Rory — Jacky Gray

Stick his neck out to save the so-called friends who betrayed him? Would you?
Archer's reward for being the most worthy student in his graduating class is to lose his home and all his friends.

Sent from his tranquil, medieval life to aggressive, modern-day England, Archer's mission is to report back about cars, computers and even chocolate. The other foster boys try to break his spirit by threatening him with his own bow â€" they have no idea they are dealing with a trained warrior. He teaches them honour, integrity and archery; they teach him how to get in trouble with the authorities.

Forced to move foster homes, things go downhill as pink-haired Mandy takes a fancy to his athletic body - his warrior defences are useless against her obnoxious wiles. She seems determined to drag Archer into the shady world of Stiff and his gang of teenage shoplifters.

This swashbuckling time-travel adventure will appeal to fans of archery, heroic underdogs who win out, and plenty of (British) humour.

Interview with the Author:

Q. What's this about a prequel series?
A. I'm so excited about this. Called Nature's tribe, these stories go right back to 14th Century England, when plagues and witch-hunts meant it was not a great time to be a midwife. Especially one using the magic of herbs and earth energy in her healing. But Senna is no ordinary woman, and when she befriends cousins Jarl and Lyran, something magical is set in place which has far-reaching ramifications.
The books so far are:
#1 - Three Handfastings and a Burial
#2 - Twelve Days of Yule
#3 - Eight Sabbats of the Sun New for February 2019!
But there are at least 3 more in the pipeline. Guess I know what 2019 is all about.


Q. How do the Hengist stories fit together?
A. It's a little different than many series, because each book features a different hero, allowing a glimpse into each of the main clans in this world.
Archer, the Warrior, introduces us to a world where teens experience jousting, sword-fighting and Beltane rituals instead of mobile phones, social media and reality TV.
Rory, the Anglecynn, is the only person who understands the way Archer thinks when he's sent to a different world on an information-gathering mission.
Reagan, the Magi, has to solve a DaVinci-style puzzle to figure out what is causing the increasingly dangerous accidents threatening his village.
Slater, the Outil, has more links to the magic rituals held at the henges than the stone-craft required to maintain them. Until he's torn back in time to watch them being built.
Geraint, the Renegate, hates his father's patriarchal ideals about trials and suffering, and is grateful when Siany finally brings some female energy into his life. But their pre-ordained meeting has far-reaching ramifications when everything they know and love is threatened by darkest Evil.


Q. So it's set in medieval times, then?
A. Not exactly, although you may think so as the people ride in horse-drawn carriages, have no electricity, and are governed by the seasons. Like in Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones.


Q. Do you need to have read all the previous stories to enjoy each one?
A. No. Each story stands alone, however there are a couple of references back to characters/action from previous books, with sufficient explanation to get the sense of what's going on. Archer makes an appearance in every book, but this can be a brief cameo all the way to hogging several chapters in the last one as all the characters join together to defeat the common enemy.