The House of Wolf: The House of Aethelwolf, Book 1

The House of Wolf #1

by Tony Robinson

Sir Tony Robinson - actor, presenter, historical expert and star of Blackadder and Time Team - makes his adult fiction debut with this earthy, entertaining and gloriously witty recreation of the Anglo-Saxons, Alfred the Great, and the making of England.

______

Rome
Father Asser is waiting to die.

His idealism has landed him in a papal prison on false charges of heresy, but then salvation arrives in an unexpected form. Cardinal Balotelli also dreams of a better Europe, free from the ravages of the Norlanders. He has an important job for Asser, one that will take him home to Wessex.

Wessex
King Aethelwolf's power is fading, but none of his feckless children are fit to rule.

His eldest sons would rather fight each other than the blood-thirsty Norlander invaders. His daughter, Swift, is clever and cunning, but sometimes blinded by her ambition. Finally there's Alfred, his once-promising younger son, whom nobody has seen in years.

Then Wolf meets a young priest with a proposition from Rome that could change everything.

Lindisfarne
Rhiannon is a slave who wants to see her Saxon captors punished for their crimes. So when she meets Guthrum, a Norlander hell-bent on wiping Wessex from the map, she sets out on a journey of destruction.

So begins an epic struggle between greed and idealism, ambition and betrayal, freedom and tyranny. Because change always meets with resistance and, on the path to power, nobody can be trusted.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Audiobook, Anglo Saxon, Medieval, British Literature

537 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 11, 2025

About the author

Sir Tony Robinson is an English actor, comedian, amateur historian, TV presenter, author and political activist. He is known for playing "Baldrick" in the BBC television series Blackadder and for hosting Channel 4 programmes such as Time Team and The Worst Jobs in History.

Reviews

[The Bauchler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was excellent.

Tony Robinson has put all his time spent on Time Team, Maid Marian and the Blackadders to good use and written a very readable Anglo Saxon period novel.

He openly admits it is HIS interpretation of the early life of Alfred the-soon-to-be Great of Wessex and has played loose and free with a few things.

Where he does so he readily puts his hand up and admits to it.

There is little known about Alfred's early life and TR takes advantage of this to propose an outlandishly clever 'what-if' tale.

The story moves along at a good pace, travels around western Europe and is peppered by many colourful characters, both real and imagined.

Refreshingly the Anglo Saxons, both the great and small folk, and the Western Roman Christian Church are portrayed as wonderfully...'earthy' and easily accessible to a modern readership.

There's action, humour and pathos and many a 'cunning plan' devised along the way.

The book draws to a close at an appropriate point and with resolution of the aims and ambitions of the various characters described throughout the story being brought to their end satisfyingly.

It's ending puts everything in place for book two of the trilogy.

It's not a tome of literary historical importance and probably not to everyone's taste - but it is to MINE so easily a 5*

[Silver Star · Rating 5 out of 5]

The House of Wolf is an excellent piece of historical fiction inspired by ‘The Life of King Alfred’ - a 9th century biography by Bishop Asser of Wales.
A multi POV epic, it tells the story of the family of King Alfred; The House of Wolf. It moves between Anglo-Saxon Wessex & 9th century Rome and paints a vivid picture of a European Christendom in crisis, attacked by Vikings and each other. The political plots, alliances, betrayals and back stabbing are fascinating and make the story exciting and so very clever!
The House of Wolf are all fighting each other for the ‘crown’, so much so they’ve made themselves vulnerable to Viking attacks and plots from the Holy Roman Emperor & the Pope. Weaved through the exciting plot is just wonderful historical detail which makes you feel like you’re walking through Anglo-Saxon feasting halls and fields. And so witty & full of heart.
My favourite parts though were the characters themselves; flawed and complex. The female characters were my favourite-especially Swift, Moria & Rhiannon. The author brought them to life so well & I rooted for them throughout.

The evening and the morning by Ken Follet meets Game of Thrones. Loved it and can’t wait for the next instalment.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC to review.

[Francis Pellow · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was very good. it was brisk but never felt rushed.

[Libby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I hate that I didn't end up loving this one, as I was really hoping to, given that I love Tony Robinson himself. However, I had to DNF this book, because it just wasn't giving me any joy to read.

As a reviewer, I have a rule that I give every book 100 pages to grab me; otherwise, I probably would have put this down sooner. That's a shame, because there are definitely the seeds of an interesting story in this book, and I'm sure Robinson knows his stuff regarding the history.

I think my main issue was the prose; it was overly simplistic and just generally uninspiring. Not terrible, but sort of.... plodding. I wasn't really expecting something literary that would have blown my socks off - and I don't think this book needed that - but the prose was basic enough for me to notice it was basic, rather than fading into the background as solid, decently well-written prose would have.

