20 Jan Griffin Brady The Heart of a Hussar Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour #HistoricalFiction #PolishWingedHussars #BlogTour #CoffeePotBookClub @griffbrady1588 @maryanneyarde
FEATURED AUTHOR: GRIFFIN BRADY
Welcome to the Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour for Colorado author Griffin Brady that is being held between January 17th – January 28th, 2022. Griffin Brady is the author of the Historical Fiction, The Heart of a Hussar (The Winged Warrior Series, Book 1), which was released by Trefoil Publishing on 12th September 2020 (434 pages).
It was a pleasure to read and review Giffin Brady’s epic historical tale, The Heart of a Hussar, set during the 17th-century Polish-Muscovite war, a period with which I was not familiar. The novel has everything that I love in epic historical fiction — fully developed characters, adventure, romance, political intrigue, and world-building. It was one of my favorite historical fiction books that I read last year.
Below are highlights of The Heart of a Hussar, Griffin Brady’s author bio, and my 5-star review of her book.
To follow the blog tour, CLICK Tour Schedule Page
HIGHLIGHTS: THE HEART OF A HUSSAR
The Heart of a Hussar
(The Winged Warrior Series, Book 1)
By Griffin Brady
Poland is at war. He must choose between his lifelong ambition and his heart.
Exploiting Muscovy’s Time of Troubles, Poland has invaded the chaotic country. Twenty-two-year-old Jacek Dąbrowski is an honorable, ferocious warrior in a company of winged hussars—an unrivaled, lethal cavalry. When his lieutenant dies in battle, Jacek is promoted to replace him, against the wishes of his superior, Mateusz, who now has more reason to eliminate him.
Jacek dedicates his life to gaining the king’s recognition and manor lands of his own. Consequently, he closely guards his heart, avoiding lasting romantic entanglements. Unscathed on the battlefield, undefeated in tournaments, and adored by women eager to share his bed, Jacek has never lost at anything he sets out to conquer. So when he charges toward his goals, he believes nothing stands in his way.
Upon his return from battle, Jacek deviates from his ordinarily unemotional mindset and rescues enemy siblings, fifteen-year-old Oliwia and her younger brother, Filip, from their devastated Muscovite village. His act of mercy sets into motion unstoppable consequences that ripple through his well-ordered life for years to come—and causes him to irretrievably lose his heart.
Oliwia has her own single-minded drive: to protect her young brother. Her determination and self-sacrifice lead her to adopt a new country, a new religion, and a new way of life. But it’s not the first time the resilient beauty has had to remake herself, for she is not what she appears to be.
As Jacek battles the Muscovites and Tatars threatening Poland’s borders for months at a time, Oliwia is groomed for a purpose concealed from her. All the while, Mateusz’s treachery and a mysterious enemy looming on the horizon threaten to destroy everything Jacek holds dear.
Buy Links:
This novel is available on #KindleUnlimited
Universal Book Link ♠ Amazon UK ♠ Amazon US ♠ Amazon CA ♠ Amazon AU
AUTHOR BIO: GRIFFIN BRADY
Griffin Brady is a historical fiction author with a keen interest in the Polish Winged Hussars of the 16th and 17th centuries. She is a member of the Historical Novel Society and Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers. The Heart of a Hussar took third place in the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers’ 2018 Colorado Gold Contest and was a finalist in the Northern Colorado Writers’ 2017 Top of the Mountain Award.
The proud mother of three grown sons, she lives in Colorado with her husband. She is also an award-winning, Amazon bestselling romance author who writes under the pen name G.K. Brady.
Social Media Links:
Website ♠ Twitter ♠ Facebook ♠ BookBub ♠ Amazon Author Page ♠ Goodreads
BOOK REVIEW: THE HEART OF A HUSSAR
The Heart of a Hussar by Griffin Brady
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The Heart of a Hussar, the first book by Griffin Brady in the 17th-century historical fiction series (The Wings of Warriors), sweeps you into the backdrop of the Polish-Muscovite war. The Tsardom of Russian succession was plunged into crises in 1598 when there was not a designated heir at the death of Tsar Feodor I. The powerful Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth took advantage of the situation and waged war against Russia in 1509 to gain territorial concessions and weaken its alliance with Sweden. The novel begins with action at the Battle of Kłuszyn on 4 July 1610. Outnumbered, the Polish forces win a decisive victory over the Russians due to the political prowess of the winged hussars—the elite cavalrymen serving the Crown of Poland.
