On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club – Clement: The Green Ship (Clement, Book 2) by Craig R. Hipkins #HistoricalFiction #BookReview #YA @CraigHipkins @maryanneyarde

 I am so excited to share my review of Clement: The Green Ship  (Clement, Book 2) by Craig R. Hipkins.Thank you to The Coffee Pot Book Club for your invite to take part in the tour. 

Clement: The Green Ship 

(Clement, Book 2)

By Craig R. Hipkins

Normandy. The year 1161. King Henry ll sends the 14-year-old Clement, Count of la Haye on a secret mission. The young count and his friends travel in the wake of the mysterious mariner known as Sir Humphrey Rochford. Their destination? The legendary land of Vinland, known only from the Norse sagas. The journey is full of adventure and intrigue. Clement battles with a tyrannical Irish king and then finds his vessel attacked by a massive monster from the deep. The Green Ship sails to the sparse and barren land of Greenland where more trouble awaits.

If you follow my reviews then you know I have a thing for covers. I know you should not judge a book by its cover, but come on, admit it, we all do. The cover for this book really stands out and catches your attention. It practically screams adventure. I am relieved, I don't know why I always feel relieved, to inform you that the story is deserving of such a beautiful cover. 

I really, really, really enjoyed this book. It is filled with non-stop action. The characters are well developed, and the historical setting is c'est super (no, I don't speak French, but when in Rome, or Normandy... oh, you know what I mean)! This novel is such an easy read, perfect for a younger audience, but it does not lessen the story. If you are looking for a gift for a younger bookworm, then I think this book would go down a treat.

One of my favourite characters in this novel is Dagena. Dagena is one of those people who calls it as she sees it - my kind of person. She is not easily intimidated - not even a king can intimidate this young lady.  She is very self-assured, but not in an arrogant way, and the things she can do with a skillet! I really enjoyed reading about her.

Likewise, Clement, despite only being fourteen, comes across as very confident -  at least that is the projection that he gives out. But he does have moments when he doubts his own abilities, which I thought made him come across as very relatable. There are also moments when he does act his age, messing around with his friends, so I could understand why some of the older characters in this novel are wary about his position as Admiral of the Fleet, and maybe there is a little jealousy there as well. Who am I kinding, there is a whole ship full of jeaousy! However, Clement is very intelligent, he has an understanding of things and comprehends things that many of the others in this novel could not even begin to understand. He dares to stand on the side of science, which at times means he opens himself to accusations of heresy, but his knowledge is sound, and he can take comfort in his fiercely loyal friends. Clement is also a compassionate young man, and he never takes life likely, even when he is threatened, he still finds it in his heart to not be the monster that his uncle is. I thought Clement's depiction was wonderfully detailed, and great fun to read about.

I thought this book was fabulous, and I can't wait to read the rest of the series.

I received my copy from The Coffee Pot Book Club but you can grab yours from Amazon . If you subscribe to #KindleUnlimited then you can read for free. You can also find this book at Waterstones.

Craig R. Hipkins

Craig R. Hipkins grew up in Hubbardston Massachusetts. He is the author of medieval and gothic fiction. His novel, Adalbert is the sequel to Astrolabe written by his late twin brother Jay S. Hipkins (1968-2018)

He is an avid long-distance runner and enjoys astronomy in his spare time.

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