There’s a singular problem with books about 1066: the bad guys win.

Now, that’s not to say I hate the Normans. One look at Mont-St-Michel should be enough to reveal that they were capable of marvels, and a second look at the extraordinary kingdom they created in Sicily will confirm that. But, in England, they were butchers. It’s possible that William didn’t expect as much resistance as he received. After all, the English had accepted another foreign king, Cnut, with fairly good grace. But William had to pay off the men who had backed him in his venture, and that meant basically stealing the country and doling it out to his followers. Cue twenty years of warfare and near genocide.

Which does, unfortunately, make books set in the aftermath of the Conquest generally depressing. We all know how it’s going to end and it’s not good. However, I’m pleased to say that GK Holloways’ excellent novel isn’t all gloom and dispossession. It does follow the lives of a wide range of characters cut loose by the Conquest, highlighting the difficult choices they have to make, but the author chooses stories that allow for at least a modicum of hope.

If you are looking for a novel exploring the repercussions of the Conquest but one that won’t leave you feeling depressed for a month afterwards, In the Shadows of Castles is an excellent choice.