Tag Archives: Athelstan

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The Last Kingdom 5.10: Destiny is All

The final episode of this season takes place at Bebbanburg, where the show and the novels have been leading from the beginning. How that return to Bebbanburg plays out in this series bears little resemblance to what happens in the … Read More

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The Last Kingdom 5.4: Fade to Black

Anyone who has read Bernard Cornwell’s novels Warriors of the Storm and The Flame Bearer must know by now that the series is straying significantly from the story lines of the books. Nevertheless, the series has embraced Cornwell’s characters, his … Read More

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On the Life & Early Death of the Ætheling Athelstan

Athelstan was the eldest son of King Æthelred II of England. One of at least 9 brothers and sisters, Athelstan was born sometime in the mid-to-late 980s—we don’t know the exact year—and he died on 25 June 1014 at about … Read More

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Sneak Peek: The Steel Beneath the Silk

Release Date: 2 March 2021 Paperback, E-book, Audiobook A dramatic tale of a queen who lived a thousand years ago, beautifully fictionalised and brilliantly researched, brings Emma’s incredible story out from History’s shadows into the light. –Carol McGrath, author of The … Read More

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The Last Kingdom 4, Episode 10

The final episode of this season’s The Last Kingdom is set in Winchester where events cascade breathlessly one after another. Winchester has been under siege for 30 days, and the no man’s land between the Saxon camp and the city … Read More

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THE LAST KINGDOM 3, Episode 10

Woe to thee, O land, when they king is a youth…Ecclesiastes 10:16 In Episode 10 of THE LAST KINGDOM Æthelwold’s argument against the naming of the ætheling Edward as the successor to King Alfred is that Edward is too young … Read More

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THE LAST KINGDOM 3, Episode 3

Episode 3 begins at Dunholm, where Uhtred has been reunited with Ragnar and Brida. Along with Uhtred’s companions is an old friend from Season 1, who is a wonderful stand-in for Uhtred’s conscience, pricking him about who he is and … Read More

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The Riddle of the Stones

They had arrived at last at a long, low ridge where the standing stone, its edges scored in primitive runes, pointed skyward. Athelstan checked his horse beside the ancient, lichen-covered stone. Gazing into the shallow vale beyond, he caught his … Read More

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VIKINGS!

I wasn’t quite sure at first what to make of the History Channel’s popular new series, VIKINGS. After all, in my novel all the guys with names like Swein, Cnut and Halfdan are enemies. Who was I going to empathize … Read More

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