Review 'The Drums of War' , new novel by Michael Ward
Another Thomas Tallant Mystery set in 1640's London
I was approached by author Michael Ward and asked to review his third novel 'The Drums of War'. I thought that Mr Ward's first novel 'Rags of Time' was excellent. Set in London in 1639 as the fault lines that would lead to war between Parliament and the Crown, are starting to emerge, Thomas Tallant from an enterprising spice merchant family, has to extricate himself from a false charge of murder brought by City magistrates . Displays so much knowledge the whole dynamic of London life of the time, how the metropolis functions. His constant companion is Elizabeth, who has a passion for scientific discovery and enjoys smoking a pipe. The second novel ' The Wrecking Storm' is a sequel set against the acceleration to war in 1641 and beyond.
As Mr Ward said of his own writing in an interview with 'A Burnt Ship'
My aim in ‘Rags’ was to interlace themes of merchant rivalry, scientific discovery, street politics and conflicting religious certainties to hopefully provide a real sense of what it was like to live in those extraordinary times - a mixture, I suspect, of exhilaration and fear, depending on who you were.
And both this blog and 'Rags of Time' have titles drawn from John Donne poems.
'The Drums of War' opens in London with the King already having fled. Pro-Royalist assassinations are occurring and the King's supporters are trying to smuggle gunpowder out of London . Parliament's supporters are starting to train militias, and to Elizabeth's horror, the house of scientist William Harvey has been ransacked. The build up to war is over with hostilities finally unravelling. And when the fighting gets going, Elizabeth applies her scientific knowledge in a more practical sense and is also threatened by the criminal underworld, Thomas gets into various scrapes and sub plots during the fighting around London. It's entertaining and enjoyable enough.
The level of detail thrown into the work is impressive. Such as the plight of horses from the countryside suddenly assailed by the sheer range of noises and smells of London, and how to use the latest telescope imported from the Dutch United Provinces. Along with the workings of the jewel trade, with counterfeiting and robbery. Also the fact that quite a number of people seemed to be unsure of which side they are on.
The battle of Edgehill ( 22nd October 1642) is a crucial part of the novel. The mass of wounded that can not be treated, the despair of families' divided by conflict, the near capture of young princes Charles and James, how close William Harvey got to to the fighting, are depicted well. The novel seems to gather more momentum as the Royalists get near to London in November 1642, and attempts at reconciliation between Crown and Parliament falter.
Where I hesitate slightly is that if ' The Drums of War' was intended to be a historical crime thriller, then the assassinations and jewel thefts get swamped by the events of the War. Whilst I don't doubt Mr Ward's skills as an author, just not sure where this series is going. But I am sure many people interested in historical fiction set in the 17th century will get a lot from reading this novel.
Author website
The Life and Times of Thomas Tallant
Twitter Mike Ward@MikeWardmedia
Other related blogposts from 'A Burnt Ship'
Interview with Mike Ward published January 2021
17th century novels Includes review of Mr Ward's second novel 'The Wrecking Storm'
Other blogs from Michael Bully ( not currently updated )
As ever, I wish to thank everyone who visited this blog from different parts of the world. Hope that you stay safe and as well as possible during these chaotic times.
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Michael Bully
Brighton
30th September 2022
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