A great book that starts the English Kingdom. The voice of Athelstan is on point, and very enthralling. Very enjoyable book.

M J Porter returns with an epic historical tale perfect for Bernard Cornwell fans: King of Kings.

AD925 and after the sudden death of King Edward, Athelstan finds himself as the King of the English, uniting the petty kingdoms of Wessex, Mercia, the Danish-held Five Boroughs and York. Athelstan wants to unite Scotland and Wales in a peace accord that will protect their borders from the imminent and ominous threat of the Norse Vikings. Athelstan might appear to want peace and loyalty from his subjects, but there is danger far closer to home that could jeopardise all of his plans. Athelstan needs to watch his step because his brother Edwin has vengeance on his mind and he will not rest until he is the one sitting on the throne.

Frequently overlooked, Edwin has had enough of being in his stepbrother’s shadow. He thinks he is the rightful king of England and he will do whatever it takes to destroy his brother. Plotting and conspiring against his sibling is second nature to Edwin, but he is not the only one with his eye on England’s throne. Constantin of the Scots, Owain of Strathclyde and Ealdred of Bamburgh also have their own plans for Athelstan and they will use any means necessary to plot their revenge against England’s upstart king.

As Athelstan begins to feel his grip on power weakening, can he manage to remain king of the English? Or will his enemies succeed in obliterating everything he has worked so hard for?

M J Porter’s King of Kings is a masterclass in writing historical fiction. A talented storyteller who brings history effortlessly to life, with King of Kings M J Porter has penned a gripping, addictive and exquisitely interwoven tale of power, ambition, vengeance and jeopardy that sweeps readers into a dangerous world where nothing is what it initially seems.

With larger-than-life characters, a plot that never flags and a story that keeps those pages turning, King of Kings is a first class historical novel just crying out for a big screen adaptation.

thank you NetGalley for the eARC. I was starting to get lost in the sauce in the beginning of the book but then the fog cleared and it became clear. Another good book for MJ Porter

This was such a good read I loved it and was completely hooked from the first page. Definitely recommend

King of Kings by M.J. Porter is the first book in the new Chronicles of the English/Brunanburh and WoW What a fantastic magical this book this was!

In the battle for power, there can be only one ruler. AD925

Athelstan is crowned King of England, following the sudden death of his father, King Edward.. He unites the kingdoms of Wessex, Mercia and York. He makes allegiances with the Kings of Wales and Scotland but already Constantin of Scotland is planning revenge and retribution

An interesting and powerful read and I really enjoyed it.

I know something of this period in British history, but not enough to keep track of the number of characters and POVs presented in this novel. This is an interesting period in history, and I looked forward to learning more from this historical fiction. The author performed a respectable amount of research, as described in his note at the end.
Each brief chapter focused on the POV of another person. The author did all he reasonably could to inform the reader of what to expect from the chapter. The title stated the topic, the year, location, and character were also listed. However, as soon as I became involved in the character's story, the chapter ended and switched to someone else. I understand the author is trying to present the perspective of numerous historic personae who were involved in these historic events; however, it did not work for me.
Maybe the author could have reduced the number of POVs or divided them into separate books. This is book 1 of a series. I would not want to read others that are written like this one.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Magical. I just love stepping into MJ Porter's world, being whisked into the past and immersing myself in the tension and excitement. They have the ability to create tension and to hold the reader at the endge of the seat. These books should be turned into films. Fantastic characters, great setting, immense storyline.

Okay so I was super excited for this book I mean it was Viking era so how could I say no. I was grateful that the book seemed well researched and I truly wanted to love it. However, the book was absolutely boring and so hard to get through. The sheer number of characters to keep up with and the ways that even the various perspectives all sounded the same made it hard for me to continue reading. I was a bit disappointed. I also think the length of the novel with this level of density makes it a difficult read.

King of Kings is a very different read, in a very good way. It is compelling, full of political intrigues.

We're in the British Isles in the 10th century. King Athelstan is in charge of the former independent Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of Wessex, Mercia, and East-Anglia. He begins to style himself as King of the English – the first step towards a united England.

When the Norse ruler of York/Jorvik dies, Athelstan hurries north to support his sister, the dead ruler's widow, and to add the town to his own dominions. The little resistance from the Dublin Norse is easily quashed, and Athelstan eyes up the remaining kingdoms of the isles: the Scots, Strathclyde, Bamburgh, and the small Welsh kingdoms.

