I’m sharing my review for Operation Berlin by Michael Ridpath #blogtour #bookreview #OperationBerlin #boldwoodbloggers @BoldwoodBooks @rararesources @michaelridpathauthor
I’m sharing my review for Operation Berlin by Michael Ridpath #blogtour #bookreview
Here’s the blurb
In a city rebuilding from war, truth can be the most dangerous weapon of all.
Berlin, 1930.
Historian Archie Laverick, scarred mentally and physically by the Great War, travels to Berlin to research a famed Prussian general. His quiet study is shattered when he crosses paths with Esme Carmichael, a spirited young American intent on making her name as a foreign correspondent. When a shooting at a Saxon castle leaves a young Jewish woman accused of murder, Archie and Esme are drawn into a perilous hunt for the truth.
Their investigation cuts through the glittering façades and lingering scars of a nation still reeling from war – where resentment simmers, political alliances shift, and the first shadows of a new conflict fall across Europe. Amid whispers of blackmail and betrayal, the pair must navigate intrigue and danger to unmask a killer hiding in plain sight.
A tense, atmospheric mystery set in a world between wars – perfect for fans of Philip Kerr’s Berlin Trilogy, Robert Harris’s Fatherland, and Alan Furst’s spy novels.
Operation Berlin wasn’t quite what I was expecting, but if anything, that’s a good thing. I was expecting a somewhat taut thriller, but instead was pleasantly surprised to read something with more of a cosy crime feel, though deeply steeped in the era’s events.
Archie and Esme are entertaining characters, both with their own backstories, and while the storyline engages with the social mores of the time, it is far from shocking in this day and age. I also enjoyed the addition of Moses and hope he might appear in future books. I very much enjoyed Archie’s quest to track down information on the general he’s researching, as it meant I was educated on more than just 1930s Berlin.
Overall, a very pleasant surprise. I imagine I will try more of Michael’s books in the future.
Meet the author
Michael Ridpath is the bestselling author of over 20 crime novels and thrillers. His first novel, after a career in finance, was Free to Trade, a No 2 bestseller about the murky world of bond trading which was translated into over thirty languages. He is currently writing the Foreign Correspondent series of murder mysteries set in the capitals of Europe in the 1930s. He splits his time between London and Massachusetts.
Storm of Mercia is now available. This is also known as ‘the one on the ship.’ #histficbook #newrelease #authorinspiration
Storm of Mercia AKA ‘the one on the ship’
Every Saxon-era series needs a book where the primary location is a ship and Storm of Mercia sees Icel and some of his allies on board a Viking ship. And it’s not willingly done.
‘If these bastards think they’ve found strong men to row their ship for them, they might be right. If they think we’re going to be any good at it, they’re very, very wrong.’
As someone who doesn’t necessarily like boats/ships, this was a bit of a stretch for me. Not only did I have to ensure I knew which was my bæcbord (left) and which my steorbord (right) and why that might have been (which I did learn for the book and kept on a sticky note). I did have some fun with my characters trying to learn and explain this to one another.
‘I suspect you don’t know your stem from your stern, or your bæcbord from your steorbord.’
‘Why can’t they just use bloody right and left?’ Oswy complains loudly.
I also needed to draw on some of my less pleasant experiences on a boat. Last year I endured a ‘slightly’ rough crossing from Orkney to Mainland Scotland – which took me the whole road journey home to recover from (about 6 hours). But, perhaps my most hated memory is of a trip to the Norfolk Broads in 2024, not my idea of fun. Those long river craft are a nightmare to ‘park’ as it were, not helped by the fact I don’t know my left or my right when under pressure, let alone my bæcbord and steorbord. I can’t take directions, or indeed, provide them. (The bugs were also a nightmare, and that element of the experience made it into the Dark Age Chronicles).
One of Icel’s comments about ‘parking’ his boat is taken directly from my ‘holiday.’
‘The ship’s once more been run aground. I’m starting to think there’s no skill at all to disembarking. Well, aside from trying not to hit something that pierces the ship’s wooden hull.’