Lieutenant Jacek Dabrowski—a newly promoted twenty-two-year-old brash and cunning hussar—rescues fifteen-year-old Oliwia and her younger brother from an enemy Muscovite village that has been pillaged. Jacek’s merciful act sets in motion a cascade of consequences that profoundly impact both his and Oliwia’s lives. After they both return to the estate of Lord Eryk Krygowski, the story unfolds over a period of three years. The Lord’s wife mysteriously takes in and grooms Oliwia for aristocratic duties while Jacek pursues his ambitions to be recognized by the King for his valor and be rewarded with manors and titles. At first, Jacek hesitates to lose his heart to Oliwia but finally acknowledges his feelings for her when she comes of age to marry. But a love triangle, treachery, and political machinations could destroy everything he holds dear.
Author Griffin Brady has masterfully crafted a multi-layered, epic tale of adventure, romance, betrayal, vengeance, and political intrigue in the backdrop of Poland at the height of its power. Action-packed battle scenes, emotionally-packed dialogue, and a budding romance resonate on several layers. The detailed descriptions of battles, weaponry, landscape, social norms, and clothing add to the historical world-building, giving a flavor of the times without detracting from the story. Riveting battle scenes juxtapose with the everyday life of aristocrats in their winter quarters when military campaigns were not waged. The details in the story reflect the author’s impeccable research and passion for the subject.
The characters are engaging and relatable for modern-day audiences. Though Jacek’s steadfast, unemotional demeanor serves him well in battle and tournaments, it is also an impediment to advancing romance. With a history of misfortune, Oliwia must re-invent herself and adapt to a new world to survive and protect her younger brother. The devotion expressed between Lord Eryk and his kind sickly wife is endearing. Though she cannot bear him a child, he nonetheless remains loyal to her. Twists in the plot that I did not anticipate culminate to a heart-wrenching ending, setting the stage for the next book.
I highly recommend The Heart of a Hussar to those who enjoy reading epic, multi-layered historical tales filled with adventure, romance, and political intrigue.
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Roberta Eaton Cheadle
Posted at 21:42h, 20 JanuaryI am currently reading War and Peace so I am learning about the Hassars and the Russian military. This book really appeals to me. Thanks for sharing your review, Linnea.
Linnea Tanner
Posted at 21:55h, 20 JanuaryHi Robbie–WOW! “War and Peace” is quite an epic to read. I’ve never read it, but I’ve been fascinated with the Russian revolution during WWI. It’s intriguing to know that the Hassars were also discussed in “War and Peace.” I really enjoyed reading, “The Heart of a Hussar,” and learned a lot about the historical period. Thank you for commenting.
The Coffee Pot Book Club
Posted at 06:55h, 21 JanuaryI am so glad you enjoyed The Heart of a Hussar. Thank you so much for hosting today’s tour stop.
All the best,
Mary Anne
The Coffee Pot Book Club
Linnea Tanner
Posted at 22:08h, 30 JanuaryHi Mary Anne: It was my pleasure to host the blog tour for Griffin Brady and review her book, “The Heart of a Hussar.”
Jan Sikes
Posted at 09:12h, 21 JanuaryThis sounds like a wonderful story, Linnea. It’s always great to meet a new author! Best wishes to Griffin. She has such a lovely smile!
Linnea Tanner
Posted at 15:05h, 21 JanuaryThank you, Jan, for commenting on the post about Griffin and her book, “The Heart of a Hussar.” I’ve had a chance to interact with the author personally, and her smile reflects her personality perfectly. I really enjoyed reading her book and learning more about this historical period. I’m usually pretty good about anticipating what will happen in a story, but there was quite a twist that I didn’t expect toward the end. Hope you have a lovely week!
Griffin Brady
Posted at 13:10h, 21 JanuaryThank you so much for featuring the book and for the lovely review, Linnea!
Linnea Tanner
Posted at 18:24h, 26 JanuaryHi Griffin–It was my pleasure to feature your book. I enjoy reading your book. Best wishes for a fantastic year!
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Posted at 23:20h, 29 June[…] previously reviewed the first book in the series, The Heart of a Hussar, set during the 17th-century Polish-Muscovite war, a period with which I was not familiar. The […]