Knights of the Air

Book 4: Exile!

Lance Fitch knows his enemies better than his new comrades… and isn’t sure who are the most dangerous.

Spring 1918. Lance Fitch is exiled to the newly fledged US Army Air Services. Based in the peaceful Champagne sector, his task is to make the tyros of his new squadron war ready before they are thrust into the fray.

But plans change as the Germans surprise attack surges through Champagne towards Paris. Lance finds himself fighting a familiar foe, the pilots of JG Richthofen, freshly equipped with the superb Fokker DVII. Only this time he’s been given war virgin pilots and planes that disintegrate in combat.

Even worse, the Kaiser has one desperate last weapon to force a French surrender. Lance is ‘volunteered’ into a task force to bomb that threat into oblivion. The good news is that Arthur Wolsey, his mentor and friend, and Arthur’s 100 Wing are part of the same task force. The bad news is that they are likely to die together.

Knights of the Air, Book 4; Exile is a gripping finale to the series, and brings the fortunes of Lance’s friends, lovers, and foes to an explosive climax. Heroism and cowardice, naked ambition and selfless nobility, love and hate, friendship and betrayal all fight their corner as the carnage grows to a crescendo. Who will be left standing when the guns fall silent?

“Stewart ends his Knights of the Air series with this skillfully written tale, full of moral ambiguities, high tension, and spine-tingling scenes of air action…fans drawn to this series by incredible WWI action will revel as Stewart illuminates the dawn of US military aviation with pyrotechnical clashes in the air. The prose beautifully evokes the WWI era, and Stewart makes sure that several famous American aviators of the time, such as Eddie Rickenbacker, Frank Luke, Billy Mitchell among others, are present. Fueled by brilliant scenes of believable action, the narrative moves at a steady pace. For all its violence, the book hums with poignant emotion. Stewart is at his best when he delves into the intricacies of relationships, friendship, bravado, cowardice, integrity, ambition, and the foibles of the human heart, not to mention the horrors of military strategy and technology and the cost of war to nations and individuals. An exceedingly intelligent and unpredictable story, notable for supple prose, credibly motivated characters, and meticulously researched detail.” BOOKVIEW REVIEW

*If you’ve enjoyed the book, an honest comment on Amazon would be awesome. If you don’t like writing comments or reviews, then taking a second just to give the book the number of stars you think it deserves would be most appreciated.