A vicious attack. An enraged warrior-druid. A relentless hunt for vengeance!
Following a cowardly raid on Dun Breatann the Saxon attacker, Saksnot, rides back to rejoin his bretwalda, Hengist, in far-off Garrianum. Bellicus, outraged by the savage attack on his people and his closest friend, follows the perpetrator with just one thing on his mind: bloody justice!
As the towering druid hunts his prey across the summer fields and streams, Arthur, Bear of Britain, seeks to make a lasting peace with the new immigrants from across the sea. Hengist has no such plans however, instead working alongside his terrifying volva, Thorbjorg, to bring only blood, fire, and death to the embattled Britons.
As the brutal struggle for supremacy rages between the two warlords and their armies, Bellicus will find himself drawn into an adventure he could never have foreseen. An adventure that may seal the fate of Britain for generations to come.
Yes! Bellicus is back!
And better than ever! The Druid’s Prey by Steven A. McKay is the seventh book in Steven’s excellent Warrior Druid of Britain Chronicles. As regular readers will know, I have been reading this series since the first book, The Druid. The books follow the adventures of Bellicus the druid, his family and his Roman friend, Duro, as the defend their home, Dun Breatann, and the rest of Britain from the invading Saxons, led by Hengist and Horsa. Well, its just Hengist now, thanks to The Vengeance of Merlin. A sucker for anything Arthurian, Steven A. McKay also draws in the legendary Arthur, Lancelot and his loyal knights. And I love how Arthur is drawn into Bellicus’ story, but never fully takes over.
It’s a perfect combination and partnership.
In The Druid’s Prey, Bellicus is set on revenge, traveling the length of Britain to find the man who had tried to kill him and hurt his friend. Further south, Arthur is trying to take the war to Hengist, to strike a blow that will hurt the Saxon leader’s forces, and to find a friend of his own who has been captured by the enemy. Oh, and while Bellicus is away, his wife and daughter, Narina and Catia, work to strengthen Dun Breatann’s position and stave off the influence of the hated Hengist. Three missions that the reader can’t help but hope they collide…
The bear stopped moving, taking in the sight of the boar which was peering at it in return. And then the bear looked up at Bellicus and their eyes met. The druid swallowed, knowing for certain that he had come across this very animal before – it had attacked them some years prior, not far from where they were now, badly injuring King Coroticus and Gavo and killing one warrior and three dogs. It had eventually decided to give up the fight but only once it had a spear stuck in its back and a number of arrows from the Damnonii hunters’ bows. Bellicus examined its hairy pelt for evidence of those earlier wounds but it seemed to have healed well in the intervening years.
As if it recalled the battle the bear suddenly stood up on its hind legs and let out an enormous roar. Bellicus gazed at it in awe – the animal was not just enormous, it was majestic, and the thought of trying to kill it again was truly terrifying.
It seemed the boar had similar thoughts, for instead of charging at the bear, it turned and hurried off into the trees, the spear that Duro had planted in its side clattering noisily against tree trunks until, at last, it must have snapped off for there was a last, distant squeal and then only the low growling of the bear was left to fill the clearing.
“Mithras protect us, we’re in for it now,” Duro said, doing his best to draw his spatha while still gripping the trunk of his tree for dear life. “At least the boar couldn’t get up here.”
“Don’t do anything,”Bellicus ordered in a low voice. “Do you not recognise it?”
“Aye,” the centurion nodded. “It’s the same bear that almost killed us all before. You told us to let it go back then for some mad reason.”
“The Bear of Britain,” Bellicus said, so softly Duro could not hear him. “That’s what the Merlin had called Arthur.” Memories of the previous encounter with the bear were filling his mind and he remembered being in a shocked stupor as he’d stared at the bear bristling with missiles like a hedgehog. The animal had lost the will to fight that day and Bellicus had commanded those with him to let it go, a decision he’d never really understood himself. For some reason he’d seen the beast as connected to Arthur, or perhaps he just didn’t want any more people – or Cai, for the mastiff had been involved in the fighting too – getting injured or killed.
Whatever his motives had been, the bear stared up at him now, its round, dark eyes fixing on his own. There seemed an intelligence behind that gaze that Bellicus had not expected. Did it recognise him? Did it understand that he’d been the one that called off the attack on it and most likely saved its life after their previous encounter? Maybe. The druid knew that bears had an even more developed sense of smell than dogs, so it was possible the beast, which had dropped back to all fours now, recognised his scent if not his face.
The bear made a strange, ululating, guttural grunting sound and then simply wandered off into the trees, quickly disappearing from sight.
“Is… Is it over?” Duro gasped, sword still glinting in the last of the sunshine as he lowered himself down, hanging from a branch by one arm as he tried to see through the foliage and make sure the bear had really gone.
Hengist is on the road to revenge, taking any opportunity he can to punish his brother’s killers, whilst at the same time increasing his hold on Britain, extending his influence and grabbing more land. He sends an assassin north to Dun Breatann, captures one of Arthur’s leading men and seeks allies among the enemies of Bellicus and Queen Narina. The Druid’s Prey by Steven A. McKay has more than one story within its pages – and more than one hero!
It is a rollercoaster journey through post-Roman Britain as the lead characters fight to hold onto their lands, their friends and their family. Their are more than a few heart-in-the-mouth moments along the way. And, if you are reading at night, beware! “Just one more chapter…” will lead to 3 or 4 more!
