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Eleanor Swift-Hook
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The Fugitive's Sword (Lord's Learning Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Eleanor Swift-Hook (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 57 ratings

'A compelling blend of historical detail and inspired storytelling.' Tony Riches, author of The Brandon Trilogy.

Autumn 1624

Europe is deeply embroiled in what will become the Thirty Years' War.

A young Philip Lord, once favoured at King James' court, has vanished without a trace, under the shadow of treason.

Outside the besieged city of Breda, Captain Matthew Rider faces the brutal reality of wintering his cavalry in the siege lines, until he crosses paths with Filippo Schiavono, a young man whose courage and skill could change everything.

Kate, Lady Catherine de Bouqulement, arrives in London prepared to navigate the dangerous politics of King James' court to ensure troops are sent to her mistress, the exiled Queen of Bohemia.

Within Breda’s walls, a foundling named Jorrit unwittingly stumbles into a lethal conspiracy when Schiavono hires him, supposedly to help sell smuggled tobacco. But Schiavono’s plans go awry and they are compelled to flee the city, only to be captured at sea.

If Schiavono is unable to prove his loyalty and ruthlessness to a savage Dunkirker privateer captain, both he and Jorrit will face certain death.

Meanwhile, in London, Kate is forced to fight her own battle against those seeking to coerce her into their schemes and finds herself trapped in a terrifying and deadly power struggle.

Driven by violence, treachery, and the sea's merciless tides, their fates collide.


Eleanor Swift-Hook fell in love with the early Stuart era at university. She is also the author of the Lord's Legacy series. She lives in County Durham.

Praise for Eleanor Swift-Hook:
'Brutal, dark, and brilliant; it kept me gripped from the gruesome opening to the thrilling conclusion.' Jemahl Evans, author of The Last Roundhead.

'Thrilling and powerful battle scenes, an intriguing conspiracy that runs through the books and a dash of romance – the Lord’s Legacy series has it all’ Fiona Forsyth, author of the Publius Ovidius mysteries.
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  1. Book 1 of 2
    Lord's Learning
  2. Print length
    386 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    October 8, 2024
  5. File size
    3.8 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DHW996PZ
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Schiavona Books (October 8, 2024)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 8, 2024
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3.8 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 386 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 57 ratings

About the author

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Eleanor Swift-Hook

Eleanor Swift-Hook

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Eleanor Swift-Hook enjoys the mysteries of history and fell in love with the early Stuart era at university when she re-enacted battles and living history events with the English Civil War Society. Since then, she has had an ongoing fascination with the social, military and political events that unfolded during the Thirty Years' War and the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. She lives in County Durham and loves writing stories woven into the historical backdrop of those dramatic times.

You can find her on Twitter @emswifthook or learn more about the background of Lord's Legacy on her website www.eleanorswifthook.com.

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4.5 out of 5 stars
57 global ratings

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Customers find the characters interesting and engaging. They appreciate the well-written prose that keeps them hooked. The author is described as a skilled wordsmith, and the book is described as an excellent read.

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Customers enjoy the character development. They find the characters intriguing and engaging, with lively dialogue and action scenes.

"...conflict with apparent ease while populating it with living, breathing characters who I find myself caring deeply for...." Read more

"...Our young Philip was an intriguing character, seemingly much too brilliant and world-wise for his age of fifteen—as every person who met him for the..." Read more

"...Historical Fiction series is driven by a close third POV, using character dialog and action scenes." Read more

3 customers mention "Readability"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read with good descriptions that keep them interested. The prose flows smoothly and the author is a skilled wordsmith.

"What an excellent read this was. I couldn’t put it down...." Read more

"...a young boy who inadvertently falls in with him, we get a good description that carries us throughout the book: "..." Read more

"The author is a wordsmith. If you have explored any of the worlds created by Eleanor Swift-Hook you will agree...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Christopher Collishaw
    5.0 out of 5 stars Compelling and Inspired!
    Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    What an excellent read this was. I couldn’t put it down. As a huge fan of the Lord’s Legacy series, it was thrilling to meet younger versions of some key characters from that series and see where and how their journeys began.

