Tag: Bernard Cornwell

Monthly Wrap-Up – September 2025

I’ve had a really productive reading month. In a first for this year certainly, I have no less than ten books to discuss in today’s monthly wrap-up!

I suggest making yourself comfortable with a beverage of choice. When you’re ready, let’s take a look at the wide variant of books and genres I read in September.

 

Books Read 

The Atlantis Covenant

I left off from my last monthly wrap-up having read 60% of The Atlantis Covenant. With an imminent blog tour at the beginning of this month, I needed to get my skates on! 

I finished this book the day before my post went live. It meant drafting my review in a hotel whilst on my way abroad (which was far from ideal as it kept dropping out!), but I got there in the end. Since I went to the effort of writing that review, I’ll point you there instead of talking about the book here. What I will summarise though, is that it was a fun, action-packed read! 

 

Sensitive

Also carried over from my August monthly wrap-up was Sensitive. With just three hours left of the audiobook, I figured I’d finish this quickly. 

Admittedly, I didn’t pick this up whilst I was on holiday but when I returned. I’m in the habit of listening to audiobooks as I commute and that’s what I did. 

This book is a great listen, whether you know, suspect, or wonder if you or those around you are sensitive. To clarify, this book is about advocating the benefits of sensitivity and the ways people can benefit from these traits. Granted, there are drawbacks too, as with anything. For that, Jenn and Andre offer practical advice for how to work with your sensitivity superpowers rather than considering them weaknesses. 

 

A Witch’s Guide to Love and Poison 

Our Cottagecore Fantasy Book Club read this month was A Witch’s Guide to Love and Poison. 

For a change, I finished this book uncharacteristically early. In the last few months, I’ve lagged behind and been scraping finishes around the end of the month. Not very helpful when you’re supposed to be prompting and facilitating conversation, right? 

However, this month I turned over a new leaf, and reading this book in advance paid dividends. It’s set a precedent I’ll be continuing now, and I’ll be starting our upcoming read very soon! 

 

Gran Familia

In a total change of pace, I picked up Gran Familia in order to review the manga to coincide with publication with Titan Comics.   I published that yesterday, which you can find here. 

I read this book within 24 hours. It’s only a couple of hundred pages and mostly images, so very quick and easy to read. Gran Familia was a nice change of format, but also a quick win that helped spur on reading progress this month. Overall, I did very well for reading progress. Having these shorter reads and multiple wins definitely helped on the motivation front… 

 

Betrayal of Mercia 

Switching back to audio, I listened to Betrayal of Mercia before starting my current read of the latest book in the series. 

Having read the remainder of the books in e-book format, it was nice to try this in audiobook. It was also convenient for me because I’d finish it whilst reading other physical books on my TBR. Obviously, I couldn’t start the latest book until I finished this! 

Whilst I have a personal preference for reading the books, the audiobook was very good. I’m just used to reading the place names, and the old names are more recognisable to me visually. That’s entirely personal preference. 

This book surprised me in that there was less travel than in previous instalments. However, this book was quite political, and the power plays between characters keep up the action and tension. 

 

The Pagan Lord

Another historical fiction I feature in today’s monthly wrap-up is the better-known The Pagan Lord by Bernard Cornwell. If you are fans of this book, or the Saxon Stories more widely, please also check out the Eagle of Mercia Chronicles by M. J. Porter. 

I was looking forward to getting back into the series as it’s been a while. Although the book was decent, I didn’t love it as much as previous books in the series. 

Part of the reason I dragged my feet with it was the way I had to borrow it from my library. I’m not a fan of reading on my phone… 

 

Algospeak 

Audiobook progress continued with Algospeak by Adam Aleksic. At just under six hours at normal speed, it wasn’t going to last long. 

I enjoyed the book and its content, but the narrative voice of the author didn’t really come across as relatable. Although he acknowledges it later in the book, his use of generational language and emphasising his ‘tribe’ so to speak, he is quite condescending about earlier generations and their social media use. I’m not that old, but was kind of made to feel that way. 

It was an interesting read, but I probably won’t pick up anything else by this author if he publishes again. 

 

Among the Burning Flowers

A recent release sprung to the top of my TBR after finishing all my planned audiobooks for the month. Among the Burning Flowers came out earlier in September. Having read and enjoyed The Priory of the Orange Tree and A Day of Fallen Night this year, I figured it was worth keeping up with the story. 

As of this monthly wrap-up, I’ve listened to around 40% of the audiobook. Again, it’s not a long one, and certainly nowhere near the length of the earlier books. I’ve enjoyed listening to this latest instalment so far. My initial concern is that the book would follow the format of the others pretty closely and feel ‘samey’. However, I don’t find that to be true at all. I’ve been pleasantly surprised and I want to wait to read on! 

 

HR Disrupted 

It’s barely worth a mention, but I have just started HR Disrupted by Lucy Adam’s before the end of the month. This book is a loan after a conversation at work with our HR lady, who calls herself an HR Disruptor. 

A part of me hopes this book challenges a lot of conventional HR practices and argues what we could do better. I think it’ll be an interesting read anyway, and I’ll update you more next month. 

 

Shield of Mercia

Another late start is my current book, Shield of Mercia. I’m publishing a blog tour post later this week, so I need to get a move on with my read of this.

As of this monthly wrap-up, I’m partway through chapter 4, at 13% (unlucky for some…?). I’m looking forward to reading on, and it’s a good job! I’ve only got a few days left before I’m reviewing this read. That’ll be available to all Patreon readers on Saturday – I hope you can join me. 

 

Summary 

I’m not entirely sure how I managed to progress ten titles this month. Yes, there were some shorter books in this monthly TBR. That definitely contributed, but also my reading motivation has been pretty high! 