Additionally, this book jumps from plot point to plot point very quickly, without allowing the reader to truly get to know the characters or invest in them. The chapters are very short, which doesn't really give the reader enough time to sit with and get to know a character before they're whisked off to the next character, next place, next thing that's happening. One of this book's main problems is that it doesn't linger on anything long enough to let us absorb it or get a sense of atmosphere. I ended up not really caring or being interested in anyone, even after reading over 100 pages of the story.

Nothing in this book is dire, or wrong, or even offensively bad, which is why I'm giving it a three-star rating. It's just... boring.

[Tom Fordham · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have a lot of love for Tony having grown up with Blackadder and Time Team, so I was excited to listen to his first foray into historical fiction. I wasn't disappointed but I wasn't blown away either. I think my main critique is the multiple POV chapters, they hop around a lot and its hard for me to keep track of the multiple narratives happening at once, so I found myself trying to recap whilst listening and that was difficult. I admire Tony's imagination to bring the Life of King Alfred by Asser to life - a book I have read - and it captures the shifting tides of the time but not of the characters particularly stood out to me as I don't feel like Tony stayed with each one long enough in the chapters to really have their personalities shine through.

However as a slice of historical fiction it does what it says on the tin and gives a fresh slant on the period. It just needed to slow down a bit and build some atmosphere instead of jumping all over the place.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a great read! Really enjoyed spending the last month immersed in this world.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really excited to read this book. The story centered around Aethelwolf and the end of his reign, and his children as they fought for power. I enjoyed the story, but felt it was a little bit too fast paced at times, which stopped me getting into it fully. I enjoyed the politics of Rome, and there were definitely some good characters, especially Swift and Alfred.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

"She was transforming before his eyes. She'd grown fangs and claws and a tail; her brand was a snarling cat's head and she had adders in her hair. He lurched over to her, grabbed the snakes in his hand and threw her kicking and screaming into a pile of broken lobster pots. He picked her up again like a moth-eaten carpet, slammed her down on the ground and kicked her between the legs. He would not be overwhelmed. He would make the bitch pay for her terrible enchantments."

Typically, historical fiction just isn't my thing. It's a recurring issue I have with the genre, encountering books with fantastic premises that somehow fumble the execution - The House of Wolf, however, is no such novel. God, this thing was just, excellent, it feels so much more like a sprawling fantasy epic than it does a typical historical fiction story. The House of Wolf truly is a masterclass in captivating storytelling and gorgeous writing, there's a stark vividity to this novel that makes it as beautiful as it is brutal. There's a lot going on within The House of Wolf, it's almost an intimidating novel, there's a huge cast of characters and battles, and political fighting and backstabbing, there's wars and families betraying each other for power.

And it's all cast against this world that is so meticulously put together, so richly built, that it feels like a character of its own. It is a living, breathing thing - the sense of place is so incredibly strong with this novel, which makes it such an immersive reading experience. The writing here is nothing short of incredible, but, what shines the most, is this novel's characters. They're so fantastically flawed, so wonderfully crafted, cast in a sympathetic enough light that you'll latch on to even the warmongers of the bunch, yet, their brutality isn't shied away from, either. You just, can't help but love them, even if you recoil in disgust from them. The House of Wolf is just, so full of heart and soul.

"It's a place of sin, where publicans, sinners, whores and gamblers abound,' he'd said. He was right. Men and women kissed openly, as did men and other men; tricksters played Find the Pope's Cock surrounded by crowds desperate to double their money; drunkards pissed and swore, fights flared, children stole gewgaws and plums, lewd songs echoed from every window. The smell was overwhelming, an intoxicating concoction of myrrh, frankincense and human excrement. In the side alleys, the excitement and gaudy hues gave way to bleak poverty. The faces of the women working the streets were no longer brightly painted, but grey and tired, with unfocused eyes and mouths covered in sores."

Despite the size of this thing, it flies by at a lightning fast pace, it just, covers so much without abandon that it feels like being abound a runaway bullet train. Admittedly, I know very little about the subject matter this book covers, it is, after all, a fictionalization of The Life of King Alfred, or at least, it was inspired by the text, the author does a brilliant job, however, of blending fact with fiction, of keeping his story engaging and fun while giving us enough information to learn about the subject at hand. It is a truly rough, nasty, brutal piece of fiction - the bodies pile towards the sky and every single boundary you can think of is blurred. At first, The House of Wolf may seem a little daunting, it may seem like it's too much, but give it time, in the end, it all pays off.

"Could a man grow bored of pain? Someitmes Asser thought he might - just as he had grown bored of cold, hunger and the discomfort of being hung by his arms from a damp stone wall. But whenever the guards yanked on his chains, when he screamed amidst their laughter, it was as if he had discovered true agony for the first time."

[Jacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook narrated by Tony Robinson
After an autobiography and several history books aimed at kids, this seems to be Tony Robinson’s first attempt at adult historical fiction, but he’s such a good narrator of other people’s books, his own seems to have landed without teething troubles. It covers the historical period of Alfred, later known as Alfred the Great, ruler of Wessex, and eventually King of the Anglo-Saxons until his death in the year 899. He was the youngest son of King Ethelwolf and three of his older brothers ruled before him. But this is not all from Alfred’s point of view. Chief amongst the viewpoint characters is Asser, idealistic monk (and eventually a bishop) who is credited with writing Alfred’s biography. The story concentrates of the rule of High Ethel Wolf, Alfred’s father and his children and heirs and also covers religious politics in Rome, with Asser and Cardinal Balotelli hoping for a better world, and to see an end to the predations of the Norlanders. For much of the story Alfred in in Rome, having been exiled by his father, while his older brothers jockey for position as the next High Ethel. The story moves from Anglo-Saxon Wessex to Rome and back again (several times) weaving a tapestry of historical fiction around real events. Expect Viking raids, down-to-earth rulers (good and bad), religious politicking, and some excellent characters. It’s a good listen.

[Rik · Rating 4 out of 5]

A clever blending of fact and fiction, with some great characters thrown in. The character list at the beginning of the book was a little daunting, and though there were many POV's, it was generally easy to keep track of who each chapter was about (though I did occasionally mix up some of the minor female characters in Rome). Not fast paced, but thoroughly engaging, and a good dive into intrigue and history.

[Ruth Gilbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

[Cara Richards · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/2 stars

[lonnson]

This is gonna be interesting, because Asser was one of the most detestable characters in The Last Kingdom (which I love)

[Jemima Pett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This three-pronged approach to the history of Wessex is a great idea, and based on sound historical sources. The fighting, in-fighting and intrigue provide a tortuous mix of plotting, liaisons made and promises broken. The scenic descriptions are excellent, the contrast between the various stages of civilisation well set, and the peripheral characters (mostly the working people) given scant regard. But enough for you to know that they did get scant regard from everyone else, too.

But it reads very slowly, for such an action packed story. Maybe it goes in skirmishes; advance and retreat. There were several times I felt I had to get on and read it, rather than looking forward to picking it up again. The only time I felt I couldn’t put it down, really, was the last scene, with the ending and flight from Rome.

However I always felt in safe hands, a tale that had been told in countless pieces before by the author, who, for international readers, is probably even better known to UK readers for his archaeology programmes than for the inimitable Baldrick in Blackadder. Tony Robinson knows this era, and it shows. There is a brilliance about it that made me wonder why I felt something was lacking. At 72%, I realised what it was: I really didn’t care what happened to any of the characters. Now, if Sir Tony can fix that, it’ll be worth a 5 star rating, and I can look forward to the next in what promises to be a series.

