Kings of the North
A gripping historical adventure of Viking Britain
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5.0 • 4 Ratings
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- $5.99
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- $5.99
Publisher Description
Raef is plunged into the epic struggle for the throne of England
After fleeing Constantinople and the wrath of the Emperor, Raef Corbanson has washed up with his companions on the coast of Normandy. His former patron Gunnhild is dead, and Raef is commanded to return to his father’s hall in Jorvik, in England.
Duke Richard of Normandy has sent his sister Emma to be wife to Ethelred of Wessex, the King of England. But other powers have designs on the island kingdom; Sweyn Forkbeard, king of Denmark and Raef’s old shipmate, would be King of England, too. And Ethelred has other sons, older sons from his first marriage.
Raef cannot escape this web of power; he owes a debt to Emma and her brother for aiding him. He owes fealty to Ethelred, for Jorvik is part of England, and Raef intends to rule the city as his father once did. And he owes an older, stronger, loyalty to Sweyn, for they are kin.
Kings of the North, the final thrilling instalment of the Life and Times of Corban Loosestrife series, is perfect for fans of Giles Kristian and Bernard Cornwell.
‘A potent blend of fantasy, history, and romance… a rousing, vivid tale rich with Nordic lore’ Publishers Weekly
‘She is the finest author of historical fiction working in English today’ SF Site
‘Cecelia Holland is one of the most respected historical novelists in the world’ Harford County Library Reviews
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Raef Corbanson and his companions return to England in this Viking-era sequel to The High City. England is going through tumultuous times as power struggles first put Ethelred the Unready on the throne, then Sweyn Forkbeard, and a raging civil war follows between Ethelred's son, Edmund, and Sweyn's son, Knut. Raef has his work cut out for him: be a good foster father to Knut; struggle with his daughter, Gemma; and face his fear of the Lady of Hedeby. While Holland's novels are always immersive and set in chaotic times rife with drama, unfortunately, once again, Raef is a hopeless protagonist, too passive and far from the action. His mysterious spiritual powers destroy any dramatic tension because he can foretell the future and also mysteriously defeat his opponents. The characters around him, however, particularly hottempered Knut, are fantastic. Readers of Holland's last works will be a little confused and may finally be frustrated, assuming they have any investment in Raef as a character at all.
