The Last Warrior: England

Coelwul and his band of warriors continue their fight to reclaim Mercia. Hailed King of Mercia, Coelwul leads his warriors along the River Trent from Repton to Torksey overpowering Raiders.

Having read The Last King (read my review here), I was excited to read The Last Warrior. Though, I was expecting to be slightly disappointed in The Last Warrior, as sequel books don’t often hit the reading spot. However, this was not the case, The Last Warrior took me on the battles of King Lord Coelwul and his men, which I easily slipped into, visualising the battles and giggling at the strong will of Haden (Coelwul’s horse). MJ Porter’s writing enabled me to feel the weight of responsibility that both the battles and being King had on Coelwul. Coelwul seemed less confident in The Last Warrior and a bit more savage in his battles. I could feel the frustration and desperation of having to fight another battle to claim back Merica. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and looking forward to continuing Coelwul’s journey in book 3.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was a little worried starting this that the sequel wouldn't live up to the first book but I was very much mistaken, this one has a prologue that literally drags you on straight away with thoughts of "What??????"
I really enjoyed the first one and after this I think it's becoming a series I will definitely continue to read, I can't wait for the next one.
It's a story of war, loyalty and friendship with incredible battle scenes and the added bonus of humour. This is fast becoming a favourite series for me!

Yet another rollicking read, I might g so far as to say that this one was better than the first, that could be down to a knowledge of the characters, but it was eagerly awaited and did not fail to deliver.
The characters are well rounded and draw you in to their lives, knowing that you follow them through their tales gives meaning to their lives.
It took 2 days of reading to demolish the book, so well written and eagerly awaited was it.
Book 3 cannot come soon enough.

After being stunned by the The Last King, I was looking forward to the series continuing. Porter again delivers an action-packed historical fantasy, moving from one battle to another while making you care about this warband of soldiers.

I described Coelwulf as a tough guy with a soft heart in my first review, and I stand by that now. After unofficially being crowned King of Mercia, his burdens are heavier than ever: Raiders roam his land, his group are divided and friend and foe aren’t as distinguishable as they should be. His loyalty to his men is matched only by theirs to him and you’re left with a warm glow of comradeship, despite the majority of the plot is formed by both large-scale battles and smaller skirmishes.

Coelwulf continues to be a strong protagonist. Regardless of the violence, he’s driven by the need to protect both his men and his kingdom. He will stop at nothing to ensure victory, but always has time to honour the dead and grieve the fallen. He comments on not knowing fatherhood, but his bond with his former squire-turned-warrior, Rudolf, makes the reader smirk: there’s no denying he has experienced the emotions that comes with being a parent.

One issues from the first book was not connecting to the multiple characters. Names were complicated and you didn’t get to know the personalities of the men. There are fewer to remember due to the force splitting this time, which helps. But we’ve had our introductions: now we start to know their temperaments. Rudolf has always been cheeky but is gaining a man’s confidence; Pybba is a word of caution when all seems rash; Hereman is even more stubborn that Coelwulf. You couldn’t make that connection previously but it makes for a more moving tale.

This is a novel full of bloodshed and tension, betrayal and action. But it never feels heavy or overwhelming. The language is strong but you sense the bond between the men and it provides light relief, cutting through otherwise intense scenes. A favourite part is how these warriors are with their horses: heaven forbid anyone harm their steeds, and it adds humanity to these tough warriors.

The plot echoes the first book: the warband move from one point to another, fighting along the way. The slow pace of the men is reflected in the steady pace of the plot. The emotional connection with the characters immerses you in their world though, and you’re rooting for them from the beginning. Betrayals hurt; deaths are painful; and sly comments from Rudolf make you grin.

As with The Last King, it opens with a passage taken from near the end. I thought I was prepared for the misdirection. But it fooled me again, resulting in a gripping novel that kept me guessing. One thing is for sure with M.J Porter’s books: nothing is as it seems.

The Last Warrior is an intense but engaging read, perfect for historical fiction fans who like a battle or two.

4 stars

You can read all of my reviews at https://www.NerdGirlLovesBooks.com.

Wow. This is a great second book in the series about King Coelwulf and his courageous band of men's fight to save Mercia from the invasion of Norse raiders. The action starts immediately after the battle at Repton and doesn't let up until the devastating cliffhanger.

King Coelwulf and his men are bloodied after they beat back the raiders at Repton, but far too many of them made it to their boats and fled north to safety. Determined to extinguish the scourge from Mercia completely, King Coelwulf's depleted war band sets off in hot pursuit of the invaders.

Setting a plan in motion that required his men split into two groups on opposite sides of a river, Coelwulf is worried when the second group of men don't show up at the predetermined rally point. With no other option but to forge ahead in pursuit of the fleeing foe, he and his smaller band fight their way north to the raider's next stronghold. Along the way Coelwulf deals with divided loyalties, traitors and a seemingly endless army of Norsemen.

This book has just as much blood, guts and gore as the first book, with plenty of fight scenes and cursing. The descriptive fight scenes are almost non-stop and the book is a fast, quick read. The author does a fantastic job of conveying the pain, exhaustion and despair the courageous men are feeling as they fight their way through the country. I can't wait for the next installment to see what happens next!

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

this was a great sequel to the first book and I really enjoyed how the characters had grown. I thoroughly enjoyed the plot and it made me look forward to more in the series.

Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC. I liked the book because I like that time period but this was a lot of blood and guts and a lot of F words. Lol. I still liked it