The Flame of Resistance

The Lost King #1

by Martin Lake

Edgar Atheling is the last surviving descendent of Alfred the Great and heir to the throne of England. But because he is only thirteen years of age the throne is given instead to the experienced warrior Harold Godwinson, a man who appears best fitted to defeat the forces preparing to invade the kingdom. When Harold is killed at the Battle of Hastings the great council of England ignore more experienced claimants and proclaim Edgar King. He marches out to meet the Norman army but his advisers desert him and he is captured. On Christmas Day 1066, William the Conqueror is crowned King. Eighteen months later, when a bitter nation rises up in resistance to the Norman conquerors, Edgar escapes captivity to lead the last armies of England in their fight for freedom. The hopes of a nation are placed on a youngster with little experience of life. His weapons are a fierce intelligence, dauntless courage and the loyalty of a handful of friends. Burdened with overwhelming hopes and expectations, mired in fear and treachery, Edgar begins a life-time of resistance to the Norman invaders. The Battle of Hastings is over. The Battle for England is about to begin.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Medieval, Fiction, Historical, 11th Century, Ebooks, British Literature

284 pages, Paperback

First published April 17, 2011

About the author

Hello, I'm Martin Lake. I've been writing fiction since the age of eleven when our inventive English teacher Mr Johnson asked us to imagine that we were a Guy on a Guy Fawkes bonfire. I discovered the thrill of words and character.

My favourite authors when I was young were historical novelists like Rosemary Sutcliff and Henry Treece and a galaxy of science fiction writers. Later on I discovered the Flashman novels by George McDonald Fraser which I still consider the best of historical fiction.

I studied English Literature and History at UEA.

I have written all my life and had my first success with another story about 5th November, 'The Guy Fawkes Contest.' This was broadcast on radio and I spent more than my fee on celebrating my success.

Then one morning; revelation. I love writing and I love history. I decided to combine the two and wrote a novel about the Elizabethan spy network. There was some interest in this from publishers but not enough and it languishes still in a drawer.

I had a bad accident and could no longer drive nor turn over a paper-back book without dropping it and having to ask my wife to pick it up. My wife bought me an e-reader and shortly afterwards I discovered that I could self-publish my novels.

That was it. My life-long ambition was about to take off.

I have a series of novels set in the years following the Norman Invasion of England: The Flame of Resistance, Triumph and Catastrophe, Blood of Ironside and In Search of Glory.

I have also written four novels about the Viking Invasions of England: Wolves of War, To the Death, Land of Blood and Water and Blood Enemy.

Outcasts is about the fall of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem and the Third Crusade.

ALove Most Dangerous and the sequel Very Like a Queen tell the tale of Alice Petherton, a mistress of King Henry VIII.

I have four World War Two novels: Cry of the Heart and Ties of the Heart and Brave, Bold Spirit and The Turn of the Tide.

You can find my blog at martinlakewriting.wordpress.com

Twitter @martinlake14.

Email: martinlake14@gmail.com

Reviews

[Matthew Harffy · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this, the first book in the Lost King series, Martin Lake explores the aftermath of the cataclysmic events of 1066. Lake has chosen to tell the tale from the perspective of Edgar Atheling, a character I barely knew existed and one that certainly deserves to have his story told.

The book is fast-paced and on more than one occasion I found myself wondering how Edgar was going to escape from some of the sticky situations in which he finds himself. In The Flame of Resistance, Martin Lake spins a ripping yarn of loyal huscarls, evil earls, proud kings, intrigue and pitched battles for the kingdom of England, bringing the late eleventh century to vivid life.

[Andrew Puckett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like many others, I always wished that Harold could have won the Battle of Hastings (even though it would probably mean I wouldn't exist!). This book puts my feelings into words. Great sense of history, terrific pace, Edgar himself a very sympathetic character. A very good read.

[Mercedes Rochelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is about the ill-fated Eadgar Aetheling, last true Saxon heir to the throne. Too young to take the crown after Edward the Confessor's death, he was certainly too young to manage things less than one year later when everything had fallen apart. But there was no other choice for the Saxons after Harold Godwineson lost the crown. So the Witan hurriedly elected Eadgar next king of England, and this is where our novel takes up the tale.

