Swords Across the Thames

Warrior Queen #2

by Haley Elizabeth Garwood

Princess Ethelfled always dreams of assisting her father and husband in battle and when an opportunity arises for her to enter the war with the Vikings she fights along with them

Genres: Historical Fiction, British Literature

405 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Haley Elizabeth Garwood (born 25 April 1940) is an American historical novelist. She has worked as an airline stewardess and as a teacher of special education students. After her retirement as a high school principal in West Virginia, she began to write full time.

At present she has four completed novels in her Warrior Queen Series about women warriors. She also teaches literature at university. After Rani of Jhansi, she will be searching for an "African Queen" series.

Reviews

[Candace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Garwood weaves the historical story of Queen Aethelflaed (Lae) of Mercia into this wonderfully written novel. This is a well researched historcal novel which reads smoothly drawing the reader into the lives of the characters, setting, and the time period. Garwood has produced another exciting book. I look forward to reading her third novel.

[Al · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting historical novel set in England just before and after the turn of the tenth century as the Anglo-Saxons fight back against the Viking invaders who have raided and settled in southern England over the course of the preceding centuries.

[Tara Chevrestt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very good novel. Haley Elizabeth Garwood has an excellent writing style, meshing historical data and an intriguing story plot so well that it is hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. I am aware that a lot of this story is speculation and based on legends and tales told thru many generations, but it comes across as very realistic. I loved finally reading about a Queen that was more than a worthless window ornament. Lae actually gets out there and fights alongside her men and leads them in war, but she does not come across as invincible or perfect either. I especially enjoyed the shocking action she takes at the end of the novel to ensure her kingdom is ran properly and the happiness of her subjects is ensured upon her death. Though it is Garwood's assumption of what may have happened, it is truly plausible and commendable and shows a woman that cares more for her country than herself, unlike so many others I have read about. Why did I give this four starts instead of 5? There was a little too much talk about forts, making for dull reading at times and Lae's husband was portrayed as every woman's dream man.. Just a bit too pit pat for my taste. Otherwise, a very good work of historical fiction.

[Debbi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book as a gift, and was very excited to read it. I was pleased with the idea that the author planned a series of books on significant woman in history who are generally ignored by historians.

I liked the protaganist, Lae, and her family. The story is interesting, and I wonder how much of it is accurate and how much was "fill in the blank", as is common with historical fiction. I found the writing a bit choppy, which is why I rated it 3 starts. I did not find it as engaging as I would have liked, and the characters you are not supposed to like, are not sympathetic at all.

Having said all that, it was good enough that I'd be willing to give another of her books a try.

[Kathy]

Awful, it is a conflict of what I've read of Athelflead. And yes my views are based on the Bernard Cornwall series on the life of her father Alfred. Since in this book she is viewed as strong and a equal partner in her marriage, it doesn't meld well with what little I know of the time. Just find it difficult to believe that her husband would have been supportive of her during that insecure time during and after Alfred's reign. I'm hoping the remaining books in the series are better.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good history but I found it to be over-romantic to the point that it was distracting to the story.

[Joy McGinnis]

Didn't much like it - another case of saying the same thing multiple times to make the book longer.