    Lord is just fifteen and has already paid a high price for being one of King James’ favorites at court. Cast from his homeland, he sets out to make a name for himself with nothing more than his wits, courage and no shortage of youthful pride. But they say it’s who a person befriends in life which most impacts their shaping. And Lord has joined the ranks of one Mathew Rider, the man who will do as much to shape Lord as Lord himself.

    Lady Catherine, or Kate, as I most often think of her, is twenty and travelling to England at the bequest of the displaced Queen Elizabeth, James’ daughter, whose need for aid from her father could not be more desperate now that the Thirty Years’ War has well and truly kicked off. But Kate’s presence at court is met with unexpected and relentless pressure from the king’s favorite, the Duke of Buckingham. What had been a simple diplomatic matter sees her navigating not only the dark underbelly of court, but of London as well.

    I must say, meeting the young versions of these two favorite characters and learning the stories that led to their being who they are in the Lord’s Legacy series has been wonderful. And this is just book one of Lord’s Learning, a whole new series. It’s a good time to be a fan of 17th century historical fiction. Swift-Hook crafts her stories with a brilliance that has come to spoil me, painting history and its immense depth and conflict with apparent ease while populating it with living, breathing characters who I find myself caring deeply for. This is what reading should be. To all fans of historical fiction, and really just great stories in general, I can’t recommend this book highly enough.
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  • Mercedes Rochelle
    4.0 out of 5 stars Best if you're familiar with the series
    Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2025
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    I only read one Philip Lord book in the past, so I was not as enamored as some of the reviewers to go back to his younger days. Our young Philip was an intriguing character, seemingly much too brilliant and world-wise for his age of fifteen—as every person who met him for the first time thought. By the end, I, the reader, also expected miracles from him. We immediately learn he is on the run from England (and King James) for some undisclosed offense, and changes his name to Filippo Schiavono as he tries to reinvent himself and find a new profession. I think. I wasn’t entirely sure what he was up to. When he encounters a young boy who inadvertently falls in with him, we get a good description that carries us throughout the book:

    "The Englishman stopped and looked down at him. Despite himself Jorrit shivered inside. The man’s eyes were as cold as the sea in winter and the turquoise colour of it on a clear day. He wore a sword with a basket hilt and looked as if he would be happy to use it given any excuse."

    There is some good action with spies, renegades, and shady characters, then the book abruptly switches us over to someone named Kate, close servant to King James’s daughter, the exiled Queen of Bohemia. Kate has her own mission to accomplish and is continually thwarted by the Duke of Buckingham, who apparently nurses an antagonism toward her. I admit, I was much more interested in Schiavono’s tribulations than Kate’s somewhat less arduous problems, and I found it difficult to switch between the parallel stories. Of course, the two threads finally came together near the end, but even then I was left scratching my head. Perhaps the future stories which I hadn’t read might have shown me the purpose of this open-ended encounter between them. By the time I got to the end of the book, I had totally lost track of the beginning sequence that led to Schiavono’s adventures in the first place, and had to go back and review it. The author plunged us efficiently into the turbulent seventeenth century, and even in the elegant drawing rooms we don’t quite feel comfortable. The story is nicely spiced with preparations for a court masque written by the venerable Ben Johnson, as well as some pirate action guaranteed to set the blood moving. Bottom line, I think I would have enjoyed the book more had I been a follower of Philip Lord’s adventures. As a first-time reader, I had a difficult time keeping track of the characters and the war raging in the background. Nonetheless, the prose moved along nicely and it kept me interested.
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  • WC Quick
    5.0 out of 5 stars A pleasure to read
    Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    The author is a wordsmith. If you have explored any of the worlds created by Eleanor Swift-Hook you will agree. This first installment of her latest Historical Fiction series is driven by a close third POV, using character dialog and action scenes.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Dr. TJ
    5.0 out of 5 stars Historical fiction at its best!
    Reviewed in Canada on December 27, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Filled with spell-binding action, crisp dialogue, and characters with well-developed arcs and personalities that readers can care about, 'The Fugitive's Sword' by Eleanor Swift-Hook is a wonderfully written historical fiction novel. The book is broken up into two plot lines set in 17th century England and Holland in the lead up to Europe's Thirty Years' War. The first involves a young Philip Lord aka Filippo Schiavono, an Englishman who joins a mercenary troop outside the seized city of Breda. Schiavono becomes an apprentice to the troop's leader until a wayward mission puts him on a privateer ship, where he uses his intellect to become an understudy to the ship's navigation master. The second plot line follows Lady Catherine de Bouqulemont (Kate), the mistress to the exiled Queen of Bohemia, who is the daughter of England's King James. Kate spends most of her time in London drumming up support for troops defending her queen and assisting her friends in the court with various urgent matters. The story bounces back and forth between these two sub-plots until they converge near the end of the book. Filled with vivid imagery, like a character feeling the "fingers of fear creeping up his spine", this work was truly a masterclass in storytelling. This novel is highly recommended not only to lovers of this genre but also to all readers who appreciate a well-crafted story.

