Hawk Quest by Robert Lyndon

Hawk Quest by Robert Lyndon - 658 pages

In the year 1072 the Normans have conquered England and the Turks are invading Christendom from the East.  A Norman knight has been captured by the Turks and his ransom request sets a soldier of fortune named Vallon on a life changing quest to do right by a man he's never met in order to to do penance for Vallon's own horrible personal crime.  This is an epic adventure that spans the length of the known world and takes Vallon on a path to capture four rare hawks to serve as the ransom.  It is a gripping read in the tradition of Bernard Cornwell and is rich in period detail.

A Feast for Crows, by George RR Martin

A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice & Fire #4), by George R R Martin, 1060 pages

In this fourth book in the series, the structure changes quite a bit.  Some beloved voices are absent (Tyrion, Daenerys, etc), and new, unfamiliar characters move to the forefront.  Also, the audiobook version changes narrators from the excellent Roy Dotrice to some other guy who doesn't do voices as well.  (This book is so big, I switch between the audio while I drive and work out and the book when I have reading time).  It is a bit hard to get into, but let me ASSURE you, that the ending is just as thrilling as the previous books.  Things have definitely gotten interesting with Cersei, the character we love to hate, and I'm biting my nails over the fate of Brienne, Mistress of Tarth.  The series remains just as good as ever, and you can definitely feel that there is action on the horizon!