Tag: Seven Kings Must Die

It’s been a month since the release of Kings of War, the sequel to King of Kings. This is the story of the battle of Brunanburh fought in 937. (Check out my post on where exactly Brunanburh was fought). It’s been a mad and busy month, so I thought I’d take a moment to reflect and say thank you my readers for the fab ratings/reviews and for taking a chance on my version of what led up to and happened at the battle of Brunanburh.

If you’ve not yet tried it, then King of Kings is still 99p on Amazon UK/Kobo and Kings of War is just £1.39 and both are available in ebook, audio, paperback and hardback.

Since Kings of War was released, I’ve also handed over book 3 in the series, and can reveal that the title is Clash of Kings, and it is available for preorder already.

Here’s the blurb:

Can the King of the Scots and the Dublin Norse triumph against a united England?

AD934

King Athelstan of the English has been successful in uniting the many kingdoms of Britain against one enemy, the Viking raiders.

But men who are kings don’t wish to be ruled. 

Constantin, King of the Scots, rebelled against the Imperium and was forcibly brought to bend the knee to Athelstan and England at Cirencester.

His son Ildulb seeks bloody vengeance from Athelstan following the battle at Cait and the death of his son.

Olaf Gothfrithson, king of the Dublin Norse, having asserted his power following his father’s death has his sights set on reclaiming Jorvik. 

Can the united might of the Scots and the violence of the Dublin Norse, descendants of the infamous Viking raiders, bring King Athelstan and his vision of the united Saxon English to her knees?

An epic story of kingsmanship that will result in the pivotal, bloody Battle of Brunanburh, where only one side can be victorious.

King of Kings

Kings of War

Thank you to the fabulous reviewers who shared their thoughts on Kings of War.

Leanne bookstagram

Sharon Beyond the Books

Seriesbooklover

David’s Book Blurg

Bookish Jottings

Ruins & Reading

Scrapping and Playing

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And it’s not just the blog hosts sharing reviews either:) Thank you.

Amy McElroy

Terry Rudge

The scop song that is so important to events in both King of Kings and Kings of War existed, although I have manipulated it to my purposes and changed some of the more obscure references within it. That said, the poem, Armes Prydein (The Prophecy of Britain) is itself fascinating and is believed to have been a Welsh response to the imperium of King Athelstan of the English, and Hywel’s, of the South Welsh, close connection to the English and Athelstan. It has been dated to about 940, although it might be slightly earlier or later.

In King of Kings and Kings of War, my version reads,

‘And after peace, commotion everywhere,

Brave, mighty men, in battle tumult.

Swift to attack, stubborn in defence.

Warriors will scatter the interlopers as far as Cait

The Welsh and the men of Dublin, the Scots and the Norsemen,

Those of Cornwall and Strathclyde will reconcile as one.

Kings and nobles will subdue the interlopers, drive them into exile

Bring an end to the dominion, and make them food for the wild beasts.

There will be no return for the tribes of the Saxons.’

In its entirety, it foretells a uniting of the Welsh, with all the other kingdoms then in Britain, against the English, or Saxons, those people who had run roughshod over the island at some point between 400-600, when the Saxon kingdoms emerge with more clarity.

Somewhat similar to the legendary figures of Welsh literature, (although not Arthur at this stage) – Cynan and Cadwalladr ap Cadwallan are named – it was a call to arms to defeat the Saxons/English. (I’m going to share a post about Cynan as well).

The poem survives in the Book of Taliesin, a fourteenth-century manuscript, although it’s believed the contents have an origination in the tenth century. The manuscript can be viewed online here https://www.library.wales/discover-learn/digital-exhibitions/manuscripts/the-middle-ages/book-of-taliesin#?c=&m=&s=&cv=7&xywh=-852%2C-1%2C3896%2C3020

You can find the poem in its entirety, in Welsh, here https://web.archive.org/web/20180130062458/http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/t06w.html

And here, in translation into English.

http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/t06.html#1

It’s been nearly a decade since I first conceived of this storyline, but reading it all over again, and adding a whole host of new details, I confess, I feel pretty proud of myself for weaving the poem into my story of Britain in the 920s and 930s, and appreciate that the suggestion the poem dates from this period does indeed make perfect sense, even if there are also other suggestions about its origins.

King of Kings and Kings of War are now available, telling the story of the greatest battle on British soil that many have never heard from (or at least hadn’t before Seven Kings Must Die was filmed), Brunanburh.

King of Kings

Kings of War

Check out the Brunanburh Series page for more information on the books and the historical characters involved.

It’s release day for Kings of War, the sequel to King of Kings. This is the story of the battle of Brunanburh fought in 937. (Check out my post on where exactly Brunanburh was fought).

I’m so excited to share this story with my readers, and the cover is fantastic.

Here’s the blurb:

Can the King of the Scots and the Dublin Norse triumph against a united England?

AD934

King Athelstan of the English has been successful in uniting the many kingdoms of Britain against one enemy, the Viking raiders.

But men who are kings don’t wish to be ruled. 

Constantin, King of the Scots, rebelled against the Imperium and was forcibly brought to bend the knee to Athelstan and England at Cirencester.

His son Ildulb seeks bloody vengeance from Athelstan following the battle at Cait and the death of his son.

Olaf Gothfrithson, king of the Dublin Norse, having asserted his power following his father’s death has his sights set on reclaiming Jorvik. 

Can the united might of the Scots and the violence of the Dublin Norse, descendants of the infamous Viking raiders, bring King Athelstan and his vision of the united Saxon English to her knees?

An epic story of kingsmanship that will result in the pivotal, bloody Battle of Brunanburh, where only one side can be victorious.

King of Kings

Kings of War

Check out the Brunanburh Series page for more information on the books and the historical characters involved.

Meet Olaf Gothfrithson, king of Dublin

Meet Edmund, ætheling of the English

Meet Ealdorman Athelstan

Read the release day posts on Boldwood Books Facebook account

Kings of War is on blog tour with the fabulous hosts of Rachel’s Random Resources. I’ll be sharing their reviews throughout the next week. A huge thank you to Rachel, and the hosts.

Leanne bookstagram

Sharon Beyond the Books

Seriesbooklover

David’s Book Blurg

Bookish Jottings

Ruins & Reading

Scrapping and Playing

---

And it’s not just the blog hosts sharing reviews either:) Thank you.

Amy McElroy

Terry Rudge