In 927, he invites the rulers of those kingdoms to sign a peace accord with him. Constantin, King of the Scots, arrives, as does Owain of Strathclyde. Hywel of the South Welsh is also there, a man whose religious beliefs match Athelstan's. And there's Ealdred of Bamburgh who was keen at first to accept Athelstan's terms, in order to protect his small kingdom from the eagle eyes of Constantin. And Owain also wants to also sign to seek revenge on Constantin who is overlord of Strathclyde.

And Constantin himself seeks to protect his borders, and he signs the accord in the same sense previous treaties have been – broken when it suited the signatories. But this one's different – it lays out that Athelstan, and all future Kings of the English, are overlords of all the other kingdoms on the isle of Britain. The repercussions last to this day...



You see that there's much going on in terms of politics, personal ambition, defence, and false allegiances. The author has done much research into the individuals involved, and the setting is sparingly but authentically described.

The events are told from the various points of view, not just all the main protagonists’ but also several minor characters. This adds a great depth of intrigue to the story, as MJ Porter shows the kings’ real thoughts, their intrigues and their opinions of each other. And they're not always positive!

The author reveals the men's true ambitions, and none of them come away as a likeable person. I guess 10th-century rulers shouldn't be, to start with, but Athelstan's seemingly benevolent stance hides a ruthless mind that reminded me of King Edward I, the ’Hammer of the Scots’. I could easily visualise him, and each of the other narrators.

And even though I normally prefer novels told from a small number of points of view, in King of Kings, the range of characters, all separated in individual chapters, works perfectly.

Yes, there is some repetition of information at times – it's unavoidable when you have different characters attending the same events – and I sometimes skipped a few paragraphs. But that's a very minor point.

King of Kings is an engrossing, intriguing read, utterly compelling and thoroughly gripping.

Highly recommended!

I loved reading the book, it's been a while since I read an excellent historical fiction book. You know, that kind where you are totally lost for a little while, but the story starts to come together and before you know it, you are pulled back in time and sucked into the events.

The story is set in the 10th century, England and centres around the Battle of Bruhanburh and all the events leading up to it.

There is a lot of political intrigues. Fragile alliances are being forged, but everyone has their own agenda and motivation and no one can be trusted.

The story spans multiple years and multiple narrators. It took a bit of time to sort out who was who, and the pace is on the slower side, but it works well with the story. The story is set in a time that I know very little about (it's been a while since high school:) ), and I found myself totally sucked into the story.

Highly recommend it to everyone who loves a good historical fiction book.

thanks to Boldwood Books for the book, all thoughts are my own

Posted as part of the blog tour!

King of Kings revolves around the Battle of Brunanburh and the events that lead to this epic battle.

Athelstan is King of the English but not everyone is happy with the uniting of the kingdoms.

The King of the English has designs to grow his kingdom but mostly he’s looking to the future, in the short term he knows peace is the only solution but if we know anything about Kings and Queens of the past is that it’s a treacherous position to hold, not only do you have threats from outside of your kingdom but you have to watch your back too.. family doesn’t mean what it should to some.. and families can be quite complicated at times.

MJ Porter wonderfully weaves the tale with changing perspectives, exploring the motivations and inner thoughts of some of the most powerful and influential people at the time. I found this amazing to read, I know we may not really know someone’s thoughts but the changing perspective really gave life and depth to each of the characters. I particularly loved that I felt the author managed to put some of their own writing style into the tale, little moments when you can tell they had fun writing the scene.. don’t get me wrong.. textbooks are brilliant for facts but sometimes  you need a little something extra to bring events and characters to life and a tale such as this gives you that.. it makes me want to learn more and in particularly keen to learn more about the Welsh Kings. I can’t say I now much about the period but King of Kings gives me exactly what I need, historical fiction that excites.. sparks the desire to learn more.

The book has a large ensemble of characters, and the story covers a wide period, so I’d definitely say give yourself the time to really immerse yourself in the book. The short chapters certainly helped me to retain the information and ensured the flow of the tale went well. It’s a pretty perfect book to get lost in for a few hours.

Overall a really enjoyable read, I particularly liked exploring the different characters and their motivations, each wanting to ensure their safety but at the same time ready to attack if the time is right. It’s all about the build up baby..you are just wanting to see who will step over the line first!