[Geoff Boxell · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am not sure what to say about this book. I know, and admire, Sir Tony Robinson as an actor and a presenter but as a writer of historical fiction? In fact as a writer in general?
The writing style of “House of Wolf” is quirky. The chapters are short, some just a page or two long. Add to this the fact that there are so many different plot strands with so many different characters. As a reader, it is like being on a small boat on a choppy sea, being thrown from one plot and characters to another in very short order. You can add to that some poor editing. I will give just four examples:
One of Æthelwulf’s sons comes down in a dishevelled nightshirt, then draws a sword; a gold cross in the next sentence is burnished bronze; “oxen at milking time” when oxen are castrated male cattle; in the holmgang between Haakun and Guthrum a seax becomes an axe, and this with a one handed man, so Guthrum could not have had a secondary weapon held in the hand behind the shield. I could also add that selling nails from Jesus’ cross would not be simony – that is the selling of church positions not fake relics, but that may not be poor editing but rather a lack of understanding. Oh, and why are shoes being kept in a garde robe, which is a room with a board that has a hole in it and connects to a chute for human excrement to drop down into a cesspit. On a positive side the writing is certainly colourful and the book is packed with action – perhaps too much so for my personal taste. Whilst almost all involved are very promiscuous, often with hinted deviancies, we are spared the squishy sticky details fortunately.
Before I get onto the historical details let me get the issue of the names used out of the way. Why “Wolf” when the name is “Wulf” (Eald Englisc)? Why High Æthel when Æthelwulf was a King (Cyning in Eald Englisc) and Burgred of Mercia was an Ætheling not a Prince. Robinson says he has avoided the Englisc names for Æthewulf’s children as there are too many Æthelræds and Æthelstans (in this story it would be just one of each), so trying to know who is being talked about historically is confusing unless you have no knowledge of the period. Harold is a name used for a shire reeve yet Harold isn’t used until the 11thC in England, it being a Norse version of Hereweald, a name that would have better suited. Alfred (Ælfræd) is originally called Æthelfræd and his diminutive is given as “Fræd”. Well what sort of name is that? “Æthel” means noble and “ræd” means understanding, or council – why the “f”? There is no such word in Eald Englisc as “fræd”. Later the meaning of Alfred is given as “wise councillor” when in fact it is “elf understanding, or council”.
Now for the historical details. The bones of the story are based on what is recorded at the time, except for the Roman escaped, but the flesh and organs etc. are pure fiction which, for someone like me, who is well read on the period, is like fingernails down a blackboard. Yes, yes, it is a novel and as a published author of historical fiction myself I accept that authors can and do fill the gaps in using their imagination but this book goes above and beyond that. I know that Alfred does not appear in the records till he was 16 and appears fighting alongside his brother Æthelræd, but having him as an exile living in Rome hiding from his family and already fluent in Latin when his biographer, Asser, said he learnt it late in life? His father killed by a Viking? Not in the records. His mother (who had five sons, not four, and one daughter) was the daughter of King Æthelwulf’s cup bearer, and of Jutish heritage and came from the Isle of Wight, not Taunton in Somerset where she was the victim of a Viking raid. Asser wrote that he was born and lived in South Wales till he came to Alfred’s Court to help re-build Wessex after the historical Guthrum ceased his attacks. Rhubarb was first brought to England around 1620 and gooseberries in the 13thC. Papier-mâché reached Europe in the 15th – that information is but a click away on the Internet.
I was surprised to see that Robinson has the Wessex emblem as a blue dragon. In the tales of King Arthur the Saxons had a white dragon and later Wessex used a golden wyvern, so why a blue dragon?
I note that some reviewers state that they didn’t finish the book. I guess I did as I got a perverted amusement in seeing what I thought was wrong and, yes, somethings I questioned were in fact either right or possible. I won’t, however, bother buying the next two books in the trilogy.
I am afraid I feel that Baldric’s cunning plan to write historical fiction hasn’t worked out.

For those wanting to read novels on King Alfred there are Bernard Cornwell’s Saxon series or Steven McKay’s trilogy: “The Heathen Hoard”, “Sword of the Saxons”, “King of Wessex”.

I did consider one star, but gave it two as I did at least finish it.

[Leisnic · Rating 1 out of 5]

Phew, where to start... I really wanted to like this book, so much so that I read through the whole thing even though I did not enjoy it at any stage. On the bright side, it makes for some good fuel for a rant, so enjoy!

The tl;dr version is that this work is neither historical fiction nor fantasy, it's just weird, but in a bad, unrealistic-in-every-manner kind of way. The characters don't act according to their character and out of which the story emerges; instead, everyone and everything is forced to be and do what the story demands, leading to an artificial mess with heaps of emotionally important moments cast aside as quickly as they arise. For someone like Robinson who has worked in film and storytelling all his life, he seems to be utterly bereft of any understanding of what it's like to be and act human - at least judged by his characters. And to top it all off, it just does my head in that he perpetuates the myth of the 'dark ages' as a time and place of utter stupidity and incapability. Nigh every single building in England in this story is described as having a leaky roof and people just accepting that - even though they would have been able to look back at centuries of timber and thatch building traditions and expertise at that time. And don't get me started on Robinson's portrayal of mental illness...

Actually... There are way too many issues I have with this book, so here are just a few examples I remember to illustrate the above:

As mentioned, one of the characters is portrayed with some form of mental illness, which is not named, but some form of dementia or depression seems likely. Either way, Robinson's portrayal of that is just laughable if one is willing to be magnanimous, or outright insulting if one takes it a bit more seriously due to personal experience. Even the fact that the symptoms are seemingly alleviated with an amphetamine-like substance is just utter nonsense for a story set in this world with its physical and chemical properties. Just make it a proper fantasy novel if you want to include magic dust, man!

I know historical fiction can and has to take liberties in its portrayal of the past - but being led to believe that the king of Wessex, who would have ruled over thousands of people, has barely 40 (mostly elderly) fighting men and mostly useless armour and weaponry at his disposal just does not fit at all with a society steeped in martial culture. We know from archaeology, history, and literature of the time the importance of being a warrior, having household warriors as a leader, passing down swords etc., so having to read a passage where a random sergeant who isn't even a dedicated blacksmith is trying to fix the king's household's few remaining swords is just... wrong. And that's me being polite (the more appropriate word I was wanting to use rhymes with 'polite', incidentally).

