Two Sides to Every Story: Church Reformers Supporting Edward vs. Mercians, featuring Earl Aelfhere, Supporting Aethelred

Today I have the first post in my renewed Two Sides to Every Story series and it kicks off with a guest post that has been written by author Annie Whitehead.  I'm excited to share this with you all as Annie has presented this topic in such a creative way!

Church Reformers Supporting Edward vs. Mercians, featuring Earl Aelfhere, Supporting Aethelred

Here is a bit to set the scene for you: In the middle of the 10th century, there was a lull in the Viking attacks which had vexed Alfred the Great and were later to plague Aethelred the Unready. Aethelred's father, Edgar, ruled in a time of peace and stability, which had the unfortunate side-effect of allowing court politics and scheming to come to the fore. When Edgar died, both his sons were boys, and the court factions divided over who should rule. A state of near civil war broke out, with the Church reformers championing the elder of the boys, Edward, whilst the Mercians, led by Earl Aelfhere, who'd seen their land destroyed by those reformers, supported Aethelred. Edward's reign was marred not only by this in-fighting, but by famine. And his short reign came to an abrupt end on March 18th, AD978, at the home of his step-mother. Here we imagine the court-room scene which might have followed:

“You stand accused of regicide and destroying monasteries. How do you plead?”

“Not guilty. And you, Archbishop, have no right to try us.”

“Members of the 21st Century jury, here are the facts: Queen Aelfthryth, widow of the late king, conspired to kill her stepson, King Edward, on 18th March, in the year of our Lord, 978. The charge is that she lured the king to her residence at Corfe, where she instructed her retainer to deliver the mortal blow to the king’s person, and arranged for the body to be hidden, claiming the crown for her own son, Aethelred. In this she was aided by the earl of Mercia, Aelfhere, who will come to be known to future historians as ‘The mad blast from the western territories.’ Members of the jury should also know that I, Dunstan of Canterbury, and my fellow monastic reformers, Athelwold and Oswald, will be so revered that we will be declared Saints.

The Life of Dunstan
Photo Credit: The British Library Board

I present exhibit A, a letter from Archbishop Oswald:

My Lords,

Hear my testimony. I was a poor monk from the continent when I came to help with the reform of the monasteries, which were left in a sorry  state after the Vikings had been and gone. It was ever my intention to rebuild, and reform, and for this I needed land. The late King Edgar granted me such, and Earl Aelfhere was envious. He ransacked the monasteries, he put the monks out on the street, he is irreligious. The Queen wished only to see her own son upon the throne, and will be known to history as a murderess. You must convict them.

‘Just as I, Dunstan, will have a book written about me, so will a monk at Ramsey write the Life of St Oswald, praising him. It is the clerks of the Church who write the histories. So you have no documentary evidence to help your case, do you, Earl Aelfhere?”

“But I do. And I, Queen Aelfthryth, present exhibit B, the Regularis Concordia. Written by your fellow reformer, it is a document which pronounces me Lady and Defender of all nuns. Would such a woman countenance murder? I will go on to be regent during the early years of Aethelred’s reign. My grandson will cite me as having brought him up and will mention me in his will.”

Regularis Concordia
Photo Credit: The British Library Board

“And I will have my say, now, Archbishop. Yes, I am the ‘Mad Blast' from Mercia. And many Mercians rallied behind me when the Church evicted the secular clerks and tried to turn all the cathedrals into monasteries. But I am not irreligious. It is documented that I was a generous benefactor to Glastonbury Abbey, and when I die, I will be buried there with all due ceremony. The only monasteries I attacked were the ones which Oswald built on my land. Oswald holds both an archbishopric and a bishopric which is not legal. Future historians will discover how, at Ramsey Abbey, during a time of famine, he feasted royally, while outside, people were starving. King Edward was an angry, callow young man who had no right to the throne. The queen’s son, Aethelred, is the rightful heir, born of both a king and a consecrated queen. The retainer thought that his lady was in danger and sought only to defend the queen. If murder was done, why did we delay Aethelred’s coronation? If I am irreligious, why did I move the bones of Edward, now known as The Martyr, and rebury him with all honours? The monk who will go on to write the Life of St Oswald,  the same monk who named me the ‘Mad Blast’, will also tell of my part in Edward’s reburial and call me ‘That Glorious Earl.’ And you have already admitted his evidence.

‘So, Members of the 21st Century jury, it’s up to you to decide. Are we guilty?” 

Annie Whitehead is a history graduate who now works as an Early Years music teacher. Her first novel, To Be A Queen, is the story of Aethelflaed, daughter of Alfred the Great, who came to be known as the Lady of the Mercians. It was long-listed for the Historical Novel Society’s Indie Book of the Year 2016. Her new release, Alvar the Kingmaker, which tells the story of Aelfhere of Mercia, available now. She is currently working on the novel which was a prize-winning entry in the Mail on Sunday Novel Writing competition and which she was encouraged by judge Fay Weldon to complete.  You can find Annie Whitehead on Facebook, her  Blog, author Amazon UK Page, and author Amazon US Page.

