Brunanburh: A Novel of 937

In 927, the English king Athelstan gathers the leaders of the Scots, the Welsh, and the Dublin Norse and convinces them to sign a peace treaty that will finally unite their respective kingdoms. It is a tremendous endeavor, although not everyone in attendance seems happy about it. ...and then in 937, the English king Athelstan looks upon a battlefield that divides the signers of that very treaty, a battlefield that will be the location of a bloody battle for the supremacy that the treaty failed to prohibit.

I have to admit, I despaired a bit at the start of this novel. It jumps forth between 927 and 937 between chapters and changes perspective each time, switching between the kings (or their brothers) as they interpret the events show more happening with wildly different perspectives. Worse still, everything is told in first-person, which I was sure was going to become a terrible, confusing wreck of a narrative. Interestingly and, really, quite oddly, I found the exact opposite to be true. I don't know if it was the first-person perspective or not, but every character's voice felt very distinct to me, and I had no trouble following what might otherwise have been a tangled mess if not properly handled.

I was also pleased with the format, jumping back and forth in time can be tedious, but in this case it worked fantastically. Reading about the kings signing the treaty in one chapter and then reading them preparing for battle in the next built far more suspense than I was expecting. Often the chapters set in the earlier time period can feel tedious, since you already know where they are leading, but I never felt that way with Brunanburh. I was equally interested in both plots, and never felt disappointed at having to leave one for the other.

As for the historical accuracy, it's an ancient battle and not much is known about it, so naturally it's very fictionalized. It's something you expect when reading these novels, and I can accept it for what it is. I'd also point out that my edition was riddled with typos and the like. I counted around 20, and there were also so inexplicable blank pages. The typos didn't bother me too much, and thankfully there wasn't any text missing, but I just thought I'd point that out.

Overall, I enjoyed the book, and I think it will be a memorable one. show less

“Brunanburh”, is set between the years 925 and 937 and tells the story of the battle of Brunanburh and the events that led up to it from the viewpoints of all the main combatants. It was mostly fairly readable apart from a large number of swear words liberally spattered throughout and the fact that obviously being a battle with arm to arm combat there was lots of blood and gore!!! The main king, Athelstan, King of the English, obviously has some sort of Christian/Catholic leanings and he frequently refers to looking to God or thanking Him but all the other kings seem to be fairly pagan. The book is loosely based on the facts known about this battle but as its a period of history I know very little about I struggled to relate to what show more was being written about.

The book includes a list of all the main characters which was vital as there are loads of them. The chapters are also short which helps but is also confusing as the author has chosen to keep skipping from 925 in one chapter then to 937 in the next throughout the book. A kind of looking back to the beginning of King Athelstan’s reign and then jumping forward to the battle field over and over again.

I would recommend this book to anyone who already has an interest in the subject matter. show less