Icel is the hero in Eagle of Mercia and he doesn't know his true family heritage. Icel is a healer and a warrior and with his comrades they set out to rescue Lord Coelwulf from the Vikings but it won't be easy and there is a battle. As someone who never used to read this genre I am now happy to say that it is my favourite genre. The battles, action, danger and suspense in Eagle of Mercia make it a page turner but also learning more history from the Viking days is a added bonus. Icel is a favourite of mine because as well as being a warrior which most are, he is also a healer which I find more intriguing and enjoy learning more about the healing. If you don't think you like this genre and like me had never actually given it a go then please please do because it is actually really suprisingly fantastic and Eagle of Mercia is a Viking historical masterpiece. Hugely recommend reading this book. I am so excited for the next book in The Eagle of Mercia Chronicles.

I'm a fan of this brilliant series, so I couldn't wait to read about Icel's latest adventures. A veritable anti-hero, Icel does not hanker after power or glory. He really wanted to be a healer, but fate had other plans for him. Now, Icel is a warrior in Ealdorman Ælfstan's retinue, in the service of King Wiglaf, and quite content with his lot.

Eagle of Mercia begins with an intriguing claim. When on a visit to the lands he inherited from his late uncle, he is followed by a Mercian-turned-East-Anglian, Godwulf. All Icel wanted to do is have a chance to speak to the Lady Ælflæd who has arrived to show her respects at his uncle's grave, but it's in vain. The lady ignores him. When Godwulf insists that Icel should be commander of the king's warriors, one of Ælflæd's men challenge him, and a fight ensues. Icel is reluctant to stop it, uncertain how to react as the new lord of the manor. This seemed a little weak to me, especially when Ælflæd then intervenes, stopping the men. Icel must still learn how to be the owner of his own hall.

When Godwulf follows him on to Tamworth, the capital of Mercia, others hear of the man's claims. As Icel knows nothing of his birthright, because no one would tell him, he feels uncomfortable with it all – until he firmly and publicly insists that he has no plans of becoming commander. But the man's words stay with him, and he's even more desperate now to know who his father was. Why on earth is no one telling him?

When Ealdorman Ælfstan's men are tasked with crushing a Viking approach in the east, Icel is keen to be away from Tamworth and his thoughts. Yet a raid leads to disaster, and our young hero must think on his feet. But in its aftermath, Icel makes a discovery that may change everything.

Eagle of Mercia is another exciting adventure featuring young Icel. I always think of him as the anti-hero. He is not a mindless fighting machine, like so many around him. His real strength lies in healing, which he still practices when his co-warriors are injured. He is no longer ridiculed for his skill, but appreciated.

I found the beginning a little too slow as he mulls over Godwulf's words at great length. There are quite a few repetitions of his thoughts, which slow the pace of the early chapters. Some tension still exists, mainly because of Godwulf's stubborn, inexplicable insistence, and you do wonder about the man's real objectives, as does Icel. But our young hero also ponders a lot about the Lady Ælflæd, and there are sadly also quite a few cases of repetitions which the editor should have picked up on. I found myself skipping some paragraphs here and there, to get to the actual action.

In my view, the plot of Eagle of Mercia is more about Icel's continuing internal conflict, at least in the first part of the novel, then turns to the renewed threat from the Vikings. The pace picks up rapidly then, and we are offered brilliant visual scenes of skirmishes, actions, and gripping plots the author so excels in. The research is, as always, impeccable, and throughout, the novel maintains a strong sense of place and time.

Icel is a thoroughly nice guy, keen to avoid conflict at his home and with his friends. He is not an aggressive character, but one who tries to think things through. His strength is saved for fighting when needed, and he is content with that. Part of him still misses being a healer, and we can sense a restlessness in him. But he's happy with his fate – for the moment.

There is a great twist near the end, which promises much intrigue for the next novel in the series. What will Icel do next? Can't wait to see!

Eagle of Mercia continues to reveal more of young Icel's exciting path, peppered with new discoveries, friendships, and losses. Well worth reading!

Note: I was provided with a free ebook copy in exchange for an honest review. All views expressed are my own.

Eagle of Mercia by MJ Porter is the fourth book in the Eagle of Mercia Chronicles. The action and adventure level is high in this part, and the book maintains its pace throughout. The book follows the adventures of Icel, our hero, who is slowly but surely finding his place among his kinfolk.

In this story, Icel and his band of warriors patrol the boundaries of their kingdom to ward off the Vikings. He also has to decide whether to break off from his team and go to save Lady Cynehild's husband, who has been captured by the Vikings and is being held hostage in enemy Wessex territory.

Porter has again ensured an impeccable historical book with just the right mix of fact and fiction to keep us hooked until the very end.

