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J.K. Swift
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ALTDORF: The men and women who inspired the William Tell legend (The Forest Knights Book 1) Kindle Edition

by J. K. Swift (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.1 out of 5 stars 3,266 ratings

William Tell did not exist...but the men and women who inspired the legend did.

End of the 13th century: Five hundred orphans and second sons are rounded up from villages in the Alpine countryside and sold to the Hospitaller Knights of St John. Trained to serve as Soldiers of Christ, they fight in eastern lands they know nothing about, for a cause they do not understand.

Thomas Schwyzer, released from his vows, returns to the land of his birth a stranger. Once a leader of men, and captain of the Order’s most famous war galley, he now settles into the simple life of a ferryman.

Seraina, considered a witch by most, a healer by some, is a young woman with a purpose. A Priestess of the Old Religion, and the last druid disciple of the Helvetii Celts, she has been gifted by the Great Weave to see what others cannot. Her people need her guidance and protection now more than ever. For Duke Leopold of Habsburg builds a great Austrian fortress in Altdorf. Once finished, the Habsburg occupation will be complete, but the atrocities visited upon her people will have just begun.

Set against a backdrop of the majestic mountains, wild forests, and clear, glacier-fed lakes of medieval Switzerland, ALTDORF is the first book in The Forest Knights series.

With over 500 5-Star ratings on Goodreads, Swift's Forest Knights series is destined to be a classic.

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  1. Book 1 of 2
    The Forest Knights
  2. Print length
    321 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Accessibility
    Learn more
  5. Publication date
    21 Nov. 2013
  6. File size
    2.8 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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  1. All people experience a turning point in their lives. A precipice, where on one side lies the innocence of youth, and the other a sheer drop into the darkness that is life.
    Highlighted by 69 Kindle readers
  2. The physical healed quickly, but those of the spirit ran deep, and in most cases, could only be concealed. Wounds of the spirit may scab over, but they never fully heal.
    Highlighted by 55 Kindle readers
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From the Publisher

The Forest Knights

Altdor, Morgarten, The Forest Knights

The greatest underdog story of the medieval age

wild land

cruel duke

priestess druid

crusader

Product description

About the Author

J. K. Swift lives in a log house well off the beaten path in central B.C., Canada. He is the author of "The Forest Knights" novels, which are set in medieval Switzerland. He has worked as a school teacher, jailhouse guard, Japanese translator, log peeler, accountant, martial arts instructor, massage therapist, technical editor, and has called a few Bingo games. He gets his story ideas while traveling in Europe, feeding his chickens, and cutting wood.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B005TU1GKE
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ UE Publishing Co.
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ 21 Nov. 2013
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.8 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 321 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 1 of 2 ‏ : ‎ The Forest Knights
  • Customer reviews:
    4.1 out of 5 stars 3,266 ratings

About the author

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J.K. Swift

J.K. Swift

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J. K. Swift writes historical adventure thrillers based on real events. He lives in a log house well off the beaten path in central B.C., Canada. He has worked as a school teacher, jailhouse guard, Japanese translator, log peeler, accountant, martial arts instructor, massage therapist, technical editor, and has called a few Bingo games. He gets his story ideas while traveling in Europe, feeding his chickens, and cutting wood.

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
3,266 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this historical novel engaging and thoroughly enjoyable, with strong plot lines that are both believable. The book features truly believable characters, and one customer compares them to those in Lincoln Green. The pacing receives mixed reactions - while some customers appreciate the good pace, others mention it takes time to get going.

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ReadabilityStory qualityCharacter developmentPace
113 customers mention ‘Readability’108 positive5 negative

Customers find the book highly readable, describing it as a captivating first book that gets readers engrossed from start to finish.

"Enthralling read it's a pity it's only the first part as I really wanted Leopold and Landenberg (sounds like an evil double act) to get it in the..." Read more

"...between action and scene setting that will likely appeal to a fairly wide readership...." Read more

"This is a pleasant readable book, with a good build up of characters...." Read more

"...Worth reading!" Read more

92 customers mention ‘Story quality’81 positive11 negative

Customers enjoy this historical novel, praising its believable plot lines and good descriptive passages.