That said, the storm which my characters endure isn’t based on my experiences at all but rather on those of a former fisherman turned artist I met in Orkney and whose paintings now adorn my walls. His depiction of the black/green of a terrible storm saw me through those scenes. While I would have been terrified, I suspect he was a little more used to them when he was younger. Go check out this beautiful picture to see how a former fisherman would visualise a terrible storm blowing in.
Wessex has never been Mercia’s ally, neither has it been her only enemy.
Wessex, AD836
The Viking raiders’ devastation has been halted once more by the shields of Mercia as opposed to Wessex. But their whereabouts are unknown.
King Wiglaf of Mercia is keen to ensure the Viking raiders are swept from his shared border with Wessex but these Viking ships are quick and difficult to track and Icel is once more deployed with Ealdorman Ælfstan warriors to do his King’s bidding. However, Icel’s quest is beset with many more obstacles and it’s not all about the seax and shield.
Worrying news from home overshadows Icel’s every deadly encounter. Will the storms of war keep him away or has he time to make one more desperate journey back to Tamworth?
With raging seas driving him ever further from Mercia’s shores, and the threat of a new conspiracy against the Mercian kingship will Icel overpower the sands of time, or will he be defeated by his deadliest nemesis yet?
AND coming May 7th 2026, The Sundered Kingdom (for anyone who’s curious, many of the Easter eggs for Storm of Mercia will show up in The Eagle Will Rise which features an even older Icel).
Sign up to my Boldwood Books newsletter to keep up to date with all things Icel… https://bit.ly/MJPorterNews
Or, you can order a signed paperback copy directly from me. Check out my bookstore.
Storm of Mercia is now available. Let’s talk about Wynflæd #histficbook #newrelease #characterinspiration
The inspiration behind Wynflæd in the Eagle of Mercia Chronicles
Young Icel is an orphan in the Eagle of Mercia Chronicles, his mother dying when he was born. He knows very little about her, but there are a number of mother-figures in his life. Lady Cynehild is one of them, and she’s the one to spill the beans about the identity of his father, but Wynflæd is perhaps more important, providing him with some stability and the opportunity to pursue his chosen path of becoming a healer, before he must cast it aside and become a warrior.
Wynflæd’s perhaps not the kindest of mother-figures but what she lacks in outright affection, she makes up for in supporting him in his endeavours. That she also knows the truth of his mother’s identity causes a ruction in their relationship, but also accounts for why she’s so involved in his life. The interplay between the two characters has provided moments of light relief throughout the series, but I don’t think it can be denied that the pair are fiercely fond of one another, even if neither of them is very good at showing it. The quote below perhaps best summarises their relationship, as voiced by Icel.
‘She was not my friend through the ties of family, but because she wished to be.’
I suspect Wynflæd’s character possesses a great deal of my grandmother’s fortitude. She was a slight woman (who only grew shorter as she aged) but crikey, she was stubborn, and incredibly skilled in needlecraft (I believe her mother was a milliner) as Wynflæd is in healing. She was also argumentative, she and my grandfather often arguing about politics, to which I was told ‘the ruling party always needs a strong opposition.’ And to her dying day, she stuck to a long-running and bickering relationship with one of her sisters-in-law, which even now we marvel at. She also insisted that Mother’s Day be correctly identified as Mothering Sunday, and it was always with relief that we could find a card with Mothering Sunday on it each year.
She also endured great sorrow, her first child dying at birth (and she never knew where the baby was buried as seems to have been the way these things were done in the 1940s (neither were we able to find any details later on)), and then losing another child (my mother) when my mother was in her 50s. Despite this, my grandmother showed her love through her actions and not through any monetary bribes such as pocket money. I believe it’s in this regard that she and Wynflæd are most alike, and so I hope she won’t mind that I was so heavily influenced by her in creating the crotchety character of Wynflæd.
Wynflæd has her own short story in my new short story collection – Mercia: A Companion’s Guide to the Tales of Mercia. (There is also a deleted scene from an early version of drafting for Storm of Mercia).
