Tag: King Alfred

Guest Post: “Excerpt from ‘The Royal Women Who Made England’ by MJ Porter

On By hmalagisiIn guest post1 Comment

I am pleased to welcome MJ Porter to my blog to share an excerpt from her nonfiction book, “The Royal Women Who Made England.” I would like to thank MJ Porter and The Coffee Pot Book Club for allowing me to be part of this blog tour.

Ælfthryth, the daughter of King Alfred and Lady Ealhswith – The Continental Connection

The union between Ælfthryth and Count Baldwin II is believed to have taken place sometime between Asser’s writing [of Alfred’s life] and the death of Alfred in 899. As Æthelweard’s Chronicon informs, Ælfthryth was married to Count Baldwin II of Flanders (879–918). Count Baldwin II was the son of Alfred’s stepmother, Judith, through her third marriage to Baldwin, Count of Flanders, with whom she eloped in 860, against her father’s wishes. Perhaps this was a love match that had been denied her before. Judith had previously been married to Æthelwulf, King of Wessex, Alfred’s father, and also to Æthelbald, King of Wessex, Alfred’s brother. There is no record of children born to these unions.

Judith was a daughter of Charles the Bald (823–877), who in turn was the son of Louis the Pious (773–840), a son of Charlemagne (c.742–814). Charles the Bald was king of the Franks from 840–877 and emperor from 875–877.

Blurb:

Throughout the tenth century, England, as it would be recognized today, formed. No longer many Saxon kingdoms, but rather, just England. Yet, this development masks much in the century in which the Viking raiders were seemingly driven from England’s shores by Alfred, his children, and grandchildren, only to return during the reign of his great, great-grandson, the much-maligned Æthelred II.

 Not one but two kings would be murdered, others would die at a young age, and a child would be named king on four occasions. Two kings would never marry, and a third would be forcefully divorced from his wife. Yet, the development of ‘England’ did not stop. At no point did it truly fracture back into its constituent parts. Who then ensured this stability? To whom did the witan turn when kings died, and children were raised to the kingship?

 The royal woman of the House of Wessex came into prominence during the century, perhaps the most well-known being Æthelflæd, daughter of King Alfred. Perhaps the most maligned being Ælfthryth (Elfrida), accused of murdering her stepson to clear the path to the kingdom for her son, Æthelred II, but there were many more women, rich and powerful in their own right, where their names and landholdings can be traced in the scant historical record.

 Using contemporary source material, The Royal Women Who Made England can be plucked from the obscurity that has seen their names and deeds lost, even within a generation of their own lives.

Buy Links:

Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/TheRoyalWomenWhoMadeEngland

Publisher Link: https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/The-Royal-Women-Who-Made-England-Hardback/p/24395

Author Bio:

MJ Porter is the author of over fifty fiction titles set in Saxon England and the era before the tumultuous events 1066. Raised in the shadow of a strange little building and told from a young age that it housed the long-dead bones of Saxon kings, it’s little wonder that the study of the era was undertaken at both undergraduate and graduate levels.

The Royal Women of the Tenth Century is the first non-fiction title. It explores this period’s ‘lost’ women through the surviving contemporary source material. It stemmed from a frustration with how difficult it was to find a single volume dedicated to these ‘lost’ women and hopes to make it much easier for others to understand the prestige, wealth, and influence of the women of the royal House of Wessex.

Author Links:

Website: www.mjporterauthor.com/ or www.mjporterauthor.blog

Twitter: www.twitter.com/coloursofunison

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MJPorterauthor/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mj-porterauthor/

Instagram: instagram.com/m_j_porter/

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@m_j_porter

Bluesky: mjporterauthor.bsky.social

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/coloursofunison/

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/mj-porter

Amazon Author Page: www.amazon.com/MJ-Porter/e/B006N8K6X4

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7163404.M_J_Porter

TikTok: tiktok.com/@mjporterauthor

LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/MJPorterauthor

Book Review: “The Burning Land”(Book Five of the Saxon Stories series) by Bernard Cornwell