Even just of the smaller details don't add up. You have a conversation between person A asking a question to person B who, upon answering said question, is told by Person A to shush as the enemy is approaching - only to then casually continue with the conversation? What's the bloody point of that?

Lastly, there is a scene where another character observes 8-9 riders appear at an otherwise closed-off property and demand entry - and the character, trying to sneak into the property themselves, just goes amongst the riders and joins them as they enter. No one challenges the character or, god forbid, stops them, because clearly, paying attention to more than 9 riders (who would have travelled together for a while at that stage) is too much for the savage dumb dumbs at the time who didn't mind living in leaky houses. But I guess the story juuust really needed the character to enter the property, sooo screw any notion of common sense and reality.

I could go on and on, but luckily, every story has an end... And I am glad this one finally did, too.

[Olga · Rating 3 out of 5]

A promising slice of Anglo-Saxon intrigue that unfortunately felt more like homework than adventure.

Summary
The House of Wolf by Tony Robinson opens in a broken Europe where power, religion, and survival collide. In Rome, Father Asser sits imprisoned for heresy until a powerful cardinal offers him a mission that could reshape the future of Wessex. Meanwhile, the aging King Æthelwulf faces a succession crisis: his sons are quarrelsome and unfit, his daughter Swift is clever but dangerously ambitious, and the once-promising Alfred has vanished. At the same time, Viking ambitions grow, and on Lindisfarne a slave named Rhiannon and a Norse war leader begin a path of destruction that could bring Wessex to its knees. The result is a sprawling historical chessboard where faith, politics, and war collide.

What worked for me
It’s clear Robinson knows his history. The period feels carefully researched and the broader political background - Rome’s influence, the fragile Saxon kingdoms, and the looming Norse threat - is genuinely interesting. The ambition of the story is impressive too. The book attempts to juggle multiple regions, power struggles, and ideological conflicts across Europe at a time when England itself wasn’t yet a unified nation. There are also glimpses of strong characters, particularly the women, who bring flashes of intrigue and personality to the narrative.

What didn’t quite land
Despite the promising premise, I found this surprisingly difficult to get through. The story jumps constantly between characters, locations, and political machinations, and with so many moving pieces it became genuinely hard to keep track of what was happening and why. Instead of feeling epic, it often felt cluttered. The pacing also made it difficult to connect with anyone: just as a character began to become interesting, the story would move elsewhere. As a result, I never really invested in the people at the centre of the drama. None of it is badly written - it’s perfectly competent - but it felt oddly heavy and slow to read. What should have been an exciting historical saga ended up feeling like a bit of a slog.

Final verdict
This will probably work much better for readers who love dense historical epics packed with political intrigue and a large cast of characters. For me, though, the complexity never quite translated into engagement. I can appreciate the research and the ambition behind it, but I didn’t find myself eager to continue. A respectable but ultimately unexciting read. 3 out of 5.

Impressive historical scaffolding… but I never quite found the story inside it.

[Acantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

An ambitious tale of betrayal, deceit and the forging of a kingdom.

This is historical fiction, inspired by the family of Alfred the Great, King of Wessex who eventually defeated the Dane's and created the Danelaw. But this book doesn't near to that point - this is the first in an epic series and there is a lot of history still to cover.

There are a lot of character's here, a lot of different locations to get to grips with. It is clearly aiming to ape the Game of Thrones model, and it mostly works although the first ten or so percent is hard to get through as so many different characters are thrown at you. I even groaned at one point, finishing a chapter - the chapters are for the most part short, which does keep you going - as I started the next one and realised I was being introduced to yet another PoV stream to follow.

I found the writing for the most part engaging, and page turning - the author clearly knows his stuff, and is passionate about the time period. He's confident enough to make his own changes to history in honour of his vision and still make it work. I cared about what was going to happen to most of the people in the book - not Wolf though. I know there was an attempt to make him sympathetic but I really didn't care for Wolf.

The women in this book are particularly powerful. They might outwardly conform to their husbands and the men in their lives, submitting to the expectations of the time, but each of them, in their own way, does their best to break free of that and rise above it. From Moria, married against her will, to slave girls, to abbesses and of course, Swift, daughter of the Wolf and just as ambitious as any of her male relatives. They were all fantastic, no matter which side of the conflict they were on. Or even which conflict, as there are layers within layers of this plot. You need time and focus to get the best out of this book, but its worth the effort.

By the end of the book most of the pieces are in place for what is sure to be a dramatic second book and a showdown between two nations, two religions that has been over 500 pages in the making.

~Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review~

[pastiesandpages - Gavin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The House of Wolf by Sir Tony Robinson

Thank you @littlebrownbookgroup_uk for the ARC.
I was so excited to be offered this book and even more so when the uncorrected proof arrived with sprayed edges!

