The Cross and the Curse

The Bernicia Chronicles, Book 2

By: Matthew Harffy

Narrated by: Barnaby Edwards

Length: 14 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

634AD. Anglo-Saxon Britain. A gripping, action-packed historical thriller and second instalment in the Bernicia Chronicles. Perfect for fans of Bernard Cornwell.

Warlords battle across Britain to become the first king of the English. After a stunning victory against the native Waelisc, Beobrand returns a hero. His valour is rewarded with wealth and land by Oswald, king of Northumbria. He retires to his new estate with his bride only to find himself surrounded by enemies old and new.

With treachery and death on all sides, Beobrand fears he will lose all he holds dear. On a quest for revenge and redemption, he accepts the mantle of lord, leading his men into the darkest of nights and the bloodiest of battles.

©2016 Matthew Harffy (P)2016 Audible, Ltd

Amazing work

I couldn’t stop listening to this book. Very well written and narrated. I highly recommend it.

Great novel

It is a pleasure to continue reading this story of a young man’s journey through these tough times.

A good story with weakness in dialogue

Harffy tell a good narration. He weaves a good story capturing scenery, decent character development, and a quick moving narrative. It’s a bloody unruly time. Dialogue is at times trite and the story at times is too predictable but overall, worth the listen if you enjoy historical fiction set in this time period.

good little historical fiction

after reading Bernard Cornwells Sexson series thought I would give another similar series a try. This one though not as good as Cornwell, in my opinion, is still a good read. Author grabs real events and spins his fictional characters in them. heading to book 3 now!

Could not stop until the end! Fantastic!

If you could sum up The Cross and the Curse in three words, what would they be?

Riveting, Gripping , Engrossing!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Beobrand, such a great warrior!

Have you listened to any of Barnaby Edwards’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes, The Serpent and Sword, he is awesome! A phenomenal narrator!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes! And I did listen in one sitting, it was that great!

Any additional comments?

Matthew Harffy is the next Bernard Cornwell, no doubt! Please have Barnaby Edwards perform all your novel narrations!

Wonderful fulfilling story

So far the Bernicia chronicles and Barbary Edwards have not disappointed !!! Great story filled with every kind of emotion you can expect! Along with that emotion barnaby brings life and personality to each and every character as an individual. Very excited for the rest of the story!!

great book !!!

Would you consider the audio edition of The Cross and the Curse to be better than the print version?

The unabridged audio book version allows me to read while doing other things.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Cross and the Curse?

The warrior ethic was interesting in various scenes. The strong sense of honor and loyalty impressed me.

Have you listened to any of Barnaby Edwards’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

He is a good reader and makes you enjoy the performance.

If you could rename The Cross and the Curse, what would you call it?

I would not rename it --- the title is fine as the author chose it.

Any additional comments?

would recommend the Book series---this is Book 2

Captivating from beginning to end.

It was a challenge to have to stop listening when need be. I enjoyed this book just as much as book 1 and I'm looking forward to the entirety of this series. Absolutely amazing narration.

Even Better Than The First Book!

I enjoyed book two even more than book one. I listened to it in less than 2 days. Purchasing book 3 right now!

A Struggle

Any additional comments?

This was a struggle to read since the main character, Beobrand, becomes unlikable. That is going to be hard to change for the 3rd book. Overall not a bad story, somewhat predicable.. but I have never been fond of characters that have anger issues and fly off into a rage and hurt people without thinking or make situations worse for all those around just because they can't stop and think for 10 seconds... right now, at the end of book 2, I would have no issues if someone took Beobrand out.