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| Sunbird Stories 7 November 2024 My thanks to the publisher , author and Random Things Tours for the invitation to be part of this tour |
Young and beautiful Gytha Godwinson is the envy of England when her father Harold seizes the country’s crown in early 1066.
But soon, treachery tears her house apart, and triumph turns to terror.
An evil star appears, heralding the end of an era and a new beginning for Britain.
Her family and the country seem cursed.
Yet even as she suffers loss, betrayal and humiliation, Gytha is determined to regain what is rightfully hers.
In a stunning re-telling of 1066, international bestselling author Ellen Alpsten has created a captivating new heroine in Gytha Godwinson.
Witness the end of England's ancient house, the demise of a cursed kingdom and the emergence of a new empire: 'The Last Princess' bridges between myth and modernity.
📖My Review..
It’s difficult for us to image life in Anglo-Saxon Britain as these dark ages are now over a millennium ago and yet we continue to be fascinated by this ancient way of life and of the blood feuds which existed between members of the same family and the ever present threat of treachery from usurpers from across the sea. This re-imagining of the events leading up to the Norman conquest in 1066, and beyond, takes us into the heart of the Godwin family and we meet our feisty heroine, Gytha Godwinson, daughter of Harold, who will become King of England. However, the fickle finger of fate has a nasty way of interfering in history and even though there are changes ahead for the house of Godwinson, it is unfortunately the start of their downfall rather than a glorious beginning.
Nicely written, and imaginatively described, The Last Princess is the first book in a proposed series, which tells the story of Gytha Godwinson as she experiences the dramatic changes to herself and her family in 1066 and of the tumultuous events which followed the conquest of England by William of Normandy. I enjoyed experiencing the history as described by this talented author who relates everything with a fine eye for historical detail, bringing place and people to life in a believable way. Superstition, fear and dread all play their part and Gytha’s life is not without its challenges as she finds herself a stranger in a strange land. Darkness and cruelty serves to remind us that these were the dark ages of our time and many lives were lost and bartered with little thought or regard.
The author does a great job of bringing history alive and I look forward to continuing the story in the next book, The Sunrise Queen, which is due for publication in Autumn 2025.
About the author
Ellen Alpsten was born and raised in the Kenyan highlands, where she dressed up her many pets and forced them to listen to her stories.
Upon graduating from the 'Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris', she worked as a news-anchor for Bloomberg TV London. While working gruesome night shifts on breakfast TV, she started to write in earnest, every day, after work, a nap and a run. So much for burning midnight oil!
Today, Ellen works as an author and as a journalist for international publications such as Vogue, Standpoint, and CN Traveller. She lives in London with her husband, three sons, and a moody fox red Labrador.
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INSTAGRAM &ELLENALPSTENAUTHOR
Thanks for the blog tour support x
ReplyDeleteAlways a pleasure to be involved, Anne x
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