Tag: The Eagle Will Rise

Sunday Summary – 17th May 2026

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Happy Sunday friends and welcome to another weekly Sunday Summary catch-up! I have some great reading progress to update you with this week. With a looming blog tour post, it was all steam ahead with reading the book for which I needed to review. After that, I’ve enjoyed another couple of finishes… so all in all, it’s been a productive one! 

Before we get into the reading updates section of this Sunday Summary, let’s recap the content I’ve shared this week. Here on the blog, I’ve posted a list of books on my TBR I can read towards completing the Goodreads 2026 Spring Reading Challenge. Then, on Thursday morning, my expected blog tour review for The Eagle Will Rise went live! 

Over on YouTube, I caught up with posting my April wrap-up and May TBR. Unfortunately, I didn’t get those out last week. However, I finally worked through a learning curve that comes with changing video editor and got them out before they were so late they were obsolete. 

 

Books Read

The Eagle Will Rise

Reading priority this week went to completing The Eagle Will Rise ahead of my blog tour obligation on Thursday. When I prepared my May TBR, I shared that I hoped finishing this book wouldn’t go down to the wire and I’d be a bit more prepared. Well… I’m sure you can imagine how it actually played out. 

Yes, I read this book in the final two days before the review was due. However, knowing M.J. Porter’s writing style and format of books, I was confident this was achievable. And sure, it was! I even had my review scheduled before the small hours of the night, so that’s a bonus! 

As much as I left things to the last minute, that’s no reflection on the book, but on me. The Eagle Will Rise was an action-packed, brand-new series opener. It was a great read, and another series from M.J. Porter I’m keeping up with. If you love historical fiction and want to find out more, take a look at my full review here. 

 

Crown of Midnight 

I’m pleased to share I finally completed Crown of Midnight today. This book has been long outstanding, given I wanted to finish this in April. 

As with the first book, the ending was really compelling and I’m curious to find out where this series is going. Events are constantly getting broader and the world-building is far more than I could have hoped for. I confess, I went into Throne of Glass not appreciating the scope of the series. Sarah J. Maas is now for romance more than anything, so that’s what I expected. Sure, that’s absolutely in here. However, the vast magical background to the narrative, hinted at character arcs and complex relationships have surprised me. 

I’m looking forward to jumping straight into Heir of Fire and continuing the series! 

 

Witch Hunt 

Over the last seven days, I’ve completed the final 75% of Witch Hunt by B.D. Spargo. Yes, as of this Sunday Summary, I’ve got a third finish to share! 

It’s been a great week, and it’s helped having some very different books and all well-received. Witch Hunt caught my attention for its ties to the Pendle Hill witchcraft history the location has. This book builds upon that history, but it doesn’t overly dominate the narrative if it’s not your cup of tea. 

I really enjoyed how this mystery unfolded. The pacing at the end especially made this compulsively readable, or in my case, I didn’t want to stop listening! And, completing this book this week means I’m AHEAD of providing my review in early June. First time for everything… right?! 

 

Somewhere Beyond the Sea

Finally, the last book to update you on in this Sunday Summary is one I’ve picked up towards completing the Goodreads 2026 Spring Reading Challenge. 

Unfortunately, the final books on my May TBR are ones I own already and can’t get audiobook versions of from my library. I don’t want to pay twice. Not only that, but the only book I don’t own hasn’t been made into an audiobook. So, I was stymied until I started producing my list for the Spring Challenge. 

Given I couldn’t pick up anything towards my May TBR, I might as well try to read towards completing the challenge. I’m optimistic Somewhere Beyond the Sea will contribute towards the Pride month challenge. If not, well, it’s a sequel that was on my TBR. So, it’s no loss reading this one anyway 😅

 

Books Discovered

 I added a few new books to my TBR as part of my Goodreads 2026 Spring Reading Challenge post – A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. 

I’d also historically neglected to add Ink, Blood, Sister, Scribe to my TBR, despite getting a physical copy of the book as part of a book subscription I enjoyed a couple of years ago. 

 

Coming Up… 

What I’m Reading… 

So, Heir of Fire is my next and only immediate priority. This book is coming up at 600 pages long. It’s getting more sizeable compared to the previous instalments of the series. I’m glad I’m getting on top of this now and not jeopardising running late for the rest of my readalong. 

