Read my review of Gone (Parallel Trilogy, Book 1) by Christine Kersey #YoungAdult #Dystopian #SciFi @CKerseyBooks

Gone

(Parallel Trilogy, Book 1)

By Christine Kersey

This is the first book in the Parallel Trilogy. What if everything you knew was suddenly gone? Sixteen-year-old Morgan Campbell runs away from home and when she returns the next day her world is turned upside-down. Not only is her family missing, but another family is living in her house and claims to have lived there for weeks. As Morgan desperately works to figure out what has happened, she finds society has become obsessed with weight in a way she has never seen before. The more she searches for answers, the more she begins to wonder if she has somehow ended up in another world--a world where it is illegal to be overweight. Can she survive in this world until she can get home? Gone does not contain any profanity or sexual content and is appropriate for all ages.

Genres: Young Adult/Dystopian/Sci-Fi

Page Length: 232

Grab the series HERE!

(I can't find the book for sale separate from the whole series)

MY THOUGHTS

Who knew an act of defiance could turn your entire world upside-down? Morgan Campbell runs away from home in protest of the unfairness her mother imposes upon her. Morgan can’t seem to do anything right and finds herself in trouble at every turn. But running away brings one problem after the next. She spends the night in a run-down, abandoned cabin in the woods, and when she tries to find her way back home again the next day, she is in for a nasty surprise.

Her family doesn’t live in the house they did yesterday. For all she tries, Morgan can’t figure out what has happened. The world she fell asleep in is gone, and she has woken up in one where it is illegal to be overweight, and the government tracks everyone, punishing those who do not stay within their weight goals. Somehow, Morgan has found herself in a parallel universe, and must adapt quickly, or else she might find herself at a F.A.T. centre. 

Morgan is the kind of character you are not sure whether or not you like to begin with. She is rude to her mother and runs away basically because her mother wouldn’t allow her to get a new phone. She seems a little stuck up and acts as if everyone should listen to her, and she should be allowed to do whatever she wants. After losing everything she was familiar with, though, Morgan starts to become a much more likeable person. She appreciates the things her family can afford, and starts to spend more time with her siblings and do things around the house to help her mother out. Trying to hand out baked goods with an illegal amount of calories in them at school is obviously just her deviance rearing its head. There is not too much time spent with any of the characters for me to really get to know them, other than Morgan, but I did end up liking her, and rooting for her to either manage to get home or adapt quickly enough to survive in the new world she found herself in.

I can’t imagine what struggles and fears Morgan must face during this book, as she finds out things she saw as normal are now illegal, and that she must abide by the rules or else face being dragged away from her family. The loss of control comes across very clearly in this book, especially since the weight restrictions are not just guidelines, but laws, and it is hard to afford, or find, simple foods such as sugar. I love the idea that, while Morgan is struggling to follow all the new rules that have been thrust upon her, there is another Morgan, thrown into the ‘normal’ world. I would love to know what that Morgan was getting up to throughout this book. Was she relishing in the freedom, and eating what she wanted, or was she sticking to her harsh diet and exercise routines to keep the weight off? 

This book does, unfortunately, fall into the category of books that I downloaded for free, not realising they were part of a series and would have a massive cliffhanger at the end to make you want to buy the next book in the series. I don’t particularly like it when books do this, I like being able to read a book and feel satisfied with the ending. If you’re not planning on buying the whole series, then this book probably isn’t the one to choose. There are some chapters from book 2 at the end, so you are not left right in the middle of a scene, but I wish there had been a more definite conclusion.

I have read this book twice now, the first time I read it was several years ago, but I remembered it being a good story, and so I reread it. My memory serves me well, I read the whole thing in one sitting. This is the kind of book that is easy to read, if not slightly predictable, that is perfect to read if you’re trying to crawl out of a reading slump. It is an easygoing book, and it is not difficult to immerse yourself alongside the characters. I am glad I came back to re-read this book. Although the plot definitely isn’t lighthearted, it is an easy book to read, and I enjoyed reading it.

