it I found some of the chapters I wanted to skip through. It can be very detailed when discussing the guns which I imagine is great if that's your thing but sadly I have little interest in cannons etc.

That being said I would be interested in reading more about Blood's adventures.