I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Tale of the Tailor and the Three Dead Kings by Dan Jones
Published by Head of Zeus Ltd on October 14, 2021
ISBN: 9781801101301
Genres: Fiction, Horror, Occult & Supernatural, History, Europe, Great Britain, Norman Conquest to Late Medieval (1066-1485), Ghost, Medieval
Pages: 96
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: NetGalley, Publisher
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A chilling medieval ghost story, retold by bestselling historian Dan Jones. Published in a beautiful small-format hardback, perfect as a Halloween read or a Christmas gift.
One winter, in the dark days of King Richard II, a tailor was riding home on the road from Gilling to Ampleforth. It was dank, wet and gloomy; he couldn't wait to get home and sit in front of a blazing fire.
Then, out of nowhere, the tailor is knocked off his horse by a raven, who then transforms into a hideous dog, his mouth writhing with its own innards. The dog issues the tailor with a warning: he must go to a priest and ask for absolution and return to the road, or else there will be consequences...
First recorded in the early fifteenth century by an unknown monk, The Tale of the Tailor and the Three Dead Kings was transcribed from the Latin by the great medievalist M.R. James in 1922. Building on that tradition, now bestselling historian Dan Jones retells this medieval ghost story in crisp and creepy prose.

The Tale of the Tailor and the Three Dead Kings is a medieval ghost story that was immortalised in the early fifteenth century.  Dan Jones has based his retelling upon the original Latin scripture of the story.  You can feel the authentic, old-time feel to the storytelling.  The dialogue, the mannerisms, and the interpretations were at one with the story being told.  The introduction sets up the story nicely and pushes you to think more deeply about the time in which the tale Is told.  The story flowed beautifully even if it was super short.

A tailor called Snowball.  A curious type of chap.  He did bite off more than he could chew in this story.  Although it is extremely tame compared to the horror that I find myself reading, this would have been very much out there in terms of storytelling in its day.  Snowball is knocked off his horse by a savage raven.  The raven then transforms itself into a monstrous dog and sets him off on a horrifying journey.  I enjoyed the imagery, and the language and was excited to go along for the ride with poor Snowball. 

It’s a great wee story for Halloween and takes no time at all to read, I had consumed this story within an hour.  It was truly enjoyable with enough moments of horror and disbelief to keep me engaged until the very last page.  The cover is stunning and any horror and history buffs will relish this quick tale. 

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dan Jones is a historian, broadcaster and award-winning journalist. His books, including The Templars, Crusaders and, with Marina Amaral, The Colour of Time and The World Aflame, have sold more than one million copies worldwide. He has written and hosted dozens of TV shows including the acclaimed Netflix/Channel 5 series, Secrets of Great British Castles. His writing has appeared in newspapers and magazines including the London Evening Standard, Sunday Times, Daily Telegraph, Wall Street Journal, GQ and the Spectator.