I highly recommend this book to fans of historical fiction and anyone who enjoys a good story. Overall, I thought Eagle of Mercia was an excellent book.

Thank you Netgalley for sharing the book in exchange for my unbiased feedback.

Eagle of Mercia is book 4 in the now well established Eagle of Mercia Chronicles. I feel like it was only yesterday I read the first book but so much has happened since.

Icel is a fully fledged warrior now with his days as a healer gone.. but never forgotten. I really loved how the author give little nods to past events, these are perfect reminders for those familiar with the series but also allow new readers to catch up quickly and to understand motivations.

I really felt the depth of Icel in the instalment, you can see he is starting to grow older and sees the world in a different light.

There’s also a dash of secrecy to the tale. Icel still does not know much about his family but he learns he is linked to an old king in some way.. but Icel doesn’t want power or fame, he really just wants to get on with his life, but will people let him? And what’s the connection.. is there more to it than what he is being told.

If that wasn’t enough stress for Icel he’s also torn romantically, unsure of his feelings toward a lady that can never be his.

As you can see from the blurb there’s more at stake than Icel’s difficulties.. Lord Coenwulf is taken hostage by the Viking’s and a rescue attempt must be mounted. These are savagely strong warriors, how can they possibly get Lord Coenwulf back safely?

Add to that the men of Wessex are marching but why, and who is really behind it all…There’s a lot of political intrigue around certain motivations and Icel’s is sort of caught in the middle at times with no rock to hide behind.

What really works well is the balance between character driven plot and the wider plot, it’s a nice way to break up events for the reader but also helps you feel for the characters, I need the realness, to see Icel’s weaknesses as well as his strengths really made me fall in love with the character and this series.

Eagle of Mercia is packed full of adventure, action, hate, lust, intrigue.. the list goes on but safe to say it ticks all the boxes and more. A resounding 5/5 star success!

The final book of its series, Eagle of Mercia continues the tale of Icel in the warring kingdoms. Can be read as a stand-alone, but is much more fun if you read the whole series.

M J Porter blends action, adventure, intrigue and tension in their latest captivating historical novel, Eagle of Mercia.

Icel’s star continues to ascend. Acknowledged by King Wiglaf and his comrades to keep Mercia safe from the ravages of Wessex, the king-slayer on the East Angles and the Viking raiders, he certainly has got a lot on his plate. With danger looming round every corner, Icel needs to keep his eyes and ears open – especially as the threat of Viking raiders returning come springtime looms large. When Lord Coenwulf of Kingsholm is apprehended by a Viking and held captive, Lady Cynehild implores Icel to rescue her husband.

This mission is going to test Icel like never before. Alongside his fellow warriors, Icel must risk himself twice over for not only must he do battle with the Vikings, but also with Mercia’s ancient enemy, the Kingdom of Wessex. A stranger in unwelcome territory and with threats wherever he turns, will Icel manage to do the impossible and triumph over all the adversity standing in his way? Or will this be a battle he simply cannot win?

A first-rate historical novel, Eagle of Mercia is an adrenaline-fueled, heart-racing and nail-biting page-turner perfect for Bernard Cornwell fans. M J Porter never fails to create vivid, atmospheric, exciting and unpredictable page-turners that sweep readers into another world and Eagle of Mercia is certainly no exception

A superb historical novel that will keep readers gripped from start to finish, Eagle of Mercia is the latest triumph by M J Porter.

If you haven't read The kingdom of Mercia: The Ninth Century series by MJ Porter then firstly you need to. Although you don't need to have read this current series before I would recommend it. Icel is one of my favourite characters in the Ninth Century series and this current series really brings an understanding to his character in later years.

Now, onto The Eagle of Mercia, MJ has done it again! This is another brilliant storyline, blended with battles, humour, history and bravery.

MJ has a talent for setting scenes so you can almost close your eyes and imagine the settlement of Tamworth, the battles and the horror of those battles.

MJ creates characters that develop so well over the series that you can't help but love or loath them and the Eagle of Mercia is no different.

This has made me like Icel even more. He has become the warrior and Lord his uncle knew he could be but doesn't neglect his healing skills.

If you have read my reviews before you'll know I dislike spoilers so all I will say is, if you want battles, blood and gore whilst laughing with a band of warriors then this is for you.

Congratulations MJ on another fantastic instalment.

Wow, what a brilliant book and continuation of the adventures of Icel! After the events in the Kingdom of the East Angles Icel isn’t ready to hear what Godwulf the former Mercian warrior has to say to him about his birthright. After an altercation occurs at his estate of Budworth, Icel returns to Tammworth but not without problems as Godwulf just won’t leave Icel alone and is determined to stir up trouble.

