An Involuntary King: A Tale of Anglo Saxon England (Paperback)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: holy isle, high reeve, mercenary lord, Keito Uxello, Lord Elerde, Lord Harold (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

AN INVOLUNTARY KING is not only a novel, but a story whose premise grew from the seeds of the author's childhood imagination. Nan Hawthorne has spent a lifetime creating and bringing to life the beloved characters contained within the pages of this medieval saga.

During the 8th century in a land called Críslicland, tragedy forces the unlikely hero, Lawrence upon the throne of the kingdom. His struggle to gather the wisdom, honor, and self-confidence to be a good king is the underlying catalyst that drives this rich tale forward. Undying love, humorous characters, treachery, and intrigue either grace or plague his life as he struggles to vanquish his many foes and return to the bosom of his loving family.

The characters gush with integrity, endearing themselves to the reader. The prose is vibrant and the battle scenes so authentic that I found myself drawn inextricably into the ever-developing, engaging story. Nan Hawthorne's passion for the medieval era is skillfully weaved into a tapestry of enchantment in this engrossing story. A must read for medieval enthusiasts. --Historical Novel Review

Who knows how many worthy stories from the so-called Middle Ages have been lost to us? It's a rich period, especially in England, where small nations and armies were constantly clashing and men and women could still be larger than life. Young Lawrence, the hero of Nan Hawthorne's sprawling historical novel An Involuntary King, yearns to be larger than life. When his father, the king, is cut down, the crown falls to Lawrence, and he vows to be worthy of it and of his young wife Josephine. But 8th-century Northumbria is a dangerous place for such vows--young Lawrence is soon tested on all sides, and the result is a rousing, involving tale of Saxon war and romance. Although Hawthorne has done an evident amount of historical research (readers will take away a very pleasant sense of immersion in the medieval Saxon world), the main strength of An Involuntary King lies in its people. In addition to the central trio of Lawrence, Josephine, and the mercenary Elerde who in different ways threatens them both, there's a huge cast of secondary characters, virtually all of whom are brought to life with colorful details and the author's sound ear for dialog. Indeed, talk bubbles throughout this book, talk of high state affairs, the outpourings of the heart, and the joking prattle of old friends, and all of it works a kind of magic on the reader. Lawrence and Josephine's world is one in which that reader will want to linger, and by the end of the book, many of its characters will feel like old friends. The aforementioned mercenary Elerde won't exactly feel like a friend, but his impression will be the strongest. He's the novel's most memorable creation, and Hawthorne would be well justified in giving him a book of his own some day. --Steve Donoghue, Historical Novels Review Online

Product Description

The younger son of a Saxon king unexpectedly finds himself wearing the crown when his father and older brother are slain in an attempted usurping. His is a story of a young man striving to prove himself to others and to quench his own self-doubt. He is aided by his queen, the love of his life, and his loyal friends, but finds himself beset by monumental challenges. He must overcome threat in battle, from treachery, and from setbacks that shake him. The queen is relentlessly pursued by a darkly sensual mercenary who will do anything to win her away from her husband, even cold-blooded murder. While the king wages battle in his wife's homeland she is caught behind enemy lines and joins in the fight to restore the sovereignty of the kingdom. Hard choices must be made and more conflict faced before the king, queen and their children will be together again. This novel is the story of steadfast love amid brutal battles, devastating loss, heart breaking betrayal, yet with acts of remarkable devotion and even humor along the way.

Product Details

• Paperback: 648 pages
• Publisher: BookSurge Publishing (September 3, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1419656694
• ISBN-13: 978-1419656699
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 6 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,207,601 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Royal Victory, November 1, 2008

By	Tish Bailey (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

An Involuntary King overcomes some daunting challenges: a distant period in history--England before the Norman conquest--with its unfamiliar customs and tongue-twisting names and vocabulary. It's a story about a king at a time when government meant rolling up your own sleeves to build and defend your land. There are some medieval conceits in the story, courtly love, knightly honor and all that, but what leaves the greatest impression is the caring relationship between the rulers and their people. To accomplish this, Hawthorne creates a vivid ensemble of supporting characters who blaze up in their little moments to illuminate what this story is really about.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Off the Page and Into My Imagination, September 6, 2008

By	G. Marlow (Arkansas) - See all my reviews

The thing that most attracts me to a book -- or causes me to put one down -- is character development. I want to feel that the characters are real people, not just cardboard cutouts acting out a part in the book's plot. This book satisfies that demand, not just with the title character (Lawrence, the involuntary king), but with characters at every level of the story.

Of course, we get to know best the main players in this novel - Lawrence and his queen Josephine, the sultry mercenary Elerde, the bards Shannon and Rory. Each of these characters is driven by motivations that seem to rise logically from his/her life experiences -- and by the end of the book, each of them has changed in some way. I have to admit that I didn't care for Josephine too much early on in the book; however, by the end, she had (IMO) matured enough that I could have at least a grudging respect for her.

Most books, however, will flesh out the main characters. I think one of the strengths of Hawthorne's book is that she has taken care to make the secondary characters and even the bit players reasonably well-rounded. There are a couple of villains who are motivated well enough to be truly creepy and not cartoonish (seeing them dispatched to their worthy ends is quite gratifying, ha ha). I really appreciate the way Hawthorne portrays the common people of the story - the barmaids, the healer, the rogue thieves. It gives a sense of the world in which the story takes place, a world Hawthorne has obviously studied.

My main caveat would be that this is not a "bedtime story" - there is far too much going on to think it will relax your mind before sleep (there were a couple of times I had strange dreams all night after reading the book!). The war scenes are also not for the squeamish (although they give a good idea of just what battles must have been like in that time).

I enjoyed the book, and I'm pleased to have King Lawrence, Rory, Shannon, and yes, even Queen Josephine now wandering about in my mind, mingling with other memorable characters in the "cocktail party" of my imagination.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Grand Tale!, September 5, 2008

By	Brandy Purdy (Beaumont, TX) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

An Involuntary King is the best kind of story, a rich, exciting, medieval saga that skillfully blends adventure, romance, and history. Lawrence, son of Arneth, King of Crislicland, was never meant to be king. When tragedy foists that unexpected honor onto him, he fights to master his own feelings of unworthiness and prove himself worthy of the Crown and to become not just a good king, but a great king, strong, beloved, and wise. This novel charts the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of his reign, the bloody battles to hold his kingdom and vanquish his foes; his marriage to the passionate and lively Josephine, whose beauty draws admirers as honey does flies, and more than once leads to trouble, and much, much more. With a vibrant cast of characters who seem to spring to life right off the page, An Involuntary King is from start to finish a delight to read!