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Ryan Sherwood

Ryan Sherwood

About

Unable to recall a time when he wasn’t writing or drawing, Ryan earned a degree from Columbia College Chicago in both subjects to evolve his art addictions into a career. When not working as a graphic designer in the Chicago suburbs, Ryan spends his time immersed in books, comics, movies, or hunched over his laptop writing. Those efforts have currently produced two novels available on www.ryansherwood.com. 
The books are a blend of art and action. A flex of the bicepts and the brain. Literature with a plot. Possible genres: fantasy, science fiction, magic realism, modern fantasy, horror, suspense.

The Sons of Godwine: Part Two of The Last Great Saxon Earls

The Sons of Godwine: Part Two of The Last Great Saxon Earls

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Description

<p>Emerging from the long shadow cast by his formidable father, Harold Godwineson showed himself to be a worthy successor to the Earldom of Wessex. In the following twelve years, he became the King's most trusted advisor, practically taking the reins of government into his own hands. And on Edward the Confessor's death, Harold Godwineson mounted the throne—the first king of England not of royal blood. Yet Harold was only a man, and his rise in fortune was not blameless. Like any person aspiring to power, he made choices he wasn't particularly proud of. Unfortunately, those closest to him sometimes paid the price of his fame.<br /><br />This is a story of Godwine's family as told from the viewpoint of Harold and his younger brothers. Queen Editha, known for her Vita Ædwardi Regis, originally commissioned a work to memorialize the deeds of her family, but after the Conquest historians tell us she abandoned this project and concentrated on her husband, the less dangerous subject. In THE SONS OF GODWINE and FATAL RIVALRY, I am telling the story as it might have survived had she collected and passed on the memoirs of her tragic brothers.<br /><br />This book is part two of The Last Great Saxon Earls series. Book one, GODWINE KINGMAKER, depicted the rise and fall of the first Earl of Wessex who came to power under Canute and rose to preeminence at the beginning of Edward the Confessor's reign. Unfortunately, Godwine's misguided efforts to champion his eldest son Swegn recoiled on the whole family, contributing to their outlawry and Queen Editha's disgrace. Their exile only lasted one year and they returned victorious to London, though it was obvious that Harold's career was just beginning as his father's journey was coming to an end.<br /><br />Harold's siblings were all overshadowed by their famous brother; in their memoirs we see remarks tinged sometimes with admiration, sometimes with skepticism, and in Tostig's case, with jealousy. We see a Harold who is ambitious, self-assured, sometimes egocentric, imperfect, yet heroic. His own story is all about Harold, but his brothers see things a little differently. Throughout, their observations are purely subjective, and witnessing events through their eyes gives us an insider’s perspective.<br /><br />Harold was his mother's favorite, confident enough to rise above petty sibling rivalry but Tostig, next in line, was not so lucky. Harold would have been surprised by Tostig's vindictiveness, if he had ever given his brother a second thought. And that was the problem. Tostig's love/hate relationship with Harold would eventually destroy everything they worked for, leaving the country open to foreign conquest. This subplot comes to a crisis in book three of the series, FATAL RIVALRY.</p>

Story Behind The Book

Revenants are the undead brought to life by a soul. A soul they can see all the past lives of and use against others in every way imaginable. Whole cultures are built around the soul and the believes that come with it. Some are holy and some are vicious. All are powerful and they war over the souls of all kind. Revenants: Fallen Savior is the first in a series.

Media Links

The Truth About Books April 09 Book of the Month

🔗 http://www.thetruthaboutbooks.com/book_review/ryan_sherwood/revenants.html

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Bitten by Books review

🔗 http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=10242

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Reviews

<span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:12px;line-height:normal;">This, the first in a series, is seriously good. Sherwood seems to have grown into his own with Revenants; you can hear the passion and conviction on every page. The difficult blend of sustaining intensity without losing depth of character or loss of descriptive prose is well achieved here. The world of the undead could be said to have been done to death, but Sherwood offers us something fresh and exciting, with an alternative beginning, a mystery behind their creation and the more subtle notion of an afflicted sub-race filled with past lives’ pain, memories and emotions. Sherwood has clearly poured his heart and soul into Revenants – and it shows – this is an immaculately presented, well constructed story, but most importantly it is a hugely entertaining read. &quot;The Truth about Books.com&quot;</span>