Have you read any of the books I feature in this monthly wrap-up? Are they on your list to read?

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Sunday Summary – 28th September 2025

Welcome to today’s Sunday Summary! We’re at the end of another week already. Honestly, where are they going? It feels like a blink and we’re at the end of another week and near the end of September. Scary!

As always, in today’s Sunday Summary post, I’ll take you through my content updates, as well as the books I’ve been reading and what to expect coming up soon.

 

Blog

First on the list for my blog this week was a spooky book recommendation post for you and your book club. I was recently looking for some inspiration on what book to read for our next book club read. It inspired me to write a similar post based on the books I’ve read and recommend. I’m hopeful one of the recommendations I gave in my post is a book you haven’t read. Have you?

Next on the list, I featured a First Lines Friday post. As it happens, I actually featured our book club read in that post. It’s been a typical week of spooky book recs 👻

 

Patreon

Over on Patreon, I shared my review of The Measure by Nikki Erlick. You may recall I picked up this book as an earlier book club read earlier this year. I’m featuring much more recent book reviews on Patreon. If you want to catch up on my thoughts on books as and when I’m reading them, that’s the place to go and find them. Otherwise, backlist reviews will feature on my blog. These will ultimately make their way around to my blog as well. However, if the blacklist is anything to go by, it will take about two years for that to happen.

Also on Patreon, I shared a Shelf Control post on Friday. This post will be going live on the blog next Friday, so if you haven’t seen it already, you haven’t got quite as long to wait as for a review. I have changed my content structure so even non-book review posts will be going on Patreon first before making it to my blog.


Books Read


The Pagan Lord

Progress with The Pagan Lord wasn’t quite as quick as I’d have hoped this week. I’m not a fan of reading books on my phone, and that’s the easiest way I can borrow digitally from my library. However, I did work out that I can access these books via my laptop this week. That worked out to be preferable and so a good chunk of my progress was made by reading the book through the Libby web app.

I did finish The Pagan Lord, although I ended up binge-reading it last night because my loan was due back today.

Still, I enjoyed the book and it was great to get back into this series. I wouldn’t say I loved it as much as other books in the series. However, it was fast-paced and great to get back to well-known and loved characters!


Algospeak

As of last week’s Sunday Summary update, I had just 2 1/2 hours left of Algospeak by Adam Aleksic. One of my comments in last week’s Sunday Summary was that the tone of the book made me feel like a bit of a dinosaur. Unfortunately, that didn’t really change. Although the author acknowledges his use of generational language throughout the book and an intention not to cause friction by marking out generational differences and language, that didn’t really come across in practice.

Algospeak was an interesting listen, even if the author’s tone and engagement were a little lacking. Still, I’m glad I listened to this book and it gave me some interesting thoughts on linguistics and etymology changes around social media and technology.


Among the Burning Flowers

My latest audiobook listen, as of today’s Sunday Summary, is Among the Burning Flowers by Samantha Shannon. This prequel was just released earlier this month. Having enjoyed The Priory of the Orange Tree and A Day of Fallen Night earlier this year, I wanted to keep on top of the series.

That’s made easier by the fact that this book is considerably shorter than its predecessors. At under 300 pages (or eight hours for listeners), it’s far more approachable and would probably be a good place to start. This book opens with the fact that the series can be started here as the books are interlinked, but not interdependent.

I listen a little bit faster than Audible standard speed. Even still, I have four hours and 20 minutes left of this book. In terms of progress, that puts me about 33% in. I’m enjoying what I’ve listened to so far and can’t wait to tell you more next week!


HR Disrupted

A while ago, a conversation with our HR representative at work ended with me taking away a book recommendation for HR Disrupted. She was telling me that if given the choice, there are standard practices of HR she would like to change. There is a community within HR called Disrupters. As far as I know, this book is about what these kinds of changes and people advocate for. It’s an interesting idea and I’m looking forward to reading this book. She’s loaned me her copy, so naturally I want to make sure I return it to her in good time!

So far, I’ve only made an initial start but I’m looking forward to getting stuck in over the coming days.


Books Discovered

Three weeks in a row, I have no new bookish additions to share with you. I’m fairly sure this isn’t quite a record, but it is certainly out of the norm!

I’m not complaining though! It might be I can get my TBR under 200 books again for the first time in a little while…


Coming Up…


Blog

With the end of September fast approaching, I’ve got a review for the manga graphic novel I read earlier this month, Gran Familia. That book is about to release with Titan Comics, so I’m looking forward to featuring it as part of their launch.

The Shelf Control post that went live on Patreon this Friday will make it to the blog next week. I always look forward to looking at upcoming reads on my TBR and sharing with you why? I can’t wait to read them!

A little out of character, I’m posting on Saturday with my review of Shield of Mercia by M.J. Porter. You may recall I listened to Betrayal of Mercia, so I am up-to-date with the series and ready to share my thoughts on this latest book. Naturally, I’ll be prioritising reading this in the coming days, so my official review can come to you on Saturday.

Finally, I’m back next week with another Sunday Summary and, hopefully, news that I finished my September TBR!


Patreon

On Patreon, I’m also sharing my review of Gran Familia. As a launch publicity post, that will be available to everybody.

Likewise, my review of Shield of Mercia will also be going on Patreon and made available to everybody to read. It’s a great way to get an idea of the content I share there and, for anyone who has yet to discover my content, will give them a feel for my types of reviews.

The more exclusive content I’m sharing on Patreon next week includes my monthly wrap-up post for reading progress in September, as well as a recap of my week on Sunday much like I do here.

It’s going to be a busy one, and I hope you can join me ☺️

That’s all from me in today’s Sunday summary update! What book have you read and enjoyed this September?

