My review of The Wolf Banner (Sons of the Wolf, Book 2) by Paula Lofting #HistoricalFiction #BlogTour #CoffeePotBookClub @Paulalofting @maryanneyarde

 

The Wolf Banner
(Sons of the Wolf, Book 2)
 By Paula Lofting

WAR AND BLOODFEUD

"Best battle description ever!"

1056...England lurches towards war as the rebellious Lord Alfgar plots against the indolent King Edward. Sussex thegn, Wulfhere, must defy both his lord, Harold Godwinson, and his bitter enemy, Helghi, to protect his beloved daughter.

As the shadow of war stretches across the land, a more personal battle rages at home, and when it follows him into battle, he knows he must keep his wits about him more than ever, and COURAGE AND FEAR MUST BECOME HIS ARMOUR…

Publication Date: August 26th 2020 / Second Edition: 

Publisher: Longship Publishing

Genre: Historical Fiction

MY THOUGHTS!

Nearly everyone knows the story of the Battle of Hastings - the desperate fight for the English crown. But how many people know about the lead-up to that famous battle?

With the historical accuracy pinned down to the smallest of details, Paula Lofting has brought the 11th century back to life—the fires blaze and the people walk the earth again. I felt like I was living alongside these characters, walking the path next to them. 

Having not read the first book in the series, I did struggle a little at first with the vast list of characters, trying to figure out who everyone was and what their role was in this story. But it didn’t take too long for me to pick it up and I soon found myself engrossed in the lives of the Godwins’ and of all the other people that make up this story.

While it is common knowledge that there was a fight for the English crown after the death of Edward the Confessor, I was mostly unaware of any of the other histories of the 11th century, such as how the battle for the crown began before Edward’s death. While Harold Godwin was favourable by the King, there were those who despised the Godwins and would have rather faced the charge of treason, if it meant they could find someone other than a Godwin to inherit. King Harald of Norwæg had support in England and was an alternative to Godwin, and of course, one must not forget William of Normandy!

The conflict over Mercia was fabulously depicted. The battle scenes were masterfully portrayed. Not many people would pick a fight with a Norseman, but the scene between Burghred and Ivar was so expertly written that it stuck with me for the rest of the book.

The families portrayed in this novel gave it an added sense of reality, especially with the inclusion of the children of Wulfhere. Hiding in the background, but still present, was the knowledge of his affair and the effects this had on his family were very clear. His wife, Ealdgytha, despises him, but still longs for the loving embrace of a man, although she has long since become bitter towards the world. Her children feel the sting of this. 

From the accuracy of the setting to the characters themselves, I fell in love with the world that Lofting has resurrected and I simply couldn’t turn the pages quickly enough.

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Paula Lofting 

Paula Lofting is the author of 2 volumes in the Sons of the Wolf series of which she is working on her third instalment. She has been a prolific reader all her life, inspired by authors like Rosemary Sutcliffe, Mary Stewart, and Sharon Penman. She is a psychiatric nurse by day and writes in her spare time whenever she can. Mother of three grown up children and 2 grandchildren, she lives in Sussex and is also a re-enactor of the late Dark Age period.

 

As a reenactor of the period I can actually say that I have fought and died at the Battle of Hastings at least three times.

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