If you know me, you know I love historical fiction. I like stories based on historical events. I like stories which twist historical events. I like fantasy stories which are set in our world. I like fantasy stories where the author has created their own world and given it a history (which often matches up with our own).
I am working on research for my own historical fiction (although I’m years from even writing anything). It will be centered around Jamestown and the beginnings of the American colony. If you dug into the Kingsmoot you would find out much of it comes from history too. Vikings and the early kings of Europe are all in my wheelhouse.
In short, the Saxon Tales may as well have been written just for me.
I remember reading the first book in the series, and immediately running through the rest of the series. I’ve read it a couple of times, and to this day I have to force myself not to go back and read it again, for the simple reason that if I start it I’ll be spending the next few months reading it all again.
Yes, it’s that good.
The best historical fiction weaves real events with fiction so you don’t know what really happened and what was made up. Depending on the timeframe, there may be vast swathes of knowledge the author has to fit the story around, or there may be little and they have much room to move in. This is the latter: we know a surprising amount about the time, but there is plenty for the author to create and still maintain believability.
I should mention I’m only talking about the book series here. There is a television series called The Last Kingdom which is based on the books, but I haven’t seen it. It’s on my list to watch, but it does fall into the area of watch/not watch, because I don’t know if I want it to spoil my enjoyment of the books by putting different images into my mind.
So what’s it all about?
The star of the series, Uhtred, navigates his way through ninth century England, finding himself embroiled in the major events of the day. His rise to power as a warrior means he becomes involved in fighting small and big battles, with and against the kings of the time. Naturally he runs into the English king Alfred the Great, and through various events ends up basically saving his kingdom for him.
There is of course much more to it than that. There is Uhtred’s own heritage to deal with (born Saxon, raised Danish). There’s his ongoing attempts to return to his original home and restore it from the scheming uncle. And for a wider view we see the ideas which ended up forming the basis of the kingdom of England.
It’s all very exciting. Just the sort of story I want to both read and write.
And just to be clear: the book series was originally called The Saxon Tales, which is what I know it as. It was renamed as The Last Kingdom because of the television show. I don’t even know if you can buy Saxon Tales books anymore, or if they’ve all been rebranded. I’ve included some covers of both the new and old books, so you can see how good they used to be. Now, they’re all shots from the tv show.
The themes of the Saxon Tales
Belonging
Uhtred is born a Saxon, but taken as a child and raised as a Dane. Much of the story is spent on the dichotomy he faces. Is he Danish or is he English? Just what does he believe? There is much about searching for where he belongs in a divided world.
Political power
The story ebbs and flows as different groups take power. We see alliances and betrayals between factions as everyone vies for supremacy over all of England. The consequences of battle can change the world in an instant.
Religious faith
Do you believe in the pagan gods who have dominated, or the relatively new Christianity which is spreading across the world? The clash between the two sides is often led by the role of religion, and victory shapes leaders and society.
A character of great interest
Uhtred is the obvious choice here. He’s a warrior, he’s a leader, he’s a commanding presence wherever he goes. His upbringing bridges the two worlds he lives in, with torn loyalties at times. He’s smart, uncompromising, shrewd, loyal, everything you would expect him to be.
I compare him to my character Petr, who is frankly a replica of Uhtred. Not in the sense of being him with another name, but rather the standard idea of a fighter who has done everything he possibly can to win.
The difference is that Petr is thrust into positions he doesn’t want to be in, whereas Uhtred takes every opportunity to get ahead. Petr is the reluctant leader who finds himself in a position to make a difference for his people. Uhtred tries to grab everything for himself.
I guess the difference between the two then is who they are looking out for. Uhtred is driven by the ideas of vengeance and personal power, doing all he can to bring it to himself. Petr is driven by the idea of helping others in his clan, taking power for himself in order to give it to his people.
Ultimately your preference for one or the other might depend on your own personal feelings. Do you crave power for yourself or to help others? Are you willing to sacrifice others to gain, or is everything you do to benefit the people around you? And how do you know the difference?
Other series to read
There are so many series out there dealing with either the Viking invasion or the early kings of England. Some of them have been turned into television shows. If I were to recommend them, I’d almost always want to tell you to read the books first.
The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett: I’m not going to lie, for the longest time I thought this was a fantasy novel rather than historical fiction. Turns out it’s right up my alley. The entire series is somewhat reminiscent of the books by Edward Rutherfurd, but stretched out over several books rather than just one.
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel: Were I to recommend one historical series, this would be it. I have to write about it sometime soon. If I could publish books half as good as this I’d be very happy indeed. The somewhat fictional story of Thomas Cromwell. Brilliant. Very possibly my Desert Island books.
The Warlord Chronicles by Bernard Cornwell: Sticking with the same author, I haven’t read these but they’re high on my list. Arthurian tales based on historical stories, the same way the Saxon Tales are.
In Conclusion
The Saxon Tales weave fact and fiction together in a profoundly interesting way. It explores power and identity. It asks the reader to not only get involved in the story, but to think about the way it has affected our modern world. In short, it’s just about the perfect series for me. I dream of writing books that become so popular and widespread as these.