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Sunday Summary – 21st September 2025

For the second week in a row, my recent break has paid its dividends! In today’s Sunday Summary, you’ll see I have a number of updates and books to catch you up with progress on! 

Before I get into the books I’ve read over the course of this week, let’s catch up on the blog posts I’ve shared over the internet.

My first post was a book review for Wolf of Wessex by Matthew Harffy. If you enjoy historical fiction, you’re having a field day with content right now. Not only am I talking about historical fiction in terms of these backlist reviews, but I’ve also been reading a lot of historical fiction this week. More on that in a bit! 

On Friday, I returned to more modern fiction and featured a legal thriller by a big-name author I am yet to try. This author has three books currently on my TBR and I’ve still not read a single one of them yet. A few of these are featured in my Shelf Control posts now, so I imagine it won’t be long before one of them finally comes around. If you’re intrigued to know who that is, take a look at my latest post.

 

Books Read

 

Betrayal of Mercia 

I finished my audiobook listen of Betrayal of Mercia earlier today! 

As I mentioned in my last Sunday Summary, it’s the first time I’ve picked up a book in this series as an audiobook. It was really interesting to experience this book in this new format. Historically, I’ve kept up with the series by reading the advanced review copies before the books come out. It gives me a unique opportunity to provide a review of the books in this format. 

I really enjoyed Betrayal of Mercia. The book takes on a slightly different form in that there is significantly less travel in the book than I remember from earlier instalments. However, that makes sense in the widest storyline and it was interesting to delve deeper into the allegiances of powerful characters and how that impacts other people’s actions. 

I’m also glad I finished it because it means I can start reading Shield of Mercia as soon as I finish my current read. That’s also another historical fiction book, this time by the well-known Bernard Cornwell. By the time I finish all these books, I’ll definitely have read my share of historical fiction for a little while… 

 

The Pagan Lord 

I’ve enjoyed going back to Bernard Cornwell’s Saxon stories series in picking up The Pagan Lord this week. Admittedly, I didn’t read this book for the first few days of this week. The vast majority of my progress has come later in the week. However, when it started, it happened quickly! 

As books go, The Pagan Lord isn’t actually that long. I read decent-sized chunks of the book per sitting as opposed to chipping away at it. The only reason I would say progress is a little slower than usual is that I borrowed this book via Libby from my library. That means I’m reading the book on my phone, which is probably my least favourite way to do so. However, my eagerness to return to the series and getting into the book has enabled me to get past that.

 

Algospeak

After finishing Betrayal of Mercia earlier today, I started listening to the British short Algospeak by Adam Aleksic. 

I downloaded an Audible copy of this book a few months ago now as I was interested in the subject. I had a place to study linguistics at university but ultimately made the decision not to go. That said, I still have an interest in the subject and particularly how social media has had its influence on language in more recent years.

My only gripe with this book so far is that although I’m not uninvolved with social media and technology, it made me feel a little bit like a dinosaur. If you are from Gen Z, you’ll probably find some of the topics and commentary a bit more relatable. However, from an educational standpoint, I’m enjoying the book so far.

As of this Sunday Summary, I’ve already listened to a couple of hours’ worth of the audiobook and I have around 2 1/2 hours left. Needless to say, I’m optimistic. I’ll be able to polish this off early next week and start another audiobook before the end of the month! Will I get to finish it though? That’s the million-dollar question!

 

Books Discovered

For the second week in a row, I haven’t added any new books to my reading list and I’ve managed to tick some off via completions! 

Is this the start of a run on getting my TBR below 200 books? Place your bets now 😂

 

Coming Up… 

Blog 

I was looking around online for some inspiration for a spooky book club read for our work book club. I’ve now chosen the book we’re gathering to discuss in October. However, that sparked a content idea though. I want to share my book recommendations for spooky book club reads. That’s going live on Wednesday. 

On Friday I’m back with a First Lines Friday feature. My most recent First Lines Friday features have all had a theme. As of drifting this Sunday Summary, I have no particular theme in mind for this post. Perhaps I’ll share a book coming up on my October TBR? I won’t commit myself, but we’ll see. 

Finally, you know what’s coming last. This time next week I’m back with another Sunday Summary update and fingers crossed, I’ll be much closer to the end of my monthly TBR. I’ve already surpassed my reading list in some ways. However, we’re just a couple of books left, I can’t get lazy. Check out next week’s Sunday Summary to see if I keep up the pace. 

 

Patreon

On Patreon, I’m planning to step up the content and post as regularly there as I do here. Next week will be a bit crazy as I’m posting two sets of content. Going forward though, my blog content will broadly be historic Patreon content. So, if you want to see my posts exclusively before everyone else, please subscribe to me there. I’m also launching my book club Discord chat for subscribers, so there are plenty of perks to enjoy! 

As a sneak preview, I’m posting my review of Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff, a Shelf Control post, and a more in-depth and personal Sunday Summary there. 

That’s all for me and today’s Sunday Summary update, though! 

What have you been reading?

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Sunday Summary – 14th September 2025

Another week has come and gone! I can’t believe how fast this week has flown. So yes, I’m back here again with another Sunday Summary update, and it’s a good one! I hope you’ve had a good one too? 

It’s mostly been a return to normal this week. After our trip to Iceland last week, we had Monday off to relax and catch up with the usual house admin. Washing… it’s always there for you, no? 

Otherwise though, it’s been a case of getting and into routine. Work and home, books and blogging. So, what’s been on the agenda this week? 

My first post went live on Monday. No rest for the wicked here! With us being nearly a third of the way through the month, I figured it was time to share my September 2025 monthly TBR. And, I’m in a really good place with that reading list! Although it looked ambitious, I’m ahead of where I need to be to complete it by the end of the month. More on that below 😌 Who knows, I may even get some extra in. Let’s not get ahead though! 