Storm of Mercia is available in ebook, paperback, hardback and audio. Grab your copy now.
Wessex has never been Mercia’s ally, neither has it been her only enemy.
Wessex, AD836
The Viking raiders’ devastation has been halted once more by the shields of Mercia as opposed to Wessex. But their whereabouts are unknown.
King Wiglaf of Mercia is keen to ensure the Viking raiders are swept from his shared border with Wessex but these Viking ships are quick and difficult to track and Icel is once more deployed with Ealdorman Ælfstan warriors to do his King’s bidding. However, Icel’s quest is beset with many more obstacles and it’s not all about the seax and shield.
Worrying news from home overshadows Icel’s every deadly encounter. Will the storms of war keep him away or has he time to make one more desperate journey back to Tamworth?
With raging seas driving him ever further from Mercia’s shores, and the threat of a new conspiracy against the Mercian kingship will Icel overpower the sands of time, or will he be defeated by his deadliest nemesis yet?
AND coming May 7th 2026, The Sundered Kingdom (for anyone who’s curious, many of the Easter eggs for Storm of Mercia will show up in The Eagle Will Rise which features an even older Icel).
Sign up to my Boldwood Books newsletter to keep up to date with all things Icel… https://bit.ly/MJPorterNews
Or, you can order a signed paperback copy directly from me. Check out my bookstore.
It’s happy release day to Storm of Mercia. Return to the world of young Icel in the ninth book in the Eagle of Mercia Series. #histficbook #newrelease
A nerdy post about the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle.
Who held what now? ‘had possession of the place of slaughter’ in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and what it might mean
We return to Icel in Storm of Mercia and the year is still AD836. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (ASC) records for this year that ‘Here King Egbert fought against 25 (35 in the A Version of the text) ship-loads at Carhampton, and great slaughter was made there, and the Danish had possession of the place of slaughter.’
This turn of phrase ‘had possession of the place of slaughter’ crops up routinely in the ASC. Indeed, it appears only 4 years later under 840, although in the same record it states that one of the Wessex ealdormen ‘made great slaughter there and took the victory.’ Is this phrase ‘had possession of the place of slaughter’ just a way for the chroniclers to record when the enemy had a victory over the warriors of Wessex? (and yes, I do mean only Wessex).
I’ve had a brief glance through the ASC entries from 800 to 870 and there are 6 occasions that the phrase ‘had possession of the place of slaughter’ is used and only one of these isn’t a reference to the Danish being victorious. This is in 860 when Wessex defeated the Viking raiders attack on Winchester, during the reign of Æthelberht, one of Ecgberht’s grandsons who ruled from 860-865.
It’s quite notable to me that the phrase is almost exclusively used to describe a loss for the Wessex forces (aside from the one example). When the Wessex forces were victorious against the enemy, the ASC always clearly states it was a victory (I’ve checked as well. They used victory or victorious when this happened). I haven’t found an entry that states the outcome of a battle for Wessex was a ‘loss.’ Perhaps that was too much for the chronicler to admit to, and they could only write of victories or allude to losses in a different way.
Storm of Mercia is available from today in ebook, paperback, hardback and audio. Grab your copy now.
Wessex has never been Mercia’s ally, neither has it been her only enemy.
Wessex, AD836
The Viking raiders’ devastation has been halted once more by the shields of Mercia as opposed to Wessex. But their whereabouts are unknown.
King Wiglaf of Mercia is keen to ensure the Viking raiders are swept from his shared border with Wessex but these Viking ships are quick and difficult to track and Icel is once more deployed with Ealdorman Ælfstan warriors to do his King’s bidding. However, Icel’s quest is beset with many more obstacles and it’s not all about the seax and shield.
Worrying news from home overshadows Icel’s every deadly encounter. Will the storms of war keep him away or has he time to make one more desperate journey back to Tamworth?
With raging seas driving him ever further from Mercia’s shores, and the threat of a new conspiracy against the Mercian kingship will Icel overpower the sands of time, or will he be defeated by his deadliest nemesis yet?