Christine Kersey is an author of sweet contemporary romance as well as suspense, post-apocalyptic, and dystopian novels. She has her own eReader and is not embarrassed to admit that she is a book hoarder. One of Christine's favorite activities is to go camping with her family and read, read, read while enjoying the beauty of nature.

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Read an excerpt from of Blue Billy’s Rogue Lexicon by David Lawrence #HistoricalFiction #QueerFiction #RomanticComedy #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub @cathiedunn

Blue Billy’s Rogue Lexicon
By David Lawrence

William Dempsey was a wonder among wonders.

By 18, he had risen from a gang of London street rogues to be the personal plaything of the Marquess of Argyll. Maintained in splendour, celebrated at masquerades – with everything he could wish for.

Now all has come crashing down. He is put out in the rain without patronage, his West End apartment, or a place among the ton.

So on a stormy night, he arrives at a house in Southwark. Marathon Moll’s in the Mint – the bawdyhouse he worked in during his ascent and where he earned the name Blue Billy.

But is Marathon Moll’s a place from which to rise again? For there is one in the crowd, who catches his eye. Who takes his hand and promises something better.

Or does Moll’s signify a return to his roots? For one day, a second and very different young man raps on the door. Takes his hand and asks him to return to his past.

To the cat language of vagabonds. The canting dialect of thieves.

To the schemes, and the dreams, of his youth.

Publication Date: February 21, 2023

Publisher: Broadbound Publishing

Page Length: 245

Genre: Historical Fiction / Queer Fiction / Romantic Comedy

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This novel is free to read with #KindleUnlimited subscription.

EXCERPT

Chapter 4

Bob Ken, or Brownmanken

a well-furnished house

“Well, well. And what have we here?”

“Let us in, Moll. I’ve a beast of a bloodied nose, and nowhere to go…”

Billy swooned, his eye swelling, the bridge of his nose a busted dam through which a red torrent was flowing. Drowning under his tearing vision stood Marathon Moll, folded arms in a silk banyan, appearing as just another wall into which his face must be driven. 

Yet, somehow, something was different. It seemed he had an arm stretched across someone’s back, stretched taut so he wouldn’t fall, stretched until the tendons might snap. Looking down, a tanned arm protruding from a workman’s smock was gripping him tightly about the waist. A thumb previously broken and reset was cradling him across the belly. The man was speaking, and as he did, the strength left Billy’s body and he sank toward the opened collar of the workman’s smock. Into the smell of sweat and clinging sawdust. Into the smell of deep, clean strength until it was all he could do to keep his fractured, bleeding beak from taking refuge under that wing.

A casement window creaked. Chatter from over their heads.

“But do you know him, Moll?” the workman was saying. His large, coarse hand came forward to draw aside Billy’s matted hair. “William, is it?” he asked, holding him up as though it was merely an uncertain identity preventing his admission. 

At which point Billy turned to the house and, praying that Chandler was within, bellowed for the youth at the top of his lungs. He bellowed lusty as a new-born, bellowed so that Moll held her ears, bellowed until at last the boy appeared. With a shriek of horror, Chandler squeezed around his unmoveable mistress to assist the blood-soaked wretch. Next to appear: a large black man who set Moll to one side. Lifting Billy from the arms of the stranger, the man swept him onto a flying carpet, to an island far from all noise, harm, and distress: the first floor. Here were the boys’ bedchambers, and in one, under a canopy of pink clouds, within a forest of fat mahoganies, Billy was stripped of his soiled garments and deposited into a feather bed. 

Chandler’s face drew close, came into focus. Biting his lip, he dabbed at the bleeding nose with a scrap of cotton, the fringe at his forehead, short as it was, still managing to appear utterly dishevelled. Then at a shouted order to come downstairs Chandler withdrew, handing the cloth to the other attendant, asking him to tend Billy while he tended to Moll. Then he hurried downstairs, his footfalls in the stairwell like bubbles rising from the seafloor where the monster lay.