On Friday, I shared the final book I’m reading towards my ChatGPT book recommendations challenge/post. I’m planning to pick these books up in October, so ahead of that timeline I’ve teased the final book in my First Lines Friday. If you’ve yet to take a look and fancy a dark, gritty fantasy where delusions shape reality, go take a look at that feature. 

On Patreon, I shared my review of The Anxious Generation. This is a non-fiction I recommend everyone read. It’s really informative and backed up by science, but in an interesting and engaging way. 

 

Books Read

 

Sensitive 

In last week’s Sunday Summary I confided my confidence that I’d finish the remaining 2 hours I had of Sensitive soon. 

And that’s true. I chipped away at this audiobook whilst commuting to and from work; I finished it about halfway through this week. 

It’s been a good listen and I recommend it to anyone and everyone. No doubt we all have someone sensitive in our lives, or are sensitive ourselves and maybe don’t yet recognise it. It was a really validating read. 

 

A Witch’s Guide to Love and Poison

This week I also finished A Witch’s Guide to Love and Poison. You may recall this is the book club read over at the Cottagecore Fantasy Book Club. 

It’s the first time I’ve finished a club book early,  and I’m not the only one. It puts me in a great place to prompt readers and discussion about the book. It’s a habit I want to continue; it’s much less stressful than making apologies for being behind 😂

I enjoyed this book. Although there is a romance element to two of the main characters development arcs (and this isn’t something I love in my books), it was okay. Obviously if you love this sort of thing, great! 

The mystery was interesting, although somewhat predictable. However, there was a comfort in seeing broadly where the storyline was going. The details and finer points of the storyline were the interesting and less predictable points. 

 

Gran Familia 

In the last 24hrs, I’ve read a manga I’m planning to feature on my blog later this month! I don’t read manga very often, but I enjoyed picking something up that’s very different. 

As I’ve read more in the way of traditional prose lately, I blitzed Gran Familia. The book is only around 200 anyway, but being image-based, it was really quick to read. In fact, I read most of the book today. I’m looking forward to sharing more about this book on my blog soon. 

 

Betrayal of Mercia 

The next audiobook I’ve made progress with this week is Betrayal of Mercia. 

It’s the first time I’ve picked up a book in this series as an audiobook. Admittedly, that’s because I’ve always kept up with these books and read advanced reader copies for the tours. I somehow missed this instalment, and for ease, I figured to try the audio. 

So far, it’s going well. Personally, I find the archaic names easier to read than listen to, but at the same time, I’m familiar with most by now to catch on. It’s a small thing though, and I’m enjoying the story so far. 

So far I’ve listened to two and a half hours of the audio and I’m looking forward to listening to the rest (hopefully) next week! 

 

The Pagan Lord 

Finally, the last historical fiction book I’ve picked up this week is The Pagan Lord. I’ve only just started this book, so I don’t have a lot to discuss with you other than my eagerness to return to the series. It’s also the only physical book on my TBR left other than the sequel to my current audiobook. Naturally, I need to finish that before I read Shield of Mercia. 

I’m not going to let that slow me down, though. If I need to pick up another read in the meantime, I have plenty to choose from! The other consideration is that I’ve borrowed this digitally from my library, so I don’t have forever anyway. 

 

Books Discovered

Overall, this week is amazing for progress! I’ve ticked several off the list and not added anything new either. 

I need more weeks like this… 

 

Coming Up… 

My first post next week will be a book review. There’s a real historical fiction theme here, because the next book due review is Wolf of Wessex by Matthew Harffy. I hope you’re looking forward to my review as much as I am sharing it! 

On Friday I’m breaking back into my old schedule of sharing a Shelf Control post. It’ll be nice to take another look at my TBR, or reading list, with you so I can share why I’m excited for my next book. 

Finally, you know what’s coming. Next week I’ll wrap-up with another Sunday Summary. Let’s hope I have as much reading progress to share in next week’s instalment. 

Thanks for reading today’s Sunday Summary instalment. If you’re still here, thank you so much! 

What have you read recently? 

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Monthly TBR – September 2025

My monthly TBR post is a little later than usual. If you read yesterday‘s Sunday Summary, you’ll know that I’ve just been away. However, now I’m back into full swing and I have a great list of books I’m planning to read in September. Make yourself comfy, and then we can go through the list of books I have been and I’m due to read this month. 

Have you read any of the books featured in this monthly TBR? 

 

Fixed Reads 

 

The Atlantis Covenant

The first book on this monthly TBR was the Atlantis Covenant by Rob Jones. If you are a regular reader here, you’ll know I read this book early as I had a blog tour obligation on the 4th of September. 

If you are a fan of Indiana Jones and like this kind of high-stakes action with history and archaeology combined, go check out my review of this book! 

 

The Giver

The next book on my list was The Giver. You may recall this book was on my August TBR as we were picking it up for our workbook club. Due to summer holidays, we ended up pushing this meet-up back to tomorrow. In the end, I ended up reading this quite last minute. However, I was able to read the book in just a couple of sessions whilst travelling.

I really enjoyed this children’s dystopia. Although this book is aimed at a younger audience, it didn’t oversimplify the dystopian setting or the message behind the book. It was a really easy and interesting read. And, as you can tell by the way, I’m discussing this book, it’s the second I’ve already ticked off this list.

 

Sensitive 

Switching to audiobooks, my next and current read is Sensitive. 

Admittedly, this book is near completion as well. I have just a couple of hours of audio left and I expect I’ll make light work of it. 

I’m interested in reading this book as I am pretty sure I fit into the classification of a ‘highly sensitive person’. As the book iterates, there are different ways people can be sensitive and some overlap with other traits. I’m pretty confident I’m an emotionally sensitive person, so it’s been validating to know my feelings and experiences aren’t unique. 

