In AD925, Athelstan is the king of the English, uniting the petty kingdoms of Wessex, Mercia, the Danish-held Five Boroughs and York following the sudden death of his father, King Edward. His vision is to unite the realms of the Scots and the Welsh in a peace accord that will protect their borders from the […]
Warrior of Mercia by MJ Porter
Oath-sworn to Wiglaf, King of Mercia, and acknowledged as a member of Ealdorman Ælfstan’s warrior band, Icelcontinues to forge his own destiny on the path to becoming the Warrior of Mercia. With King Ecgberht of Wessex defeated and Londonium back under Mercian control, the Wessex invasion of Mercia is over. But the Wessex king was […]
Adding the ‘little’ bits to enrich a story of Saxon historical fiction
The stomach-growling smell of roast meat, the hit of mead, the arm-ache from embroidery; wind, rain, fruit in the hedgerows: details like these are the ‘little’ extras that add more period and atmosphere to your story, says MJ Porter, author of Anglo-Saxon period historical fiction. In Warrior of Mercia, the third book in the Eagle […]
The Perfect Sword: Forging the Dark Ages by Edoardo Albert and Paul Gething
This is the story of the Bamburgh Sword — one of the finest swords ever made. Alongside that, it gives a fascinating insight into the world of experimental archaeology — where archaeologists attempt to recreate an artefact or structure of the past using only the technologies and materials available at the time. The Perfect Sword: […]
Wolf of Mercia by MJ Porter
Icel is becoming a warrior of Mercia, but King Ecgberht of Wessex still holds the Mercian settlement of Londonia and its valuable mint. King Wiglaf of Mercia is determined that the last bulwark be reclaimed from his sworn enemy to complete his rehabilitation as Mercia’s rightful ruler. In the heart of the shield wall, Icel […]
Was King Alfred really the father of the English navy?
King Alfred of Wessex has been credited with forming the first English navy in the 9th century. But, as Chris Bishop, author of the Shadow of the Raven series, writes, this isn’t the case. While Alfred is often regarded as being the ‘father’ of the English navy, he was not its ‘founder’. The English Navy […]
Son of Mercia by MJ Porter
Tamworth, Mercia AD825, and the once-mighty kingdom of Mercia is in perilous danger. Their King, Beornwulf, lies dead, and years of bitter infighting between the nobles and cross-border wars have left Mercia exposed to her enemies. King Ecgberht of Wessex senses that now is the time for his warriors to strike and exact his long-awaited […]
Rival kings and the fall of Mercia
The Kingdom of Mercia went rapidly from being the foremost power in 8th-century England to being conquered in less than a decade. What happened? MJ Porter explains a time of unrest, loss, and rival kings. Son of Mercia, the first book in a new series set in the ninth century, occurs against a backdrop of […]