Skip to main content

King Alfred's Daughter: The Remarkable Story of Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians, the Heroine who Written out of History by David Stokes: A Book Review

King Alfred’s Daughter: The Remarkable Story of Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians, the Heroine who was Written out of History

Author: David Stokes

Genre: Historical Fiction

Publisher: The Book Guild

Publication Date: 2023

Pages: 348

Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: King Alfred is dead and the achievements that made him great are in jeopardy. Rebels challenge the succession of his son Edward to the Wessex throne, and his old ally in Mercia is sick. The Vikings in the Danelaw sense the time has come to complete their conquest of England.


      It falls on Alfred’s firstborn, his daughter, Æthelflæd, to unite the Anglo-Saxons. Reluctantly, she takes up the challenge. But can a woman rebuild ruined towns and lead men into battle against hardened Viking warriors? And can Æthelflæd fulfil her father’s dream of uniting England?


      Based on contemporary sources and archaeological evidence, King Alfred’s Daughter is rich in drama, family conflict and historical achievement.


     My Review: Aethelflaed was once a forgotten warrior queen. However, she emerged into popular culture due to the hit tv show, The Last Kingdom. Aethelflaed was the Lady of Mercia who fought the Vikings to unite Anglo-Saxon England. King Alfred’s Daughter retells Aethelflaed’s story from her perspective. After the death of her father, King Alfred the Great, Aethelflaed takes up arms to wage a war against the Vikings.


     I found Aethelflaed to be a very fascinating character. She was a very strong woman. She has to carry her father’s torch and fulfill his dream of a united England. I also like how the novel shows Aethelflaed as a ruler. She has to make tough choices for the good of her kingdom. Aethelflaed proved to be a formidable figure. I admired her courage, strength, and wisdom. I also like how this novel portrays her various roles other than a ruler. I like how it shows Aethelflaed as a daughter, wife, and mother. This showed her as a woman who loves and cares for those around her. Thus, Aethelflaed was a very fleshed out character. I was very invested in her story to see how it would end.


Overall, this book is about war, choices, and ambitions. I thought that all of the characters were well-developed. I also loved how the story is told in first person because it was more engaging and accessible! I also loved the writing, especially when depicting gritty battle scenes! Therefore, Mr. Stokes made Anglo-Saxon England come alive! The only thing I did not like about this book was that it seemed a bit rushed in certain areas. Nevertheless, King Alfred’s Daughter was a very engrossing read! I recommend this for Swords Across the Thames, To Be a Queen, and The King’s Daughter!


Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Empress: A Novel by Evelyn McCune: A Book Review

Empress: A Novel Author: McCune, Evelyn Genre: Historical Fiction Release Date: 1994 Pages: 500 Publisher: Ballantine Books Source: Personal Collection Synopsis:  Young Jao is a tomboyish thirteen, the culturally insignificant second daughter of a nobleman's second wife, when she is summoned to the imperial palace as one of the Emperor's new concubines. Jao's straightforward ways and logic, her innocence, and her beauty earn her the great warrior Emperor Taitsung's respect, attention, and finally, his love. But his death finds her banished to a convent until his son, Emperor Kaotsung, realizes his passion for Jao. Recalled to the palace, Jao discovers a place so entrenched in enmity and malice that she is forced to fight for power and just rule.      Sweeping through exotic, turbulent seventh-century China, Empress is the captivating epic of one extraordinary woman who would become the only female emperor in all of China's history. The story of ...
2 comments
Read more

Kill Her Twice by Stacey Lee: A Book Review

Kill Her Twice Author: Stacey Lee Genre: YA, Historical Fiction, Mystery & Suspense Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers Book Release Date: 2024 Pages: 400 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: A YA murder mystery noir set in 1930s Los Angeles’s Chinatown, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Downstairs Girl .        LOS ANGELES, 1932: Lulu Wong, star of the silver screen and the pride of Chinatown, has a face known to practically everyone, especially the Chow sisters—May, Gemma, and Peony—Lulu’s former classmates and neighbors. So the girls instantly know it’s Lulu when they discover a body one morning in an out-of-the-way stable, far from the Beverly Hills home where she lived after her fame skyrocketed.       The sisters suspect Lulu’s death is the result of foul play, but the police don’t seem motivated to investigate. Even worse, there are signs that...
Post a Comment
Read more

Daughter of Rome by Tessa Afshar: A Book Review

Daughter of Rome Author: Tessa Afshar Genre: Historical Fiction, Christian, Biblical Fiction, Romance Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers Release Date: 2020 Pages: 416 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis : A woman with a devastating secret. A man bent on proving his worth. A chance encounter that catapults them into the heart of history.      When the daughter of a prominent Roman general meets a disinherited Jewish immigrant, neither one can dream of God’s plan to transform them into the most influential couple of the early church. Nor can they anticipate the mountains that will threaten to bury them. Their courtship unwittingly shadowed by murder and betrayal, Priscilla and Aquila slowly work to build a community of believers, while their lives grow increasingly complicated thanks to a shaggy dog, a mysterious runaway, and a ruthless foe desperate for love. But when they’re banished from their home by a capricious emperor, th...
Post a Comment
Read more