A big thank you to Patrick Cinnamond, Endeavor Press, and Netgalley for the free copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

We follow the infamous Wat Tyler (I think) through the last days of the war with the French to return to his farm with his fifteen year old daughter, Sophia, where they are visited by the tax collectors. I say I think because the book begins with scenes from a war, but then Wat is on his farm and I somehow got confused. The beginning was hard to follow.

Anyway, taxes are collected on heads over the age of fifteen. And Sophia is especially lovely. So of course a thorough physical examination is necessary to prove her age. And all hell breaks loose. This is given as the spark of the Peasants' Revolt, a reason that I've never heard. It's also very easy to expect the story to follow Shakespeare's course of events and be upset when that doesn't happen (raise my hand). I had to change my way of thinking.

Cinnamond admits in his author's note that there is little written from the Rebels' point of view, and that much of what is on his book is a fiction. Regardless it does play well and could all be possibility. In this rendition it's apparent that Wat's goals are not necessarily the group's goals. But he is the leader and he wants justice for all common folk. What's bizarre, if history is recorded accurately, is that the towns revolted almost simultaneously, so obviously something was corrupt in the government. Cinnamond does an adequate job of laying out the grievances in this book.

A fictional account of 1381 poll tax rebellion lead by Wat Tyler. Can the Three Lions of England - Wat Tyler, priest John Ball and archer Jack Straw, persuade the young King Richard II of their righteous action.
Although an interesting story I didn't care for the swearing throughout the book which I felt distracted from the story.