Genre: Historical fiction
Pub date: 5 September 2023
Publisher: Boldwood Books

A deathbed oath leaves the lives of two infants hanging in the balance.

Tamworth AD833 After successfully rescuing her husband from the Island of Sheppey, Icel hears the deathbed confession of Lady Cynehild which leaves him questioning what he knows about his past, as well as his future.

In the unenviable position of being oath sworn to protect their two atheling sons when Lord Coenwulf is punished and banished for his treason against the Mercian ruler, King Wiglaf, Icel is once more torn between his oaths and the secret he knows.

When the two children are kidnapped, Icel, good to his word, and fearing for their safety, pursues their abductors into the dangerous Northern lands, fearing to discover who is behind the audacious attempt on their lives: the queen, the king’s son, or even Lady Ælflæd, a friend to him in the past, but now wed to the king’s son and aunt to the two abandoned children.

Alone in the Northern lands, Icel finds himself facing his worse fears. Can he rescue the children from their captor, or will he fail and lose his life in the process?

Where do I start with this?

It’s hard to describe how this book made me feel, I had such mixed emotions reading it; anger, joy, sadness, and triumph.
MJ has quite literally hit it out of the park with this one. It’s incredible!

For those who don’t know, Icel is a character in another series, and I adore him. I have loved this series, seeing Icel grow from a boy to a man and all the turmoil he has faced, but this one hit a little different. MJ has really brought the reader along for the ride, and I almost felt every setback, disappointment, and injury he faced along his journey.

It would not be an MJ Porter book without some great fighting scenes filled with blood and gore, but the enemies they face this time made the tension build much more! I felt apprehensive on more than one occasion and almost stopped reading at one point, not because I wasn’t enjoying it, but because I wasn’t sure I wanted to know what was about to happen. The fact my kindle had a meltdown halfway through did not help!

I love the characters in this series; Icel, Lady Cynewise, Wynflæd, Wulfheard and Brute have been such created in such a way that you can’t help but cheer them on, laugh at them and feel anger on their behalf. I also loved the introduction of the Wolf Lady, a character I hope we see again in the future.

I genuinely can’t wait for the next instalment in this incredible series. If you’re after a series that has great characters, fast-paced storylines, and vivid scenes that keep you awake reading until 3am, then I recommend this one!