By Edoardo Albert
Oswald: Return of the King is Edoardo Albert's second book and follows his previous work Edwin: High King of Britain. Both are historical fiction works which are packed with historical details which the learned author discovered in the writings of the historian Bede.
At first, since it had been over a year that I had read the prequel to this book, I was a little confused by the characters and settings. However once I discovered the historic notes at the end of the book and the list of characters at the beginning (two crucial and wise aspects to include in such a deep and historic-fiction work!), everything fell into place, I remembered much of Edwin: High King of Britain and was set to enjoy and profit from the remainder of Oswald: Return of the King. As the author's first work, this novel is fascinating and hard to put down once begun! Rarely have I seen historical accounts so well fancied and wrought out! The author is superb; his works worth the read! I will point out that I am not a skilled historian although the topic is one of my favorite subjects. Specifically, I am not a master of knowledge concerning the kings of Northumbria or any region in 7th century England. However, judging by the author's honest afterword and historical notes I feel I can trust his extrapolation of the scarce historical accounts given by the ancient Bede.
Critically, I find that although Edoardo Albert's books are excellent for adults there are some points which I personally wouldn't recommend for younger readers. Ever true to the time period, the author includes jokes/riddles the people make concerning the wedding night, brief mentioning of the age of prospective brides (concerning whether or not she was old enough to have chidren)....you judge whether your child can or cannot read such things. Like I said, it is an excellent book for adults!
Especially worthy of note are the tense, exciting, complex moments in this historical novel. The author does wonders in describing everything from arguments, threats and cunning plans to actual violent battles which culminate in death or victory. I am amazed by how real the action portions of the book are!
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
No comments:
Post a Comment