Cometh the hour by Annie Whitehead

Name of Book: Cometh the Hour

Author: Annie Whitehead

ISBN: 978-1-78697-946-9

Publisher: FeedARead.com publishing

Part of a Series: Tale of the Iclingas 

Type of book: Marcia, England, Penda, leadership, kings, relationships, brotherhood, 604- 654, families, friendships, clans, bonds, christianity, paganism, daily life, wars, battles, multigenerational 

Year it was published: 2017

Summary:

In seventh century England, a vicious attack sets in motion a war of attrition which will last for generations.

Four kings, connected by blood and marriage, vie for the mantle of overlord. Three affect to rule with divine assistance. The fourth, whose cousin and sister have been mistreated and whose friend has been slaughtered, watches, and waits.

He is a pagan, he is a Mercian, and his name is Penda.

By his side is a woman determined to escape her brutal past. She aids his struggle against his treacherous brother and their alliance founds a dynasty with the potential to end injustice and suppression, if only they can continue to stand together...

A story that spans generations, and travels from Sutton Hoo to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne and back to the buried treasure of Staffordshire, this is the first volume of the tales of the Iclingas, the family who ruled Mercia, fighting to avenge their kin and to keep their people free

Characters:

There are a lot of character's, and it will take me forever to list them all, but there are a few important ones, namely Penda and his beloved wife Derwena as well as Edwin and Pendas beloved kinswoman Carinna, at least the tale begins with them. Edwin is an ambitious man who desires to get his kingdom back from Aylfrith the Cunning as well as reunite his scattered family. In order to do that, he travels around, attempting to get support for himself to achieve goals. Edwin is also politically savvy and will do whatever he can to realize his own ambitions no matter what cost they are to others. Carinna is a warmhearted woman who looks after Penda and his older brother as well as their younger sister. She is loyal, giving and makes a good impression on everyone she meets. Penda is best described as politically savvy, loyal and someone with a good heart. He is often seen as a king even before taking on the mantle of leadership. He sees all children as his own and is loving and generous as them. He is also a brave fighter and inspires loyalty in others. He also refuses to break any oaths he makes. Derwena is his wife and she is a strong and fearsome woman as well as very cunning and loyal. She stays by Pendas side and helps him a great deal. Everyone holds both of them in high regard and for me their relationship was the best part of the story.

Theme:

One action can change the life and world of everyone

Plot:

The story is told in third person narrative from what seems to be everyone's point of view. But it's not a confusing tale and the author developed knowledge on when to move on or when to stay put. Also, all the characters are handled well and one wants to hang out with them. The tale begins in 604 ME, when Edwin is forcibly exiled from his LAND of birth in Deira by Aylfrith the Cunning. To add more insult to injury, Aylfrith the Cunning also kidnaps Edwins beloved sister, Acha. That one single action will have consequences for families and people everywhere as well as change landscape for England and help pave way to christianity. 

Author Information:
(From goodreads)

N/A

Opinion:

Wow, it seems as if with every book I read by Annie Whitehead, I end up being more and more in awe of her talent, of her managing to balance the complexity of storyline, history, characters as well as make tales appeal both for men and women. This book, which takes place in 7th century England is no exception. I read it a year ago, but reread it again and this time my journey through it far more amazing than the first time I read it. Just like with Alvar the Kingmaker and To be a Queen, which take place in late 9th century as well as 10th century, way way before William the Conqueror of 1066, Cometh the hour creates a breathtaking time and place of a corner of England long forgotten, and introduces the reader to a wonderful leader and one of the first Mercian kings, Penda and his world of 7th century England. I lived, breathed and traveled through this overlooked period and I got to know the fractured England of paganism where christianity was barely making headway and was used as a political tool rather than religious. I also met various people and felt heartbreak for a number of characters and their fates. I also will mention that this is a generational tale where politics and maneuvering shape the men and women into whom they became at the time. The story also spans almost fifty years and generations are skillfully handled with care.  

This was given for review 

5 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)