Buy the Books on Amazon: To Be A Queen | Alvar the Kingmaker



Copyright © 2016 by The Maiden’s Court

Book Review: Tales of Byzantium by Eileen Stephenson

Tales of Byzantium: A Selection of Short Stories by Eileen Stephenson
e-Book, 152 pages
CreateSpace
May 2, 2015
★★★½☆☆

Genre: Historical Fiction, Short Stories

Source: Received from author/publisher for HFVBT tour stop

A young empress defies her powerful father for love and her rightful place on the throne.

A charismatic commander takes the gamble of a lifetime to save the lives of thousands of innocents.

An exiled princess finds a new sense of purpose and creates a legacy that will stand through the ages.

These stories provide a glimpse of the dynamic and proud Byzantines who lived during the height of the empire’s splendor.

I am a fan of short stories and especially those that bring in interesting locales and time periods. Tales of Byzantium takes us through three different time periods of Byzantine history and whets the reader’s appetite for more!

This is certainly not a location that receives a great amount of fictional treatment, and I think that is a disservice. Byzantine history is full of so many interesting figures and events that it is ripe for a novel – however I think what might keep some away from this time/place is that not as many people are familiar with it and because so much of what took place was intimately tied into religion. Having recently taken a course on Byzantine History for my Masters program, I was very familiar with the Emperors and characters featured in these stories, however many would not be. I find it interesting that when writing on a location that is not frequently visited in fiction, the author chose to write about some of the lesser known of the Byzantines. Very interesting choice, but well executed. Considering that these were just short stories, I appreciated that the author gave an Author’s Note after each chapter to set the story within history, considering that most people will be unfamiliar with the timeline, this is very helpful.

Of the three stories, I found the first and second to be the most interesting while I could have done without the third (this however does not seem to be the case with all readers). All three of the stories are essentially character studies, not too much really happens in any of them, however, the third I found plot to be relatively non-existent. The characters were intriguing and I would probably enjoy a whole story built around them, particularly the second story.

If you are at all interested in finding a different locale for your reading, I encourage you to check out this short story collection as well as explore Byzantine history. It is very similar to the Roman (Western) Empire that it will be familiar to you, but still new and exciting.

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• A Bookish Affair
• Library Educated

Buy the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | RJ Julia

 
Find Eileen Stephenson: Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Blog

 
Follow the Tour!!

On Twitter: #TalesofByzantiumBlogTour  #HistoricalFiction

HFVBT Website

 
Tour Wide Giveaway!

To win a Paperback copy of Tales of Byzantium by Eileen Stephenson please enter the giveaway via the GLEAM form below.  Please note this is a tour wide giveaway and any issues/questions should be directed to the tour coordinator, not me.

Rules

• Giveaway starts at 12:01am EST on December 14th and ends at 11:59pm EST on December 22nd. You must be 18 or older to enter.
• Giveaway is open internationally.
• Only one entry per household.
• All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion
• Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

Tales of Byzantium

 
 


Copyright © 2015 by The Maiden’s Court

Book Review: Russka by Edward Rutherfurd

Russka by Edward Rutherfurd
Unabridged, 39 hr. 57 min.
Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Wanda McCaddon (Narrator)
September 13, 2012
★★★★☆

Genre: Family Saga, Historical Fiction

Source: Downloaded from Audible for Personal Collection

“Russka is the story of four families who are divided by ethnicity but united in shaping the destiny of Russia. From a single riverside village situated at one of the country's geographic crossroads, Russia's Slav peasant origins are influenced by the Greco-Iranian, Khazar, Jewish, and Mongol invasions. Unified by this one place, the many cultures blend to form a rich and varied tapestry.

Rutherfurd's grand saga is as multifaceted as Russia itself: harsh yet exotic, proud yet fearful of enemies, steeped in ancient superstitions but always seeking to shape the emerging world. Peter the Great, Ivan the Terrible, Catherine the Great, and Lenin all play their roles in creating and destroying the land and its people.

In Russka, Edward Rutherfurd has transformed the epic history of a great civilization into a human story of flesh and blood.”

Russia is a land with a history that is vast, varied, and lengthy – and Rutherfurd admirably conquers that history in his 960 page, (almost) 40 hour long book. As is the style of Rutherfurd novels, the reader is taken on a historical tour that follows the lives of a few choice families from a cross-section of society. From the early days traveling across Russia’s plains to the post WWII era, the country comes to vivid life. Russia has been a country that has been closed off from much of the world for much of its history – through actions of its own and those of others – making it a land that is rather mysterious to many. Rutherfurd’s writing style makes this region accessible to readers and evokes a feeling of the times.

