The story of the Ealdorman of the Hwicce, Leofwine, continues in book 5 of the epic Earls of Mercia series.

Ealdorman Leofwine, bereaved and betrayed by the new Danish King of England, hides away from the politics of the Witan, desperate to forget his past links with Cnut and his father, Swein, only Cnut won’t let his most trusted ealdorman go quite so easily. He knows that for his fledgeling kingship to survive, he needs the old guard from the previous king’s reign to add legitimacy to his own. His new men, the men who’ve followed him from Denmark, know how to rule, but not how to rule the English. And Cnut has his eye on an even bigger prize than England alone.

Leofric, left reeling by the murder of his older brother and with an ageing father, and dying mother, tries to hold onto his family’s position against the sudden and magnificent rise of Earl Godwine, the newly promoted Earl of Wessex. As much as he despises the new hing, he knows his family’s position needs to be upheld. His father has sacrificed too much to allow a usurper to claim the position that is rightfully his.

With Cnut’s view increasingly focused on conquering and ruling the Scandinavian lands, with bloody arguments between the Scandinavian men threatening the stability of the Crown, can the House of Leofwine survive the kingship of the new Danish king and keep their place at the heart of early eleventh-century politics whether they want it or not?

Covering the years from 1017-1025, The King's Earl is the fifth novel in the Earls of Mercia series.

The Earls of Mercia Series
The Earl of Mercia's Father
The Danish King's Enemy
Northman Part 1
Northman Part 2
The King's Earl
The Earl of Mercia
The English Earl
The Earl's King
Viking King
The English King
The King's Brother

PRAISE FOR THE EARLS OF MERCIA SERIES

"This is a fantastic series of books, by an author who certainly knows his subject. I was into the Roman invasions but am rapidly converting to the Britons!" Amazon Reviewer

"A must-read for fans of Viking age England. This promises to be a very good series of which I can't wait for the next instalment." Amazon Reviewer

"Intriguing, well-written stories about the early days of Great Britain between Alfred the Great and William the Conqueror... at the time Athelred was King... the story is written from the perspective of one the emerging Earl's who sits on the Witan (counsel). The time period show the interplay between Great Britain and the Scandinavian countries (Viking raiders) as well." Amazon.com Reviewer

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I'm an author of historical fiction (Early English, Vikings and the British Isles as a whole before the Norman Conquest) and fantasy (Viking age/dragon-themed) as well as three twentieth-century historical mysteries, born in the old Mercian kingdom at some point since 1066. Raised in the shadow of a strange little building and told from a very young age that it housed the bones of the long-dead kings of Mercia, it's little wonder that my curiosity in the Early English ran riot. I can only blame my parents! I write A LOT. You've been warned!

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