"...historical background and the book overall comes with a good balance between action and scene setting that will likely appeal to a fairly wide..." Read more

"...It has medium suspense build up, but lacks in depth action detail when compared to Cornwell and Scarrow. The story line is also too foreseeable...." Read more

"...Yes, its fiction but it was certainly plausible! Good description, characters you could see in your minds eye and become invested in - I was hooked..." Read more

"...A thoroughly enjoyable story which contained a lot of humour. I would recommend it to anyone who likes to get engrossed with the characters." Read more

34 customers mention ‘Character development’34 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the believable characters in the book, with one noting they are fast-moving and plausible, while another compares them to the men in Lincoln Green.

"This is a pleasant readable book, with a good build up of characters...." Read more

"...Good description, characters you could see in your minds eye and become invested in - I was hooked and look forward to reading the next book...." Read more

"...The characters are interesting enough to make you care about what happens to them as they go their separate ways, and it's suitably dark and gritty,..." Read more

"...style of writing is mature and fast-moving and the motivations of the characters is convincing. Thoroughly enjoyable. And informative." Read more

18 customers mention ‘Pace’9 positive9 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the book's pace, with some finding it good while others say it takes a while to get going and is difficult to get into in the beginning.

"...The style of writing is mature and fast-moving and the motivations of the characters is convincing. Thoroughly enjoyable. And informative." Read more

"This book was slow to start and a bit confusing while it pulled all the threads together but stay with it for it is an excellent piece of..." Read more

"...The writing was OK and there story moved along at a decent pace although some characters seemed to appear in the nick of time without any real..." Read more

"Although I found it difficult to get into, due to the introduction & background stories of so many characters, once the story got into full swing,..." Read more

Reviewed by Discovering Diamonds
4 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Discovering Diamonds
This book has received a Discovering Diamonds Review: Helen Hollick founder #DDRevs "I enjoyed this book; the action is pretty much non-stop and the characters, especially Thomas, are well structured and thought out."
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Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • Peter Ffrench
    5.0 out of 5 stars Well done historical fiction.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 30 August 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Enthralling read it's a pity it's only the first part as I really wanted Leopold and Landenberg (sounds like an evil double act) to get it in the neck before the end of the book. Not sure who the hero is as it seems to be divided between Thomas, Noll and Seraina. I really would have liked Pirmin to survive even if he only had one arm left to fight with but I didn't write it so I don't get to choose, anyway it gave Thomas reason to hate Gissler. I look forward to the rest of the story.
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  • AK
    4.0 out of 5 stars Very skillfull reimagining of the William Tell legend and the formation of Switzerland
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 22 April 2013
    Verified Purchase
    J.K. Swift has done a fairly solid job of recreating the William Tell legend, and with it covering the creation of Switzerland in the two volume Forest Knights series (the second one is MORGARTEN (The Forest Knights: Book 2)). And while the author himself admits to lots of it being his own interpretation, the books will at least give you a fairly good overview of the times and the main events (Tell and Gissler themselves being more creatures of legend than reality (it appears that historical records of either could not be found, according to the author)).

    The book more or less starts with the return to 'Swiss lands' of several 'Schwyzer' children / orphans, who have been sold into Hospitaler service in Outremer some thirty years before, in the late 13th century. These are then faced with various machinations of the Habsburgs, who are intent on absolute domination of the lands.

    The author manages to weave in several personal stories into this historical background and the book overall comes with a good balance between action and scene setting that will likely appeal to a fairly wide readership.

    If you enjoy getting a feel for different times / places through lightly fictionalized accounts, I am sure that this book does a solid job of giving you just that for the creation of Switzerland. The fact that the Kindle version came free of charge (as a teaser, I suppose), certainly does not harm and I am definitely going to read MORGARTEN (The Forest Knights: Book 2) - the second one in the series.
    7 people found this helpful
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  • paul brown
    3.0 out of 5 stars ALTDORF (The Forest Knights)
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 March 2013
    Verified Purchase
    This is a pleasant readable book, with a good build up of characters. It has medium suspense build up, but lacks in depth action detail when compared to Cornwell and Scarrow. The story line is also too foreseeable. Nevertheless this is part of trilogy so could well improve on the above points.
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  • LDC
    5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyed this
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 20 April 2017
    Verified Purchase
    an excellent read about a period of history I knew little about. Yes, its fiction but it was certainly plausible! Good description, characters you could see in your minds eye and become invested in - I was hooked and look forward to reading the next book. A point worth mentioning -this author does not hold back from the brutality of the age but does not dwell on blood and gore. In fact its the matter of fact brutality from those who would be despots that makes you realise why the characters want to fight back. Takes some skill to walk the fine line between showing the awful reasons for rebellion and making it realistic and merely writing horrific detail to 'entertain' but this writer has that skill. Worth reading!
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Carol would definitely recommend this book.
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good read.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 4 October 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Enjoyed this book, wasn't sure at first but glad I stayed with it. Would definitely recommend giving it a try
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  • Mosquito
    5.0 out of 5 stars A great read.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 August 2023
    Verified Purchase
    A good story that kept me turning the pages. A few minor grammatical mistakes that didn't detract from the story.