This is the fourth book in the Eagle of Mercia Chronicles and picks up literally after the last book finished with Icel standing at the gravesite of his uncle while the warrior Godwulf tries to get him to accept his birthright. What Godwulf tells Icel isn’t what we expect and is something Icel doesn’t want to hear and he tries to ignore what he’s been told. Returning to Tammworth, Icel and the rest of the town face one of the harshest winters for a long time, made worse by the looming threats of a Viking invasion on Mercian land. I have so far enjoyed every single book in this series and this one is no different with Icel learning more about his uncle and past. The harsh winter affects everyone in Tammworth and this book moves the story along eventually through to the further year of 833, when Vikings are rumoured to be looking to possibly attack Mercian shores.

I like what happens in this story which feels as though it’s almost in two parts, first with the news that Icel hears from Godwulf and the harsh winter affecting him and later what happens when he and the other warriors are stationed to look out for Viking raiders. The story is interesting throughout, as usual and I like the fact there’s the odd moment that made me laugh, especially some of the banter of Icel’s warband or his ignorance to some of the young women at Tammworth. Although a lot happens at Tammworth during the winter and beyond, the story soon moves on as Icel is asked to help rescue Lord Coenwulf who has been captured by the Vikings and taken to the Isle of Sheppy which is in enemy territory. I love how exciting this story became and what happesn to Icel and the others as they find a way of making it into Wessex to try and rescue Coenwulf.

The book has a section explaining the story so far which doesn’t give away too much detail from the past books but enough to help jog the memory for some who can’t remember the story or who haven’t read the series before. There is also more about the Mercian register, a list of characters as well as some author’s notes at the end. My digital arc (advanced reading copy) oddly has no map which was a shame but the finished copy does have a map which I’ve shown in this review which does help you to place in your mind where the action is happening. The book does have a few uses of the s swear words and some milder curses and does have some violence too including some deaths and mentions of injuries, blood and other bodily fluids.

The build up towards the ending is good with more battles in this story than I was expecting. The story is not only interesting but very exciting throughout and I found myself unable to stop reading this book, almost reading the whole book in one day – I was that engrossed! The ending is a good and satisfying one and I like what Icel discovers at the end which now makes me me eager to find out what will happen in the next book which there will be.

I really recommend this book and the whole Eagle of Mercia Chronicles series to anyone who loves a good historical ficiton set in the early medieval period and with a main character who is so interesting and a little different being a healer with a mysterious past. Although this has been listed as a standalone novel, and it can work as that, I would definitely recommend everyone to begin reading from the first book though if you can as some of the revelations about Icel are much more interesting to find out if you read from the start and you learn more about how Icel came to be the way he is. A brilliant fourth book in this series which I thoroughly recommend! 🙂

𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙢𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙄 𝙖𝙢 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙖𝙢, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙮𝙚𝙩, 𝙞𝙣 𝙖𝙡𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝, 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙞𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙨 𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙡.

🦅The book - 4th in the Eagle of Mercia Chronicles - set in the Anglo-Saxon time period of the 9th century, narrates the story of a healer-turns-warrior of Mercia, Icel.
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832 AD. Once again the Viking raiders return to plunder the land of Saxon. As Lord Coenwulf of Kingsholm is taken hostage by them & held captive on the Isle of Sheppey in Wessex held Kent, Lady Cynehild implored Icel to rescue her husband. Thus Icel & his fellow Mercian warriors led a rescue mission inside the heart of the enemy kingdom, where they not only had to overpower the Viking raiders but also avoid being captured by the enemy Wessex soldiers to rescue Lord Coenwulf.

🦅Once again the author had created a convincing story based on the historical background and the way he portrayed this dark age of Saxon Britain shows he has a great grasp of this era. The plot is tightly packed, the spacing never slows down and the battle scenes were topnotch. I also find it interesting how the various medicinal treatments applicable during that era are shown in the book.
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Icel is now a renowned warrior and a minor lord of Mercia, but to rescue Lord Coenwulf he had to use both his battle expertise and his healing skills. The entire story is narrated from his 1st person POV; so it is through his eye that we experienced his torn feeling for Lady Elflaed whom he can never have and his yearning to know his parentage, but ultimately how that knowledge turned his life upside down.
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In the climax, Icel's parentage is finally revealed which I already see coming, but what surprises me is the promise that he had to give for knowing his father’s name. I'm eager to see what will he do with this knowledge and who else is privy to this secret.
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Overall, Eagle of Merica was an enjoyable read. This series just gets better and better with each book and I cannot wait for the next one. If you're into historical fiction and Anglo-Saxon history, then this one is for you. Highly recommend.
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𝙈𝙮 𝙍𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜: ⭐⭐⭐⭐(4/5)