“Out!” shouted the monster.

“Moll, I have asked Caligula to guard him, to assure you that—”

“Out!”

“—and shall vouch for anything that goes missing from the house—”

“OUT!”

“—of which there shall be nothing, as theft simply will not be possible. As a favour to me. Your best, most loyal employee, as you have said yourself many times…”

A broken, attenuating response. A long pause. Another word from Chandler. Then a wail of surrender – music to Dempsey’s ears. From the soft, dry bed, Billy observed the bedchamber door close, sealing out the subsequent noisy exchange from downstairs. 

Caligula approached the bed. He loomed over him under a sky of pink parasols suspended upside-down from the ceiling. Blinking his vision clear, Billy saw the forest of mahogany had been felled, shaped, and polished into functional furnishings – a wardrobe, an escritoire, a nightstand. Mezzotint portraits of David Garrick, the stage actor, crowded the walls around a ceramic sock and buskin. And upon every surface: perfumes, breath-sweetening tinctures, and cosmetic washes. 

“William Dempsey,” said his guard in a reproving tone. Billy opened his eyes, unaware that they had closed, to observe Caligula, house heavy in Moll’s for many years. Bald, six-foot, a cotton waistcoat left undone over a rippling, ebony torso. “What you doin’ in this house again and looking like this?”

“I got nowhere to go, Cali—”

“Don’t call me that.”

“Why not?”

“Cali – like you was used to do. Makin’ me consider the passage of time, and how you was one bird flew out this cuckoo’s nest wasn’t never supposed to return. But now here you come landing in the Yard like some gentleman’s been out snipe shootin’.”

Billy grabbed for his hand and put it to his heart. “I’ve missed you, Cali.”

“Don’t do that.” But the man’s warm hand closed over Billy’s. After a long moment, he sighed. “Well, who was it?”

“Who was what?”

“The one smashed your nose and busted your eye; the one I gotta kill now. Loiterin’ about outside?”

“Long gone,” said Billy. Then he paused, understanding for the first time he had achieved his goal: he was back in Moll’s. With its leaky windows, its scent of lavender stirring about the heart-chambers of the house, breaking from some deep part of himself memories from earlier and, somehow, what felt like more innocent times. “Anyhow, I reckon he’s done me a favour if Moll’s to let me stay on a while.”

“A favour?” Caligula drew closer. “You tell me what happened now and why you seem ta’ have lost what little sense ya’ever did have.”

 Billy shrugged. “The cash; I needed some. Round about dusk, I snagged a bit of trade at Savoy Gate.”

“Mighta guessed as much. But went bad for you?”

Billy exhaled. Then closed his eyes.

David Lawrence is the author of two queer historical novels – ‘Hugh: A Hero without a Novel’ and ‘Blue Billy’s Rogue Lexicon’. As a writer, he loves taking a deep dive into the politics, social norms, and events of 18th century England while presenting humorous and unique coming-of-age tales.

A native of the American Southwest, David has spent much of his life in Great Britain, France, and Finland.  He now lives in the American Northwest – Helena, Montana – with his Finnish partner. 

By day he loves hiking under the Big Sky of his beautiful adopted state.

By night, however, he prefers wandering the byways of 18th century London…

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Read an interview with Rowena Kinread, author of The Scots of Dalriada #HistoricalFiction #ScottishHistoricalFiction #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub @RowenaKinread @cathiedunn

The Scots of Dalriada
By Rowena Kinread

THREE BROTHERS

Fergus, Loarn and Angus, Princes of the Dalriada, are forced into exile by their scheming half-brother and the druidess Birga One-tooth.

