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Angles or Angels?: To unite a kingdom, a family will be divided forever
Late 6th century Britain.
Regional kingdoms are engaged in a ruthless struggle for supremacy. To the south, Saxon kings predominate but, in the north, British leaders are combining in a final effort to overthrow their two Angle rivals in Deira and Bernicia. To survive, the Angle warlords must put aside their ancient rivalry.
Acha, daughter of one king is chosen to act as ‘peace-weaver’ by marrying the rival leader. But when her intended husband kills her father and disinherits her young brother, she has to choose between her lover, her family and her duty to the wider kin.
Against a backdrop of military campaigns that decide the shape of northern Britain, this story follows the personal tragedies that force siblings into rival camps. The outcome may be a united kingdom but families will be divided forever.
Regional kingdoms are engaged in a ruthless struggle for supremacy. To the south, Saxon kings predominate but, in the north, British leaders are combining in a final effort to overthrow their two Angle rivals in Deira and Bernicia. To survive, the Angle warlords must put aside their ancient rivalry.
Acha, daughter of one king is chosen to act as ‘peace-weaver’ by marrying the rival leader. But when her intended husband kills her father and disinherits her young brother, she has to choose between her lover, her family and her duty to the wider kin.
Against a backdrop of military campaigns that decide the shape of northern Britain, this story follows the personal tragedies that force siblings into rival camps. The outcome may be a united kingdom but families will be divided forever.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
321 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 6, 2019
8 people are currently reading
26 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 17, 2019
In what now is Northumbria in the north of England in 6th century Britain there were two kingdoms: Deira ruled by old king Aele and Bernicia ruled by the young king Æthelfrith. The Romans have left the island two centuries ago and in Deira people do not even remember them and think that the big stone buildings in York are build by giants. Building houses in stone and writing, it is all forgotten. Those areas are populated by immigrants from north Germany called the Angles.
In the West and the North the old British kingdoms and the Picts still prevail with some help from their Gaul cousins in Ireland. Bernicia an Deira are rivals but with the old British kingdoms in Scotland and Wales as enemies who want to overthrow them the two kingdoms must unite. Acha, daughter of one king is chosen to act as ‘peace-weaver’ by marrying the rival leader. But before she can do so Æthelfrith marries a princess from the North who is part Pictish.
I really liked the book. The story is well written and seen from either Acha's, Æthelfrith's or brother Edwin's point of view and we learn a lot of daily life in those days. It is obviously a very well researched novel and at the end the writer takes time to explain what is historically correct to the letter and what parts were invented.
There is one mistake though. Frisia were not island off the coast of Holland. Frisia was and in some extend still is the northern parts of The Netherlands and Germany. Holland was the enemy!
In the West and the North the old British kingdoms and the Picts still prevail with some help from their Gaul cousins in Ireland. Bernicia an Deira are rivals but with the old British kingdoms in Scotland and Wales as enemies who want to overthrow them the two kingdoms must unite. Acha, daughter of one king is chosen to act as ‘peace-weaver’ by marrying the rival leader. But before she can do so Æthelfrith marries a princess from the North who is part Pictish.
I really liked the book. The story is well written and seen from either Acha's, Æthelfrith's or brother Edwin's point of view and we learn a lot of daily life in those days. It is obviously a very well researched novel and at the end the writer takes time to explain what is historically correct to the letter and what parts were invented.
There is one mistake though. Frisia were not island off the coast of Holland. Frisia was and in some extend still is the northern parts of The Netherlands and Germany. Holland was the enemy!
August 24, 2019
Loved it! An epic series in the making - move over Vikings, the Anglo-Saxons are coming!
November 3, 2019
Recommended by Melisende d'Outremer, whose opinion I value, I still approached this tale of Bernicia and Deiria and their relations to the British kingdoms that surrounded them and the introduction of Christianity with some caution, as I have others of a similar ilk that were a bit "off", but I need not have. It is a good read, not a can't put down book, but a well written and researched book you enjoy reading. One identifies with the main characters, especially the Princess Acha, who faces the problems of heartfelt love and her value as a peace weaver who has to marry for political reasons.
The author says this is the first of a series and I will be looking for his follow up books.
The author says this is the first of a series and I will be looking for his follow up books.
January 29, 2021
Excellent storytelling
The four stars are because the names did get me a touch confused at times. But this is a rattling good story, well told, that takes the reader back to a time most of us can only catch a glimpse of. I was half-in love with a certain younger brother so was really upset that he won’t be in the next book!
The four stars are because the names did get me a touch confused at times. But this is a rattling good story, well told, that takes the reader back to a time most of us can only catch a glimpse of. I was half-in love with a certain younger brother so was really upset that he won’t be in the next book!
August 1, 2023
Fascinating in historical detail
I really enjoyed reading about that time period and really appreciated the author's notes at the end of the book.
I really enjoyed reading about that time period and really appreciated the author's notes at the end of the book.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews