Godwine Kingmaker: Part One of The Last Great Saxon Earls
Description
<p><span><span>Harold Godwineson, the Last Anglo-Saxon King, owed everything to his father. Who was this Godwine, first Earl of Wessex and known as the Kingmaker? Was he an unscrupulous schemer, using King and Witan to gain power? Or was he the greatest of all Saxon Earls, protector of the English against the hated Normans? The answer depends on who you ask. He was befriended by the Danes, raised up by Canute the Great, given an Earldom and a wife from the highest Danish ranks. He sired nine children, among them four Earls, a Queen and a future King. Along with his power came a struggle to keep his enemies at bay, and Godwine's best efforts were brought down by the misdeeds of his eldest son Swegn. Although he became father-in-law to a reluctant Edward the Confessor, his fortunes dwindled as the Normans gained prominence at court. Driven into exile, Godwine regathered his forces and came back even stronger, only to discover that his second son Harold was destined to surpass him in renown and glory.</span></span></p>
Story Behind The Book
This is the third book in the Legends of Astarkand series. In this one, Bjorn rides to relieve the city of Hardeburg from the depredations of a barber who has talked the duchess's army into taking over the keep. Will Bjorn be in time, or will the duchess's stepson, Lythis will be sacrificed on Woden's Day? Read to find out!
One of the major characters in Eiathan's Heir is Gunhild; a shapeshifting sorceress. As she looks for ways to create trouble for Bjorn, she transforms from one creature to another. Some of her transformations are almost as hazardous to herself as they are to anyone around her.
