Edwin: High King of Britain

In full compliance with FTC Guidelines, I received this book for free in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was in no way compensated for this post as a reviewer, and the thoughts are my own.

Edwin: High King of Britain by Edoardo Albert Series: The Northumbrian Thrones (Book 1)   Publisher: Lion Fiction Release Date: April 1, 2014 ISBN:  978-1782640332 Pages: 351 Genre: Historical Fiction  Source: Received from the publisher for a virtual book tour on HFVBT Goodreads Buy the Book Amazon US Amazon UK Barnes & Noble Book Depository IndieBound

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MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS BOOK

Followers of this blog know my enthusiasm for Bernard Cornwell’s Saxon Stories and the key periods for the making of Great Britain. So this is a delight to present another historical novel focused on some earlier events, the 7th century, by another author who does also a great job.
Even  though admittedly, no one in my opinion can beat master Cornwell, let me tell you what’s great about Edwin: High King of Britain.

The book opens with Edwin already in exile for twelve years in East Anglia. When he prepares to remarry, to the Christian Æthelburh, some unexpected events will change a former friend into an enemy and start a whole chain of actions threatening the king and his family. How will Edwin deal with these threats? Will he overcome them and save his family and kingdom? Edwin is indeed convinced that only when the whole island is under one king, himself, will they all be safe from invaders.

As you read the book to discover the answers, you will discover fascinating times that helped make England what it is today, or at least let’s say what it was at the beginning of the 20th century. For with Æthelburh of Kent come two Italian missionaries, James and the famous Paulinus.
There are excellent passages comparing the pagan and the Christian faiths, for instance in conflicts between Paulinus and the pagan priest Coifi.
You also find differences of approaches when Edwin discovers for instance that the Christian God exhorts to loving one’s enemies, something totally foreign to his pagan laws. The passages showing his reactions as he discovers these new values are very well done, I think.

It is also during that time that the first Christian Church is built in stone in York, and massive crowds are baptized after Edwin and his household decide to take this dramatic decision for themselves.
It is actually in York that Constantine the Great was proclaimed Emperor, back in 306. I was appalled I had totally forgotten these Western elements in his life!

And although the priest’s breath was no more than a sigh, Edwin felt as if a spring wind, clean and wholesome and rich with the promise of summer, had blown up from the south as the first portent of the ending of winter.
p.280

I thought it was also neat to see Edwin’s reaction to the art and marvel of writing, as before most messages were conveyed there orally.

Apart from the religious dimension, essential to understand the dynamics of the time, the conflicts and relationships between all the different smaller kingdoms of the island were very well explained and illustrated, with their good measure of revenge and jealousy.

Advice: before jumping into reading, familiarize yourself with the very helpful map found at the beginning of the book, and draw for yourself genealogy trees thanks to the list of characters also provided by the author. We are no longer used to British names of the time, and they may at first sound too much alike and confusing. It is essential to the full understanding of the novel I think, to know who is where on the map.

VERDICT: England’s history did not wait for the Tudors to be full of intrigues and conflicts. This book is a wonderful entry to 7th century England, where pagan and Christian values clashed as small kingdoms fought to take prominence. Highly recommended to all lovers of history and historical fiction.

WHAT IS IT ABOUT

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Edoardo Albert is a writer of Sri Lankan and Italian extraction
based in London.
The best response to his writing
was when he reduced a friend to helpless, hysterical,
rolling-on-the-floor-holding-his-stomach laughter.
Unfortunately,
the writing in question was a lonely hearts ad.
He hopes to produce similar results in readers,
without inadvertently acquiring another wife.
For more information, please visit Edoardo Albert’s website.
You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter.

 

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