1,800 years is a lot to cover in a novel, but Rutherfurd hits what appear to be all of the biggest events. There were events that I knew (from history class) as well as those that I did not. Somehow in my listening I seem to have missed the entire section on Catherine the Great, which is a period I am particularly interested in, but rest assured, it is covered!

This novel was everything that I was hoping it would be – making the vague history of Russia accessible and interesting.

★★★☆☆

When you are spending just shy of 40 hours listening to a novel – the narration becomes excessively important. A 12 hour novel I can deal with a so-so narrator, 40 hours, it’s A LOT harder. The narration wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t compelling. The narrator’s voice had a jarring accent that frequently pulled me out of the flow of the story. It also wasn’t the type of accent that fit with the context of the story – which would have made a little easier to accept, even if it wasn’t pleasing to the ear.

I can’t help but compare the experience of listening to Russka to the experience listening to the other Rutherfurd book I have read, New York. In that case, the narrator was marvelous and I even experienced tears and goosebumps from the combination of great narrative and amazing narration. I was hoping for that experience here and that didn’t quite happen.

Edward Rutherfurd has also written several other historical fiction books: The Princes of Ireland, Rebels of Ireland, The Forest, London, New York, Paris, and Sarum. You can visit Rutherfurd’s website for additional information about these books.

My reviews of other books by this author:

• New York

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• Sweat, Tears, and Digital Ink

Here are some choices for purchasing the book: Amazon, B&N, RJ Julia (my fav indie bookstore).

 

Copyright © 2014 by The Maiden’s Court

Audiobook Review: The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell

The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell
Book 1 of The Saxon Stories series
Abridged, 5 hr. 30 min.

Harper Audio

Jamie Glover (Narrator)

January 31, 2005

★★★★☆

Genre: Historical Fiction

Source: Downloaded audio from my local library

“’I had been given a perfect childhood, perfect, at least, to the ideas of a boy. I was raised among men, I was free, I ran wild, was encumbered by no laws, was troubled by no priests and was encouraged to violence.' Uhtred is an English boy, born into the aristocracy of 9th Century Northumbria, but orphaned at ten, adopted by a Dane and taught the Viking ways. Yet Uhtred's fate is indissolubly bound up with Alfred, King of Wessex, who rules over the last English kingdom when the Danes have overrun Northumbria, Mercia and East Anglia.”

I have read a standalone Cornwell book in the past and really enjoyed it but this was my first of his books within a series. The Last Kingdom is the first book in his currently ongoing Saxon Stories series. As the story is told from the first person perspective, we get right into the thick of things with Uhtred as he bounces back and forth between being a Dane and being a Saxon.

I enjoyed this start to the series because I haven’t really read anything about this period in history. There is a plethora of battles that we are privy to and with Uhtred changing sides so often we really get to see how both the Saxons and Danes looked at this endeavor. Usually I try to avoid books which are primarily focused on wars and battles, but I have come to love Cornwell’s interpretations and depictions. Cornwell also does a great job at helping the reader to understand a culture that they have probably not had any experience with before.

I did have some minor issues with the novel though – thus giving it my 4 stars. The main character, Uhtred, is the epitome of a flip-flopper. One minute he is a Saxon, then a Dane, and then a Saxon, etc and no one seems to call him on this. It made it hard for me to connect with him because I wasn’t sure who he was going to be from one minute to the next. I also wish that the women in his life were more developed. We hear mention of his wife, but we don’t really meet her. We hear about his implied care and concern for her, but don’t actually feel it. He also has a friend from childhood who we see a little bit and get the allusion that there might have been something between them, but that is where it stops. I would have just liked to have a little bit more details about them.

I am eager to read book two in the series because the ending was so very abrupt. I actually thought that my iPod had died but then realized that the story had actually ended. It didn’t feel like a cliff hanger or make you feel like it had ended – it just stopped.

★★★★☆

As always when I read a book set in a place or time that I am very unfamiliar with, I am very glad for audio versions because they pronounce the words for me and I learn something from it. Believe me, I would sit in my car and repeat some of the words over and over just to get the sound of it – I would love to be a fly on the wall sometimes! The narrator’s voice was very fitting to the novel and he would evoke emotions when necessary – such as yelling in a battle scene. The way he would read would suck you into the action – picking up speed when at the heart of an event and slowing down at necessary points too.


You can listen to a sample of the audiobook below:

You can also take a more in depth look at the book below:

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• Royal Reviews
• The Nature of Things

Buy the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | RJ Julia

Also by Bernard Cornwell:

The other books in this series include:

The Pale Horseman (Book 2)

Lords of the North (Book 3)

Sword Song (Book 4)

The Burning Land (Book 5)

Death of Kings (Book 6)

The Pagan Lord (Book 7)

The Empty Throne (Book 8)

Warriors of the Storm (Book 9)

The Flame Bearer (Book 10)

Other books by this author I have reviewed:

• Agincourt
  

Find Bernard Cornwell: Website | Facebook | Twitter

 
Copyright © 2011 by The Maiden’s Court