I'm reviewing The Sea's Edge by Garth Pettersen ...

  ... on my blog today.  This is book four of the Atheling Chronicles.  Read on to find out what I thought ...

It’s quite a while since I’ve read historical fiction that stretches back to the 11^th century.  As a youngster, I moved from a morbid fascination with the ancient worlds of the Egyptian, Incan and Mayan civilisations to the world of the Saxons and the Norsemen before being entrapped by Agatha Christie and her ilk.  Had we had streaming, Netflix, Vikings and The Lost Kingdom back then, I would have been glued to the telly rather than reading.

It made a very refreshing change to pick up a book set in the Early Middle Ages.  It was also great to see a comprehensive glossary of terms at the beginning of the book, along with a list of real historical characters and their inter-relationships with each other.  I found these two items invaluable as I was working through the story.  It was also good to discover that I hadn’t forgotten everything I’d picked up from my early exploration of this period of history!

Despite the list of real characters, this book is a piece of fiction.  However, Pettersen is a retired teacher with a BA in history.  So I couldn’t help wondering how much of the action in the book might have been a possibility he had uncovered in his research for his degree or his series of books.  Having delved into my family history, including the contemporaneous social history, there have been many times when I’ve had a set of information in front of me, my imagination has kicked in, and a story with a natural consequential conclusion has popped into my head.  Perhaps I should invite Mr Pettersen to an author interview here on the blog, and then I could get his take on that.

Beginning in North Wales a little after Yule – that’s the time around Christmas and New Year in modern reckoning, but the actual period of Yule and its importance is still heavily debated – the narrative puts you firmly in the dark past from the very outset.  I liked the inclusion of little period details.  These were sometimes a short description, a single word or a reference to a commonplace tool or practice, all of which contributed to setting the scene and the time.

The action follows the life of Harald, the second son of King Cnute and, therefore, the ‘spare’.  Unlike his older sibling, Harald is not interested in the throne or the workings of his father’s court, but he becomes embroiled in state affairs when Cnute tasks him with curtailing the growing powers of King Rhydderch, who controlled vast tracts of land across Wales.  To take on his foe and succeed, Harald must travel to Ireland and persuade his father’s allies to commit to the cause.

With a reluctant hero in the form of Harald, who prefers the quiet life on his farm with his wife, the idyllic rural setting shifts from peace to battles and full-blown war.  The battle scenes were ruthless and eminently demonstrated the destruction, death and maiming that is always prevalent in what was essentially hand-to-hand combat on an enormous scale.  Does Harald achieve his objective?  Sorry, but you’ll have to read the book for yourself!

The narrative voice was gently paced despite the savageness of some of the scenes.  The characters are interesting, and I was especially drawn to Harald and his wife, Selia.  Insights into their inner thoughts and feelings enable the reader to get close.

Of course, this is book four in the series.  Will I go back and read the first three?  Absolutely.  I want to know where this all started and what I've missed so far.

about the author … Garth Pettersen is an award-winning Canadian writer living in the Fraser Valley near Vancouver, BC, where he and his wife board horses on their farm.  Pettersen has a BA in History from the University of Victoria and is a retired teacher.  His short stories have appeared in anthologies and journals such as Blank Spaces, The Spadina Literary Review, and The Opening Line Literary 'Zine.

Garth's historical fiction series, The Atheling Chronicles, is published by Tirgearr Publishing and is available on most online outlets.  Book four, The Sea’s Edge, has just been released.

about the book ... 1030 C.E.: Harald, the second son of King Cnute—ruler of Engla-lond, Danmark, and Norvegr—with his wife Selia, attempt to live as landholders in Mercia, away from the constraint and intrigues of his father's court.

However, on a rare visit, Cnute tells Harald he's being sent to the Kingdom of Dublin to meet with their Norse-Irish allies. Harald’s mission is to coordinate an invasion of the northern Welsh kingdom of Gwynedd to replace King Rhydderch who is growing too powerful on England’s borders.

Harald is reluctant to be involved in his father-king's affairs of state, and not just because his beloved wife, Selia, is unwell. Harald cannot refuse to go and assures Selia he will not have to take part in the fighting.

Once on his journey, Harold is not drawn to his Norse-Irish allies but comes to respect the foe he must kill.

Will Harald carry out his father-king’s commands to unseat a strong and just rule, or will he tread a more righteous road, which will destroy the life he and Selia have built together?

You can get the book Here

You can follow Garth on his Website on his publisher’s Webpage on Facebook and on Amazon