Book Review: I Am the Chosen King by Helen Hollick

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About the Book:

England, 1044. Harold Godwineson, a young, respected Earl, falls in love with an ordinary but beautiful woman. He marries Edyth despite her lack of pedigree, pitting him against his turbulent family and his selfish King, Edward. In France, William, the bastard son of a duke, falls in love with power. Brutal and dangerously smart, William sets his sights on England, finding ambition a difficult lust to conquer.

In 1066, with the old King Edward dying, England falls vulnerable to the winds of fate—and the stubborn will of these two powerful men. In this beautifully crafted tale, Helen Hollick sets aside the propaganda of the Norman Conquest and brings to life the English version of the story of the last Saxon King, revealing his tender love, determination, and proud loyalty, all shattered by the unforgiving needs of a Kingdom. Forced to give up his wife and risk his life for England, the chosen King led his army into the great Battle of Hastings in October 1066 with all the honor and dignity that history remembers of its fallen heroes.

About the Author:

Helen Hollick lives in northeast London with her husband, daughter and a variety of pets, which include several horses, cats, and two dogs. She has two major interests: Roman/Saxon Britain and the Golden Age of Piracy—the early eighteenth century.

My Opinion:

*sigh*

I knew how this book was going to end. Even still, even knowing, I found myself turning the pages as it reached the conclusion hoping for a different result. Ms. Hollick writes a tale of Harold that had me rooting for him and wanting him to live. But alas, all students of history know that England lost its King that day and the memory of the date of the Battle of Hastings in 1066 remains.

This is the second book by Ms. Hollick I have had the good fortune to read; my first was The Forever Queen (my review is HERE) which tells the history preceding this book. You don't need to read the first to enjoy the second. But you will be missing an excellent book...

I Am the Chosen King starts with Edward known to history as "the Confessor" on the thrown. He is, to put it mildly, not the strongest or most competent of kings. He inherited much from his father, Ethelred the Unready. Yet he does have a bit more kindness in his heart than his father.  He bumbles through his reign not realizing the results of his promises until it is too late. He makes unwise friendships and alliances caring more for himself than for England.

Harold Godwineson ends up Earl of Wessex after the death of his father. He is wise, thoughtful and an excellent leader of men. Despite his good qualities Edward prefers Harold's brother Tostig because Tostig is basically a "yes" man. When Tostig's management of his earldom causes a near civil war Edward finally realizes the error of his ways.

I've laid out a VERY simplistic bit of what is a complex, detailed and well researched tale about strong personalities and two men who would be King after Edward.  William of Normandy invaded England and took the crown whether it was his to have or not. He didn't care. He wanted it so he took it.  There is not much left of the historical record and that which is left was written by the victors so you know how they have spun it!

This was a book that was very hard for me to put down. I found myself immersed in time and place and just about felt like I was THERE. Ms. Hollick is a master at delivering a tale that you don't want to end. Even when you know the outcome you don't want to depart from the characters.  I spent this morning googling the players in the book to see what more I could learn. What does that tell you about her storytelling? Or this - at times I wanted to jump into the pages and just strangle some people! The writing is that powerful.  I loved this book and hope there are more.  As much as I hated William I would love to see how Ms. Hollick writes his story.

I Am the Chosen King is available at Sourcebooks

I Am the Chosen King is available at Amazon.com

Disclosure:  I received a gratis copy of I Am the Chosen King. Any opinions expressed are my honest opinions and were not impacted by my receipt of the free book. I received no monetary compensation for this post.