To Be Worthy In Honor

Nicknamed Hotspur for tirelessly thwarting threats to England, Sir Harry Percy should be riding easy. Deeply in love, he builds an idyllic life in Northumberland at Tower House, with his sweetheart, Ciarry. Trouble brews, though, under Henry IV, who became king-over Harry’s objections-by inciting a mob to make Parliament oust the venal Richard II and enthrone Henry. Now the new monarch rules as despotically as his predecessor. Moreover, the Exchequer lacks money owed Harry for national defense. Yet, after unsuccessfully demanding Scottish fealty, Henry targets Wales, enacting brutal anti-Welsh laws that spark uprisings. Dispatched to quell the unrest, Harry uses battlefield victory and diplomacy to reach an accord with Welsh leader Owain Glyn Dwr. But the Crown rejects the settlement and orders Harry to commit political murder by duplicitously seizing and killing Glyn Dwr. Harry refuses. Meanwhile, up north, Scottish reivers attack rural properties, including Tower House. Can Harry confront danger on 3 fronts at once? And can the isle of Britain ever know peace again? \

EDITORIAL REVIEW by Victoria Chatham

To Be Worthy of Honor: Book II in the Epic of Hotspur by Liz Sevchuk Armstrong.

Liz Sevchuk Armstrong continues her historical retelling of Sir Henry Percy’s story. Henry, also known as Harry, was nicknamed Hotspur by the Scots for his speed in action and is now dealing with the rebellious Welsh led by Owain Glyn Dwr.

Having originally been instrumental in promoting Henry Bolingbroke to replace King Richard II, Harry now finds that Bolingbroke, now King Henry IV, is difficult to deal with, primarily due to his failure to pay the wages owed to them. Henry’s increasingly erratic demands and edicts frustrate Harry, but as a man of honor, he supports the king.

The narrative in this book is compelling. The communications to and from Hotspur and Henry IV, the breathtaking logistics of travelling between London and North Wales, and the sheer scale and brutality of battles- softened by a few tender moments with his estranged wife, children, and lover- bring to life a man caught between the ongoing upheaval of promises and stark betrayal. This makes for a fast-paced, unmissable read.