Altdorf

The Forest Knights, Book 1

By: J.K. Swift

Narrated by: Brad Wills

Length: 8 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

A wild land, too mountainous to be tamed by plows…A Duke of the Holy Roman Empire, his cunning overshadowed only by his ambition…A young Priestess of the Old Religion, together with a charismatic outlaw, sparking a rebellion from deep within the forests…And an ex-Hospitaller caught between them all.

At the end of the thirteenth century, five hundred orphans and second sons are rounded up from villages in the Alpine countryside and sold to the Hospitaller Knights of St John. Trained to serve as Soldiers of Christ, they fight in eastern lands they know nothing about, for a cause they do not understand.

Thomas Schwyzer, released from his vows by the Grandmaster of the Hospitallers, returns to the land of his birth a stranger. Once a leader of men, and captain of the Order's most famous war galley, he now settles into the simple life of a ferryman. He believes this new role to be God's reward for years of faithful service fighting the Infidel in Outremer.

Seraina, considered a witch by most, a healer by some, is a young woman with a purpose. A Priestess of the Old Religion, and the last Druid disciple of the Helvetii Celts, she has been gifted by the Great Weave to see what others cannot. Her people need her guidance and protection now more than ever. For Duke Leopold of Habsburg, in his efforts to control the St. Gotthard Pass, builds a great Austrian fortress in Altdorf. Once finished, the Habsburg occupation will be complete, but the atrocities visited upon her people will have just begun.

Set in medieval Switzerland, Altdorf, a novel of The Forest Knights, is the first audiobook in a two-book series.

©2011 J.K. Swift (P)2013 J.K. Swift

Loved it

Its a really exciting novel with fond characters, action, heroism, misticism. A really Good listen

Definitely Only Half the Story

While enjoyable, the ending is not much of a conclusion and truly feels like half the story rather than a complete narrative with a continuation after it. Brad Wills did a fantastic job with narrating each character.

Great story

Would you consider the audio edition of Altdorf to be better than the print version?

Yes, the wonderful voices of Brad Wills brings the characters to life.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Fredrick, He was a strong man.

Which scene was your favorite?

When the old man beat the young man in a tournament.

Who was the most memorable character of Altdorf and why?

Seraina - She was one with the trees and land.

Any additional comments?

I loved listening about the people, customs and the description of the Alps in history. Brad Wills is the best in the business and he can keep my attention with all of the emotions of the people in the story.

enjoyable...until the end

I enjoyed this book. It took me some time to get used to the narrators thick accent. good story. But the end....for me it just didnt flow. I kept rewinding thinking I had skipped something, but no. It was like the author was in a hurry to end the story. I was considering purchasing the next book in the series, but I'm hesitant.

barely average

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

no -I am not a fan of killing off protagonists (who - while clearly being set up for removal make you wonder...what's the point here?)

Would you be willing to try another book from J.K. Swift? Why or why not?

not sure

Life's Trials.

The characters in this book are unique and all have their own stories and yet they come together to engage the reader drawing one into the story to become part of it. Action, Romance, Greed, sorrow, it's all in here. A good read.

slow start that ended well

I almost turned this book off several times during the first few chapters. The introduction and setup took way too long, were confusing and felt disconnected.

But I sick with it. The overall story was fair. it started out slow but picked up it's tempo and ended almost too fast.

The reader used some very heavy accents which made it tough at times.