Edwin: High King of Britain - Book Review

About the book:
Note: This is not a specifically Christian book. In 604 AD, Edwin, the deposed king of Northumbria, seeks refuge at the court of King Raedwald of East Anglia. But Raedwald is urged to kill his guest by Aethelfrith, Edwin's usurper. As Edwin walks by the shore, alone and at bay, he is confronted by a mysterious figure--the missionary Paulinus--who prophesies that he will become High King of Britain. It is a turning point.

Through battles and astute political alliances Edwin rises to power, in the process marrying the Kentish princess Aethelburh. As part of the marriage contract the princess is allowed to retain her Christian faith. But, in these times, to be a king is not a recipe for a long life.

This turbulent and tormented period in British history sees the conversion of the Anglo-Saxon settlers who have forced their way on to British shores over previous centuries, arriving first to pillage, then to farm and trade--and to come to terms with the faith of the Celtic tribes they have driven out.

The dramatic story of Northumbria's Christian kings helped give birth to England as a nation, English as a language, and the adoption of Christianity as the faith of the English.

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My Thoughts: 
Villains, heroes, heroines, the rise and fall of kings and kingdoms make this an adventure-filled tromp through some of history's darkest and bloodiest times. I'm rather thankful that we live in the time we do - maidens were little more than chattel that were bartered and traded for political reasons, villains were brutish and vile, and kings' lives seemed to be a mere blink at times. Not having read The History of English People by Bede, I found it a compelling, interesting book that I very much enjoyed. I love books that are historical and that pull me into a time long since past. This one does just that. I especially liked the conversion of Edwin and how the queen conducted herself in some very difficult circumstances and trusted that God would take care of her.

If you like the Arthurian legends and books about medieval times, you would probably like this new series. I am looking forward to the rest of the trilogy.

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