Kemp: The Castle in the Marsh: Arrows of Albion, Book 3

I’ve enjoyed the Kemp books tremendously except for this one with frustration rising after each. After reading all within a few days it’s become apparent that a renowned English archer with renowned enemies gets captured every few chapters and keeps his life and fingers. Lunn writes a good story but I’m just about done. Another idiotic mistake with more nights in a dungeon and I’m putting the series down.

The characters are well developed and engaging. While the personal reveries are minimal, the action is a pleasure to go through without boredom to the reader due to overly detailed rendering of each movement in a fight.As for a modern rendition of fighting in the late Middle Ages, there is not TOO much PC history changes demanded of present day publishers. An exception is the Lady E’s reaction to a white male’s actions that eliminates her gaoler, kind of the “I saved YOU,” variety in her antagonistic manner when she wouldn’t agree he’d just released her from a’fate worse than death.’Worth the read.Richp

A rollercoaster ride in interest and repetitive type events, but still not a bad story. If future sequels, needs a bit more to the plot than Kemp repeated getting in and out of trouble.

I really like the Kemp series and will probably buy each episode as they come out as long as Mr. Lunn continues with the gripping power of the last three novels. When is the 4th coming out?

Great action story, interesting historically as well as it moves around France Eng and Scotland. I really enjoyed the book and am looking forward to the next episode much as I did with the Sharpe novels.

Martin Kemp in 1350 with his comrades defying all odds, saves the day for King and County, or for themselves. You decide, no spoilers from me. True page turner!!

I have thoroughly enjoyed this series of books and the characters Mr. Lynn has brought to life. They are well written and are a nice historical fiction. Well done.

Not the best in the series so far. Bit of a slow start.

I'm quite disappointed, to be honest.Book 1 was good, if rather formulaic on the whole English archer at Crecy trope (a love interest at home, a false crime, a haughty nobleman, a supportive nobleman, and archers being able to beat knights in hand to hand combat). Book 2 was where things started to get messy. The whole book jumps around over 3 years and honestly many parts were entirely forgettable.Book 3 is in some aspects better, but in many, worse. The writing is also very jumpy, with sometimes the next sentence being several days later with no real change of tone to kinda set the reader for it. The plot is good, but the love interest is not believable. The characters literally go from cursing each other to kissing each other in the next line. There was absolutely no indication of interest from the woman's side, she was just made to kiss the guy.The biggest flaw in this book though is Kemp himself. Like many reviewers here have said, Kemp seems to mess up alot, which is good, but then he'll recover miraculously thanks to either an overconfident enemy, or by kicking them in the balls. Literally, he gets out of every sticky situation in the book this way, including having fallen into a *well* and still managing to defeat a knight. This is some really lazy writing of showing a character who makes mistakes but never really suffers for it.Lastly, the interesting characters in the previous books seems to have been discarded. There's no further mention of Sir Walter Mauny, Sir Thomas Holland or the King. Am we really to believe that, after displaying his archery skills, his quick initiative taking and sorting out Holland's divorce for him in book 1 and 2, that Holland would just forget about the best archer in his service? Then, Kemp goes and seizes a castle almost by himself, and still no nobleman notices. Even in the heirarchial structure of the middle ages, I do not think such ability would go this unnoticed. After all, it was not uncommon for yeomen to get knighted after a great service.Overall, the book was an enjoyable read, but poorly written and incredibly unsatisfying. None of the things Kemp does, accomplishments or mistakes, really affects anything further down the line. Hoping book 4 is better.

If you like historical fiction then this novel, the third of a series of novels, is one to read. Things one might expect to happen don't while other events sneak up on you. With Jonathan Lynn the writers craft is in good hands.

Have enjoyed reading the 3 books so far and eagerly look forward to the next chapter! Soon as possible please. Kemp is a gritty character and the story lines flow easily with enough adventure and detail to keep turn the pages. My only criticism of book 3 is the length! Way shorter than books 1 and 2 it lacked some depth and skitted around a little too much. Oh and one final thing for the author there is nothing wrong with Kemp getting it right first time..he seems to spend far too much time getting knocked on the head tied up and getting out of it by head butting someone followed by a quick kick between the legs!....

My wife ordered this item, plus another Kemp book, in error, trying to get the paperback versions for my birthday. Impossible to cancel. Not impressed with Kindle as I neither have a Kindle nor a Kindle account nor am I likely to get either one after this fiasco.This is no reflection on the author whose first Kemp book (paperback) I thoroughly enjoyed.

Wonderful escapism, easy to read and fascinating historical novel.