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  • Christopher Ward
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Stuart James Bond!?
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 4, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Every so often the cones across a book that stands out for its brilliance. This is one such. I bought it before embarking on the Lord's Legacy series, and now j shall have to defer starting that until Eleanor has completed this prequel series. Like all great stories it is rooted in historical period and detail, and it has a wonderful young hero, Schiavono/Lord is like a young 17th century James Bond. It's a cracking tale, beautifully written and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
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  • Qc bk reviewer
    5.0 out of 5 stars I was excited to read this installment. I was not disappointed!
    Reviewed in Canada on October 18, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Since I thoroughly enjoyed the authors' "The Mercenary's Blade", book one in the Lord's Legacy series, I was excited to read this installment. I was not disappointed! Eleanor Swift-Hook has the inside track on 17th century European history. Not just the perspective of the Kings, Earls and noblemen and their power struggles, but also the Queen's, Ladies, Duchesses and their limited freedoms of the times. This book is the backstory of Philip Lord (the young Schiavono) and his trials and tribulations as a soldier and pirate on the high seas. Told in alternating chapters with the story of Lady Catherine de Bouqulement, who is on a mission to discover information for (exiled) Queen Elizabeth. She has many of her own adventures and close calls until the two paths collide. Explosive historical fiction!
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  • Jacquie Rogers
    5.0 out of 5 stars A gripping prequel of adventure and intrigue
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 8, 2024
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    Few literary delights are more powerful than discovering how an admired hero was formed. (Assuming I may so describe the mysterious protagonist of Eleanor Swift-Hook’s English Civil War ‘Lord’s Legacy’ series, Philip Lord.)
    So I was delighted by Lord’s initiation into a life of daring, rebellion, and leadership, as told in this first of her precursor series, ‘Lord’s Learning’.
    Fleeing the court of ailing King James I, the fledgling Philip Lord has to navigate the perils of the Thirty Years’ War, during which he survives battle, siege, piracy and frequent peril. He is seen through the eyes of fellow combatants like mercenary leader Matt Rider, and foundling-cum-smuggler Jorrit Muyskins.

    Lord’s story develops alongside that of Kate, (Lady Catherine de Bouqulement), close friend of the exiled Queen Elizabeth of Bohemia.
    Among minor characters we meet the future Charles 1, and watch and worry for Kate as she struggles to flee entrapment in the corrupt and dangerous Jacobean court.

    Eleanor Swift-Hook clearly loves this historical period, and weaves a consummate tapestry of the complex alliances and enmities shaping the early 17th century. I really enjoyed this first part of her explosive new series, and am agog for the next episode.
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  • Ellie
    5.0 out of 5 stars A thrilling adventure
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 17, 2024
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    Everything I look for in an adventure is here in this book, and I loved it. As a prequel to the Lord's Legacy series, it follows the young 'Schiavono', an enigmatic character who in this story is still a young man, and the fugitive of the title. His story is told through the eyes of a variety of brilliant and likeable characters.

    As with all of this author's books, the story is full of suspense, with danger lurking around every corner. The beautifully evoked setting takes us to the court of James I and beyond England's shores to the Netherlands. I personally love stories that take you to new places, making them seem vibrant and real, and The Fugitive's Sword delivers that.

    Having already enjoyed Lord's Legacy, I was excited to find out more about the characters' earlier adventures. However, I'm certain this book will also be just as compelling for any readers who are new to the Schiavono's world.
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