Martin Lake presents Eadgar with an unenviable situation. Untrained and uncertain, Eadgar didn't know how to act, didn't know how to react, and found himself at the mercy of every change in fortune. After a half-hearted confrontation with William the Conqueror, Eadgar's supporters abandoned his cause pretty quick, and the youth was forced to submit to the new King. Luckily, a handful of loyal followers kept Eadgar safe and helped give him the confidence to think of himself in a new way.

When Eadgar fled William's court and made his way to Scotland with his mother and sisters, he found a cautious ally in King Malcolm III who fell in love with his sister Margaret. As the disaffected northerners staged a coup to oust the Normans from Durham and York, Eadgar became their figurehead. But he was not yet a leader and had to learn how to navigate his way through treacherous waters.

The book was told in first person, an interesting approach which served to expose his insecurities in a convincing manner. It's easy to sympathize with Eadgar who must learn to make decisions that could turn catastrophic. However, it's a little hard to take him seriously as well, so when he does try to act like a king he seems a bit silly. The story got somewhat muddled when Eadgar started negotiating with the Danes to divide up England between them...after eliminating William the Conqueror. He suddenly seemed to be taking on too much too soon. I expect this will come clear in the second book.

[Tricia Preston · Rating 5 out of 5]

The aftermath of the Battle of Hastings
We all know that William the Conqueror was the victor at the Battle of Hastings but nobody at school bothered to tell us what happened afterwards. Did the crown sit easily on the Conquerors head?
In this story, we follow the campaign to make Edgar Aetherling, the sole surviving descendant of Alfred the Great, the new King of England.
Clearly well researched, in this, being the first book of a series, we see the thirteen year old boy begin his lifetime of resistance. Initially held prisoner by William, who felt there was some worth in keeping him alive, we see Edgar, surrounded by a few oathsworn comrades, adapting to the new circumstances of his life and beginning to learn the necessary wiles for his survival.
Against the backdrop of increasing unrest throughout the country, Edgar manages to escape the clutches of William and flees north to be re-united with his mother and sisters at the court of King Malcolm of Scotland. Here, we witness his coming of age as he grapples with the motives of the people surrounding him, working out who to trust and what to do. Martin portrays Edgar as a very engaging young man who is obviously very intelligent and extremely brave. He is very easy to like and it doesn't take long for you to wish him every success. Although we know that he is ultimately not triumphant, I was eager to find out what happens next. As a consequence, I have already bought the remaining three books in the series and am looking forward to them appearing at the top of my 'reading pile'.

[Paul Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again I found myself immersed in a time period I am not familiar with other than the fact that the year 1066 was one of those we memorized in history class. The Normans under William the Bastard have defeated the English at The Battle of Hastings. That's the starting point for this very enjoyable and well written book. The author is to be commended for his meticulous detail, his characters and the obvious passion he has for this period. The story follows Edgar Aetheling as he seeks his rightful place as King of England. His journeys take him from William's court in Normandy to King Malcolm III of Scotland as he attempts to solidify his position. This is heady stuff for a youth not yet 20 and the author brings out all of the doubts, emotions and occasional flashes of brilliance that Edgar has to deal with. The story ends, or rather it doesn't, with the coming battle with William and his Normans. I look forward to pursuing that in the sequel.
Hoover Book Reviews rates this at 4.4.

[Debbi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't remember why I bought this book except that I have liked everything else that I read by Martin Lake. The Flame of Resistance was no exception, and now I need to read the next 3 in the series!.

I've never heard of Edgar Aethling before, but The Flame of Resistance brings him to life. It begins just after the Battle of Hasting where King Harold and his family are all killed. Edgar is technically heir to the throne, but William the Conqueror won the battle and claimed the title, so Edgar is just a 14 year old boy who poses some, but not a lot, of risk to William. The Flames of Resistance covers the time until Edgar is 17, and Lake does a wonderful job of developing him both as a person and as a character. You know historical fiction is good when you learn something, and by that measure, this is a great book.

