Book Synopsis:
A mercy mission in the heart of Wessex is beset with deadly, bloody dangers.
Tamworth AD831
Icel’s profile continues to rise. Lord of Budworth and warrior of Mercia, he’s acknowledged by King Wiglaf and his comrades to keep Mercia safe from the ravages of Wessex, the king-slayer of the East Angles, and the Viking raiders.
But, danger looms. Alongside Spring’s arrival comes the almost certain threat of the Viking raiders return.
When Lord Coenwulf of Kingsholm is apprehended by a Viking and held captive on the Isle of Sheppey in Wessex held Kent, Icel is implored by Lady Cynehild to rescue her husband.
To rescue Lord Coenwulf, Icel and his fellow warriors must risk themselves twice over, for not only must they overpower the Viking raiders, they must also counter the threat of Mercia’s ancient enemy, the kingdom of Wessex as they travel through their lands.
Far from home and threatened on all sides, have Icel and his fellow warriors sworn to carry out an impossible duty?
My Review:
I’m a huge fan of this author, and this series, so I was incredibly excited to learn there was a new book in the series. Once again the author has written an exciting and thrilling read that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Firstly the author does a fantastic job of bringing the Saxon period to life so that the reader feels like they are actually there experiencing everything alongside the characters. I felt like I was one of the warriors joining in their banter one moment and then fighting alongside them the next.
It’s been lovely following the characters throughout the series and being able to watch them grow. There were some characters that I really loved and others I loved to hate. Icel is a particular favourite of mine and it’s been great to watch him grow into his warrior role and start to feel comfortable in it. It’s been especially nice to see him keep up his healing skills as well as his warrior skills and become more comfortable in using them.
I thought this book had a great pace to it and there always seemed to be something exciting happening to keep me reading. Even in the slower moments I just found myself enjoying hanging out with everyone which is always a sign of a great book on my opinion.
This is the fourth book in the series and while it could be read as a standalone I feel you are best to read the books in order as you build up more of a relationship with the characters.
Huge thanks to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Boldwood for my copy of this book via Netgalley.
About The Author:
MJ Porter is the author of many historical novels set predominantly in Seventh to Eleventh-Century England, and in Viking Age Denmark. They were raised in the shadow of a building that they believed housed the bones of long-dead Kings of Mercia –so their writing destiny was set. The first novel in their new Anglo-Saxon series for Boldwood Son of Mercia was published in February 2022.
Over The Rainbow Blog 