Blog Tour 2013 ~ Three Kings, One Throne by Michael Wills

I am delighted to be part of the Blog Tour to celebrate the publication of Three Kings ,One Throne by Michael Wills.

 Michael has been kind enough to share his thoughts with us....

Perhaps I should give you a bit of background about me and my writing.

I have been fascinated by history ever since I can remember. As a boy I used to go to jumble sales to see if there were collectable historical items. Much to my mother’s displeasure I built up a museum of items including a real Brown Bess, a WW1 bayonet, a block of wood from the wreck of the Royal George and numerous real or imagined flint arrow heads. But the need to earn a living got in the way and I became an EFL teacher. First I worked in Scandinavia for thirteen years, teaching and writing course books, and then as the Principal of a language school in Salisbury. However, my interest in history did not desert me and I took every opportunity to visit places of historical interest and to read extensively about the past. 

When I retired and saw what I fancied was an extensive stretch of untrammelled spare time ahead of me, I started to research and then write my first novel, Finn’s Fate. The book was inspired by my time in Scandinavia and tells the story of three brothers who abandon a life of drudgery as iron workers for the chance to go a Viking. My second novel, Three Kings – One Throne, relates the tale of two grandsons of one of the brothers. The boys grow up hundreds of miles apart and have very different lives, but as men, they eventually meet. 

And what happens then, is the climax of the story. 

Thank you for hosting me on your blog and for giving me the opportunity to tell your readers about my new novel, Three Kings – One Throne. 

www.michaelwills.eu
@MWillsofSarum
SilverWood Book Shop
Amazon
Facebook
Goodreads



Review

Three Kings – One Throne by Michael Wills.

The turbulent history which surrounds the invasion of England in the eleventh century was a complicated affair.The crown of England was a prize to be cherished above all prizes and there were good men, and bad, who were prepared to fight to the death to gain control of so rich a treasure. In 1066, on the death of Edward the Confessor, Harold Godwinson claimed the English crown, but standing by were two other claimants, a Norwegian and a Norman, who were both fully determined to stake their claim. Violence, greed and carnage were never off the agenda as opposing forces clashed and fought their way to victory.

What’s interesting about Three Kings-One Throne is that the story is narrated by two protagonists who are caught on opposing sides; Torkil, an Anglo Saxon thayne is on the side of Godwinson, whilst Ivar, a Danish orphan is part of the Norwegian opposing forces. Both men live with rough justice and violence, and are no stranger to their own brand of complicated deception.

There were occasionally times when the book seemed to flag a little, the task of explaining this particular snapshot of history is momentous, but overall Michael Wills has done an admirable job in bringing together all the intricate historical details and has woven a credible tale of adventure and political skulduggery.

There are helpful footnotes scattered throughout the text which help to put time and place into context, and the epilogue is especially valuable as it references the history of 1065/1066 in lesser detail. If you to want to learn more about this crucial period in English and European history, there is an extensive bibliography with some useful references for further reading.

It’s not crucial reading, as Three King's ,One Throne works well as a standalone story, but it does sort of make sense to read Finn’s Fate by Michael Wills first, as this sets the scene for the continuing story.

My thanks to Michael Wills and Silverwood  Books for my review copy of this book and for the invitation to take part in Three Kings-One Throne 2013 Blog Tour.

It’s been great fun.

April 2nd 2013 by SilverWood Books

March 29th 2012 by Book Guild Limited