[Therese · Rating 4 out of 5]

$2.99

Edgar really was I lost King of England and after the invasion of the Conqueror, he was forever trying to decide who to trust, where to go and what to do. Not a lot is known about him with all the exploits of William and his sons, but after Harold was killed in the battle of Hastings, the English did declare that Edgar was the rightful heir since he was the grandson of Edmund and the great grandson of Alfred. Even before Harold took the throne, Edgar had a better claim on it. He just wasn't old enough were experienced enough to take it and hold on to it. After reading this book, I kept hoping that he would overcome William even though I knew it was not to be, and once again I had to wonder what if he had? I'm looking forward to reading the next book -- one day.

[Darlene Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally the POV of Edgar

Every novel I've read situated after the Battle of Hastings has Edgar in a secondary position, portrayed as a weak character, dependent on Malcolm and unable to make a responsible decision. The Lost King brings us a child thrust into the aftermath virtually powerless, but convinced by others and himself that he is the rightful king of England. A well written novel that takes us into a realistic depiction of the world Edgar lived in and faced. Recommended.

[antony · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great plot, realistic characters, fantastic writing. So many of these histories in fiction read well at the high points then peter off revealing a lack of ability to handle meaningful dialogue, or to progress a story outside of the white hot action. Not so Martin Lake. You won't find yourself skipping over the slow bits t get to the action, you will be drawn in and fascinated by every line and every turn of plot. Good story, well written, what else could you ask for in a book?

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an exciting read featuring Edgar the Atheling and his resistance to William the Conqueror. It is well researched and paints a vivid picture of life at the time of the Conquest. Edgar, a teenager, shows wisdom beyond his years in dealing with the Conqueror, Malcolm king of Scotland, invading Danes and his family and friends.

[Ruth Harwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice book, not too long, and I wonder whether the author could've put the second in this series in with this and made it feel more complete?
The story is well written, with times of action and times of reflection in perfect synchrony. I learned a little about the events following 1066 myself, and I'm pretty much the encyclopaedia of historical facts and events, so it's worth reading even if you think you know it all! It's an interesting era, and I'm sure most people think that once Harold was no more, England was left with no resistance, but that's not the case. There had been battle less than a week prior to his victory up in Yorkshire at Stamford Bridge against Harald Hardrada and his Viking force, which the English won and had to then march down hundreds of miles to fight, and almost win - I must add - against the Normans in the South. I'm not sure any Army has had to fight two battles in so short a time at such distance with the same army in England's history... please correct me if I'm mistaken. A feat that probably couldn't be repeated by a whole army with no appreciable road system on foot and battle weary... Perhaps the Romans could have, but they had road systems even the modern world marvels at!
Still, Harold kept a force in the North in case of further incursion, possibly Scottish or Dane, and there was many other people the country over still available to be called to the the fyrd, but sadly, when a king is killed and his army tricked, there's not much but a fast run to the capital and a strategic meeting to decide on tactics.
There was much resistance against William, his harrying of the North and the obliteration of the peoples of Northern England - my own city of Lancaster would have been a victim of this as far as I'm aware, and the whole area was desolate and empty for decades later. Still, resistance against foreigners is no new phenomenon - they say it's the last time a foreign army landed on the English coast, but it was the worst disaster to have befallen my island that I can think of - I'd have preferred Hardrada and his assimilating Vikings than the awful murderous Norman ex-viking destruction of a country which was envied and admired by all Europe prior. They never were again, and I think the hatred of foreigners stems from this cataclysmic event and it's consequences.
This is a great book, I enjoyed it, and would recommend it to everyone and anyone who thinks 1066 was the end. It so wasn't.

[Eric Runyon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m glad I didn’t read reviews before I bought the book because 3/4 of the reviews I just read here, were spoilers with no actual review. They weren’t marked as spoilers either.

That being said, historical fiction is by far my favorite genre. This was a very good read. The writing was very good and the pacing was on point. The story doesn’t overwhelm you with menial events or lack there of. People don’t understand that with wars, they aren’t just on the battlefield 24/7 and that in turn means there’s a bunch of useless information. I read a couple of reviews that mentioned it was too fast of a pace. This story keeps you guessing and is very refreshing for the mind.

My only issue I had while reading was that the story lacked emotion in my opinion. The author very clearly wanted you feel certain ways throughout the story. But the execution was not there. I did not feel any emotional attachment towards any certain character. Other than that, it’s a very very well written story!

