This is a great start to a new series by the brilliant Steven A. McKay.

I thought it would be tough going to read a series on Alfred the Great after Bernard Cornwell's perfect Uhtred series, but McKay proves himself a phenomenal historical fiction author with a compelling and believable take on Alfred.

I cant wait for book 2.

‘𝙄 𝙙𝙤 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙠𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪. 𝘼𝙨 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙖𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝘾𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙪𝙨 𝘿𝙖𝙣𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙫𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙨. 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙮 𝙢𝙪𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙮 𝙛𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧, 𝙍𝙖𝙜𝙣𝙖𝙧, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙥𝙖𝙮.’

⛵The Heathen Horde by Steven A. Mckay - 1st in the Alfred the Great trilogy - is a historical fiction that explores the life of one of Britain’s most ever important kings, Alfred the Great.

Britain. 868 AD. The brutal killing of Viking warlord Ragnar Lothbrok in the past brought the wrath of his sons - Halfdan, Ubba, and Ivar who brought their great heathen army to the shores of Britain and overwhelmed its kingdom one after another. Wessex is next on their list, whose young atheling will not easily accept defeat and strike back with the same savagery to save his kingdom. His name is Alfred; he will one day rise to become a great king in the history of Britain.

‘𝙒𝙚’𝙡𝙡 𝙝𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝘼𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙣𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙡 𝙬𝙚’𝙧𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙖𝙩 𝙂𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙪𝙢 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙤’𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙮𝙚𝙙 𝙪𝙨. 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙪𝙨, 𝙤𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙒𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙭, 𝙢𝙮 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨, 𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜. 𝘽𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙙𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝘾𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙬𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙨𝙤𝙤𝙣, 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧, 𝙄 𝙨𝙬𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙞𝙩!’

⛵I have read Steven's novels before but this is the 1st time he is writing something from the POV of an actual historical character, so my excitement level was high. I was hooked reading the first page of the prologue. The story is a riveting tale of bravery against a seemingly endless number of foes, deceit and betrayal, internal conflict, and the God-given belief in their cause.

⛵As the story unfolded from the multiple POVs I got completely immersed in it. Being a historical nerd I love historical detailings which were done perfectly without bogging down the pacing and making you feel like you're reading a textbook. His vivid description of the era gives you a vibe like you’re witnessing Alfred fighting the Vikings in the shield wall in Medieval Britain.

⛵The characterization of Alfred was flawless. His evolution from being a drunkard and womanizer to a loving husband and a responsible ruler was brilliant. The portrayal of other characters - Aethelred, Ealhswith, Wulfric, and Oswald and their relationship with him is perfectly explored. However, I feel the connection between him and Ealhswith is a bit rushed.

⛵The book ends with the fall of the Chippenham incident on Christmas. To know what it was you’ve to read the book. Without giving any spoilers I would like to say there is a great betrayal in the end that will set the stage for the next chapter of Alfred's life.

Overall the Heathen Horde was a masterpiece and I'm completely enticed for the next book. Highly Recommended for the fans of Bernard Cornwell, Simon Scarrow, and Angus Donald.

𝙈𝙮 𝙍𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(5/5)

Yaayss:

I. Alfred's evolution from a spare who primarily cares about drinking and women, to his evolution as the king with all his pressing responsibilities

2. The battle scenes - for all their gore and comedy and unexpected turns - were a pleasant surprise.

3. Alfred's use of religion (and expensive churches and relics) as a uniting point for splintered loyalties of the thanes, especially against the Danes and their evocation of their gods and legends.

4. The unexpected bloodthirstyness of the men of the cloth. I was gawking at them cheering on some of the going ons.

Mehs :

1. Time and time again, Alfred is caught asleep at the wheel when the Danes come raiding almost to his front door. I really wanted to see a strategic side to his kingship.


My thanks to Netgalley and the author for the eARC. All opinions my own!

A very bloody read. If you like Vikings and want a graphic read than this is an excellent selection for you.

The story of an English king, Alfred the Great, whom most of us have heard of but know very little about. He lived at a time of great violence with the constant threat of invasion from the marauding Vikings.
The author has clearly undertaken a great deal of research into Alfred and has used his vivid imagination to fill in the unknown gaps in the King's life. Alfred was a sickly man, who had to hide his medical condition, possibly Crohn's disease, from his warrior lords.
He was a great tactician & warrior who knew instinctively when to retreat to save his men, to enable the ragtag army to fight another day.
I found it fun trying to translate the ancient names of towns into their current names eg Exanceaster (Exeter).
The battle scenes against the Danes are particularly gory and are very true to the type of tactics used by both sides.
In summary, a well-written book, and I am really looking forward to the sequel to better understand Alfred's impact on the foundations of England.

Pretty quick read. This is Alfred the Great's story from Alfred's viewpoint. He is shown as a warrior, brother, husband, father, and king, and an emotional character. Then end leaves us concerned for Alfred and ready for more.

The Heathen Horde by Steven A. McKay takes readers on a gripping historical adventure set in the tumultuous times of Viking invasions and the rise of Alfred the Great. While this period of historical fiction isn't my usual genre of choice, this book provided a welcome departure from my typical reading fare. McKay's meticulous attention to historical detail is evident throughout the narrative, immersing readers in the brutal and unforgiving world of 9th-century Britain.

The story revolves around the rise of Alfred, a young warrior destined to become a pivotal figure in British history. The relentless onslaught of the Great Heathen Army, with their feared longships, is depicted with a savage intensity that keeps you on the edge of your seat. McKay paints a vivid picture of the brutality of the time, and while the level of detail can be overwhelming at moments, it undeniably adds depth to the narrative.

However, I found myself struggling to fully connect with the story due to the writing style. While the historical accuracy is commendable, I felt a slight detachment from the characters and their experiences. Nonetheless, for enthusiasts of Viking fiction and historical dramas, this book offers a thrilling ride through a crucial period in British history.