We’re getting to a useful section of the book shortly – the authors share strategies for sensitive people to put into practice. That’s one of the main takeaways I’m looking for from this book, so I’m keen to progress with this audiobook! 

 

A Witch’s Guide to Love and Poison

Another fixed read for the month is the Cottagecore Fantasy Book Club read, A Witch’s Guide to Love and Poison. As progress goes, I’m already halfway through this book as of sharing this monthly TBR. 

Whilst I’m already ahead, I’m going to prioritise this book so I can encourage conversations about the book in the Discord group. For the last couple of books, I’ve been behind and it’s made the job a little easier. As I picked this up as an ‘easier’ read whilst away, I’m going to keep going. 

 

HR Disrupted

Unfortunately, I didn’t get to HR Disrupted last month. As it’s a loan, I can’t put this book off. 

It’s also a short one, so it’s carried forward from August but will absolutely be read soon! 

 

Betrayal of Mercia 

Ahead of another upcoming blog tour review next month, I need to catch up on the prior book of the series. 

Somehow, I missed reading Betrayal of Mercia as part of the publication blog tour at the beginning of the year. In fairness, I’ve been doing a lot less in the way of tours, so it’s not a surprise I missed this email. 

Regardless, I didn’t miss the email for book eight, Shield of Mercia. So, first things first, I’m revisiting the series with Betrayal of Mercia and then heading into book eight. 

 

Mood Reads 

 

The Pagan Lord

Another carry forward, but this time originally featured in my July TBR, is The Pagan Lord. 

Historical fiction is more prominent towards the end of this monthly TBR. This isn’t the first historical fiction on this list. But, in practice, I think I’ll start with this well-loved and reasonably short seventh instalment in Bernard Cornwell’s The Saxon Stories series. 

 

Gran Familia

In a completely different change of pace, I’m hoping to read a manga and feature/review the book ahead of its official publication at the end of the month. 

As it’s a 200-page manga, I expect it will be a very quick read. It’s also a complete change of pace to the other books on this monthly TBR. I don’t read manga very often, but I think it’ll be nice to introduce some to my reading and my blog content. 

Stay tuned for more about this manga in due course. 

 

Shield of Mercia

If I get time at the end of the month, my aim is to start Shield of Mercia ahead of next month’s blog tour review date. It’s early next month that I’m due to review this book. So, it makes sense to start as early as I can! 

 

Summary 

I have a large number of books on September’s TBR, but thankfully they are shorter than a lot of the books I have on my wider reading list… 

Have you read any of the books featured in this monthly TBR? 

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Monthly TBR – August 2025

It’s the beginning of August and I’m with you today to share my monthly TBR. It’s the final month of the 20 Books of Summer Challenge. Whilst I fully expected to be a little behind with this challenge as it was a stretch goal, I’m hoping to read as much as I can from that list before the end of the month.

When I shared my monthly wrap-up post just a few days ago, I was very close to completion with both of my current reads. It feels like great progress to share in this post that I have finished both of those books. They won’t feature in this TBR, but mentally it helped set me up for what I can only hope to be success with this monthly TBR. 

So, shall we actually get round to talking about the books on the list?

 

Fixed Reads 

 

The Giver

Starting off with my book club commitments, the first book I need to read is The Giver by Lois Lowry. Following on from The Measure, The Giver is also set in a dystopian world and was very clearly one of the inspiring stories behind this book. When talking about it in our book club discussion last week, Meg recommended picking up The Giver as it’s a great book itself. However, we also decided it would be interesting to see how this book influenced The Measure. 

The good news is The Giver is quite a short read. This book is actually aimed at a middle grade or young adult audience. As a result, its page count only sits at around 240. That should be plenty easy to get through! 

 

The House Witch

Next, I am picking up The House Witch with the Cottagecore Fantasy Book Club, over the course of this month. I came to the party late last month. Consequently, I ended up bingeing House of Frank in order to catch up. Instead, I’ll be picking up The House Witch incrementally so I can contribute to the discussion on a weekly basis. 

As a result, you’ll see me chipping away at this slowly over the course of the month. That is, unless I get carried away and binge the whole lot early on. We’ll see how my experience goes of the book 😌

 

If We Were Villains 

The next book I’m including in this early section is If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio. I’m including this as a fixed read on this monthly TBR because I have started already. As of this monthly TBR post, I have read around 100 pages so far. Although I can be very hit and miss with Shakespeare, its influence on the narrative isn’t putting me off. In fact, it’s been nice to read a book that dabbles with Shakespeare but isn’t so heavily that I’m put off.

If you are unfamiliar with the premise of the book, If We Were Villains is about a group of theatre students in their final year of education. The school of arts they attend specialises in Shakespeare. Now, I haven’t got to the juicy bit where someone gets murdered. Not yet. However, the parallels of tragedy between Shakespeare’s writing and what inevitably comes to pass are starting to weave their way into the narrative. I’m excited to see what happens and so I imagine this book will be read pretty quickly! 

 

HR Disrupted

I often talk books at work, and a conversation with our HR lady has resulted in my borrowing HR Disrupted from her. She started explaining to me what an HR Disruptor is and what it means in terms of breaking the traditional moulds and practices of HR. I was intrigued, and you know me 😉 I’ll read books on pretty much any subject! 

This is a fixed read this monthly TBR as naturally I want to return the book to its rightful owner ASAP ☺️

 

Mood Reads 

 

The Pagan Lord

Regretfully, I didn’t get to The Pagan Lord, which was on my monthly TBR for July. This is a carry forward, and I’m still looking forward to continuing with this series.