THREE FATES

Fergus conceals himself as a stable lad on Aran and falls helplessly in love with a Scottish princess, already promised to someone else. Loarn crosses swords against the Picts. Angus designs longboats.

TOGETHER A MIGHTY POWER

Always on the run the brothers must attempt to outride their adversaries by gaining power themselves. Together they achieve more than they could possibly dream of.

Fergus Mór (The Great) is widely recognised as the first King of Scotland, giving Scotland its name and its language. Rulers of Scotland and England from Kenneth mac Alpín until the present time claim descent from Fergus Mór.

Full of unexpected twists and turns, this is a tale of heart-breaking love amidst treachery, deceit and murder.

Publication Date: January 26th, 2023
Publisher: Vanguard Press
Pages: 287
Genre: Historical Fiction

Grab a copy HERE!

INTERVIEW

Writing Interview questions.

Why did you choose to write your book in this era?

I suffer from a rare genetic disorder called muscular dystrophy. My parents were carriers without knowing so; no other relations were affected. So I started to do some ancestry research and although I discovered nothing about muscular dystrophy, I soon became infected with an ancestry research bug. I couldn’t stop! History is so fascinating as soon as it becomes personal! I discovered that my father’s surname Kinread is derived from the Dalriada in North Ireland and Scotland. I then researched the Dalriada and was astonished to discover that St.Patrick was captured as a teenager and sold as a slave to the Dalriada. Up until that point I had tended to think only of black slaves. Thus my first novel The Missionary. That Fergus conquered Argyll and became the founder father of Scotland was material galore for my second novel The Scots of Dalriada. I read a lot and enjoy discovering topics and ages that are new to me. Some ages/topics I dismiss immediately as so much has already been written about it/them. So I enjoyed writing about an era not well known – 5th century Ireland and Scotland.

Did you find researching this era particularly difficult? What was the hardest thing to find out, and did you come across anything particularly surprising?

The best and most comprehensive book about the Dalriada is John Bannermann’s Studies in the History of Dalriada. This is out of print but after a three-year-wait I managed to pick up a copy sold online. The wait was worthwhile as almost all I learnt about the Dalriada was from this book. Even online articles often referred to it. Many other books about Ireland and Scotland generally in this era completed my research. Some of these are: A Brief History of Ireland by Richard Killeen

Ireland's Forgotten Past: A History of the Overlooked and Disremembered by Turtle Bunbury 

A History of Scotland by Neil Oliver

Scotland: History of a Nation by David Ross  

The Book of Celtic Myths: From the Mystic Might of the Celtic Warriors to the Magic of the Fey Folk, the Storied History and Folklore of Ireland, Scotland, Brittany, and Wales by Adams Media  

Can you share something about the book that isn’t covered in the blurb?

There is a sub-plot of romance. Fergus falls in love with Rhianna, a Scottish princess already promised to an old man, the King of Strathclyde. The king maltreats her and in fear of her life, they plan a cunning escape from Dumbarton castle.

If you had to describe your protagonist(s), in three words, what would those three words be and why?

Fergus: fearless, loveable and epic. Although not perfect like superman, which makes him all the more likeable, Fergus puts his own needs last but is clever enough to found a great dynasty.

What are you currently working on? 

VANISHED a thriller about a woman who finds a map of the whereabouts of hidden Nazi treausure whilst sorting out her Grandfather’s loft. She is chased by brutal hired hitmen across the Bavarian Alps. 

What would you tell an aspiring author who had some doubts about their writing abilities?

Write anyway but then join a group of writers or take part in courses to see where you stand. It’s best to ask experienced editors who do not know you personally.

Personal Interview questions.

What do you like to do when you are not writing? 

I love walking in fresh air, enjoying nature. My husband and I live at Lake Constance, one of the largest European lakes. The whole year around there is plenty of wildlife to be seen, in winter literally, in summer also abstractly! We also like travelling, visiting gardens and areas of natural beauty. And I love reading!

What did you want to be when you grew up?