Did it meet expectations?
Oh my days, yes!
This book is GLORIOUS!
An historical epic set in the 9th century during Anglo-Saxon times.

A fast-paced read that immersed me totally in the lives of the characters.
There's something about this period of history which really appeals to me. This is the first book of a series which will deal with the rise of King Alfred and the formation of England.
As we join the story, the kingdom of Wessex is run by High Aethelwolf. As he ages it's harder to cling onto power. The kingdom is beset from all sides. Mercia, the Welsh and the Cornish Britons, and the biggest threat of all, the Norlanders.

And Wolf's squabbling children are not living up to his expectations to take over & run his territory. Bear & Hawk are short term thinkers, relying on strength and their name. Their sister Swift is devious and formidable and desperate to succeed in a man's world. Their brother Red is naive and simple. And no one talks about Aethelfraed who has left Wessex after falling out with the family. He is the man destined to be King.

Meanwhile in Rome there is religious infighting, a new Pope, and a city that is still trying to come to terms with the fall of Empire from centuries past.

It's Succession in Anglo-Saxon England & will appeal to fans of the historical epics of Ken Follett, the immersive world building of Tolkien, the machinations & brutal power struggles of Game of Thrones and the wit & clever plotting of Terry Pratchett.

From Blackadder to Time Team, Tony has been involved with history on our screens for many years & his research & love of the subject shines through. It's authentic and makes you feel like you're there.

Father Asser, Swift, Alfred & Rhiannon (a slave who joins the Norlanders) are some of my favourite characters.

There are twists & surprises galore. Trust no one!

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

General Overview
A wonderful first entry into the genre by the fantastic Sir Tony Robinson. The House of Wolf is everything King and Conqueror wanted to be but failed to achieve. A fantastic piece of historical fiction.

Style
Sir Robinson delivers a well researched narrative, that enjoys that it is fiction. He is honestly, delightfully so, with the fact that he has taken historical characters, told their story, but added to it to serve the story. This is good, it is great!

The humour and characterism he weaves into it speak to the work of his old friend Sir Terry Prachett (GNU Terry Pratchett), and are also charming.

Story
This book covers everything that comes before Alfred the Great. His father, his siblings, and the rise of the viking warlord, Gurthrum, who would plague the lands that will become his kingdom, and one day be the promised realm of England.

This is only half of the book however.

We also follow the story of Asser. A man driven to change the world of the better. A rabble rouser, a dissident to the Catholic Church of the time. HE will be thrown into a world of intrigue, as the new Pope seeks to bring reform, and save the realms of Europe from the rising power of pagan hordes.

Following a variety of characters, some I liked, some I could do with less over, the story is a winding narrative, demonstration the interconnection of the Early Medieval period.

Coming to a satisfying conclusion, setting us up for the story to come, this was a delight to read.

Final Thoughts
A great piece of historical fiction, delivered with Sir Robinson's wonderful style.

[Tex · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The House Of Wolf” (THOW) is by British author, actor, and historian Sir Tony Robinson.

THOW is historical fiction based on real events. Focussing on the reign of King Æthelwulf in 9th century Wessex, his successors (and most notably the emergence of Alfred The Great), and Viking invasions THOW is the first book in a planned trilogy.

Ambition, betrayal, tyranny, greed, and the influence of the church in the Holy Roman Empire and surrounding lands are all focal points in what is a wonderfully entertaining foray into the one of the most turbulent periods of history.

Robinson’s writing style is very accessible and easy to read and in many ways brings history to life. Robinson’s writing is atmospheric and paints a clear picture of the environments where each scene is set. While this is a work of fiction several real people and events are used in the book. Robinson, in an author’s note at the end, identifies what is true and what has been added, invented, or adjusted for narrative purposes.

This is not a short book coming in at over 530 pages but Robinson has done well to include and provide enough detail of many historical events, insights into differing kingdoms across 9th century England, and backstories to make THOW understandable and for the story to flow without becoming too bogged down in that detail. That said there were some pacing issues at times but not enough to interfere with the story overall.

THOW lays the foundations for the planned trilogy and I for one am very much looking forward to the subsequent books.

THOW gets 4 murkily medieval manoeuvres out of 5.