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the burThe ninth century is coming to a close. King Alfred is dying, and his young son Edward is untested on the battlefield. Alfred wants Uhtred to swear his loyalty to his son Edward, but Uhtred wants to be free to recapture his beloved Bebbanburg. The Danes, led by the warrior Harald Bloodhair are on the warpath—just a typical mission for our intrepid Saxon lord who was raised by Danes warrior Uhtred of Bebbanburg. However, there is always a catch, and the major obstacle in his path is a fair woman with a fiery temper named Skade. How can one woman and her plans make Uhtred of Bebbanburg quake in his boots? Book number 5 in the Saxon Stories, “The Burning Land” by Bernard Cornwell, holds all the answers in the next adventure for Uhtred and his men.

We begin our latest adventure with Uhtred as he embarks on a journey in his ship Seolferwulf to make a deal with Jarl Haesten in Alfred’s name. There, we first hear the names Harald Bloodhair and Skade as Haesten warns our hero to be wary of what they will do. As Uhtred and his men raid another town, they come across the sorceress Skade and bring her to the court of Alfred to lure Harald out of hiding to have one epic battle to protect Wessex.

Uhtred’s plan works well, and he does secure a significant victory, but success comes with a heavy price. Skade is furious and curses Uhtred, which he laughs off until he discovers that his wife, Gisela, and their third child died during childbirth. We have seen Uhtred go through so many moments of grief and loss, but this moment pushes him over the edge and causes him to lose control. Uhtred’s actions are so deplorable in front of King Alfred and his court that he is banished, and his children are taken away from his care to be raised as Christians, against Uhtred’s wishes.

Here, Uhtred’s loyalty to Alfred and his family is tested as he is reunited with his friends Ragnar and Brida. He is given a choice on whether to stay loyal to the king he has served for years or to join his Danish family once again. I wouldn’t have blamed him if he abandoned Alfred and Edward to join Ragnar and Brida. Still, an unexpected person calls for his aid, that person being Aethelflaed, the one person in Alfred’s family that he cares about. The final battle in this book cements where Uhtred’s loyalty will remain, but it will also be challenging for Uhtred.

Cornwell continues to weave a fascinating tale of sorrow, woe, and triumphs for the fearless Uhtred of Bebbanburg. Another delightful adventure with Uhtred of Bebbanburg; if you have been reading the Saxon Stories, I recommend you read book 5, “The Burning Land” by Bernard Cornwell.

Book Review: “Sword Song”(Book Four of the Saxon Stories series) by Bernard Cornwell

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sword songThe year is 855, and the country that one day will be known as England is relatively peaceful. The Danes have their kingdom in the north, while the Saxons, under King Alfred, rule Wessex in the south. Uhtred of Bebbanburg, a Saxon man raised by Danish warriors, lives with his wife Gisela and his children in Wessex, where he is sworn to protect Alfred and his family. It is a touchy alliance, but when rumors about a dead man speaking reach Uhtred’s home, he knows that he must pick up Serpent-Breath once again and make a choice that could change the direction of England as a whole. What do the dead man and new Viking invaders have in plan for Uhtred, and how will it affect Wessex and the rule of King Alfred? Another engaging adventure for Uhtred of Bebbanburg is book four of The Saxon Tales, “Sword Song” by Bernard Cornwell.

As someone who has grown to love the adventures of Uhtred of Bebbanburg, first from the TV show “The Last Kingdom” and now through the books, I wanted to continue the journey through the books. There is something so compelling about this Saxon world that Bernard Cornwell crafted with love and attention.

We join Uhtred and his men, Sihtric and Finan, on a night raid where they come across a brand new batch of Vikings. When Uhtred returns home, Aethelwold tells him how a dead man was brought back to life and says that he would be the King of Wessex and Uhtred would become King of Mercia. A far-fetched tale, but Uhtred decides that he must check it out, even if that means breaking his oath to Alfred. It is when he hears the dead man speak himself that he meets Haesten, and he hears about the Viking brothers Siegfried and Erik, who have lofty ambitions.

