3 out of 4 stars
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Pit of Vipers (Sons of Kings, Book Two) (2014), by Millie Thom, is a 289-page self-published historical novel that takes place in Anglo-Saxon England during A.D. 864-871, featuring issues such as honor, betrayal, assassination, vengeance, and family loyalty. The author is a former geography and history teacher.
This book has earned 3 out of 4 stars. In many respects, this is an excellent novel. However, the dialogue is not convincing. Much too often, the characters converse like university graduates who have calmly and carefully chosen their words, speaking with impeccable grammar that would not be realistic even in a story taking place today.
The protagonists are Eadwulf of Mercia (central England) and Alfred of Wessex (southern England). Alfred is 15 years old as the book begins and will later be known as Alfred the Great. England had often been raided by bands of Danes (often called "Vikings" today), but in A.D. 865, the Great Heathen Army (an alliance of Norse warriors) starts arriving in England, establishing a threat much greater than ever before; this takes place about one-third of the way into the book. The last third of the book includes several battles between the Saxons and the Great Army. Most of the novel deals with the daily activities of the numerous characters; the author goes into great detail that immerses the reader into the story.
Preceding the narrative is a rather intimidating long list of characters; the list might be more useful if the main characters were separated from the minor characters. In addition, a brief history of the major events of the time period would give many readers a better understanding of the forthcoming story.
The author uses modern English throughout the tale, with a few Old English words thrown in here and there (e.g., thegn and fyrd). The grammatical errors are infrequent and minor. She writes clearly and concisely, so the story is reasonably easy to follow even though there are numerous characters presented. In addition, she precedes nearly every chapter with the location and date of the upcoming events; this is a great help to the reader. Several gruesome events take place during the narrative, but the author describes the proceedings without resorting to crude language.
There's a good chance you will enjoy reading this novel if you're a fan of historical fiction, especially if you are interested in the history of England and like reading detailed descriptions of places and situations. However, if you want a fast-paced story with excitement, suspense, and believable dialogue, you probably will be disappointed.
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Pit of Vipers: Sons of Kings Book 2
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