I’m reviewing Collateral Damage by Sam Cogley #thriller #bookreview #blogtour #CollateralDamage #boldwoodbloggers @BoldwoodBooks @rararesources
I’m reviewing Collateral Damage by Sam Cogley #thriller #bookreview #blogtour
Here’s the blurb
Winter came for the pancakes. Hollowvale fed him the dead.
Dane Winter is unemployed and on a lonely road to nowhere. Riding his motorcycle west from New York, he spots a sign on the Interstate: Hollowvale, Pennsylvania. A place he hasn’t visited since his Redwind Security days. Back then, the town was known for its coal mines and the best pancakes he ever tasted.
A chance encounter with a distraught local woman pulls him into investigating her friend’s disappearance. When Jacob Rhodes’ body is found at the bottom of an abandoned mine shaft, the local authorities are quick to label it an accident. Winter isn’t convinced…
Between the death of Jacob and the unexplained illnesses spreading through the local population, it’s clear that nothing is as it seems in the town of Hollowvale. Worse still, Winter thinks it might have something to do with his time there two years earlier.
What starts as a quest for answers becomes a fight to expose a conspiracy that reaches far beyond the small town.
But Winter is never one to give up, and he’s willing to burn it all down in order to uncover the horrific truth.
This is the first book in the Dane Winter series that I’ve read, although it’s the second book in the series.
Our tale takes us to a small town, Hollowvale, in the US, with a man and his motorbike, and the next few pages feel very Reacher-esque as Dane eats in the diner and then heads out on the road once more. Only then does everything change, and Dane finds himself thrust into a mystery he wasn’t expecting.
There are small-town politics, some nasty bad-guys, a cover-up of something very dodgy, a distressed woman, all coupled with Dane’s desire to uncover the truth about a company he’s worked for in the past (2 years ago).
The story moves fast, and while it might have taken me a while to get into the new character and situation, I was soon flying through the book as the tension and the stakes built.
This is a fun, if sometimes tense tale, with its fair share of jeopardy and ‘fight’ scenes. It is sure to appeal to fans of Jack Reacher.
Meet the author
Sam Cogley is the author of popular action thrillers, melding suspense-laden espionage plots with the mesmerising world of high-tech innovations. He writes the high-octane Dane Winter thrillers for Boldwood Books.
Sam lives in Victoria, Australia with his wife and children.
It’s (nearly) happy release day to Storm of Mercia. Return to the world of young Icel in the ninth book in the Eagle of Mercia Series. #histficbook #newrelease
Listen to me talk about Storm of Mercia (and other books too because it’s hard to stay on track)
Wessex has never been Mercia’s ally, neither has it been her only enemy.
Wessex, AD836
The Viking raiders’ devastation has been halted once more by the shields of Mercia as opposed to Wessex. But their whereabouts are unknown.
King Wiglaf of Mercia is keen to ensure the Viking raiders are swept from his shared border with Wessex but these Viking ships are quick and difficult to track and Icel is once more deployed with Ealdorman Ælfstan warriors to do his King’s bidding. However, Icel’s quest is beset with many more obstacles and it’s not all about the seax and shield.
Worrying news from home overshadows Icel’s every deadly encounter. Will the storms of war keep him away or has he time to make one more desperate journey back to Tamworth?
With raging seas driving him ever further from Mercia’s shores, and the threat of a new conspiracy against the Mercian kingship will Icel overpower the sands of time, or will he be defeated by his deadliest nemesis yet?
Today, I’m delighted to be reviewing Viking Conqueror by JC Duncan #blogtour #historicalfiction #HaraldHardrada
Here’s the blurb
Born to be king. Destined to die for glory.
1066 AD, Norway
Harald Hardrada, King of Norway, the Thunderbolt of the North, reigns supreme; undefeated on the battlefield and unchallenged at home. His banner, Land-Waster, flies triumphant everywhere he marches. Everything that was stolen from his brother, King Olaf, has been regained.
