Alfred of Wessex, Book One: Inheritance

by Michael Carden, Mike Carden

'Alfred of Wessex, Book One: Inheritance' is the story of the youngest brother of the Kings of Anglo-Saxon Wessex, who only centuries later would be known as ‘Alfred the Great’.

Wessex is under threat of invasion from the Danes and is divided by rivalries.

A young Alfred is thrust into the midst of war and intrigue.

Alfred of Wessex is based around real historical events during the defence of Anglo-Saxon Wessex, as viking raids turned into full-scale invasion by the pagan Danes.

In 'Inheritance', the first novel in the series, the Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms of Wessex, Mercia, Northumbria and East Anglia face a gathering storm of Danes threatening destruction and occupation.

Genres: Historical Fiction

340 pages, Paperback

Published May 11, 2022

Reviews

[Mervyn Eastman]

Michael Carden has written a novel that, for me, was highly accessible, readable, and well-researched. I urge readers, however, to read the Historical Notes at the conclusion, which explains his approach and rightly re-enforces the point that "Alfred of Wessex is very much a novel rather than a history."

Good novels can navigate history with storytelling, and Carden achieves five stars in this regard. I appreciated his skill in humanizing Alfred and his hope that "Alfred's story becomes more believable - and his achievements more impressive". In this, he was highly successful.

Book Two will certainly be put in my basket!

[Richard Foster]

Love Last Kingdom???

Great historical fiction. This hits on one best and little fictionalized period in English history. Great writing and storytelling. I’m waiting patiently for the second book.

[Marian Williams]

first Class

First class book regarding Alfred King of Wessex. Action packed. Brilliant storyline. Actually felt part of the narrative. Anxiously awaiting book two. Thank you.

[Stanley Brandt]

"Alfred of Wessex, Book One" is a good book for those very interested in historical fiction and specifically Viking/Saxon age drama.

However, I wouldn't categorize it as a book for everyone due to it's very dull and straightforward narrative. I wouldn't say the characters are particularly rich, the story didn't make me feel like I had to come back for more, and the narrative was a little to simple and static for my taste.

As a fan of the historical figure Alfred the Great, this book served it's purpose in being a novelization of his early life, so I still enjoyed it.

A good read, but not a great one. - 3/5 stars.

[Mr a Palmer]

Enjoyable

I enjoyed the story but found the composition very average and slightly pedestrian. Having said that I will probably read book 2

[Rupert Wolfe-Murray]

I am so glad to have read this book as it opened up a thousand years of history to me.

At university I studied history but didn't spend one minute on that millenia that started with the birth of Christ and the Roman invasion of Britain, and ended with the Norman invasion of England in 1066. One hears vague things about Vikings but I knew no detail.

This book paints a portrait of a king who stood up to the Danish invasions that were devastating the eastern side of England in the ninth century. Alfred did well, he kept the Danes at bay, and I need to read the next book to find out what happened next. Through Alfred I feel like I have a glimmer of knowledge, an insight into this otherwise dark era.

Another key bit if knowledge I learned was that there was no such thing as England back then. The country was divided into Wessex (from Kent to Cornwall), Mercia (today's Midlands plus London), East Anglia (Norfolk and Suffolk) and Northumberland (including Yorkshire, Lancashire, Cumbria). I presume it was the Normans who brought the whole land under central control.

The other thing I learned from this book is that the king's power was anything but absolute. King Alfred was dependent on the nobles who controlled the various counties of Wessex (Kent, Essex, Surrey, Hampshire, Sussex, Wiltshire, Devon, Somerset and Cornwall). There was no central army; each noble had his own army and they would come together in the event of a war. But if they didn't agree with what was going on they could just march off. This was a weakness that opened them up to the attacks of the Danes.

All in all, I learned a lot and would recommend this book. It's also an easy read.

[Walter Helliesen]

Having read Cornwell’s Saxon Stories, I approached this novel with a degree of trepidation. What I found was a refreshingly new take on the history of England’s only “Great” king! Michael Carden had created an intriguing narrative based on the documented history and filled with his vision of what occurred in Wessex and beyond during the unparalleled invasion of the Danes. Can’t wait to get into book two.

[David]

We don't know nearly as much about Alfred of Wessex as we'd like. The author has done a superb work of piecing together the early years of Alfred's life into a workable narrative. This book sets the scene of the almost hopeless situation Alfred found himself in. Enemies both outside and in, with Danish invaders and resistance from two lords of Wessex' most powerful counties.

Recommended for those who love historical fiction and who have had enough of seeing the Vikings cast as heroes.

[Jim Warren]

Alfred the Great

I enjoy well written historical fiction, and Alfred of Wessex is very well written. Alfred appears in many books about the period, but this is the first I've found centered on him. Looking forward to book 2 of the series.

[Jim Chambers]

Book 2 in the trilogy downloaded - enough said?! I enjoyed the book and the characters were imagined superbly and has sparked some interest in this period of British history. Great characterisation, good plotting, plenty of jeopardy and evocative of a very distant time period. An enjoyable book.

[Mrs Kim Gallagher]

Riveting

I thoroughly enjoyed every page. Bringing history to life, the devastation of the Viking raids and the deaths of so many people.

[Beverly Clayton]

Good choice

A little slow at first, but worthwhile. Easy enough for me to follow since watching Vikings & other related shows.
Cannot wait to read the next book in the series.

[Chris Prince]

great read

Really really enjoyed this I didn’t want to put it down
It was beautifully written and I’ll definitely be looking for more by Michael Carden

[TheRealNerdyPickle]

Very good historical fiction. I am an Alfred the Great fan girl, but this book iterates that he’s still flawed and he is not Jesus Christ. Anyways, very good, just slow at some times and the passage of time can be confusing. That being said, I plan on buying the second book when it comes out.

[brian Duke]

This was a really good book. Lots of action and political intrigue. I am in the middle of second one now.

[Hugh Morris]

I like historical fiction, especially about historical England and this book did not disappoint. Michael Carden has clearly researched his background to the book and this book sets the historical scene really well. Easy to understand the kingdoms of the day and the threat from the Danes. The characters are realistic and believable and the story proceeds at a good pace. I found it interesting and enjoyable.

Luckily for me, I also have book two: Vengeance. Which I am starting immediately. I hope it’s as good as book one. Wanting to know what happens next!