Naturally, I’ll also continue on with Somewhere Beyond the Sea. It’s a library loan, so I have a couple of weeks to finish this without extending the loan. Given there’s a deadline, it doesn’t make sense to pick up anything else in tandem. 

 

Blog

Early next week, I share my thoughts on a sequel to a series I’m reading that didn’t quite land as well as its predecessors. Wizard and Glass is the fourth book of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series. I’m looking forward to sharing my thoughts on this one to decompress and hopefully get myself in the headspace to continue and read Wolves of the Calla in the near future.  

On Friday, I’ll return with a First Lines Friday feature. I’m in the mood for a challenge, and I want to keep up momentum and focus on books to pick up towards completing the Goodreads Spring challenge. So, I’ll feature one of the books I featured in that post in more detail. If you weren’t inspired to pick it up after that post, perhaps the First Lines Friday feature can sway your opinion!

As always, I’ll close off the week with another Sunday Summary update. Will I have as successful a week in terms of reading progress? I can only hope so! Bearing in mind the remaining books on my TBR, mostly get longer, that may be a little optimistic. However, I didn’t set an ambitious TBR with the intention of letting it pass me by without trying to push for it.  

 

YouTube

Over on YouTube, I’ve recorded two videos to share during the week. The first video is a recorded version of my Completing the Goodreads 2026 Spring Reading Challenge post. 

The second video is an early preview of my thoughts on Dreams from My Father by Barack Obama. I’ve been reviewing books I’ve read so far this year on YouTube ahead of those reviews going live here on the blog. So, if you want to catch those reviews before everyone else here, go and follow me there. 

 

Summary 

This Sunday Summary is plenty long enough, so I’ll leave you to the rest of your day. As for me, I’m off for a relaxing shower before bed. And hey, guess what? The weekend is over and the daily grind has rolled around far too quickly 😭 Bring on the late May bank holiday… 

Until then, what are you reading? 

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Blog Tour Review: The Eagle Will Rise – M.J. Porter

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As I’ve already established here on Reviewsfeed, I’m a huge fan of historical fiction written by M.J. Porter. So far, I’ve kept up to date with her Eagle of Mercia Chronicles. However, I’m NOT here today with another instalment of that series. No! Instead, I have the pleasure to feature a brand new series, The Eagle Will Rise. With characters from Eagle of Mercia I have come to know and love, it was a shoe-in in terms of me enjoying this! Taking place later than that series, an ageing Icel hasn’t given up his seax just yet. 

Today, I’m excited to share my thoughts on this brand new series – The Eagle Will Rise, book one of The Sundered Kingdom series. I can only do my best to encourage you to pick up this fabulous historical fiction novel. As expected, given my experience with the Eagle of Mercia series, the book isn’t shy on antics and daring rescues. Fans of Bernard Cornwell’s The Last Kingdom series will find characters overlap significantly; if you love this book, please pick up this one to continue the adventure from a Mercian perspective! 

As always, thanks to Rachel and the author, M.J. Porter for the opportunity to read and review The Eagle Will Rise. Whilst I was provided a copy of the book for the purpose of giving my review, the thoughts expressed within this post are entirely my own.

Here are the stats/details for this action-packed historical fiction, then I’ll dive into my thoughts… 

 

The Eagle Will Rise – M.J. Porter

Genre: Historical Fiction 

Pages: 322

Audience: Adult

Publisher: Boldwood Books 

Original Publication Date: 07 May 2026

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Goodreads – The Eagle Will Rise

 

The king is dead; for Mercia to survive, another must take his place.

Coelwulf, Mercia’s last king, is dead. His legacy and right to rule Western Mercia have been claimed by Alfred of Wessex, but all know Alfred was never to have Mercia. Neither were the Viking raiders, who now command the eastern-most parts of Mercia and the former kingdom of the East Angles.

Icel, the bastion of Mercia’s wars against Wessex and the Viking raiders, lies dying, but he refuses to abandon his beloved kingdom to her long-standing enemies.

Rudolf, the once-young ally of King Coelwulf the second, is summoned by Icel to attend upon him. Grudgingly, he arrives at Budworth, the task laid before him, audacious to say the least; rescue Coelwulf’s acknowledged heir, Æthelred, from Wessex, where he’s held prisoner by King Alfred. To do so, Rudolf must prevail upon the dispersed oath-sworn warrior band of King Coelwulf, and all of them, aside from him, have ignored Icel’s increasingly furious demands to attend upon him. If they won’t obey Icel, then why should they listen to Rudolf?