But power does not satiate. Glory does not fill the empty void in an ambitious heart. Victory is an elixir that runs dry no matter how freely it flows. No matter the height on which the triumphant stand, there, in the corner of his eye, is the glitter of another conquest.
Harald has achieved more than any man of his time, but fate is not done with him. His destiny lies on the banks of a quiet river in England’s green and pleasant land – Stamford Bridge.
To finish his great story, to forge the empire he always desired, all the last Viking conqueror must do is defeat a worthy opponent; King Harold of England, and seize his country and his crown.
His life changed nations. His death will change the world.
The thrilling conclusion in the extraordinary tale of Harald Hardrada ‘The Last Viking‘. A formidable warrior king known for his military prowess, ambition, and ruthlessness.
So here we are. This is the last book in the saga of Harald Hardrada, a man we’ve always known is destined to die at Stamford Bridge in the tumultuous events of 1066.
JC Duncan has spun us a fabulous tale of Hardrada’s life, never stinting to show us what Hardrada was before that fateful day, and this final instalment remains as triumphant as earlier books in the series, even if, Harald as king of Norway isn’t perhaps as filled with such fabulous stories of his brave daring do and his astonishing life as the earlier books. But then, he must earn his title of Hardrada – or hard ruler.
We move inexorably towards the events of Stamford Bridge with the ever loyal Eric returning to Harald’s side. It all seems so easy to accomplish close to Jorvik. So easy, and yet…it is not. Harald, at long last, finds a worthy opponent, one worthy of matching him in battle.
Not only does Harald’s story near its conclusion, but our narrator and his reasons for telling his tale are finally revealed as well.
I’ve loved this series by JC Duncan following the life of Harald Hardrada. It’s been fascinating to learn about his time away from Norway and all about that fateful day in 1066, which is recounted poignantly, and does indeed show Harald as the battle commander he was – ruthless, ambitious. Honourable (mostly). If you’ve not yet started the series, go pick up Warrior Prince now. You will not be disappointed.
JC Duncan is a well-reviewed historical fiction author, with a passion for Vikings. When he isn’t writing or doing his full-time engineering job, James is happiest being an amateur bladesmith
I’m delighted to be sharing my review for The Old Girls’ Island Getaway by Kate Galley #blogtour #newrelease #comedy
I’m delighted to be sharing my review for The Old Girls’ Island Getaway by Kate Galley
Here’s the blurb
Two old friends. One sun-soaked adventure.
Dorothy and Gina may be separated by twenty years, but their friendship is timeless. At seventy-one and nearly ninety, life’s too short not to have a little fun – especially in Corfu.
When Dorothy is invited to visit an old friend at his villa, she insists Gina comes along. They’re looking forward to sunshine, sea breezes, and perhaps a dash of ouzo. But their plans are upended by an unexpected guest: glamorous actress Florence Quinn, who’s taken up residence in the pool house.
Florence may sparkle on the surface, but she’s hiding something – and someone – from her past. Determined to help, Dorothy and Gina embark on a quest across the island, only to find that Corfu holds more secrets, scandals, and surprises than they ever imagined.
A warm, witty, and adventurous tale of friendship, mischief, and unexpected discoveries.
We’re back with the joyful ‘Old Girls,’ Gina and Dorothy as they jet off for yet another holiday, in the company of Dorothy’s granddaughter. This time, there’s a film star in their midst, threatening to disturb what Dorothy had hoped would be a reunion with a friend at the end of his life. But there are two minor mysteries for our ‘Old Girls’ and Dorothy’s granddaughter to solve – did Rupert play a part in stealing the priceless diamond decades ago – and why is Florence so determined on finding her holiday romance from thirty years ago?
These two mysteries provide the intrigue for the story as Gina is prevailed upon to drive a car around the twisty roads of Corfu and even hops onto a scooter, all in order to aid Florence. Juliet, Dorothy’s granddaughter, provides a welcome boost of humour with her cutting, if mostly true, comments.
As with the previous two books in the series, The Old Girls’ Island Getaway is a charming read, with some funny moments thrown in to remind us all that life doesn’t stop just because the birthdays start to rack up.
