Review: Alfred of Wessex by Michael Carden
Readers say the Alfred of Wessex trilogy is fast-paced, yet more than just battles, weaving historical accuracy into a compelling storyline, and gets inside the mind of Alfred the Great, bringing alive an exciting and important era of English history.
In the first book of the trilogy, ‘Alfred of Wessex, Book One: Inheritance', the Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms of Wessex, Mercia, Northumbria and East Anglia face a gathering storm of Danes threatening destruction and occupation. Amongst all this, Alfred’s brother’s Kingdom of Wessex is split by rivalries.
And then the Danes invade.
As the intrigues and rivalries continue even during war, how can Wessex avoid catastrophe: is this the end of Wessex? And what of Alfred himself?
Thank you to Michael Cardon for sending me a copy of his book to read and review.
As a life-long lover of history with a particular interest in English history, I was excited to read Alfred of Wessex, a historical fiction novel about the great Anglo Saxon king of England who many know as Alfred the Great. This is also a time period which I have researched for my own writing and Alfred is a character in my book, The Midsummer Women, so I was intrigued to compare our stories and learn more about his life in greater detail.
Alfred is a teenager when his story begins. The third of his brothers, Æthelred, is King of Wessex, a prosperous kingdom in England. The kingdom is facing a military crisis, the Danes, who today we call the Vikings, are invading the Kingdoms of East Anglia and Northumbria, and they are threatening the borders of Wessex. I was really pleased with the level of detail Carden offered in not only the overall political and military happenings but also the day in a life details of an Anglo Saxon.
The story moves along swiftly, following Alfred as he gets his first taste of battle. We watch him grow in not only military prowess but also politically as he observes his brother's difficulties in controlling his ealderman, the Anglo Saxon nobility.
I admired the way Carden took the bare bones story, what we really know about the life of Alfred, and fleshed it out, making him come alive on the pages. I really felt like I was reading about the man. As the author admits, the story is fiction, but it rang true, and that is not an easy thing to do.
The writing is excellent and avoids the dreaded info dumping that can ruin a good historical fiction novel. I really enjoyed the story and look forward to reading more about Alfred's life and times.
I highly recommend this historical recreation of the life of Alfred The Great to readers who love history, particularly English medieval history.
I give this book 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐stars
If you are interesting in see more about this book, you can find it HERE ON AMAZON.
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