Oswald: Return of the
King by Edoardo Albert is the second book in the Northumbrian Thrones
series, sequel to Edwin, High King of
Britain. With a total of 448 pages,
this book delves further into early English history. The author draws from one of the earliest
known British historical sources, Bede's Ecclesiastical
History of the English People, to paint a vivid picture of a little-known
time period.
As the title suggests, the author originally came to this
field of history through an interest in Tolkien's work; the keen reader will
notice parallels between Oswald and Aragorn. Fans of world-building fantasy will enjoy this
book, as will fans of medieval history novels. I would recommend reading the
previous book first, just because it can be hard to keep track of who is
feuding with whom otherwise. The author
did provide a cast of characters at the beginning of the book, which can help
boost one's memory.
What really intrigues me about this book is Oswald's
personal struggle. At the beginning, he is content living on the island of Iona
with the monks; he even looks forward to joining the order himself. A good portion of the book deals with
Oswald's struggle between two paths, between ruling the kingdom or setting
power aside.
I really look forward to the final book in this trilogy.
I was given a free copy of this book by Kregel Press in
exchange for an honest review.
