One family, two kingdoms, one common enemy … This is the true story of Aethelflaed, the ‘Lady of the Mercians’, daughter of Alfred the Great. She was the only female leader of an Anglo-Saxon kingdom. Born into the royal house of Wessex at the height of the Viking wars, she is sent to her aunt in Mercia as a foster-child, only to return home when the Vikings overrun Mercia. In Wessex, she … she witnesses another Viking attack and this compounds her fear of the enemy.
She falls in love with a Mercian lord but is heartbroken to be given as bride to the ruler of Mercia to seal the alliance between the two Anglo-Saxon kingdoms.
She must learn to subjugate her feelings for her first love, overcome her indifference to her husband and win the hearts of the Mercians who despise her as a foreigner and twice make an attempt on her life.
When her husband falls ill and is incapacitated, she has to learn to rule and lead an army in his stead. Eventually she must fight to save her adopted Mercia from the Vikings and, ultimately, her own brother. To Be A Queen was Long-listed for HNSIndie Book of the Year 2016 and has been awarded an indie BRAG Gold Medallion.
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Convincing and surprising!
I’d never heard of Æthelflæd (shame on me) until I watched Bernard Cornwell’s interpretation of her role in history, in the dramatic series ‘The Last Kingdom’ and I wanted to know more about her. This is the perfect novel to bring this remarkable 9th century woman to life and the age in which she lives.
Whereas Cornwell sets larger than life fictional heroes in a tweaked (!) version of real history, Annie Whitehead follows the history. What she loses in the freedom to make a page-turning story, she gains in the ‘Well I never knew that’ enjoyment. And I did enjoy turning those pages!
When the main characters are real, I like a historical novel to both convince and to surprise: authentic in background but also bringing life to the characters and their relationships, in a way history reference books can’t. I want to feel I live in another time period, among real people whose lives keep me hooked on what happens next. Annie Whitehead delivered on all counts although it took me a chapter or two to get into the book.
The politics of Wessex, Mercia and the Danelaw is clearly portrayed with all the strategic battle detail you could want but what really struck me was the detail of daily life, so naturally conveyed: clothes, work, buildings gave a picture of the way of life. Æthelflæd is portrayed as a woman of her time, perhaps more remarkable for relying on her ailing husband’s strategic brilliance than if she were the amazon I’d like her to be.
I did come away with a very different view of the Lady of Mercia from the one I started with. I loved the portrayal; of her difficulties in fitting in and in gaining respect in this new not-kingdom. How wonderful that she is now considered to be a great ruler to the extent that her brother of Wessex is in her shadow (irony there).
Her husband Ethelred couldn’t be more different from Cornwell’s take and I am inclined to believe in this version! My only two question marks were over Anarawd – did she or didn’t she and how does that tally with the lost love of her youth. And the beekeeper’s practice of wintering his hives against a sheltered wall was likely to kill all his bees unless the wall was at least five miles from their original setting.
This is the sort of detail that draws me in, which is why I can thoroughly recommend ‘To Be a Queen’ if you wonder what real people in real history were like. Æthelflæd is somebody worth meeting!
Truly great historical fiction is that which immerses the reader in the events of history without distorting them, yet at the same time transports them into the story so completely that they feel they know the people and places that they meet there. ‘To Be A Queen’ achieves this goal in the magnificent telling of the story of Aethelflæd, which comes from one of my favourite periods of English history, when the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of Wessex and Mercia were in turn holding out against the Vikings and pushing them back, and when Alfred had not yet been named “ the Great” by those who recorded his role in history.
Whitehead’s writing is superb, blending a seamless and powerful narrative with poetic terms like “king-helm” drawn from the Old English style such as that seen in ‘Beowulf’ to give a reflection of how English was spoken then and to communicate ideas visually as well as verbally.