Anyone that has read my blog knows I'm a huge fan of MJ Porter, so I was excited to hear about a new series coming!

This time we head to AD 925 and the story of Athelstan. He is now King of England following the death of his father and half brother. Athelstan has managed to unite the kingdoms of England, bringing York back under his control. He now needs to bring peace amongst his own kingdoms and those of the Welsh and Scots. An aim that may not be as simple as first thought.

The events are told through the viewpoints of the central characters, giving each chapter a different perspective and adding depth to the storyline. The use of different viewpoints ensures the narrative continues with how each character is reacting to news and events.

My favourite characters from this were Athelstan, Edmund, Hywel and Lady Eadgifu. I enjoyed how they interacted together but MJ managed to keep their personalities separate throughout.

One of my favourite things about MJs books is that there is humour as well as the serious events you would expect.
There is not as much blood and gore as in my favourite Coelwulf series but this is still a brilliant book. One of the events covered (no spoilers) makes you realise the effects of battle, how it impacts those who survive and those heading into battle for the first time. That part was a tense read and I could picture it in my mind.

Congratulations MJ on the creation of a fabulous new series!

I’ve been a fan of MJ Porter for a few years and was excited to have the opportunity to read her latest ahead of time. King of Kings is a tale of ambition and deceit, where the wrong alliance can cost an entire kingdom.

This historical novel is told through a number of narrators. Initially, it took a little time to get your head wrapped around who was who, what their agenda was and whether they were aligned with our main protagonist, Athelstan, king of a newly formed England. As with anything set in this time period, the names sounding similar to one another didn’t help.

Once you figure out the identities, however, the shifting view point creates a full story. You get to witness all sides of a fragile alliances – how and why it’s working and why no one can be entirely trusted to mean what they say. The king’s young brother, Edmund, was my favourite: he offers a more innocent look at the world and you learn with him about the importance of certain behaviours.

Compared to some of Porter’s other works, King of Kings is much slower in pace: there’s only one main battle towards the end. The majority of the book is made up of the characters trying to consolidate their power and work towards their own agenda. But the underlying tension of the shifting alliances means I was invested in the story and eager to see who would be the victor of the fight – even one fought without swords.

The story is set across a number of years. A few times throughout, I found myself getting lost. Until I realised it was important to take note of the chapter headings, providing both the timeline and the narrator for that section. The main thing I found with the jumps in time was Edmund’s age – nothing else really was affected. Note to self: pay attention to all the words in the book, not just those telling the story.

I’ve read a fair amount set in the time period just before this one, with the Saxons fighting to repel invaders. It was interesting coming to a few years later, when the threat isn’t as strong and the focus is trying to unite the land into one kingdom. It does mean the book is political in nature: it’s all about winning (or forcing) fealty and allegiances rather than taking them by force, which may not be as much of an interest to some readers.

I read King of Kings fairly quickly. It’s not a long book which works well with the content. You remain engaged without ever feeling like there’s too much talk going on.

If you’re interested in this time period, I’d definitely recommend this one. Porter’s writing draws you in, makes you root for these characters and want them to get their desired outcome. It’s tamer than some of her other works in terms of language and violence, but equally as gripping. I look forward to more.

I have to up front about this, I am a fan of MJ Porter and have read most of the books on offer. This one however was a slight shock to the system, in a good way I hasten to add. The reason for this was I needed to restart the book once more as I neglected to read the fine print under the chapter heading, where it clearly stated which of the characters this chapter would be taken from. This was unusual and so very cleverly well done, brilliantly written and imagined. The book completely took over my imagination ( as usual - for my favourite authors ) and the depth of the characters remained full to the top.. Would I recommend the book, oh yes 10/10

When Athelstan was crowned the king of the English hey soon after sent out a peace treaty to the other kings there were five kings that weren’t on board and leading the charge with king Constantine of the Scots.. king Athelstan took it all in stride. He was a pious Monarch who wanted to be fair to hisfellow rulers as well as his siblings. Unfortunately just like his fellow monarchs not all the siblings were on board with what the newly crowned king wanted. His brother Admond was not only an alcoholic but I man who thought he should have been king after the death of their eldest brother tensions would rise not only in the family but across kingdoms alliances would change secrets become public fatter, there would be treason of foot and a battle that would be inevitable and in the end there would be one monarch that proves he is worthy of the crown and one that would be invited to the victors kingdom for a Buffay of crow. Before I talk about the story itself let me say I love the formatting of this book. Everyone important to the story got the own chapter call from their point of view and I love that I think this is my favorite book by MJ Porter but then again I stayed that every time I’m finished reading one of her books. I do believe this book is a crowning jewl and ultimately I think her finest work. I love this book and couldn’t wait to read it and I’m so glad I have if you love the politics and intrigue of royalty then King of Kings by MJ Porter is a must read. I cannot say enough about this book I loved it loved it loved it! A real five star read! I received this great book from NetGalley and bold wood books, but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review

