Full disclosure: I have known Matt Barron for over 30 years, having hung out with him in one or another of our university cafes sorting out the world past, present, future, and fantasy and nutting out the assignments. His PhD is great and his commitment to his faith, his family and his ambition and almost daunting. I have finally got round to reading Prentice Ash, having heard about the book in bits and pieces as it progressed. It is an almost historical fiction in that it is set in the well researched time of knights, heraldry and crusades, but the focus is on Prentice who is a convict, lower than the low - who, having been at the scene of an attack on the entourage of the young and recently widowed Duchess Amelia, saves her life and the lives of those he can. The Duchess sees something in Prentice which her knights refuse to do especially Sir Liam. She offers Prentice and his two convict companions a chance to follow her and her substantially diminished entourage back to her home with a promise of a slightly better life in her service than the hard labour they had experienced.

As a widow, the Duchess now owns all the lands on this side of the mountains, lands which have been free of attack and war for over a decade, whilst the surviving knights try to insist that the attack had been by bandits, Prentice states that no bandit fights in such a disciplined manner as one, and with such savagery. There is also the matter of a terrible wolf which is part of the attacker's hoard which is unlike anything seen before.

The small group of disheveled travelers have barely returned to the castle when the Duchess is informed the Prince of the Realm has formed an army to counter unrest that appears to be in the farthest corner of the realm - in her duchy. Having seen how Prentice approaches the dangers they have faced, and his ability to explain what is happening in knowledgeable terms, the Duchess invites him to teach her warcraft. he refuses, but advises her on the books she should be reading as a basis for the upcoming actions. he has already noticed that the enemy is using a more advance technique in their attacks than is being used by the traditionally based knights of the kingdom.

To the disgust of Sir Liam, Prentice is made corporal of the foot army made up completely of convicts - men who have to march with the leg irons threaded with iron chains, last to be fed, last to be watered and no weapons,these men are intended to be the first to breach any enemy line, to die in their hundreds and delay the enemy until the knights and foot militia follow them to attack a worn enemy. Well that's the plan.

At a pond where the army is resting overnight, Prentice has a vision of a white lion and a many headed snake, the heads are strange animals, he seems to hear a message aimed at him but what did he really hear, after all he is tired and dead on his feet and he has to lead the convicts to the city said to be under siege.

When they reach the city, it has been reduced to rubble and all people have been burned (warning there is graphic descriptions) Prentice has another vision or perhaps he meets someone real who offers him food and drink and advice then seems to disappear when Prentice's attention is elsewhere.

A member of the party who destroyed the city is captured by Prentice, but of course honor goes to the knights. From this prisoner the location of the main army is found and the whole army of the Prince turn to march to face the enemy at a place the enemy has chosen to their advantage.

The knights take on the attack, the convicts left to watch, until Prentice notices dust clouds to the side and realises the enemy has a second arm approaching on a flank. the convicts are released to attempt to fight whatever is coming even though they have no arms of worth.

The white lion Prentice saw at the pond appears in a flash of light, the enemy appears driving chariots with enormous soldiers and shapeshifting soldiers that attack the convicts, and are themselves attacked by the lion. The Prince is threatened, the attack is averted and victory appears to be to the Prince's army at least for now. What happens next is for the second book in the series.

The quality of research is excellent the warcraft for a time of knights is well planned and the author does not pull any punches with the descriptions of the actions during attacks especially the actions of the enemy who a merciless. Social mores are acknowledged, Prentice cannot simply command any part of the army, but he can lead them and the Duchess still seeks his advice on the field, she is reading her way through his list of recommended texts and is learning fast for she wants to honour her recently dead husband not hand over her duchy to another man when she marries.

Another reviewer (on Amazon) said that there were formatting errors and other errors which required editing and that is true, one or two really jumped out at me and I am an editor so I am not being 'kind' to a friend. These errors are simple to fix and do not concern continuity which can mean pulling part or all of the novel apart and putting it back together. It is a Christian themed novel and appears to be set on earth with mention of Jesus and Moses once or twice, but I would have preferred it to have been set on another planet which too had experienced the emergence of Christianity for if God has created Earth even if by Intelligent Design who can say how many other 'Earths' have also been created with humanity experiencing a similar religious progression. Furthermore the crusade that Prentice participated in was against the Vek a society unknown on our Earth, but could easily be explained away by being a different planet.

All in all, I enjoyed finally reading this book and look forward to the sequel. ( )