[Victor Salinas · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lacking !!

The story started out well enough but then the invasion happen and everything went south real fast no invading king would ever leave the losing king alive and become best of buddy's .It just doesn't make sense they are their to take everything and that's where to me everything started to call apart .The world the author tries to put together doesn't work ,life is cheap and the main characters are weak and shallow no attention to detail what so ever !! The decisions the main characters make and out comes are laughable ,not believable for one second a waste of money !!

[Cindy Woods · Rating 3 out of 5]

Middling!

I guess, as far as I understand this historical medieval period, the story is fairly done.

As for the dialogue, I found it too modern. The plot itself is creatively done as a kingship is thrust upon this boy who appears not to have been expecting it. But such is history.

All in all it's an interesting read for those interested in history and imagining the hows and whys of the past.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first 50% was three stars as the plot moved too rapidly and there were too many people for me to 'get into' any of the characters and events. The last 50% was 4 stars as the plot became more focused and fewer characters meant more time could be spent on Edgar's development as a character, although even in his own story he is overshadowed by Malcolm III (Who isn't though? Suck it Macbeth).

[Jerry Mercer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Story

Not knowing the full history of Edgar, William, and Cnut, I am uncertain of the truth of the plot. However, it is well-written and the characters are described in believable terms.

[Elaine Tatro · Rating 4 out of 5]

The gathering storm

Armies gather, alliances are formed, tested and reformed. How much trust can young Edgar Aetheling place in any of the other players? At stake is the future of English England, and thus that of every Englishman.

[kathy pittenger · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Flame of Resistance book1

This was a well written book. It got you involved in the main characters as if they were real. I look forward to the next book in series.

[Allie Hamilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cool read. So informational and the characters are so fun

[Chaplain Stanley Chapin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Insightful betrayal and honor

The negotiations of very powerful individuals and royal subjects showing both treacherous and loyalty. The quirkiness to defend a country, risking death for very little in return is somewhat baffling.

[Nola · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting angle on the story of Edgar Aetheling's life and situation immediately following the Battle of Hastings. Instead of representing a weak would-be king under the influence of Malcolm of Scotland, Martin Lake portrays him as you would believe a teenager thrust into this precarious position would act - unsure of whom to trust with little knowledge of negotiations and conspiracy. The author does a good job of showing the exact point in which Edgar leaves his childhood behind and forces himself to step up for his country.

[Louisa]

three and a half stars.

I chose the book because one of my monthly reading challenges for March was to read a novel set in Norman Britain and I'm glad I came across The Flame of Resistance. A well researched historical novel, however, not once did I feel Martin Lake was distracting from the story with historical facts. As soon as I finished reading, I immediately purchased the second instalment which I look forward to reading in the near future.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Inside Story

I have read many historical accounts both fiction and non-fiction concerning this period in history. I especially enjoyed this book because of its slant. The characters were developed well so added a depth to the historical account. The cultures and characters seemed real so that I felt as though I was actually living in the time period. An interesting and fascinating read.

[Debbi · Rating 3 out of 5]

11th century England. Word yet hadn't spread that 13-year-old Edgar Atheling, grandson of Alfred the Great, had been crowned King of England when Willam the Conqueror invaded and quite promptly stole the throne. This series of novels reveals Edgar's fight to regain his crown. In this one he submits to William and is not treated too badly but decides to flee at the first sign of rebellion.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

l love this authors work; his love of the lands, the history; shines.

i read where someone had written of too many typo's; I just did not see this to be the case; I am the first the complain on that score; but I found myself well into the story from the start and now seamlessly an deep into book two.

Well done, well written, keep em coming!!

[Martin Lake]

I wrote this book so can't really say.

[Sealover · Rating 5 out of 5]

An epic read

An inspiring and exhilarating look inside the mind of King Edgar of England. I would highly recommend it to lovers of history and fiction alike.

[darrell c frazier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting

E enjoyable and interesting part of history that I hadn't, delved into before. Easy smooth read. Kept me interested. Look forward to. The next book in the series.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sucked in

I am a huge fan of historical books. This 1st book in this trilogy, even though fictional, sucked in can't wait to start book 2.

[Maggie]

Rokp