With Ring of Shield

A meeting at Windsor begins Walter Bradley's account of friendship and danger in the service of Edward IV. Preparing his arms for an expedition into Scotland, Bradley receives a visit from Lord Hastings and Sir Frederick Harleston, newly arrived from Calais. The two soldiers discuss the Duke of Gloucester, the king's health and the uncertain future of the crown. Their cautious conversation shows how quickly personal opinions can become matters of political trust.

Knox Magee gives this historical novel the voice of an older man recalling his trials for his sons and grandsons. Court intrigue shares space with military adventure and affection. In the later excerpt, Bradley and Harleston visit the Queen's sanctuary with important information, and Bradley is reunited with Hazel. For readers drawn to chivalric fiction, the interest lies in that combination of public duty and private attachment, expressed through formal speech and a soldier's memories of his companions.