***Contains some spoilers.
“The High Priestess led the procession of maidens to the circle of stones. The skyclad women were chilled in the air of dawn. One of their number must die. Thus it was in the days of the Winter King.”
Swords of Iron by Jerome Brooke is a story about a war leader who is feared by all, and yet he himself is afraid of a mythological figure in the sky… the moon goddess. Afraid to offend “her”, he allows unspeakable rituals and rites to go on right under his nose. Women are raped and sacrificed because “she” has a thirst for blood…
Of course I believe he allowed these things because he took these witches as his concubines, to further his blood line. In return he offers them his protection, and the ability to continue their rituals.
At one point, he steps up and demands they discontinue a ritual, as it was done out of anger and not the rite of the elders. So he does have some amount of sense that what they are doing is wrong.
Overall, this story reads fast and is a bit choppy in places. Other than that, the cover art certainly grabs your attention and I would recommend The Swords of Iron to anyone who is interested in ancient fictionalized history with an erotic twist!
I gave it 2 stars.
*** I received an E-Copy of this book from the Author for a fair and honest review.
A Well Read Woman 