The author has created intimate and vivid portraits of the characters amongst the broad brush strokes of history, bringing to life the events and conflicts of the period in which Alfred, Ethelred and Edward fought to preserve England from the attacks and raids of the Vikings. Ancient kings, royal women, thegns, ealdormen, fractious children and servants alike are given flesh, emotions and qualities that make them leap off the page.
Aethelflæd is portrayed first as child, then as woman, then as the lady to whom all of Mercia pledged allegiance. Her vulnerabilities and flaws are real, giving a very strong sense of reality and familiarity to this woman of incredible strength and conviction. Aethelflæd has long been one of my favourite figures of English history, but I shall always feel from now on as though I know her more intimately and completely than before I read ‘To Be A Queen’.
Annie specialises in writing historical fiction about the Anglo-Saxon period of history, an era few novelists address. To Be A Queen tells the story of Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians. It is beautifully written and immaculately researched (Annie also writes non-fiction books about the period), and will be a delight to anyone who loves serious historical fiction. She manages to include an enormous amount of detail without overwhelming the story or becoming tedious, and I found myself living in the period whilst reading the book, and getting caught up in the difficulties of a woman taking control in what was most definitely a man’s world, made even more fascinating when you know that the events actually happened.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys high-quality historical fiction! An excellent book from a highly talented author.
Annie Whitehead has tackled the story of a time mostly in the shadows, and has brought to light a woman whose life was uncommonly dazzling. Aethelflaed may have been a king’s daughter—King Alfred the Great, no less—but as with most royal daughters, her role was defined as peacemaker, destined to be married off to her father’s ally. Her own feelings were not taken into consideration, and the early part of the book dealt with her disappointments and difficulties as she discovered herself to be an outsider in her new home of Mercia. Even her husband, many years older than herself, was an enigma and she had to learn to love him as was her duty though not her inclination. In fact, throughout the book Aethelflaed was driven by obligation and commitment, which helped her earn the respect and finally the love of her adopted people. Was that enough? We’re not sure, but she never turned her back on responsibilities thrust upon her—first by her situation, later by fierce resistance to the Viking invasion, and finally by the need to step into her ailing husband’s shoes. Without planning it, the Lady of the Mercians became a leader and even a warrior, and the loyalty of her countrymen was enough to force her brother Edward, new King of Wessex, to accept her overlordship on the death of her husband. I saw Aethelflaed’s life as one of discontent but also triumph, for despite her early powerlessness she learned to overcome the prejudice against her sex and her origin. The daughter of Wessex helped bring peace to the land of Mercia. It was a very satisfying read.
I simply loved this book.
Characters were fully realized, impactful, and drew me in. Whitehead’s plotting was spot-on and the world-building was positively stellar. I love world-building that is sensual… that I can feel, taste, touch, smell, and hear. Whitehead is strong in this and it showed on every page. She does not shy away from battle-scenes, but forces the reader straight into the action, so that one’s heart leaps at victories, and breaks at the death of a favorite warrior. Her research into the method of Anglo-Saxon warfare is obvious and I found myself comparing it to the Roman period, with which I’m more familiar.
This was one of the few books I’ve read on the Anglo-Saxon period. It was a terrifying time to be alive and politically, a confusing time with so many territories and factions. But have no fear! This is addressed with ease and given a logical, easy-to-follow approach with Whitehead your guide, making this book a real page-turner. Perhaps most impressive were the SEVERAL character arcs given special attention: Teasel, Ethelred, and Edward, in particular. This is a story about love of country, but especially about love and the importance of commitment, and how those virtues can triumph over all.
A gripping read and one to relish!
This is a time period that I don’t ordinarily read, but I soon found myself drawn into the story of Aethelflaed (nicknamed Teasel), daughter of Alfred the Great, and destined through circumstances to lead her adopted country of Mercia.
The author did an amazing job of world-building, seamlessly putting the reader into this time period. I grew quite fond of Teasel and respected her determination to do her best in the circumstances given. There is also an interesting love aspect to the story, where she must decide between duty and the direction her heart leads.
This is a fascinating read, well-researched and written in a most engaging style. Highly recommend!