I say this with each book I have reviewed in the series so far, but my favourite thing about this series is the protagonist Icel. Way back in book one, Icel was a young boy who had been raised in a small village, assisting the local healer. He quailed at the thought of having to raise a weapon… even in his own defence. Throughout the series, he has matured and developed into the warrior of renown he is in Eagle of Mercia. Through the development that has already occurred, we see a very different young man. His fundamental values and beliefs are still there. He doesn’t necessarily enjoy being a warrior, but he is more than capable and steps up to his duty to protect others. 
Eagle of Mercia is an action-packed addition to the series. In this book, we are taken off Mercian soil as a group of Wessex warriors attempt to rescue own of their own, Lord Coenwulf. The rescue attempt is already fraught with danger, as the promise of battle with Danish Vikings looms heavy. However, the band also risk discovery and a further fight from Wessex men. As a result, the urgency of the mission and danger element make for a fast-paced narrative, which I liked. 
Eagle of Mercia is a perfect size to book for anyone to read. Each book in the series has been approachable so far, and this one is the same. At 320 pages, there is plenty of capacity for all the political intrigue, action and character development to unfold in the narrative. At the same time, it isn’t so chunky that the narrative becomes dense or unapproachable. So much so, I read Eagle of Mercia in just a few days. All in all, the pace of the book and the natural flow of the writing style make this very easy to pick up and devour! 
If you enjoy historical fiction set on English soil, or are set around the time Vikings came to Britain, then this book/series won’t disappoint! An example of popular books with a similar setting is Bernard Cornwell’s The Last Kingdom series. Without a doubt, I strongly recommend this series to fans of Bernard Cornwell’s series.

My thanks to the Author publisher's and NetGalley for providing me with a Kindle version of this book to read and honestly review.
This is the fourth book in this excellent series, I have read books one and two, three is in my ever increasing to be read pile, but while there are references to the previous books this could be read as a standalone story, though my advice read all of them. Well written and researched the continuing coming of age saga of Icel trainee healer, now minor Lord and trainee warrior is totally gripping. Atmospheric descriptive so much so you almost feel a part of the story and witness to the sights smells of these times. Our hero being a healer leads to some graphic details of treating wounds. Immersive riveting totally engaging a real page turner, and completely and utterly recommended.

When a messenger comes to Mercia to tell the king Vikings have been spotted sailing Close to his kingdom he sends Icel and the rest of his Warriors to defend the land after a brutal battle with a group of Vikings Icelgets word from ladies centile that her husband has been taken but the Warriors don’t know if he was taken by the other king or the Vikings. They will pretend to be fisherman move under the cover of darkness all to find SinHiles husband after all she is heavy with baby. If Icel thanks the journey to find his Lord is a hellish one he has seen nothing yet they will lose some good man and he will be called on to use all the healing knowledge he has it seems this series just gets better and better I love how each book focuses on a new warrior and although this is the second one that focuses on Icel I don’t mind at all as he is one of my favorite characters in the book and OMG if this didn’t end on a wild moment. MJ Porter really has a great grasp of this era and I cannot wait for the next book I look so forward to reading her books and could read them all day and be fine with that. If you like historical fiction with great fight scenes an even better dialogue then you love eagle of Mercia by M.J Porter I definitely do. I received this book from NetGalley and Boldwood books but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

I love all of MJ Porter's books and this one doesn't disappoint. I love the way the reader is transported to a credible world, always in safe hands. There's never a dull moment.

Eagle of Mercia follows a mercy mission in the heart of Wessex that is beset with deadly dangers. Lord Coenwulf of Kingsholm is held captive on the Isle of Sheppey, in Wessex held Kent, and Lady Cynehild implores Icel to save her husband. A double risk must be taken by Icel and his fellow warriors to rescue Lord Coenwulf; they must defeat Viking raiders and counter the threat of Wessex, Mercia's enemy. Far from home and threatened on all sides, Icel and his fellow warriors must survive their perilous journey and rescue Lord Coenwulf.

When jumping in mid-series, there are often many characters (and their backstories) to learn about, and Eagle of Mercia was no exception. As an unfamiliar reader to the series, it took some time to learn who was who, especially with the archaic names. The protagonist is Icel, a young Mercian, who is caring and loyal, and a brave fighter. The author portrays well the human side of the warriors. They have a strong bond with one another, and the group's camaraderie is clear throughout. The descriptions and dialogue between the characters allow the reader to form an affinity with them.

The Mercians led a harsh life filled with violence and strife. Through its pages, Eagle of Mercia paints a realistic picture of life in the 9th century. This includes the cruelty of war, the fear and bravery of the people, and the strong bonds they forged together.

I found the plot a little slow to start, but it soon picked up the pace. Halfway through the book, I was gripped and couldn't put it down.

I actually enjoyed this book so much that I will go back and read the first three books in the series, as well as the next when it is published!