I had to take a break from the siege of Edinburgh in Book 3, but now I am ready for a more fast-paced storyline. A ghost in the form of Wybert, son of Alric, haunted me to this day. In my head, I’m ready to see him dispatched from the world in this book. And yet, I think I must maintain my patience until the day arrives.
Contents
Storyline
Killer of Kings opened with the murders of Wuscfrea of Kent (son of Æthelburh of Kent) and Yffi of Northumbria in their hiding place in the realm of King Dagobert I of France. This event happened when Beobrand was busy dealing with the aftermaths of the problems in Blood and Blade. Set in the year 636, Killer of Kings also brought Beobrand on another journey to visit King Sigeberht of East Anglia, bringing gifts from King Oswald. Included in the plan was to warn the East Anglian kingdom of the looming attack from Penda of Mercia.
I don’t know why I spent so much time reading accompanying literature on the historical parts of Killer of Kings. I believe the historical fact about this particular Penda’s attack towards the East Anglians was dubious. No, no. Dubious is the wrong word. An attack did happen, but the written records and archaeological evidence were scarce at best.
Bede wrote in Book III Chapter 28 of Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum (p. 163) about King Sigeberht’s unwillingness to go into war because he considered himself as a man of God now that he gave up the throne and became a monk. His men pleaded with him for help to defend their lands, and in the end, Sigeberht agreed to “fight” Penda by joining forces with Ecgric, his successor. Barbara Yorke (2002: 62) mentioned a similar event that had probably occurred in 640. I don’t think it’s considered a spoiler since history has already recorded that Sigeberht was slayed by Penda of Mercia and canonised as a saint.
Killer of Kings: Takeaways
I’d say Killer of Kings has it all: conclusions, loss, love, surprises, and closure. In Killer of Kings, several past problems come to conclusions. Some chapters also reminded me that a small gesture of kindness can take one very far, especially when serendipity happens and leads everything to a full circle. A new character emerged when Beobrand and Acennan met Cynan, a thrall of Lord Grimbold of Mercia. Later in the book, Cynan decides to join Beobrand’s army and is freed from his thraldom.
Reaghan’s struggles as a free woman were detailed in several chapters. She was still trying to adjust herself and her demeanour from being just a thrall to becoming the new lady of the hall. As imagined, not many Ubbanfordians love the idea of her climbing up the social ladder. But with the help of Maida, the wife of Elmer, and Odelyna the Midwife, people began to adjust their perception of Reaghan. Even Lady Rowena finally warmed up to Reaghan after nearly falling into Nelda’s toxic mouth, which convinced her to kill Reaghan.
It was heart-warming to see Beobrand heading home to Kent. But I was sad when Beobrand had to sell Sceadugenga the Horse. We may see Sceadugenga again in the following books, but judging by the mortality rate of horses in Anglo-Saxon times, I somehow doubt it. Anyway, Beobrand’s visit to Kent brought some surprises that made me yelp and shriek for not realising the clues and possibilities in the story. I felt dumb, but I liked the surprise.
I’ve exposed my desire to see Wybert’s dispatched earlier, but the most anticipated moment in my reading journey ended up being very solemn. I admired how Lord Grimbold of Mercia respected Beobrand’s quest to get revenge on Wybert the Snake. Especially in this part of the story, I love how men were depicted as men should, keeping their word and respecting other’s quests in life.
Verdict
I loved it better than Blood and Blade. I marvel at his skill in taking one slice of the event in history that I used to read in Barbara Yorke’s book and stretching it into several engaging, bloody, and gory chapters.
Conclusion
As I finished reading Killer of Kings, I loved it better than Blood and Blade. I am very impressed by the way Matthew Harffy weaved his story. I marvel at his skill in taking one slice of the event in history that I used to read in Barbara Yorke’s book and stretching it into several engaging, bloody, and gory chapters. All the while, he comfortably inserted the human dynamics of his fictional characters among real-life historical figures. It looked so seamless, clever, and genius, too.
I love how Killer of Kings still included crass and masculine jokes, which I seldom find in current novels/stories. During my reading of Killer of Kings, somehow, I feel like this is not the story of just Beobrand anymore. The story arcs of each character had developed into something interesting and promising. Of course, I would want them all to have happy endings.
Then again, reading Killer of Kings brought me a lot of relief and closure from all the past characters that’s been getting under my skin. Somehow, I feel that the saga could have ended here. But if we were going to follow the timeline of the Kingdom of Northumbria, this would be far from over.
Bring on the next book, as I cannot wait any longer to continue the journey.