In AD925 Athelstan is crowned King of England after the death of his Father Alfred the Great. He unites the kingdoms of Wessex, Mercia and York. He makes allegiances with the Kings of Wales and Scotland but already Constantin of Scotland is planning revenge and retribution. And closer to home his brother Edwin is resentful and plans to conspire against Althelstan to take what he feels is his rightful place as King
The chapters are told from various narrators pivotal to the storyline and this helps create the need to read just a little bit more. If truth be told I had never heard of Athelstan before but I really loved the book and reading about him. After doing my own little research I feel the author portrayed his first years ruling very accurately.
This book has increased my enthusiasm to read more of MJ Porters books. I look forward to book 2

A first person look at the first king of a mostly United England during the reign of Athelstan, the grandson of Alfred the Great. If anyone is interested in a story from the end of Bernard Cornwell’s Saxon Tales, then this book is for you. I could have used less explanation from Athelstan and a little more action. It reads a lot like ‘King Athelstan’s diary’ like Mary Queen of Scots or Henry VIII by Margaret George.

I wanted to enjoy this book. 10th century history around the unification of England? Yes please. However, I simply could not sink into and engage with the book.

I know this period of history on a broad level at least. However, despite this, I was struggling to follow what was happening. My main problem, I think, was that there were so many names introduced in the first chapter alone.

There are probably about 20 as the prologue is basically a compression of the entire history and genealogy that gets AEthelstan to the throne. It's a lot to try and keep in your head (and it honestly doesn't help that the pattern of naming royals at that time makes a lot of them very similar.) I have a basic understanding of who these people are and I was still utterly lost, trying to keep three names introduced in the same sentence straight. This all means you start off on the back foot, immediately struggling to get into the book and work out what's happening.

After that, there's then a rapid fire introduction of POVs, all of whom bring their own new characters and names into the mix. In the quarter I read, I counted 7 POVs (I had to grab some scrap paper and start tallying because I was struggling to recall them all.) This simply adds to the information overload.

The next issue I had was that everything seemed so easy for the character. AEthelstan is crowned, adds another kingdom to his bigger kingdom, sends a gift to one person (which immediately makes him agree to become a subject king because reasons? despite saying several times he's very proud of his independence?)

This made it feel like there weren't any challenges, that there was nothing at stake because AEthelstan would just simply steamroll anything in his way without breaking a sweat.

A good insight in to the who’s, the whys, and the when’s of King Athelstan’s quest for peace in Britain.
The book takes on a chronological approach, stepping between the details of key events through the eyes of the key players in Britain at the time.
I really enjoyed the way in which the author has based the story on historical fact, allowing the reader to learn throughout the book. However the play with fictional elements allows the reader to draw their own opinions and questions about the different motifs and honour of the different kings of Britain at the time.

A good read 4/5

The author MJ Porter chose to stick fairly closely to actual fact with this novel of historical fiction. Even so, there is some tweaking here and there. At first, I found it a bit difficult to sort out all the who's who of the various kings from the various places, but thankfully Porter offers a glossary of names and terms to help keep them all straight.

There are Viking, Norsemen kings, Welsh and Scots kings and of course, the English king and so on, from all over Britian. The time frame of these kings and their men who lived and died, being from 925 to 934.

War and conflicts are never nice to hear or read about so I didn't much care for that part of the book's drama. There was plenty of tension just striving for the attempt at a peace accord signing. Would they all agree, and if so, would they keep their word? Do read to find out.

Those with strong hearts, and a fondness for the bickerings and strife among kings, along with an appetite for history will find this book of interest, I believe. Although I did find some of the tale diverting, it wasn't exactly my cup of tea.

~Eunice C., Reviewer/Blogger~

January 2023

Disclaimer: This is my honest opinion based on the complimentary review copy sent by NetGalley and the Boldwood Book publishers.