The fate of Mercia’s survival rests in the hands of a man who should long have been in his grave, and Rudolf, a boy who’s become a man in the most trying of circumstances. They must forge Æthelred into the emblem of Mercian survival. Or die trying. But first they must rescue Æthelred from someone who has always pretended to be Mercia’s ally, and who is anything but.

 

Purchase Links  –      Amazon UK | Amazon.com 

 

My Thoughts… 

Plot

Whilst it’s helpful to have read the Eagle of Mercia chronicles when picking up this book, it’s not essential. A degree of the history that plays out in Eagle of Mercia is relevant to the plot in The Eagle Will Rise. However, there is a degree of refresher or high level explanation, depending on where you start this book at, to fill you in. 

Being the first book of a series, there’s maybe a fraction less action than I am used to. Only a little, though, so don’t worry! In this new series, there’s a good balance between setting the scene of this new adventure and keeping current events moving. Action looks a little different, with some smaller level conflicts taking place throughout the book. It gives us the chance to explore faction dynamics and enjoy a build-up of tension that will inevitably come to a head later. 

Rest assured, Icel, Rudolf and the motley gang aren’t off for a jolly stroll, and plans set out early in this book run far from smooth. We’re kept on our toes as foiled plans, plots and betrayal shape this exciting opening narrative. 

Personally, I can’t wait for events to develop later in the series. This first book is only just out, and I have to wait!

 

Characters

I’m glad to have my favourite character, Icel, play such a prominent part of this story. One of the main reasons I was excited to pick up this new series was to see where his story took him after Eagle of Mercia. 

And it seems, he hasn’t lost too much of the mischief and meddling that shapes his youth. Though much older, and physically frailer at the start of this book, he’s as keen to fulfil his duty to protect others as we have come to love. I’m kind of glad a potential character arc mentioned in the author’s note didn’t happen in this book, at least. I suspected it was, but we can only hope that’s reserved for another day. 

Icel isn’t the only familiar character, however. Cynewise makes a reappearance, but there are also names from the broader histories that didn’t get chance to appear in Eagle of Mercia. I know them from the likes of Bernard Cornwell’s The Last Kingdom. Guthrum, King Alfred and Lady Ealhswith are names I first came to know from other books first. Getting a different, refreshing perspective on these characters and their roles in history was a fun addition to this narrative. One I hope to explore in future books, as a Mercian perspective isn’t overly prominent in other books of the same period. At least, not the ones I’ve read yet… 

Familiarity aside, there are a number of new characters introduced in this book. I’m sure many of these new names will carve their places in the series and in history as this later series develops. I found this slight change up refreshing, as to date I’ve only read a portion of M.J. Porter’s published works. Until The Eagle Will Rise, they were all from the same series. 

 

Setting

Events of The Eagle Will Rise take us across the British landscape we know today, albeit with different borders and at times, some slightly different town names. If you’re a big reader of historical fiction, like I am, then it’s easy to follow. Even if you’re not, names are the same or at least recognisable to their historical names. Have no fear! 

Travel throughout the book keeps the narrative moving along nicely. Compared to some other books I’ve read by the author, the plot is lighter on battles and has a greater, almost slow-burn build, to the main action at the end of the book. This gives the perfect opportunity to discover the dynamics, relationships and rivalries that govern this revised world. Fewer battles certainly does not mean less action, because that certainly isn’t the case! Icel, Rudolf and the gang find themselves in all manner of conflicts and pickles, just less epic in nature. For now – I have no doubt we’ll see more shield wall action like we do in the conclusion of The Eagle Will Rise soon! 

 

Narrative Style

I have the benefit of going into The Eagle Will Rise familiar with the authors’ writing style. If this isn’t going to be your first book by M.J. Porter, then you can ret assured the style of The Eagle Will Rise is consistent. 

