The Last King

I really loved this book, great strong central characters that grow on you. Fantastic read, the book had me gripped. Excellent story line , fast paced, full of action, bloody action and violence you feel like your stood in the shield walk or charging on a horse with the blood & sweat of man & beast around you as you help battle the impossible odds. The stories main character ceolwulf is a true warrior of royal blood & the only man with the skills & presence to pull the lords of Mercia toghether.. He stands tall with his band of warriors & draws men to him to do battle. A true hero of old.

Well written but definitely more of a male read. I love Bernard Cornwell novels but this was a gritty no holds barred version with strong language and gruesome details of battles. An entertaining read but not sure I would look for anything from this author again.

I am a big fan of M. J. Porter, especially the Lady Elfrida books and the Tenth Century series. So I was very pleased when Netgalley and the publisher allowed me to read and review this new book The Last King. This book takes place in ninth century Britain in the kingdom of Mercia and is about King Coelwulf II. The Danes have given King Burgured and his Queen the offer of their lives in exchange for their kingdom, an offer they hastily accepted. They have since fled to Rome. The Danish leaders have now sent their 300 best men looking for Coelwulf, the last living member of the previous Royal family, to get him to join them or to kill him as he is the only one left in Mercia who could stop the Danes take over. So begins a tale that moves fairly swiftly, breathless at times, with great battle scenes and just the right amount of humor. I gave it 4 stars because of some of the language though I realize fighting men curse it was a lot. I will be glad when book 2 comes out.

The Last King, is a riveting, berserker of a read, M J Porter is a new author for me and it usually takes me a while to settle in to a new authors writing style, this however was an instant page turner and I found that when not reading it, I was wondering what would be happening next to Lord Coelwolf and his band of loyal warriors in the quest to rid their lands of the invaders.

I really enjoyed this book! The battle scenes where really well written. The only thing that bugged me is the author calling the horses bridle a harness. Lol. A harness is what a horse wears when it's out on a cart. (Sorry equestrian girl problems.)
This is my first read by this author and I will definitely be looking for more!

Do you ever feel like you need a change of genre when reading? I often do, something to clean the pallet and reboot, especially during these strange times. Being confined to our homes and not being able to get outside stimulation, conversation or excitement, I decided it was time for something different from my usually read. I do not have a specific genre of book I like, mainy, I tend to stick to the general genre of ‘feel good’ books.
It has been a while since I’ve read a historic fiction and I’m so glad The last King was my first book back into this genre. Set in middle England, Coelwulf and a handful of faithful men are tasked with defending Mericia from the Vikings. Coelwulf is a fierce warrior with an honourable battlefield moral code. Coelwulf’s character is one that you soon learn to respect and admire, along with his men. With plenty of gory battle scene MJ Porter’s descriptive writing really brings Coelwulf’s battles to life. I often find battle scene confusing with too much going on, but this is not the case with The last King which is clear and well written.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I've never been a fan of first person per se. However, I make an exception with this action packed historical If you are offended by blood, gore and curse words this is not for you. But it is one page-turner of a read.

The Last King immediately grabbed my attention: historical setting, overwhelming odds and one man standing against the hordes to protect his homeland. It was also a quick read; the perfect length given the heavy nature of the content.

The Last King is the type of novel made by its characters. Coelwulf is an undefeated warrior, his skill surpassing any opponent to come against him, regardless of the odds. He has no problems killing and is unstoppable once the song of battle enters his blood.

But – more importantly – he’s a complete softie hidden by a tough exterior. He cares for his men. He’ll never leave a man behind and won’t give up on a comrade, no matter how bad their injuries. He will fight for his homeland, accepting what others press on him, not because of the power it gives him but because it’s the only way.

Coelwulf is a satisfying hero to root for: you see both sides of him and watch him balance the two to save the kingdom. I found, however, that Coelwulf is the only one you get to know. By the end, you’re warming to the others and figuring out who is who through what they mean to Coelwulf, but most of the time, you’re trying to figure out if that’s the man he sent left or right.

Part of this lack of connection comes from the narrative itself. This is a heavy book: the entire plot is moving from battle to skirmish and back again. Every chapter contains at least one confrontation with the enemy and little else. Due to the length, Porter gets away with it: Coewulf and his gang move from A to B, fighting along the way with the occasional plot point thrown in. If any longer, it’d be tedious, but it works here. The battles are always clear and there is no unnecessary violence despite the dark nature of the book.

The opening prologue is a scene from the end, with Coewulf in a dire situation. With all the fights happening and the lack of connection to the characters, coupled with believing you know the ending, made it hard for me to fully immerse myself.

I was wrong. Not all is as it seems and when the true plot is revealed, I gasped out loud. It changed the ending for me, helping me invest in the characters and the story and sweeping me up in the excitement of the final battle. My opinion of the entire book shifted and I’m now excited for the second, knowing the power of the writing.

The Last King is the type I enjoyed while reading, then realised just how much I liked it when reflecting on it.

This hasn’t been an easy review to write due to keeping it spoiler free but if you like historical fiction, this is a definite recommendation. Clear battles, likeable characters (those you know) and strong writing has left me looking forward to the second book and Coewulf’s continuing adventures.

this was a great historical read, I liked the use of England and Vikings. The characters were great and I enjoyed getting to know them.