Pagan Warrior

March 28, 2023 / 9 Comments

by Gwendalyn’s Books

Hello Friends,

Welcome to my stop stop on the Blog Tour for

Pagan Warrior by M.J. Porter

(Of Gods and Kings #1)

Pagan Warrior

by MJ Porter

(Of Gods and Kings #1)

Blog Tour March 14th – May 16th, 2023

Publication Date: May 25th, 2015

Publisher: MJ Publishing

Pages: 294

Genre: Historical Fiction / Action & Adventure

Audiobook: narrated by Matt Coles

ABOUT THE BOOK

From bestselling author, MJ Porter comes the tale of the mighty pagan king, Penda of Mercia.

Britain. AD632.

Penda, a warrior of immense renown, has much to prove if he is to rule the Mercian kingdom of his dead father and prevent the neighbouring king of Northumbria from claiming it.

Unexpectedly allying with the British kings, Penda races to battle the alliance of the Northumbrian king, unsure if his brother stands with him or against him as they seek battle glory for themselves, and the right to rule gained through bloody conquest.

There will be a victor and a bloody loser, and a king will rise from the ashes of the great and terrible battle of Hædfeld.

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REVIEW

⚔️☀︎△༻·.Pagan Warrior.·༺ △ ☀︎⚔️

by MJ Porter

This book was received from the Author, and Publisher, in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is a non spoiler review, because you as reader need to read this book. Also, I feel sometimes I have in the past gave away to much of the plot line. This has diminished the pleasure for would be readers.

Pagan Warrior by M.J. Porter, is an impeccably researched historical fiction of the dark ages. A captivating book that is written in multi-POV’s, giving the reader front row center place as book progresses up to the battle of Hædfeld. As Christianity makes it steady march, across the lands, and the shift from paganism to the one god. Kings and Lords start to form alliances, M.J. Porter, incredible writing gives readers an insightful look at the treachery and the side switching of those who play key roles in the dark turbulent time in history. A vast cast of players who are somewhat related by birth or marriage makes for even more heated dynamics. Stunning character development and rewarding backstories, kept me immersed from start to finish. The ever present tension, is cleverly built up to the climatic battle.

What A Rewarding Read

The Battle of Hatfield

In AD632 there was a fierce battle between the Northumbrians led by King Edwin against the Pagans led by Penda of Mercia and King Cadwallon of Gwynedd. The Battle is known as the Battle of Heathfield but we now know it as the Battle of Hatfield.

History tells us that the Battle took place at the village of Hatfield just north-east of Doncaster. Yet I cannot find any evidence to support that claim, only by the word of mouth of William Camden. (1)

Heath means ‘unattended land’.

Field means ‘a piece of land cleared of trees and usually enclosed’

So Heathfield is ‘a clearing of unattended land’.

From this point we will use the word Hatfield in preference of Heathfield.

The first recognised historian in England was The Venerable Bede (673-735) and it was he who first mentioned the Battle of Heathfield / Hatfield in the written word. 40 years before his birth, the battle in question took place.

Bede writes:

“A great battle being fought in the plain that is called Haethfelth, Edwin was killed on the 12th of October, in the year of our Lord 632, being then forty-eight years of age, and all his army was either slain or dispersed.”
In the 7th Century, a vast amount of Northumbria, Yorkshire, North Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire would fall under the heading of Hatfield.

Sited from : Battle of Hatfield Investigation Society

AUTHOR

M J Porter

MJ Porter is the author of many historical novels set predominantly in Seventh to Eleventh-Century England, as well as three twentieth-century mysteries. Raised in the shadow of a building that was believed to house the bones of long-dead Kings of Mercia, meant that the author’s writing destiny was set.

Connect with MJ Porter:

Website • Twitter • Facebook • LinkedIn • Instagram • Pinterest • BookBub

Amazon Author Page • Goodreads • Linktr.ee • TikTok

Connect with narrator, Matt Coles:

Instagram • Tiktok • Website