Clement: The Green Ship
(Clement, Book 2)
By Craig R. Hipkins
Normandy. The year 1161. King Henry ll sends the 14-year-old Clement, Count of la Haye on a secret mission. The young count and his friends travel in the wake of the mysterious mariner known as Sir Humphrey Rochford. Their destination? The legendary land of Vinland, known only from the Norse sagas. The journey is full of adventure and intrigue. Clement battles with a tyrannical Irish king and then finds his vessel attacked by a massive monster from the deep. The Green Ship sails to the sparse and barren land of Greenland where more trouble awaits.
Publication Date: June 02, 2021
Publisher: Hipkins Twins
Page Length: 313
Genre: Historical Fiction/ Young Adult 12+
MY THOUGHTS
A summons from the king can mean only three things. Firstly, it could mean you are being awarded for a heroic act or deed. Secondly, it could be because the king has chosen you a wife. Thirdly, it could mean you are about to go to sea to find a missing man who could be anywhere in the world, although he may well be in the legendary land of Vinland - if it exists. And once you have found him you are to take the chest that is in his possessions and sail quickly back to your king. In this case, King Henry II has ordered fourteen-year-old Clement, Count of lay Hayes, to find the missing man, which was kind of a relief because Clement already knows who he is going to marry, and it isn't going to be anyone King Henry chooses!
With the confidence of youth and the unquestionable loyalty of his friends, Clement immediately begins to make preparations for the voyage, but many feel slighted by this boy's promotion. Why has such a young man been promoted to Admiral for this expedition? If Clement is going to gain the respect of the men that are under him then he has to find a way to vanquish the fears of those who believe the world is flat and that they are not, in fact, heading towards certain doom. Clements interest in science and his understanding of scientific theory means he is absolutely convinced that none of the ships will fall off the edge of the earth, but whether they can find the legendary Vinland is another story!
I have not read Book 1 of this series, so I was a little apprehensive that I would not be able to keep up. Thankfully I needed not have feared for the author soon brings the reader up to date with the story so far. Clement, the hero of this tale, is only fourteen. He had to grow up very quickly after his father died. His uncle, the aptly named, Sven the Terrible has, instead of giving support, tried to take his nephew's castle. So Clement has no family left to turn to. Instead, Clement forges as a new family from his trustworthy and more importantly loyal friends. His friends would sacrifice their lives for him without questions, and he would do the same for them. This book is therefore a story about this friendship and that friendship really helps to drive the story forward.
Clement meets many obstacles in his quest to find Sir Humphrey and the chest. He soon realises just what he has gotten himself into! The sea is a dangerous place, but so is the port. If he is not battling a sea monster he is trying to dodge the attempts of paid assassins assigned to murder him, not to mention the problematic situation he finds himself in when he stops in Ireland. He seems to go from one disaster to another, which makes this novel a truly compelling medieval adventure.
Clement is the main character in this story, but, as I said, we do get to meet his friends as well. I thought Dagena was a really great role model for girls. She doesn't take any nonsense, not even from a king! And she can stand very firmly on her own two feet, although she does turn to Clement for support. She is a fierce and loyal friend. Her romance with Clement was wonderfully depicted and I really enjoyed reading about her.
This book was an absolute joy to read and I am really looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
This book is available on #KindleUnlimited
Craig R. Hipkins
Craig R. Hipkins grew up in Hubbardston Massachusetts. He is the author of medieval and gothic fiction. His novel, Adalbert is the sequel to Astrolabe written by his late twin brother Jay S. Hipkins (1968-2018)
He is an avid long-distance runner and enjoys astronomy in his spare time.
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I am so glad you enjoyed Clement: The Green Ship
ReplyDelete(Clement, Book 2).
Thank you so much for hosting today's tour stop.
The Coffee Pot Book Club
Thank you for this excellent review! It is much appreciated!
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