Fairly early on in life I was keen on travelling and specialised in learning languages at school and privately. I wanted to become an air hostess and after the first landing on the moon, decided to become one of the first air hostesses in space! After school my first job was with Lufthansa in Stuttgart in the sales department. It was pretty cool because we were often invited to try out hotels and resorts free of charge.

What’s for dinner tonight? What would you rather be eating?

We eat our main meal at lunchtime and today it is stuffed peppers. I decided what to eat today so peppers are fine but I would love to have a delicious dessert afterwards. Why are desserts so full of calories?

What would be a perfect day?

Wake up to sunshine, the aroma of coffee drifting upstairs and a letter in the post (an email would be fine too) from a major publishing firm offering me a contract for my next book. Dressing with my clothes fitting perfectly. An outside temperature increase to 25C and a soft breeze. A waiter nearby to bring cocktails, a good book and the sea nearby. 

What is the best part of your day?

In the morning, I’m full of creative energy and if I succeed bringing this to paper, then I’m happy.

Rowena Kinread grew up in Ripon, Yorkshire with her large family and a horde of pets. Keen on travelling, her first job was with Lufthansa in Germany.

She began writing in the nineties. Her special area of interest is history. After researching her ancestry and finding family roots in Ireland with the Dalriada clan, particularly this era. 

Her debut fiction novel titled “The Missionary” is a historical novel about the dramatic life of St. Patrick. It was published by Pegasus Publishers on Apr.29th, 2021 and has been highly appraised by The Scotsman, The Yorkshire Post and the Irish Times.

Her second novel “The Scots of Dalriada” centres around Fergus Mór, the founder father of Scotland and takes place in 5th century Ireland and Scotland. It is due to be published by Pegasus Publishers on Jan.26th, 2023.

The author lives with her husband in Bodman-Ludwigshafen, Lake Constance, Germany. They have three children and six grandchildren.

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Have a look at A Promise Broken by Kim Anderson #HistoricalFiction #HistoricalRomance @KimAndersonBook @RABTBookTours

A Promise Broken
By Kim Anderson

Alice and her sister were taken by their mother many years ago and raised in a quaint little cottage as commoners. Their mother has now become ill and has decided it is in the girls' best interest to be returned to their father, hoping that Lord Hastings has fixed the mistake that he made. Alice finds out that her father is one of the richest Dukes in England. It was not long before Alice found out why her mother took her and her sister away from the life that they were born into. A contract was created by her father and his best friend, a contract for her to marry a man she doesn't even know. Now Alice's fate is in the hands of a father she doesn't know and a man that already thinks he owns her.

Genre: Historical Romance

Date Published: July 25, 2022

Publisher: Mindstir Media

Grab a copy HERE!

Kim is a mother of three, with two beautiful granddaughters. She has had a couple of different careers in her life, like fixing jets, driving trucks, and being a cosmetologist. She has gone through many ups and many downs. The one thing that she enjoyed doing most in life is writing. It seems to be the one thing that she enjoys no matter what.

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Read an excerpt from Close Your Eyes: A Fairy Tale by Chris Tomasini #HistoricalFiction #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub @cathiedunn

Close Your Eyes: A Fairy Tale

By Chris Tomasini

Set in early 1400s Europe, Close Your Eyes is a sincere, yet light-hearted and lustful, ode to love. As Samuel, the court jester, struggles to describe why his friends, Agnieszka the cook, and Tycho the story-teller, fled the King of Gora's service, he learns that love was the beating heart behind everything that happened in the castle. 

He learns as well that more ghosts than he knew of walked the midnight halls, and that the spirit of Jeanne d'Arc haunted his friend, and once slid into bed with Tycho, daring him to leave - to take to the cold roads of Europe, where he had once wandered orphaned and alone, and find his destiny there.