Meanwhile, in Alfred’s court, Alfred’s daughter Aethelflaed marries Aethelred of Mercia to form a strong alliance. It looks like it is a perfect match. Behind closed doors, Aethelred is abusive to Aethelflaed when Siegfried and Erik attack. Uhtred and Aethelred must reluctantly work together for the survival of Wessex and England as a whole.

Epic battles, twisted political ploys, and romance all intertwine in this novel as Uhtred works hard to fulfill his oath to Alfred. “Sword Song” is a bit slower in pace compared to the first three books in the series, but I see it as Cornwell showing that not every adventure with Uhtred is going to be fast-paced. There will be times when he has to negotiate and think methodically to ensure his mission is complete and no one he cares about will be harmed. It is a different side to Uhtred of Bebbanburg’s story, but it is one that I appreciate. If you have enjoyed the first three books in the Saxon Tales series, you need to read “Sword Song” by Bernard Cornwell.

Book Review: “Lords of the North (Book Three of the Saxon Stories series) by Bernard Cornwell

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2679014King Alfred and Uhtred have achieved a massive victory over the Danes, and as a reward, Alfred has allowed Uhtred to be free of his allegiance. Now, Uhtred travels north to his home, yet fate throws this hero another curveball. He encounters an enslaved person who claims to be the King of Northumbria named Guthred. This chance meeting sends Uhtred on a journey across the seas against his will and to finally face off against Kjartan the Cruel, who captured his stepsister Thyra. Bernard Cornwell takes his readers on another whirlwind adventure into 9th century England with Uhtred of Bebbanburg in the third novel of the Saxon Stories series, “Lords of the North.”

We are reunited with Uhtred in 878, a few months after the great battle from “The Pale Horseman.” Alfred has given Uhtred freedom from his oath, and he travels north to his home with the former nun Hild. Fate throws Uhted another curveball as when he is on an escort mission; he encounters a young, enslaved man named Guthred, the man who holy men believed would be king of Northumbria because of a message from Saint Cuthbert. Uhtred is made Guthred’s right-hand man, and Uhtred falls in love with the king’s sister Gisela. With Guthred, the audience sees the more extreme side of 9th century Christianity with Christian relics and saints that the young king believes will make him a great king like Alfred.

Fate is inevitable and has a path that Uhtred cannot escape, filled with betrayal and heartache. He is making a name for himself when fortune’s wheel takes another turn, and he is betrayed by Guthred and is sold to Sverri, a Danish trader, who uses Uhtred as an enslaved person. Uhtred spends two years on Sverri’s ship with another man, Finan the Agile, who would become Uhtred’s friend. At the end of the two years, Uhtred and Finan are rescued by Ragnar the Younger and Brida, who are now working with Alfred. This is a blessing in disguise because Alfred has a new mission for Uhtred to work with Father Beocca to make peace with Northumbria and Guthred. During this mission, Uhtred and Ragnar realize they have the opportunity to save Ragnar’s sister Thyra from Sven and Kjartan the Cruel.

The third novel in the Saxon Stories series gives the audience a chance to see Uhtred at the lowest point we have seen him so far, as an enslaved person. It is a story of revenge in multiple ways, and the way each revenge plot is executed is thrilling. I also enjoyed Cornwell’s new characters in this novel; the devout Christian convert King Guthred, the beautiful yet strong-willed Gisela, the survivor Thyra, Uhtred’s best friend, loveable warrior Finan, and Kjartan’s bastard son turned ally Sihtric.

I loved that the narrator of this series is an older Uhtred who is reflecting on his adventures as a younger man. It adds more depth to Cornwell’s tales of the Danes and the Saxons in 9th century England. If you have enjoyed the first two books in the Saxon Stories series, you are in for a treat with “Lords of the North” by Bernard Cornwell.