Kate Galley is the author of uplifting golden years fiction, including The Second Chance Holiday Club. She lives with her family in Buckinghamshire and works part time as a mobile hairdresser
Today I’m reviewing Kelly Oliver’s fabulous new Golden-Age crime mystery, The Case of the Christie Curse #newrelease #cosycrime #blogtour #boldwoodbloggers @BoldwoodBooks #TheCaseofTheChristieCurse @KellyOliverBook @rararesources @theboldbookclub
Today I’m reviewing Kelly Oliver’s fabulous new Golden-Age crime mystery, The Case of the Christie Curse #newrelease #cosycrime #blogtour
Here’s the blurb
The BRAND NEW page-turning, historical cozy mystery series from Kelly Oliver 🏝️🏺☠️
Mesopotamia, 1930: When Agatha Christie invites fellow members of the Detection Club to witness the famous excavations at the ruins of Ur, Dorothy L. Sayers, her quick-witted assistant Eliza Baker, and Theo Sharp expect ancient wonders – not fresh corpses.
But when an archaeologist is found dead in the sand, whispers of a deadly curse sweep through the camp. Eliza suspects something far more dangerous than superstition. Amid glittering artifacts and fragile alliances, every guest harbors the Woolleys, whose marriage is shadowed by tragedy; a journalist hungry for scandal; even academic Max Mallowan, whose loyalties are not what they seem.
As theft, forgery, and coded messages surface, the line between archaeology and espionage blurs. And when Eliza and Theo find themselves in danger, they must face not only the truth about the murder – but also the truths they’ve long denied about each other. Can they uncover the killer before the desert claims another victim? Or will this dig unearth secrets too dangerous to survive?
The Case of the Christie Curse is the third book in the Detection Club series of cosy historical crime novels, in which our beloved crime writers from the 1920s and 1930s feature as characters.
This time, we’re off to Mesopotamia to discover why Agatha Christie has summoned Dorothy, Eliza and Theo to assist her. And what they discover when they arrive is a tangled web of lies and conspiracy, which some suspect is really the Queen’s Curse from the excavation site.
I thought the mystery was trundling along at a reasonable rate to begin with, and I was enjoying it, but then, suddenly, the storyline really escalated in the second half of the book, and I just had to sit and read it until its conclusion.
The author often writes slightly flippant characters, but in this book, we do start to see something deeper from Theo and Eliza, which is a great change, and I do hope it might mean we get a little less ‘will they, won’t they’ and a whole lot more thrilling mystery to solve in future books.
A thrilling new addition to the series of historical, cosy mysteries. (I’ve also been rewatching all of the David Suchet Poirot series, and I must say, this reads very close to the episodes set in exotic locations – huzzah.)
Kelly Oliver is the award-winning, bestselling author of three mysteries series: The Jessica James Mysteries, The Pet Detective Mysteries, and the historical cozies The Fiona Figg Mysteries, set in WW1. She is also the Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University and lives in Nashville, Tennessee
It’s happy release day to Lords of Iron, the third and concluding book in the Dark Age Chronicles Trilogy. Let’s talk about battle standards #newrelease #MenOfIron #WarriorsOfIron #LordsofIron #histfic
What comes after the events of the Dark Age Chronicles (as well as before)
In deciding on a date to set the Dark Age Chronicles, I was quite careful. I wanted it to be after the era of the legendary Arthur (the battle of Camlann is dated to 537 in the Annals Cambriae (the Welsh Annals)), but also before written sources start to make some references to what was happening in what would become Saxon England in the later 500s anywhere that wasn’t in the south/south-east.
In the A version of the ASC there are 26 entries for the 500s. Eight are dated before AD540. These are mostly concerned with events in the south, Kent, the Isle of Wight, and Portsmouth, and their legendary Saxon founders. After 540, we’re treated to the genealogies for what would become Northumbria (547 and 560), Wessex (552 and 597) as well as having references to the religions in Britain at the time, through accounts of Columba and the missionary activities in Kent from Pope Gregory. There are any number of battles between those forging a foothold in their newly forming kingdoms and the native Britons.
