This book started as a variation on a theme by Anthony Burgess, and this occasionally shows in the writing. But Jorg is not just another version of Alex; he is an echo of such historical figures as Foulke Nerra - who was instrumental in building the power base of the Angevin kings who later gave us the Plantagenets. Foulke - Black Hawk was a vicious killer, who was happy to condemn his first wife to burn at the stake, among other acts of extreme cruelty. (Unlike Jorg, he was also pious, and voyaged to the Holy Land to atone for his sins and ease his time in hell). Another similar figure, Gilles de Rais, fought alongside Jeanne d'Arc, and was apparently violently reckless on the field of battle. In later years he became a serial killer, sexually assaulting and murdering perhaps hundreds of boys whose families had the misfortune to live on his lands. Gilles murders were carried out in a series of attempts to summon a demon, whom he hoped would restore his lost riches.

Lawrence writes well, and the yarn itself rips along quite spiffingly. Jorg, however horrible, manages to be quite an attractive hero, just as Burgess's Alex does. The whole trilogy is a good read.