Publication Date: December 16th, 2021

Publisher: Independently published / Self published

Page Length: 258 pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

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EXCERPT

The first year Tycho spent with us at Gora he was like a child running frenzied through a kitchen full of Christmas delicacies. The gossip which arose about him was voluminous. I often sat in the castle kitchen, a mug of beer in my hand, listening to what the women said about the boy. What amused me most, as I watched them roll their eyes when his name was again mentioned in a less than lustrous light, was that they adored Tycho. They pretended they didn’t, not wishing to be teased, but I could see it in their eyes, in their rapt attention when the boy walked into a room, in their troubled breathing when he touched his hands to their shoulders or hair.

I don’t know what drew them to him, but it was much more than his youth and good looks. He was playful and irreverent and the aura of foreign lands hung about him. Tycho could speak a dozen languages fluently, he could tell those magical stories, twinkle his eyes seemingly at will, and when they twinkled for you it felt like you were sharing something with him, a sort of blissful astonishment at being alive.

It was also in the way he moved. Tycho eased through a room like a breeze across a field. He was around you; you raised your face to allow the wind to sweep close, and then he was gone, around a table talking to someone else. He was here and there, here and gone, coming and going, a smile for you a smile for someone else, and from watching him in the kitchen, in the dining hall, amongst crowds, I think what made him so sought after was that people felt a need to be alone with him, to possess him unreservedly, if only for a few short moments.

I have spoken, in the years since he left, to many people about Tycho. I asked the women why they chased him, why they desired him, when he was unabashedly a scamp who was sleeping with every woman in the castle. I asked other of our friends why it felt such a privilege to be alone with him, and I think we all knew, unconsciously, that the road was not yet done with Tycho, and that he had only been given to us for a short time.

Ahab has spoken to me of a Greek historian named Herodotus, and of his fascination with a people named the Scythians, who lived around the Black Sea. Ahab thought that Tycho resembled these people, who did not live in cities, or settle farms, but rather followed their herds of cattle across endless prairies, riding on wagons, carrying their tents with them. The Greek word for this way of life was apori – to be a nomad, to be without a home, to be inaccessible to others.

I have been a child of the road. I lived that life for three years, and Ahab, with his delight in things ancient, things intellectual, did not grasp the fundamental difference between Tycho and the Scythians. To be a Scythian, I imagine, was to carry your life with you – your family, your belongings, your past, your history. But Tycho was a single boy, an orphan, alone upon a road.

The road forces you to decide if your destination is worth the hardship – and making this decision is the traveler’s burden. But Tycho was more than a traveler. He was a wanderer who did not even have a destination. I think it was this sadness which many of us saw in the boy, beneath the charm and the winning smile. We saw the sadness of a soul which would forever be in transit, which would never know a home, and which would forever be apori.

Chris Tomasini lives in Ontario, Canada. He has studied creative writing via Humber College's "Correspondence Program in Creative Writing", and through the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies. 

In the 1990s Chris taught English as a Second Language and had stops in England, Poland, and Japan.

Since 2000, Chris has worked in bookstores, publishing, and in libraries.

Chris is married with two children, and can often be found (though not very easily) on a bicycle on country roads in central Ontario.

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Read an excerpt from Thorns at Sunrise by Janeen Ippolito #Fantasy #Romance #YoungAdult @JaneenIppolito @XpressoTours

Thorns at Sunrise

By Janeen Ippolito

A young queen. Her imaginary friend. A kingdom on the verge of death.

She believes she’s crazy.

Queen Usilea has a secret–and he lives in her mind. Ever since she was six years old, her imaginary friend has been her closest companion, and her arranged marriage has been a great dread. When she learns her betrothed and the royal family have suddenly died, she feels obligated to attend the funeral in the foreign land of Absteph–and perhaps learn more behind their mysterious passing.

He only wants the truth.

Petar endures great pain to protect those he does not remember. His only solace is a shadowy woman who he loves–even though she denies that he exists. When a terrible tragedy occurs in his kingdom, that mysterious woman is his only hope of bringing justice to light. For the cage that imprisons him grows harsher every day, and he is losing the fight.