However, if you have yet to read anything else by the author, then perhaps I should elaborate. M.J. Porter’s writing is one of the easiest I find to read. The action combines with the adaptability of shorter paragraphing sentencing and chapters when warranted helped the pages fly by. I consistently read the author’s books in a matter of days. Two, sometimes three, depending on what life’s throwing at me at the time. For The Eagle Will Rise, two days was all I needed! I devoured the book effortlessly; I’m sure you won’t find hard to imagine. 

Although the book heavily features a character I love from Eagle of Mercia, I enjoyed this narrative being told from a fresh voice. Otherwise, it would feel more like a continuation of that series. The new protagonist gives The Eagle Will Rise a distinct new voice, and somewhat separation from that series to add a new voice to the time period. 

 

Summary 

The Eagle Will Rise is a fun, compulsively readable fresh start to a new historical fiction series by M.J. Porter. With characters I know and love, but set in a new time period with a fresh perspective, I already can’t wait for the sequel. What do you mean I have to wait?! 

If you haven’t checked it out yet, why not take a look at where Icel’s journey begins with Son of Mercia?

 

Author Bio

I’m an author of historical fiction (Early English/Saxon, Vikings and the British Isles as a whole before the Norman Conquest, as well as five 20th-century historical mysteries) and fantasy (now published under a different name).

I was born in the old Mercian kingdom at some point since 1066. Raised in the shadow of a strange little building, told from a very young age that it housed the bones of long-dead kings of Mercia and that our garden was littered with old pieces of pottery from a long-ago battle, it’s little wonder that my curiosity in Early England ran riot. I can only blame my parents!

I like to write. You’ve been warned!

Social Media Links – 

linktr.ee/MJPorterauthor

My May 2026 TBR… It’s LONG!

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When planning my May 2026 TBR, I knew I wanted a fresh start. After a lacklustre reading month in April (see my April wrap-up if you want the low-down on that…), I’m hoping a clean slate is the key to getting my reading groove back. 

I have some reading obligations as well, so the deadlines will also go a long way to spurring me on. I have two blog tours, as well as kicking myself up the bum to get my Throne of Glass read-alongs back on track.

Beyond that, I’ve let my brand new, refreshed TBR Jar decide the rest! It pulled out some chunky books, and I confess I tossed one back as it tried to give me a 1,100 pager after already tossing me a couple of 700 pagers. The genres I’m reading this month span horror, thriller, historical fiction, non-fiction, as well as my favourite, fantasy. One epic fantasy sequel as well I’m excited to get to 🎊

Enough teasing, I’ll get stuck in with my obligations first, then I’ll highlight my TBR Jar picks.

 

Carryovers from April/Reading Obligations 

Why We Get Sick

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

At the end of April, I started listening to the audiobook Why We Get Sick by Benjamin Bikman. I started this book as I have an interest in the subject, in particular the biological level of detail insulin resistance has on cells. 

I didn’t have a book like this on my TBR. Rather, it’s a topic I have wanted to learn about personally. Leaning into a complete change and effectively scrapping my TBR, I hoped picking up a book totally unrelated to my April TBR would give me the fresh start I needed. 

As of the end of April, it was working! In fact, this book features on my May 2026 TBR as I finished the book in May – yes – it’s already done 👍 It’s the best of starts I could hope for when it comes t my May TBR – long may it continue… 

 

Crown of Midnight

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

Crown of Midnight is a carryover from my April TBR and my current read as of this May 2026 TBR. 

My read-along for Sarah J Maas hasn’t gotten off to the best of starts. The fault is entirely mine – I’m not prioritising it enough. That changes this month. Not only am I immediately prioritising down of Midnight to catch up on my being behind, but I will be following up with the sequel immediately. 

I’ll also plan ahead to set myself goals so that I DO actually read-along over the course of the month, as opposed to just playing catch up at the end which is what’s happened three times now. I’m going to go and do that on Storygraph and Fable after this post goes live. I’ll havens excuse then, right?! 

 

Heir of Fire

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

As above, once Crown of Midnight is finished I’m jumping into the first part of Heir of Fire right away. Compared to the earlier books in the series, Heir of Fire is longer. Compare 400-and-something pages for those first two books to nearly 600 in Heir of Fire. 

I can’t catch up with that too late. I need to keep on top of this one… 

Watch this space and hold me accountable friends!

 

The Eagle Will Rise

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

The first of my blog tour obligations this month is The Eagle will Rise by M.J. Porter. I signed up to this tour as I’m a big fan of the author’s Eagle of Mercia Chronicles. We also have some character overlap in this book, although the circumstances are very different in this new series. 

