Have you heard that John
Broughton has a new book out? If you love your historical fiction to be set in
the time of the Saxons, then why not check out John’s latest book…
Wyrd of the Wolf
In seventh century England, political and religious upheaval mean that nobody is safe. As the old gods are eroded by the new church, and tribes and ambitious men vie for power, property and precedence, blood is shed throughout the land.
In the south, ealdorman Aelfhere believes that for his only child, sixteen-year-old daughter Cynethryth, marriage to a Saxon king is the way to security. And so, somewhat against her own wishes, Cynethryth is betrothed.
Yet as battle rages around her, and with her betrothed away to fight, Cynethryth too becomes a victim of war.
Taken prisoner by the warrior invaders, she is forced into the presence of another Saxon king, who would also have her for his wife. Yet this is a man she actually loves.
In marrying Caedwalla, King of the Suth Seaxe, Cynethryth allies herself against her father and her own people in a deadly, grisly and complex war — and becomes a key element of events that continue to influence England today.
For the events of the seventh century were crucial in determining the religions, cultures and identities of nations. And Caedwalla, as a fearsome warrior but also in time a religious convert, personifies the turbulent mix of bloodshed, brutality, philosophy and faith that came to define the period.
With its acutely accurate descriptions of the people and events of the Anglo-Saxon age, and meticulous attention to detail, Wyrd of the Wolf is both a superb historical depiction and a thrilling story. As Aelfhere watches the old world slip away, battles his enemies and his torturous feelings for his only child, so Caedwalla balances his lust for blood and power with growing spiritual awareness. In Wyrd of the Wolf, the complications and the conflicts of the dark ages are brought to light, as a compelling tale unfolds.
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About the author
I was born in Cleethorpes Lincolnshire in 1948: just one of the post-war baby boom. After attending grammar school and studying to the sound of Bob Dylan I went to Nottingham University and studied Medieval and Modern History (Archaeology subsidiary). The subsidiary course led to one of my greatest academic achievements: tipping the soil content of a wheelbarrow from the summit of a spoil heap on an old lady hobbling past our dig. Well, I have actually done many different jobs while living in Radcliffe-on-Trent, Leamington, Glossop, the Scilly Isles, Puglia and Calabria. They include teaching English and History, managing a Day Care Centre, being a Director of a Trade Institute and teaching university students English. I even tried being a fisherman and a flower picker when I was on St. Agnes, Scilly. I have lived in Calabria since 1992 where I settled into a long-term job, for once, at the University of Calabria teaching English. No doubt my lovely Calabrian wife Maria stopped me being restless. My two kids are grown up now, but I wrote books for them when they were little. Hamish Hamilton and then Thomas Nelson published 6 of these in England in the 1980s. They are now out of print. I’m a granddad now and happily his parents wisely named my grandson Dylan. I decided to take up writing again late in my career. You know when you are teaching and working as a translator you don’t really have time for writing. As soon as I stopped the translation work I resumed writing in 2014. The fruit of that decision is my first two historical novels, The Purple Thread and Wyrd of the Wolf, published by Endeavour Press, London. Both are set in my favourite Anglo-Saxon period and are available on Amazon as eBooks and paperbacks. Currently I’m halfway through my third novel, as yet without a title. It’s set in on the cusp of the eighth century in Mercia and Lindsey. I hope it will be a trilogy.
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Good Luck with the release!
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