As we are at book no. 7 in the Warrior Druid of Britain series, Steven A. McKay’s characters are well developed and very familiar to us. We know how Bellicus will react to his family and friends being attacked. We know that his daughter, Catia, now 12 years old, is not a little girl to whom things happen-she is a pre-teen, trained in warfare, experienced beyond her years but still needing the guidance of parents to keep her out of the worst trouble. And Arthur, everyone’s hero and Bellicus’ friend. Well, his adventures never fail to inspire and entertain. And each of these characters have to make choices and decisions that affect, not only themselves but also their people. Agonising decisions will lead to more danger, adventure and not a little swordplay.
I won’t tell you any more – I do not want to ruin it for anyone.
All I will say is, The Druid’s Prey by Steven A. McKay is the 7th book in a series and yet is as fresh and original as the first. If you have not yet read this excellent series, you are missing a treat – but I envy the fact you have 7 books to read, one after the other. What a treat you have instore.
To Buy the Book: The Druid’s Prey
About the author:
Steven A. McKay was born in Scotland in 1977 and always enjoyed studying history. He decided to write his Forest Lord novels after seeing a house called “Sherwood” when he was out at work one day. Since then he’s started a new series, the Warrior Druid of Britain Chronicles, and just completed a trilogy about Alfred the Great.
In 2021 the Xbox game HOOD: Outlaws and Legends was released, featuring Steven’s writing.
He used to be in a heavy metal band although he tends to just play guitar in his study these days. He did use those guitars to write the theme song for the podcast he co-hosted, Rock, Paper, Swords! with Matthew Harffy, though. Give it a listen, they’ve interviewed great guests like Diana Gabaldon, Simon Scarrow, Bernard Cornwell, Dan Jones and more!
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My books
Signed, dedicated copies of all my books are available through my online store.
Out now: Scotland’s Medieval Queens
Scotland’s history is dramatic, violent and bloody. Being England’s northern neighbour has never been easy. Scotland’s queens have had to deal with war, murder, imprisonment, political rivalries and open betrayal. They have loved and lost, raised kings and queens, ruled and died for Scotland. From St Margaret, who became one of the patron saints of Scotland, to Elizabeth de Burgh and the dramatic story of the Scottish Wars of Independence, to the love story and tragedy of Joan Beaufort, to Margaret of Denmark and the dawn of the Renaissance, Scotland’s Medieval Queens have seen it all. This is the story of Scotland through their eyes.
‘Scotland’s Medieval Queens gives a thorough grounding in the history of the women who ruled Scotland at the side of its kings, often in the shadows, but just as interesting in their lives beyond the spotlight. It’s not a subject that has been widely covered, and Sharon is a pioneer in bringing that information into accessible history.’ Elizabeth Chadwick (New York Times bestselling author)
Available now from Amazon and Pen and Sword Books
Also by Sharon Bennett Connolly:
Heroines of the Tudor World tells the stories of the most remarkable women from European history in the time of the Tudor dynasty, 1485-1603. These are the women who ruled, the women who founded dynasties, the women who fought for religious freedom, their families and love. Heroines of the Tudor World is now available from Amberley Publishing and Amazon UK. Women of the Anarchy demonstrates how Empress Matilda and Matilda of Boulogne, unable to wield a sword themselves, were prime movers in this time of conflict and lawlessness. It shows how their strengths, weaknesses, and personal ambitions swung the fortunes of war one way – and then the other. Available from Bookshop.org, Amberley Publishing and Amazon UK. King John’s Right-Hand Lady: The Story of Nicholaa de la Haye is the story of a truly remarkable lady, the hereditary constable of Lincoln Castle and the first woman in England to be appointed sheriff in her own right. Available from all good bookshops Pen & Sword Books, bookshop.org and Amazon.
Defenders of the Norman Crown: The Rise and Fall of the Warenne Earls of Surrey tells the fascinating story of the Warenne dynasty, from its origins in Normandy, through the Conquest, Magna Carta, the wars and marriages that led to its ultimate demise in the reign of Edward III. Available from Pen & Sword Books, Amazon in the UK and US, and Bookshop.org. Ladies of Magna Carta: Women of Influence in Thirteenth Century England looks into the relationships of the various noble families of the 13th century, and how they were affected by the Barons’ Wars, Magna Carta and its aftermath; the bonds that were formed and those that were broken. It is now available in paperback and hardback from Pen & Sword, Amazon, and Bookshop.org. Heroines of the Medieval World tells the stories of some of the most remarkable women from Medieval history, from Eleanor of Aquitaine to Julian of Norwich. Available now from Amberley Publishing and Amazon, and Bookshop.org. Silk and the Sword: The Women of the Norman Conquest traces the fortunes of the women who had a significant role to play in the momentous events of 1066. Available now from Amazon, Amberley Publishing, and Bookshop.org.
Alternate Endings: An anthology of historical fiction short stories including Long Live the King… which is my take what might have happened had King John not died in October 1216. Available in paperback and kindle from Amazon.
Podcast:
Have a listen to the A Slice of Medieval podcast, which I co-host with Historical fiction novelist Derek Birks. Derek and I welcome guests, such as Bernard Cornwell and Michael Jecks, and discuss a wide range of topics in medieval history, from significant events to the personalities involved.
Every episode is also now available on YouTube.
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©2025 Sharon Bennett Connolly
History... the interesting bits! 