There’s nothing like a quest to keep a man going, even on the brink of death, but in the case of Uhtred of Bebbanburg, he has several quests. His main goal is to reclaim his birthright, Bebbanburg, but he also wants to help fulfill Alfred’s dream of uniting the kingdoms to create England. However, life can present even more challenges, and Uhtred knows this all too well. Uhtred not only has to save a royal heir and his daughter, but he also must find the sword that wounded him and place a woman on a throne to rule in a time when women were seen rather than heard. It’s a lot to do, but if anyone is up to the task, it is Uhtred of Bebbanburg. The question is, will he survive? Bernard Cornwell brings us another action-packed novel full of adventures in book 8 of the Saxon Stories series, “The Empty Throne.”
Cornwell begins with Uhtred, the young Uhtred, who is serving Lady Aethelflaed as she fights against the Danes. Their enemies believe the elder Uhtred is dead, but he is far from it. Unfortunately, Uhtred the elder was injured during his fight with Cnut, and the injury is causing him pain. But a little pain is not going to stop Uhtred from fulfilling his oaths. He finds out that Lord Aethelhelm is after Aethelstan, the illegitimate son of King Edward, who actually might be legitimate. Aethelstan is staying safe with Uhtred’s daughter Stiorra, but when Uhtred realizes they are in danger, he rushes to their aid. What Uhtred does not realize is that his daughter Stiorra is a pagan and is stronger than he thinks.
Once things are settled with his family, Uhtred receives word that Lady Aethelflaed will be fighting for the throne of Mercia as her husband Aethelred is dying. It’s a risky endeavor, as women did not rule during this time, but Uhtred the Elder comes up with a plan to make sure she becomes Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians. Finally, Uhtred must find Cnut’s sword Ice-Spite, and the journey will lead him to Wales, a great battle, and one of Uhtred’s children leaving on their own adventure.
This is so far my favorite book in the series. The fact that we got to see Aethelflaed become the Lady of the Mercians while Uhtred stood by her side. We got to see Uhtred the Younger and Stiorra grow up in this book and start on their own paths. And of course, we get to see Uhtred of Bebbanburg and his men being badasses in battle. Such a fun and thrilling novel, and I can’t wait to see where Cornwell takes this series. If you are a fan of the first seven books in the Saxon Stories series, you will love “The Empty Throne” by Bernard Cornwell.
The date is August 22, 1485, and a young man stands in the middle of a battlefield. He has done what seemed nigh impossible, he defeated the last Plantagenet king Richard III to become the new King of England. His heritage makes this man unique and qualified to start a new dynasty. His mother’s family the Beauforts have been explored quite heavily by historians and authors alike. They see this victory as a change in English history whereas his father’s family sees it as a sign of something deeper. To the Tudors and Henry’s fellow Welshmen, it is the fulfillment of a centuries-old prophecy. So who were Henry Tudor’s ancestors and what did it mean for Henry to be the titular Son of Prophecy? Nathen Amin tells the remarkable story of the Tudors and how their struggles and triumphs led to Henry Tudor taking the throne in his latest book, “ Son of Prophecy: The Rise of Henry Tudor.”
Like many other countries, England has been through growing pains when it comes to reforming its political, military, and judicial systems. None more so than the pains of the medieval period, specifically from 1199 to 1399. In those two centuries, there were six Plantagenet kings, each with a different style of being king and a different way of changing England with each reign. We often think that the biggest change to England’s political history during this time was the Magna Carta, but in fact, that was only just the beginning. Caroline Burt and Richard Partington have combed the archives to do a deep dive into each reign of these Plantagenet kings, examining the political and judicial changes that happened in a short period. Their comprehensive book is entitled, “Arise, England: Six Kings and the Making of the English State.”
Today, I am pleased to welcome to my blog Anna Belfrage to promote the audiobook for her novel, “His Castilian Hawk.” Thank you, Anna Belfrage and The Coffee Pot Book Club, for allowing me to participate in this tour. 
Buy Links: 
Author Bio:
The year is 1346, and numerous English ships have landed on the shores of France. King Edward III, his son Edward of Woodstock, and his lords launched the first stage of what would be known as the Hundred Years’ War. Amongst the English royalty, nobility, and regular soldiers, are companies of men who came of their own accord for money and glory. One company of men consists of ten men known as the Essex Dogs, led by Loveday FitzTalbot. They are not like the other groups. They do not fight for money or glory; they fight for each other. In the horrors of war in a foreign land, can the Essex Dogs keep their promise and stay alive? Dan Jones introduces the world to these ten men and the early stage of the Hundred Years’ War in his first historical fiction novel, “Essex Dogs.”
Medieval women held many different titles that defined their roles and their connections. Mothers, daughters, and wives tended to be the most popular and the most common. Titles such as queen, political diplomat, and peace weaver tend to be rare and given to women of power. Yet, these words accurately depict a unique woman who lived during the Angevin/ Plantagenet dynasty. She was the illegitimate daughter of the notorious King John and the wife of Llywelyn the Great, a Prince of Wales. She worked tirelessly to establish peace between England and Wales, yet she has not received much attention in the past. Her name was Joan, Lady of Wales, and her story is brought to life in Danna R. Messer’s book, “Joan, Lady of Wales: Power and Politics of King John’s Daughter”.
When one thinks about Medieval Europe and buildings, we tend to focus on the luxurious castles with their impenetrable walls. It is a rather glamorous image, but the problem is it is not accurate. Castles were used for defensive measures to protect the kingdom from attacks, either from outsiders or, in some cases, from within. Medieval warfare and castles go hand in hand, but one conflict where we tend to forget that castles play a significant role is in the civil war between the Yorks and the Lancasters, which we refer to today as The Wars of the Roses. Dr. Dan Spencer has scoured the resources that are available to find out the true role of these fortresses, both in England and in Wales, in this complex family drama that threw England into chaos. His research has been compiled in his latest book, “The Castle in the Wars of the Roses”.
When we think of medieval kings of England, we tend to think about strong warriors who did things their own way. Men like Edward I and Edward III often come to mind. Yet, there was a king in between these two legendary warriors whose name lives on in infamy, King Edward II. He is known for his numerous favorites, his relationships with men like Piers Gaveston and Hugh Despenser the Younger, his disagreements with the barons who were trying to help him run the country, his relationship with his equally famous wife and son, Isabella of France and Edward III, and his dramatic death. But who was the man known as King Edward II? What was he really like? Stephen Spinks explores these questions in his latest biography, “Edward II the Man: A Doomed Inheritance”.
In English history, the story of the royal families tends to capture the imagination of those who study it. Full of dynamic tales of kings and queens, and numerous nobles, these are tales that make it into history books and history classes. We tend to focus on the same kings and queens, who have become the popular royals. But what about those who are left in the dust of those popular royals? Who were the royal women who lived in the shadow of the throne that time has forgotten? What were the lives of these women like? It is these women who are the focus of Erin Lawless’s latest book, “Forgotten Royal Women: The King and I”.
In the study of history, we tend to look at the beginning and the end of a battle and why they were fought. We rarely pay attention to the march that led to the battle, but when we do, there is a distinct reason why. One particular case is of Henry Tudor’s march to the Battle of Bosworth Field. It is a tale that started from his birth at Pembroke Castle to being an exile and then from an exile to being King of England. The story of how an exile became a king and founded the infamous Tudor dynasty deserves attention. Phil Carradice believed that it was time for the story of the first Tudor king and his march to destiny to be told in his latest book, “Following in the Footsteps of Henry Tudor: A Historical Journey From Pembroke to Bosworth”.
Adventures of a Tudor Nerd 