This TBR is a little on the long side, and I will admit that it is ambitious. However, with some shorter books on the list, The Pagan Lord among one of those, I’m hopeful I can catch up with my Goodreads reading challenge. I’m looking forward to reading this 300-page book to get myself back into the Last Kingdom, also known as the Saxon Stories series by Bernard Cornwell. 

 

The Dragon Republic

Another carryover from my July TBR is The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang. I’m looking forward to this second instalment in The Poppy War series. 

I’m planning to pick this one up later in the month. Whilst momentum is strong, I want to try and blitz my shorter reads. The Dragon Republic is about 650 pages – it’s not short by any means. If my experience of the first book is anything to go by, it’ll be a slower and more detailed read. 

 

Tyrant’s Throne 

A final book of a series I’m looking forward to listening to this month is Tyrant’s Throne by Sebastien de Castell. 

It’s also my main audiobook of the month! Naturally, I hope I can finish this in good time and squeeze in another 20 Books of Summer entry before the end of August. The audiobook is 16 and a half hours at x1.2 speed, so not unachievable… 

Having just listened to Saint’s Blood, I’m eager to finish the series whilst events are fresh in my mind. 

Summary 

With a total of seven books, 2200 pages, and 16 and a half hours of audio on this month’s TBR, I’m optimistic for a productive month of reading. 

I’ve already made a great start finishing two carryovers from July that aren’t featured in today’s monthly TBR; I’ve wrapped them up already! Let’s hope we can keep the momentum going! 

What are you reading this summer? 

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First Lines Friday – 18/07/2025

In today’s First Lines Friday, I set myself a challenge to feature an upcoming 20 Books of Summer read. After taking a look at a few books coming up, I’m excited for this particular book. 

It’s a historical fiction novel from an author I’ve read on numerous occasions before. I can’t wait to pick up their next book – do you want to see what it is? Well first, let’s take a look at the intro and then I’ll share the details. 

 

A dark sky. 

The gods make the sky; it reflects their moods and they were dark that day. It was high summer and a bitter rain was spitting from the east. It felt like winter. 

I was mounted on Lightning, my best horse. He was a stallion, black as night, but with a slash of grey pelt running down his hindquarters. He was named for a great hound I had once sacrificed to Thor. I hated killing that dog, but the gods are hard on us; they demand sacrifice and then ignore us. This Lightning was a huge beast, powerful and sullen, a warhorse, and I was in my war-glory on that dark day. I was dressed in mail and clad in steel and leather. Serpent-Breath, best of swords, hung at my left side, though for the enemy I faced that day I needed no sword, no shield, no axe.

 

 

The Pagan Lord – Bernard Cornwell

Genre: Historical Fiction 

Pages: 303

Audience: Adult

Publisher: Harper Collins

Publication Date: 26 Sept 2013

Goodreads – The Pagan Lord

 

At the onset of the tenth century, England is in turmoil. Alfred the Great is dead and Edward his son reigns as king. Wessex survives but peace cannot hold: the Danes in the north, led by Viking Cnut Longsword, stand ready to invade and will never rest until the emerald crown is theirs.

Uhtred, once Alfred’s great warrior but now out of favor with the new king, must lead a band of outcasts north to recapture his old family home, that great Northumbrian fortress, Bebbanburg.

Loyalties will be divided and men will fall, as every Saxon kingdom is drawn into the bloodiest battle yet with the Danes; a war which will decide the fate of every king, and the entire English nation.

 

My Thoughts…

It’s been some time since I read this series. Too long really! When I reviewed Death of Kings earlier this year, I swore I wouldn’t leave it too much longer before returning. That’s why The Pagan Lord is on my 20 Books of Summer Challenge list. 

I particularly enjoyed watching this particular section of the story on Netflix. Watching Uhtred go back home will be a fun part of the story to read and I hope I’ll enjoy it just as much! 

At just over 300 pages, this should be a quick read to get me back into this series. This’ll be me half way through and hopefully back on track to make series progress towards completing this series in the near future. 

Thanks for reading today’s First Lines Friday instalment! Have you read or watched any of Bernard Cornwell’s the Saxon stories?

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Monthly TBR – July 2025

The books in today’s monthly TBR are all part of my 20 Books of Summer Challenge. It shouldn’t be a surprise, in a broad sense, what I’ll be reading over the next few months. In my recent Top Ten Tuesday post, I shared which books on that list I’m prioritising soon. 

The culmination of both these lists is my July Monthly TBR. Take a look at the books coming up on this month’s list – I’m very excited to pick each and every one of these up! 

 

Fixed Reads 

 

The Anxious Generation  

The first of my carryovers from June is The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt. As of my monthly wrap-up post, I’d read the first 60 pages. As of drafting this monthly TBR, I’m another 100 pages along. Progress therefore stands at about 50%. 

The Anxious Generation has proven to be an interesting and relatively easy read. For a non-fiction, informative book, it’s not dry. The facts and figures are easily spelled out and backed up. Perhaps I’m biased by the subject matter meaning so much to me. Either way, I’m really enjoying The Anxious Generation so far and hopefully I’ll blast through the last half before the end of the week! 

 

Saint’s Blood

The second and final carryover onto this monthly TBR is my audiobook listen, Saint’s Blood. I’m even closer to the finish line with this book, with just 45 minutes listening time left as of drafting this post. I will absolutely finish this book tomorrow at the latest! 

Saint’s Blood has been a great listen and I’ve loved getting back into this series. With just one book left after this one is finished, it makes sense to pick the sequel up soon and finish the series. That way it’s fresh in my mind, and it’s a tick in the ol’ box for my series completion resolution 😅

 

The Measure 

I’ve convinced book club to pick up The Measure this month. I was a little worried about squeezing in book club reads on top of my Summer Challenge TBR. However, it was my turn to pick a book and so I made it work to my advantage! 