But there are thorns at sunrise.

Brought together on the barest thread of reality, Usilea and Petar must discover what really happened to the royal family. But Petar’s time is running out. Soon not even a Mender like Usilea will be able to save him.

This YA romance features a gender-swapped Sleeping Beauty in an original fantasy world on the brink of doom.

Publication date: March 23rd 2023
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult 

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EXCERPT

“Lea? What is it?” Concern laced Jaric’s tone.

“I am being invited to attend a royal funeral of state.” Her voice faded. Usilea swallowed and breathed deeply. “My betrothed is dead. Along with most of the royal family of Absteph, including the crown prince.”

She waited for a moment, expecting some commentary from her inner friend. There was none. Perhaps he understood the gravity of the news as much as she did.

How could this be? There had been letters, albeit stilted and formal. There had been no news that Prince Cowan or the royal family had been in any danger.

Now, all were deceased due to some tragic illness, save for an uncle who would ascend the throne as the only remaining member of the bloodline. 

How terrible. How … odd …

Jaric broke through her thoughts. “Give me the letter.”

She handed it over, accustomed to his abruptness when he was upset. Her brother scanned through the letter once, then twice. Then once more again. At last, he looked over at her. 

“If you wish, I can attend in your stead.”

“You are no longer my regent,” Usilea said. 

“I know. You must stay here to rule your kingdom. What if this is a trap so that they can entangle a Mender and keep you in Absteph?”

She huffed. “If it is, they will more easily keep a royal advisor than risk absconding with a queen.”

“You have not been publicly crowned.”

“According to our laws, that is a formality.” Her parents had wanted to ensure her brother could never usurp her role, not that Jaric had any desire to do so. “And you have young children who need their father.” 

“You nearly die on sea travel.” 

“You exaggerate.” But her guts roiled at the very idea of boarding a ship and crossing the channels to Absteph. While the country ran down the length of the coast east from Edrin, the capital city of Hicareth was in the far north.

A shiver ran up her spine.

“There is something rotten about this.” Her friend’s voice was sharp and certain. “You must go.”

I know. She let the words settle within her. Though she held little affection for the mysterious Prince Cowan, he and his family had perished unexpectedly. A grievous matter, and one that rang hollow within her.

In addition, this would be an opportunity to establish future relations with the country beyond the marriage alliance. She could bring over additional food stores as well. Usilea had grown used to proving herself. Now she had to do so again.

“I must go, Jaric. I am going as soon as a ship can be made ready.” 

Her brother glared at her for a moment. Usilea only raised her chin, staring back at him. Ultimately, she was his sovereign. It was her decision to make.

“…fine.” His words were a growl. “I will see to your ship in the morning.” 

“Including food for them.”

“Yes, their mysterious drought continues.”

Janeen Ippolito writes about misfits who defy expectations, whether in fairy tale, steampunk fantasy, urban fantasy, humorous paranormal romance, or poetry. She also spreads wordtastic joy in her work as a fearless book strategist, nonfiction author, and coach. In her spare time, she swordfights and posts cute animal memes.

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Read my review of Pagan Warrior by MJ Porter #PaganWarrior #TalesOfMercia #TheSeventhCentury #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub @coloursofunison @cathiedunn

Pagan Warrior 

By MJ Porter 

Audiobook narrated by Matt Coles

From bestselling author, MJ Porter comes the tale of the mighty pagan king, Penda of Mercia.

Britain. AD632.

Penda, a warrior of immense renown, has much to prove if he is to rule the Mercian kingdom of his dead father and prevent the neighbouring king of Northumbria from claiming it.

Unexpectedly allying with the British kings, Penda races to battle the alliance of the Northumbrian king, unsure if his brother stands with him or against him as they seek battle glory for themselves, and the right to rule gained through bloody conquest.