Our first real reference for anything happening in what would become the kingdom of Mercia is under the year 577 when we’re told Gloucester, Cirencester and Bath were taken from the ‘Britons’ by Cuthwine and Ceawlin (of Wessex). Gloucester would certainly be within the later kingdom of Mercia. Cirencester and Bath weren’t.
While I’ll repeat that the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle wasn’t begun until the 890s (so over 300 years later) and Bede, which much of the ASC is based on at this time, was writing in the 730s (so nearly two hundred years later), I still wanted almost a clean slate for my characters to inhabit. There was also the matter of plague to try and avoid, as well as a series of bad harvests, that are referenced but don’t form more than a background detail in the books.
I felt that to truly gain a ‘feel’ and an ‘understanding’ for what might have been happening at this time, it was necessary to step aside from any historical account and to rely on the archaeological record. The years 540 and 541 felt as though they provided a good opportunity to do just that. However, it’s always important to have an eye to what was going to happen, as well as what had happened before. And, as I wrote, a number of elements seemed to become very clear to me. While there are reports of battles amongst the Saxon invaders and the native populations (six of them in those eight entries before 540, although some of them are quite small), and while they feel quite overwhelming when simply listed because they form so much of the narrative, there aren’t a lot of them mentioned before AD540. The impetus certainly seems to gather pace after that date (of the remaining 18 entries, eight reference what seem to be quite large battles). Why this might have been, began to make sense as I explored the idea of no new iron production after the end of Roman Britain, until the skill was ‘rediscovered.’ Without the ability to easily overwhelm an enemy through new blades that weren’t made from recycled metals, would people who’d endured famine and plague, really want to risk it all when there was no chance of success? It felt unlikely. Would you? The need to fight isn’t always taken when you know you’ll succeed, sometimes it’s also desperation, but if these settlements were doing reasonably well, why take the chance? Surely, they needed to rebuild and form alliances to survive.
And so, as I’ve written the trilogy, what would come after – the increasing battles, the desire of the invaders to establish ‘kingships’ in Wessex, Kent, Northumbria, Mercia and the kingdom of the East Angles, began to make a lot more sense – with the rediscovery of how to forge sharpened blades (or indeed, to import them when the ‘invaders’ arrived (whether to intermarry or to make war), because unlike in Britannia, the ability to forge blades didn’t become lost in the homelands of the Saxon invaders) there were suddenly people who could start to dominate, and who would want to dominate.
And yet, the archaeology couldn’t be forgotten either. There aren’t many battle sites known from this era. What can be said with more surety, is that there was a co-mingling – all sorts of crossovers are found in the burial record – and indeed, the burial rites of many changed during this undocumented sixth century. There was undoubtedly discord between peoples, but there was also accord. Until there wasn’t. So, something had to change to bring about the formation of the Saxon kingdoms. I’m not saying my ideas are correct, but they are intriguing, especially when played out in a fictional environment where I can endeavour to explain what might have been happening – both in terms of war, and peace. (And, some would argue not all iron production was lost – it certainly wasn’t – but it becomes much more difficult to ‘find’ – i.e. no nails to secure coffins in the burial record in the heartland of England – what was happening in Wales/Devon and Cornwall is very different).
After the Dark Age Chronicles, we move into a period where identifiable kingships and kingdoms are forming – we’re moving into what would become Saxon England, and towards the events of the seventh century, which would be dominated by discord between Mercia and Northumbria, Wessex and the other kingdoms, and the reigns of the alleged ‘bretwaldas’ (wide rulers.) We’re moving towards what’s more immediately understood and known, but the sixth century is where these developments have their routes, as twisted, tangled, unexplainable and often, as baffling as they are. (And we don’t really need a legendary figure to explain what’s happening, do we, although the prevalence of Excalibur does perhaps answer to these questions as well?). We’re moving towards The Gods and Kings Trilogy.
MJ Porter 