I think this will be a good fit for the group as well. The story type appeals to the reading tastes of several in the group. That’s a great start. Also, I think this will have some really interesting talking points for our meet-up. 

Win-win! 

 

Mood Reads 

 

The Pagan Lord

I’ve convinced my boyfriend Shane to start watching The Last Kingdom. We’ve recently finished watching Vikings (which he introduced me to), and he’s liking it so far. 

I reviewed Death of Kings recently and shamed myself a little over how long it’s been since I picked up the series. It’s quite a long one, so not a likely candidate for a finish this year. Pagan Lord is book seven of the series. I think there are 13 in total off the top of my head. That’s no reason not to make progress with it though! 

At around the 300-page mark, The Pagan Lord will make for a good recap to the series. I have watched the series, so I should be able to pick up the storyline quickly enough despite the reading gap. It should also be a relatively quick read – helpful to getting caught up with my reading goal! 

 

If We Were Villains

The oldest book on this monthly TBR, in terms of how long it’s been on my TBR, is If We Were Villains.

I’ve had a copy of this on my bookshelf for years. It’s finally time to get to it! Although I’m not a big Shakespeare fan, I do love literature and drama. This combination means I’m looking forward to this book. In the past, I’ve enjoyed dark academia books. If We Were Villains falls into this category. It all bodes well – let’s just hope the book lives up to my expectations. 

 

The Dragon Republic

Whilst events of The Poppy War are fresh in my mind, I want to pick up the sequel. As the second book of a trilogy, progress with The Dragon Republic means I’ll have just one book left in the series once it’s done. Naturally, I’ll then look to finish the trilogy this year! That’ll be another series ticked off my list ☺️ 

The Poppy War was a great read. It wasn’t the fastest because the story was quite dense. Not in a bad way. I enjoyed taking my time over it. I don’t know if The Dragon Republic will be the same. Having laid the groundwork, events could go either way. Things could speed up now the world-building is established. Equally though, if there is more to lay down it could be a repeat of the same. I’ll just have to see how it goes. If I expect the latter then I won’t be disappointed if reading progress is a little slower.  

 

Alan Turing: The Enigma

Another chunky read on this monthly TBR is in the form of an audiobook. I’ve deliberately chosen to listen to the book for this reason. As I’m so close to finishing Saint’s Blood, I should have plenty of time to listen to Alan Turing. 

I added this book to my reading list after watching The Imitation Game. I’m intrigued to learn more about the person who had such an important influence on history. What shocked me most was how Alan Turing was treated after all he did to end WW2. I’m hoping this is covered in the book, because it’s a significant part of Mr Turing’s story. I’ll let you know in due course whether it does and what my thoughts are on the book. 

 

Summary 

I have a good number of books on this monthly TBR. However, given I’m close to finishing the carried over books from June, I think this is achievable. Even if I have a repeat of this month and get very close, I’ll be happy. 

What books are coming up on your reading list? 

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Book Review: Death of Kings – Bernard Cornwell

My review of Death of Kings comes two years after I read the book. To say I needed to refresh myself on the events is an understatement! That’s why this post is out a day later than usual. Rather than rushing and putting out something I wasn’t happy with, I wanted to take my time and make sure I got it right. This book deserves that justice!

One of the reasons I’m glad to review Death of Kings is that it’ll remind and inspire me to continue reading the series. It’s been two years, but I’m yet to pick up the next book, The Pagan Lord, even when I said after I finished it I wanted to continue on soon. I’m somewhat familiar with the story as a whole as I watched the TV series and final film too. Even so, the books are always better and it was a while ago now since I watched them. As to what specifically happens in the next book, I’m not sure…


Death of Kings – Bernard Cornwell

Genre: Historical fiction

Pages: 335

Audience: Adult

Publisher: HarperCollins

Publication Date: 29 Sept 2011

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Goodreads – Death of Kings


As the ninth century wanes, England appears about to be plunged into chaos once more. For the Viking-raised but Saxon-born warrior, Uhtred, whose life seems to shadow the making of England, this presents him with difficult choices.

King Alfred is dying and his passing threatens the island of Britain to renewed warfare. Alfred wants his son, Edward, to succeed him, but there are other Saxon claimants to the throne as well as ambitious pagan Vikings to the north.

Uhtred‘s loyalty – and his vows – were to Alfred, not to his son, and despite his long years of service to Alfred, he is still not committed to the Saxon cause. His own desire is to reclaim his long-lost lands and castle to the north. But the challenge to him, as the king’s warrior, is that he knows that he will either be the means of making Alfred’s dream of a united and Christian England come to pass or be responsible for condemning it to oblivion.

This novel is a dramatic story of the power of tribal commitment and the terrible difficulties of divided loyalties.

This is the making of England, magnificently brought to life by the master of historical fiction.

 

My Thoughts

Plot

King Alfred hopes to leave behind a united England in death. However, with him ailing further, the peace and unity he strives for seems a long shot.

As ever, Uhtred finds himself stuck in the middle. Whilst he has a degree of loyalty to King Alfred, he also longs to undertake his own goal – to return to his homeland of Bebbanburg. He has no fealty or ties to Alfred‘s intended successor, Edward. Whilst Alfred hopes Uthred will support his claim, he doesn’t feel inclined to do so.

The result of all this internal conflict is that the Danes feel like they can take advantage of a weakened England. As in other books, there are numerous battles and skirmishes throughout!


Setting

As a key man taking part as a warrior, messenger, negotiator, and savour, Uhtred gets around a bit. The narrative roams all across the country of England as we know it today. Whilst there is a lot going on, this is well managed in the narrative so it’s easy to follow where events are taking place.