I’m excited to see where this takes us. I know what to expect in terms of writing style from M.J. Porter, and I’m keen to explore a new plot in a similar setting to that already established in Eagle of Mercia. 

Will I enjoy this one as much as I hope? Only time will tell, but I am optimistic! 

 

Witch Hunt

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

My second commitment is an audiobook tour. I don’t do these often, but I’m excited to get stuck in! 

When it comes to listening to audiobooks, I’m typically slower than reading conventionally. So, with that in mind, I’m going to jump in the gap finishing When We Get Sick has created and start Witch Hunt now. My review obligation isn’t until early June. However, in order to listen to this book in sufficient time, I’ve popped it onto this May 2026 TBR. 

What piqued my interest for this book? Its association with witchcraft and being set around Pendle Hull of course. It’s a take on the narrative I haven’t explored for a while. It’s also modern mystery/police procedural type book which is a change on what I’ve read and listened to lately. I’m keen to give this a try and let you know what I thought soon. 

 

May 2026 TBR picks

Moving on, I then pulled four books out of my refreshed TBR Jar. I had filtered out around 30-40 books I had read or removed from my TBR, but then added the latest books that were not in the jar. The net effect was more to pull from the jar, but all up-to-date at least. The paper I used was different this time, so I can visually see old vs new entries. I aimed for two of each; that way I can target some older books, but also deliberately mix in some newer ones to keep things fresh. 

Here’s what I pulled! 

 

Don’t Fix Women: The Practical Path to Gender Equality at Work

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

The first book that came out of the jar was kind. It was one of the newer additions to the jar. At 266 pages, it fits well with the overall size of my TBR. Pity the next three books I pulled didn’t agree with the sentiment… 

Don’t Fix Women is about fixing imbalances in the current workforce. Will this book have the most practical applications for me? Well, aside from being a women, I don’t have much in the way of power at my company. I’m not HR. However, I’ll advocate as much as I can and if I find practical advice here I think we could adopt, I’ll absolutely speak up. 

It should make for an interesting read nonetheless. I do enjoy some feminist reading now and then! 

 

The Great Hunt

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

The next book I pulled from the jar was also a new book to the jar. I started a read of Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time series with The Eye of the World in late 2024. It’s about time I got the sequel anyway, and the jar made that call for me. 

The Great Hunt comes in at just over 700 pages. It’s not a short read, but it does lean into one of my favourite genres of all time – epic fantasy. I’m looking forward to jumping back to the life and fate of Rand al’Thor. If I had left it too mcc longer, I’d be trying to recall what happened in the first book and I would struggle to pick this up again. As much as this is a long read, I think it’s a bit of a blessing in disguise that it came out now. 

 

Sleeping Beauties

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

After pulling two ‘new’ reads, I then targeted slips that have been in my jar since I first put it together. Sleeping Beauties has been on my TBR since January 2018. I also have a copy on my bookshelves, but I’m not sure if I have owned it as long as that or not. The spine is pretty faded from exposure to the sun, so it’s quite possible! 

Sleeping Beauties also comes in a fraction over 700 pages. Not a short read either, but one I’m excited to try. It’s also a bit feminist in nature, as well as overlapping with horror/thriller and fantasy for the plot line. A unique mix I’m keen to try! 

 

Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

This last book is actually the second draw from the jar. My first pick that came out was The Weird. Not problem, I thought initially, as I had a hunch it was a collection of short stories. That it is, but the whole volume comes in at 1,100 pages. No way was that going to be feasible. So, I’m being honest here and declaring that’s what the jar give me, but I tossed it back in so I could make a second draw. 

That second draw was a far more approachable Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon. At 450 pages, this is still somewhat achievable. This May 2026 TBR already has a sizeable page count, so it’s debatable if I’ll get to this one. However, I’ll use access to audio copies of book where I can, maybe even library loans  for books I don’t have. 

I’m really motivated to pick this up as it’s about one of my favourite TV series (based on books) of all-time – A Game of Thrones! If that’s not incentive to get through the rest of my May 2026 TBR to finish here, then I don’t know what is. 

 

That’s plenty enough to get on with for my May 2026 TBR. What are you reading? 

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