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Bitter betrayal comes at the steepest price, and young Eadwulf embarks on a journey that will take him far from home and change the entire course of his destiny. Eventually, he comes to a point where he must decide who he really is. Back in Wessex, Aethelwulf’s daughter (Aethelswith) is sick with grief of her own. And her younger brother Alfred shows great insight for one so young. The Pope has said that Alfred will be king, but with three older brothers, what are the chances?
Let me just say, I LOVE this book! I cannot wait until the second one is available as this one ends on somewhat of a cliffhanger, in my opinion. Not so much as to be annoying but enough that you definitely want to read the second one. I am a huge fan of historical fiction and Shadow of the Raven delivers on every level!
I really can only think of one thing that I questioned. I’m not sure how much contractions were used in the time period that is being written about. I would suggest looking into that. It seemed to pop up very quickly in the story, (i.e. the use of the word “we’ve,” and “I’ve”). Also, there are a few more modern words used that I am equally not sure they would have used in those days. Other than that, I have nothing negative to say about this book.
Now for the positive... where do I begin? The authenticity of the Danes and the way that the story stayed true to history puts it right up at the top of any historical fiction list. The reality of life as a thrall, and the brutality of the Danish raids were presented quite accurately without being distasteful. I stayed up until midnight finishing this book because I HAD to know what happened next. I would most definitely recommend this book to anyone that enjoys historical fiction (and I would love the chance to review the second book!). I am giving this book 4 out of 4 stars!
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Buy "Shadow of the Raven (Book I of Sons of Kings trilogy)" on Amazon