The constant action and changes of location keep the narrative interesting. Even if you aren’t a huge fan of books with a plot line involving politics, there is plenty of action in this book to counterbalance this. The frequent relocations of our main character keep us on our toes.


Characters

In Death of Kings, we get to see a mischievous side to Uhtred. In this instalment of the series, we actively see him undertaking the role of both the Saxon and a Dane and stirring up conflict. I quite enjoyed seeing the side of the story and this aspect of his character. It’s both entertaining to read, but also gives opportunity for a lot of internal conflict within Uhtred and testing where his loyalties lie.

He may have been born Saxon, but he was raised as a Dane, and in today’s society, we would say he identifies as a Dane. As to which side of the fence he should actually sit on is something that thus far in the series has swung backwards and forwards. I expect more of this conflict in future books, and I can’t wait to read on.


Narrative Style

If you like your historical fiction full of action, Death of Kings won’t disappoint. With numerous conflicts, both physical and political, throughout the book, there’s plenty to keep us occupied.

For me, the pacing of Death of Kings and the wider series as a whole suits me; there are moments of intense action, and the pages just fly by. Equally, there is enough time to reflect on what has happened and what the consequences are. The action doesn’t compromise the world-building, and overall, Death of Kings strikes an ideal balance between the two.


Summary

I’m a huge fan of Bernard Cornwell‘s Saxon stories series, and the latest instalment, Death of Kings, has lived up to the high expectations set by earlier books. This review hopefully encourages you to pick up the book but has likely also achieved its goal of reminding me of the series and giving me a nudge to pick up the book soon.

Have you read Death of Kings? What are your thoughts on this book or series?

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Discussion Post – Books to Read if You Like The Last Kingdom

I read a lot of historical fiction. I’ve got two books on my current reading list in the genre, and one I’m reading at the time of drafting this post. You’ll hear more on that later. They are the inspiration for today’s discussion post.

There are books, genres and themes that I go back to again and again. Vikings is one of those. If you’re a fan of the historical fiction genre and the conflict of this period, there are a number of series I can recommend. If you’ve been reading or watching The Last Kingdom series and want to try something new, you are in the right place!

 

Recommendations

 

Eagle of Mercia Chronicles

A series I’ve been reading for a couple of years now, and will be picking up again soon, is M.J. Porter’s Eagle of Mercia Chronicles.

Like The Last Kingdom, Eagle of Mercia has a unique protagonist driving the storyline. Instead of being split in terms of loyalties, Icel is unique in that he does not relish his role as a warrior. In fact, going back to the first book, it is hard to believe that Icel ever becomes a warrior at all. He is a healer and places far more value on life as opposed to death.

Broadly the backdrop of the series is very similar. Of all the books in this discussion post feature, I would say this is the closest to The Last Kingdom. Just like that series, we have a lot of conflict and political intrigue set in the backdrop of a divided England.

Reviews:

Son of Mercia   Wolf of Mercia   Warrior of Mercia

Eagle of Mercia   Protector of Mercia

 

The Saxon Warrior

I started the The Saxon Warrior series a bit over a year ago now. It’s a more recent one than Eagle of Mercia, but it is no less captivating.

I really enjoy this series as the protagonist, unlike Icel in Eagle of Mercia, is a very keen warrior. Beornoth has been to hell and back after Vikings invade his homeland. He lost everything. Now he is determined to fight back the horde and take revenge!

With a protagonist who naturally gravitates towards the front line, we get a lot of action and even a bit of graphic detail in this series. If that doesn’t disturb you then I strongly recommend picking this up! Whilst there are elements of politics in the underlying actions, Beornoth is a far more pragmatic and action-driven character. Naturally, more of this comes through in the narrative as a result.

Reviews:

Warrior and Protector    Brothers of the Sword

Sword of Vengeance

 

Warrior Prince / Raven Lord

I have enjoyed reading Warrior Prince, and I’m currently enjoying reading Raven Lord, for its variation in setting. The Last Kingdom and other books I have featured on this list so far are notable for their Viking influence on British soil. Warrior Prince and Raven Lord differ as events instead take place in Eastern Europe.

It’s a different historical context, but we have the same backdrop of Vikings beyond their borders and looking to make a name for themselves. The protagonist in these books is quite a character as well. There is plenty of action, drama and conflict, so fans of these elements throughout The Last Kingdom series will enjoy these elements in this series too!

Reviews:

Warrior Prince

 

Wolf of Wessex

Wolf of Wessex is the first book in a series written by Matthew Harffy. As of this post, I have only read the first book. However, I enjoyed this book and its slightly lighter tone compared to books like The Last Kingdom.

Wolf of Wessex was compulsively readable and focused on a limited set of characters so as not to convolute the overall story. I think this could be an approachable series for anyone looking to explore the genre for the first time, or to pick up something similar, but not quite so heavy. Not that I think the likes of The Last Kingdom is heavy, but there are a lot of elements that come together in the wider story. Wolf of Wessex feels simpler.

 

Dunstan

If you are looking for more of a standalone in order to read around the genre a bit, then Dunstan by Conn Iggulden is an option I’d recommend.

If you are interested in this book more specifically, you can find a link to my review below. This review goes way back on my blog to the first year I started. The style is quite different to reviews I publish nowadays. However, I hope it still proves useful to you. Dunstan may be an ideal book to read as it’s set in the general backdrop of this time period but has a little less focus on the Viking element and more on English/Saxon religion and politics.

Reviews:

Dunstan

 

Summary

Regardless of what you are looking for, in your Viking era fiction, I have shared a variety of books that should scratch that itch.

Also, I am sure that there are many more that I am yet to read for myself and so have been unable to recommend them in this post. That is where YOU come in!

Have you read any books in the genre/period you would like to recommend either to me or to fellow readers?

 

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