[Oli Turner]

#thehouseofwolf by #tonyrobinson published in 2025. The first book in a trilogy about #alfredthegreat so not a complete story, although some plot threads are tied up. Alfred isn’t the main focus. He is shown to be moral and strong but so far not deserving of all the mythical praise the other characters gave him in conversation earlier in the novel. Presumably he will have to earn it through trials and hardship. At the moment I am Not sure how a teacher of children becomes a leader of men. I found his sister Swift to be the most interesting character. Shrewd and capable but overlooked by her family. The book was surprising - I never knew where it was going.
There are a Large number of characters so the character list at the start was helpful. It Would have also been helpful if locations were given at the beginning of each chapter as it jumps around a lot. There were minimal description of location/scene/environment, but quite a bit of dialogue so it has a relatively quick pace. There was a lot going on and I enjoyed the plot. I felt the timeline was a bit unclear, some chapters and paragraphs follow immediately after one another, others have weeks or months in between. A date on each chapter may have helped avoid initial confusion. Often felt like I was having to catch up. I wonder if the writing has been cut down in order to reduce the page count it might benefit from having a little more time to breathe as it just felt like it was missing a little depth. I will be interested to see how the next book develops the characters and the plot.

[Jack Tomlinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Weirdly I had been preparing myself to write a fairly scathing review of this book, however, having just finished the book I oddly feel as though it deserves some credit.

Yes, the pacing is bizarre, the writing clunky in places, the characters fairly one-dimensional, and the story somewhat incoherent. But it is also fun and that counts for a hell of a lot over a 550 page book.

As a fan of Anglo-Saxon history, this made up story about Alfred the Great coming into his unbeknownst skills of governance, subterfuge, and leadership in the political cauldron of Papal Rome sits very strangely. However, it isn’t often that you get an Anglo-Saxon book, fiction or otherwise, that deals with the broader world of Christendom and for that this narrative is oddly compelling. The scenes in Wessex are a real jumble, and the primary ‘Norlander’ antagonist is both bland and one-dimensional but considering that I was going to give up on this book at one point, I am actually quite looking forward to what I have only just discovered is going to be a trilogy.

Ultimately, a book written by someone funny enough to play Baldrick in Blackadder and smart enough to make historical content for decades was always going to write a somewhat daft historical fiction book wasn’t he? Do I think Robinson is a great of the genre? No. Do I think he’s created something quite compelling, easy to read, and not too egregious? Yes.

3/5 is probably fair, if I could do a 3.5 I might

[Kerry Hennigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This first novel of a planned trilogy by Sir Tony Robinson is a fun romp through Early Medieval England. It is the time of Aethelwolf (Wolf) king of the Westsaxons and his squabbling offspring, one of whom is Alfred, the future king. But Alfred is in Rome, running a school and quite content that he is estranged from his quarrelsome family.

Threatening not just Wessex but many vulnerable coastal settlements of southern Britain are the Norlanders (i.e. Vikings) under the leadership of Guthrum, whose army is strategically positioned to strike from its camp on the Isle of Wight.

Defensively, Britain is weakened by its competitive separate kingdoms and the internal factions within the ruling families. But it is not isolated from the broader European world, whether it be the Holy Roman Empire of Charles the Bald or the inner sanctum of Pope Benedict in Rome. There are many players in the power games that exist between kingdoms and factions, for which, thankfully, there is a Cast of Characters list at the beginning of the book.

The House of Wolf is a fast-paced, entertaining romp through the broader European world of the period. Much more fun than a lot of history lessons! Despite my concentration lagging towards the end, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and look forward to the next volume in the trilogy.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh dear, I was looking forward to reading this book, but very soon after starting it I started to look forward to finishing it. The story was very well developed, but I just wasn't drawn in to it at all. I even made comments in my kindle as I read it to identify my feelings on it as I went along, these are those comments:
• So far dull and plodding. I'm not sure where the book is going or even if I care enough to be interested . 9%
• It's really tedious reading now :( 27%
• 45% still plodding through it. Still finding it a plough.
• It drags on and on. Only at 75% still. Blood and sand, there are other books I want to read!

In my opinion, this is Definitely NOT a Ken Follett type of book, it drags on and on. Compare this, the donkey plodding along, to the thoroughbred racehorse that a Ken Follett would be in the writing style.

The tale switches character viewpoints as it moves through time, so that the story moves along at more or less matching moments. I don't mind this way of writing, but I've read reviews in the past where readers have complained about it, so just a heads up if that's you.

Oh look, I'm sure that a lot of readers will be totally engrossed in the story, but it just wasn't for me

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK / Sphere for approving me to read this book.

[Mark Iliff · Rating 2 out of 5]

Goodness, what a strange book!

I found Robinson’s descriptions of England (and Rome) in the 800s stark, pungent and convincing, despite often being very economically drawn. His involvement with Time Team and other endeavours clearly helps, but it takes more than that to bring a world to the page so vividly so credit to him for that.

Unfortunately he then peoples the world with two-dimensional characters whose behaviour seems to amble into whatever action his plot requires, totally without reflection, elation or regret. In particular, the casual brutality might be period-appropriate (a guess) but I didn’t believe the survivors’ insouciant acceptance of it. The first human reaction that felt authentic didn’t occur until page 253¹.

The result feels like an overblown Punch and Judy show played against a 4K backdrop.

I couldn’t work out whom we were meant to be cheering for. Some characters are more odious than others, but none seems admirable. Except maybe – at times – Aethelfraed.

It was only when I reached the Author’s Note at the end that it became clear that Aethelfraed is meant to be burn-the-cakes Alfred. There I also discovered that Robinson is proposing two sequels. I won’t be reading them.

¹By the way I only read that far in obedience to a self-imposed rule

[Roland Marchal · Rating 2 out of 5]

On finishing this book I thought ‘What a waste of time’. It occurred to me half way through that I would feel like this but for some reason I plodded on.
The action takes place in the 9th century and starts in the South of England. Here King Aethelwulf is in charge and he has 5 children who squabble for power. He seems to spend most of his time drunk as do his male offsprings. He also has a problem with the Norlanders who come to rape and pillage on the south coast every so often. There are a few gory battle incidents where bodies mount up and the leader of the Norlanders has his fingers cut off.
The action then switches to Rome via various European cities where Aethulwulf has travelled to sign an accord with the pope. He spends much of his time there drunk and eventually does a runner without signing the accord.
The main action then switches to Rome where there are many plots and insurgencies taking place and the whole thing becomes even more confusing. While the action is taking place in Rome we are introduced to Alfred (the Great) who has been living there for some time and has founded a school for disadvantaged children.
I could go on but it is just more drivel.
I have read that this is the first of a trilogy. I will give the nest two a wide berth. The only reason I gave it any start was because I inexplicitly finished it.

[Margaret Willoughby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great big book. over 500 pages. If you like historical fiction with some fact thrown in you will enjoy it. This is Tony Robinsons first Adult novel
it is about King Alfreds family. The sibling rivalrys on steroids. When the book opens Athelwolf the current King s showing his age. But decides to travel to Rome to talk to new pop Benedict. Pope Leo died after falling from, or was he pushed a window. Wolf becomes unwell travelling by horseback with his wife and father Asser. His wife travels ahead with Asser becomes ill after arriving in Rome and dies.
Their youngest son Alfred has been in Rome for some time and has established a school for poor boys.
All the intrigue and plots nd trichery are too many to mention especially in Rome with rich poor against and the church. The only girl Ethel swift arrives in Rome and tries to set things to rights.
The Norlanders or vikings as we now call them have a part in all the intrigue and battles in Wessex.
A couple of these and their future would make another novel should Tony decide to write a follow up, Story finishes with Alfred and sister Swift along with father Assrer returing home and another brother of Alfred dying poisoned by his wife it seems.
Not many more to go before Alfred becomes king and as the rest as they sat is history.

[Rupert Matthews · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great adventure novel set against the backdrop of Dark Age England & Rome.
The book is about Alfred the Great's rise to power. As with real life he is overshadowed throughout most of the book by his father and elder brothers. Indeed, Alfred doesn't even enter the story until almost halfway through,
This book is a great reimagining of life among the royals and nobles of the 9th century. And it is a great adventure romp with loads of plot twists, romance, battles, intrigues, mysteries and such like. A lot of this is from the author's imagination. That is not to say he got anything wrong, but we simply know so little about Alfred's youth that if you didn't make up a lot of stuff there would be very little to write about.
There were some unexplained foibles scattered through the book - the author calls Africa "Afrique" for no obvious reason. More seriously are some rather odd misconceptions. So when Athelwulf rides to war he does so with only 40 warriors. We may not know much precise information about the size of armies back then but this is a ridiculously small force for a powerful king - even a single county could raise many times that number of armed men.
Never mind the quibbles. This is an entertaining and thrilling read. I'm looking forward to the next volume.

[Jo-anne Atkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

High Aethel Wolf is aging and the inheritance of Wessex is subject to challenge. His eldest children all think they are capable, his youngest are either banished or not so keen on power. Now there is a threat from the Norlanders who are raiding the wessex coasts and threatening the fragile peace. Meanwhile in Rome, Asser is released from his prison and charged with defending Wessex by creating a treaty with Wolf. Wolf's estranged son, Aethelfraed, does not want to meet his father but circumstances mean new alliances need to be formed quickly.
Essentially this is the story of the rise of Alfred the Great but is 'Alfred: the Lost Years' so historically it is very interesting. However the style of writing is rather quirky, it's not deliberately comic (like 'Horrible Histories') but nor is it straight historical fiction, there is lots of fact in amongst the fiction and the humour. In the acknowledgements this makes sense and Robinson says he is strongly influenced by a number of writers but what this reader senses is the entertaining narrative of a Ken Follett and the sense of the dark humour of Terry Pratchett. For some readers this won't work, however I really liked it!