There will be a victor and a bloody loser, and a king will rise from the ashes of the great and terrible battle of Hædfeld.

Publication Date: 25th May 2015 (new cover from January 2022)

Publisher: MJ Publishing

Page Length: 294

Genre: Historical fiction/Action and adventure

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MY THOUGHTS

There are plenty who would love to see the Northumbrian king dead, and just as many who would love to be the one to kill him. So what happens when kings and military leaders begin to join together, and create an allied force to fight against him? 

Penda is an extraordinary warrior, a man who can command armies, and either create friends or enemies with just a few words. So when Cadwallon, having been defeated by his foster brother, Edwin, King of Northumbria, finds Penda on his side, it finally seems like he will be able to exact some revenge, and remove the crown from Edwin’s hands. But as Cadwallon and Penda begin to find their alliances, Edwin is also desperately trying to find people who do not want him dead enough to be able to trust.

Tensions start to mount as people betray, switch allegiances, and try to claim titles for themselves. Brother stands against brother, kings against kings, and it will take a bloody battle before a victor can be crowned.

There are plenty of characters in this book, making way for the full ins and outs of loyalty and betrayal. A lot of family turned against each other, many of the characters in this book are related in some way or another, and yet, they still wage war on each other, and fight to be the ones to cut off each other’s heads. This book has successfully given off the sense of not knowing who is trustworthy that Edwin must’ve felt, for it is almost impossible to predict who is going to change sides, or whether someone will reveal that they have been a traitor all along. It is easy to get hooked in the social politics of the book, as people try to figure out who they would rather support, depending on how much they want revenge, or what rewards they may be awarded for choosing to show their support to a particular side.

As always, religion plays a big part in the lead-up to this battle. Plenty of the kings and lords have converted from paganism to Christianity, but there are a few who have stayed loyal to their religion, and refuse to convert. People’s religions are used against each other, especially those who are still pagan. The power of the church is definitely shown in this book, for if the priests happen to mention that something is a ‘sign’, they can give change the way the leaders are thinking, make them believe that God will guide and protect them, rather than being too concerned about planning their next moves. 

I knew little going into this book about the battle of Hædfeld, I did not know who was involved, or how the battle came about. I really enjoyed learning what happened to cause so many to unite against king Edwin, and how he managed to alienate so many, including his own sons. I have read up on the history a little after reading this book, and it’s especially interesting how much is still unknown about these people, and what happened in their lives. The author must’ve spent hours upon hours researching, just to find out the smallest details. After all, we are still very much in the dark as to the ins and outs of the Dark Ages. 

This book was written in a very strange way, in my opinion. Almost every chapter shows a different character’s point of view, so we not only see both sides of the battle, we see the opinions of a lot of different people. While this attempts to provide a well-rounded account of the events leading up to the battle of Hædfeld, it did make the book rather difficult to follow. There are many different names, and a backstory for each of the characters, so at times it is incredibly difficult to keep track of who is who, and whose perspective you are reading from. I found it difficult to properly get to know any of the characters, as barely any time was spent with any of them. It is certainly a unique style of writing historical fiction, and one I haven’t come across before, but unfortunately, I did not get on with it. 

If you are a fan of the Dark Ages, especially in the build-up to a big battle, this is certainly the book for you. It was incredibly interesting to read, and I did enjoy learning more about people I didn’t even know had ever existed. I didn’t get on with the different perspectives each chapter, and think I would’ve enjoyed the book a lot more if it was told from just one perspective, perhaps Penda’s, but it was a great read. I would definitely read more books by this author.

MJ Porter is the author of many historical novels set predominantly in Seventh to Eleventh-Century England, as well as three twentieth-century mysteries. Being raised in the shadow of a building that was believed to house the bones of long-dead Kings of Mercia, meant that the author's writing destiny was set.

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Narrator, Matt Coles:

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