    A thoroughly enjoyable story which contained a lot of humour. I would recommend it to anyone who likes to get engrossed with the characters.
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  • Martin Loxton
    5.0 out of 5 stars Historical fiction done the right way
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 21 February 2015
    Verified Purchase
    I really enjoyed this book. Part of it may be bias, due to me being half-Swiss (it's set in Switzerland when it was still part of the Holy Roman Empire), the story follows a group of Knights of St John returning home after a long journey, and finding their home under the rulership of the evil and oppressive Hapsburg family. The characters are interesting enough to make you care about what happens to them as they go their separate ways, and it's suitably dark and gritty, as medieval stories should be, with no Gary Stu boy heroes and fancy Hollywood style fighting. I will definitely read the second one eventually.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • FraserD
    4.0 out of 5 stars Slow and not very engaging
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 March 2025
    Verified Purchase
    I found it a little confusing with the references between Austria and Germany because I thought Austria ruled Germany at this time and the author doesn't make that clear. However, the story does follow the history as far as we know to some degree, but from the perspective of lower born people rather than the nobility which is a refreshing change. Ultimately though, I didn't find the characters engaging enough to keep me engrossed, and although I finished the book, I became all to aware that it wouldn't conclude and would indeed lead to future novels. The story is told well enough, but there simply isn't enough progress throughout to keep the reader engaged.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Osei Edwards
    5.0 out of 5 stars Captivating story.
    Reviewed in the United States on 21 April 2025
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    The story is very compelling and descriptive. It's a page turner. Th BBCe action is well told and captures your imagination. Great reading.
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  • Jo Ambruz
    5.0 out of 5 stars Brave hearts
    Reviewed in Australia on 19 July 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Description of the life, the fights of their hearts and their desires. The human spirit and its motivations. Thank you very much. Thoughts to think about!
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  • John C.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Worth a read
    Reviewed in Canada on 2 February 2025
    Verified Purchase
    good tale, kind of predictable storyline but well written. The druid priestess I found to be the most interesting character with the men pretty much stereotype especially for the period in time 1310-20.
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
    Reviewed in Spain on 31 August 2014
    Verified Purchase
    This started good and just got better and better. I really enjoyed this story and do recommend it very highly.
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  • Anzelika Meyer
    5.0 out of 5 stars A flash of hope in macabre times
    Reviewed in Germany on 30 March 2025
    Verified Purchase
    The plot of the book is not original to be honest. The brothers-in-arms were fighting for years at a land-grabbing war abroad and finally return home. They have some money but not really enough to live comfortably. So they have to start a new life as civilians. But this life doesn’t promise to be prosperous and calm because while they were spilling blood for God knows what, the new merciless people came to rule over their own land. Now they have a choice either to sell their martial skills to the new lords or to revolt against them. Over this choice, once the brothers-in-arms become enemies.

    But what makes this plot truly original is the historical context. The action takes place in the medieval Swiss; the former brothers-in-arms are Knights Hospitaller (the non-noble ones) who return from the Crusade to find their home area under the rule of Leopold I of Habsburg. Thanks to many historical details, the XIV century life opens up to a reader in all its cruelty and darkness.

    To me this book felt especially relevant in view of what Europe is undergoing in 2025. For over three years the European continent has been facing the biggest war since WWII and currently there is little hope that this war will end up with a fair, stable peace agreement, punishment of war criminals and reparations to the victims of aggression. With this regard “Altdorf” gives hope because it shows that even in the macabre times there is a place for dignity and a thirst for righteousness.
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