I'M SOOOO GLAD !
Finally a book about young teenager where the romance is not the main focus! When they introduce the ''Pretty Girl'', I was like : no please, no. And then the story continue. Yes the teenage boy likes her, but it's not around that, also he is so awkwardly cute that I could only understood Sam with all of it! The idea of going through time to change history I can of like. Tho, it's a new approach. Considering that the characters in themselves change history by being there.

I could only laugh with the energy of the saxon and the general ambiance. The feeling of being in the battle was great, but also the emotion through out the war and the man of the politician. When you can only sleep with one eye open. Clearly I was easily transported into that storyline and couldn't wait for the second book.

This was such a fast-paced middle grade fantasy. I loved that I was sucked in right from the beginning and I didn't mind the time jumps either. Just a great, fast read.

I'm a sucker for time travel books of any kind, so this title already had a leg up for me, but that also means I might be more critical when assessing them. Fortunately, this title delivered. The main character was engaging and the narrative carried me along at a good pace. I did wonder if the protagonist was as appropriately traumatized by his father's likely death before he traveled through time, and he caught on a bit too quickly for believability, but reading it as a middle grade book, I thought the balance was mostly okay between moving the plot forward and portraying the emotional journey of the main character. I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next book.

I have to admit I was not sure if I would like The Last Saxon King or not. I was quickly assured within the first couple of chapters. I thought it was a great book to read. I loved it and hope to continue the story in the next installment from the series. Five stars.

The audio for this book was pretty good.,. And i thought it was a pretty decent read. I am a sucker for anything that includes time-travel, and after watching the Vikings show, this time period was right up my ally. I absolutely loved it. I do wish there had been a bit more… history involved. The premise was wonderful but there seemed like there could have been a bit more depth to the historical aspect. That’s what most people read time-travel books for, after all. I did enjoy how face paced it was,

Those book held my interest, but isn’t a series that I would keep reading as it just isn’t something that would be my go to genre. This is much more suited for kids in 6th to 8th grade range. It is well written and quite clever and very enjoyable. I have it three stars as it was just not my jam.

Format: audiobook ~ Narrator: Mark Sanderlin
Content: 4 stars ~ Narration: 5 stars

Dan Renfrew is homeschooled. He doesn’t have friends and doesn’t like the education at home. One day, he is transported to a strange place, and he has to figure out where and when he is. He later learns that he is in Anglo-Saxon England, and the year is 1066. He could never imagine that his knowledge of this time, events, and battles would pay off someday.

This is a wonderful jump-in-time novel for young adults, and the readers can learn about the history and events that took place in 1066 in Anglo-Saxon England. At the beginning of this story, Dan is a typical teenager who thinks everything is boring and useless, like his education, for instance. But he soon realizes that all the unusual and comprehensive knowledge his father taught him was not in vain.

Again, great narration by Mark Sanderlin.

This is book one in a series of seven novels. I can’t wait for the next adventure.

Thanks to Imbrifex Books for the advanced copy and this opportunity! This is a voluntary review and all opinions are my own.

This was a solid story that was a little slow at times, but I can see how middle grade and early young adults would really enjoy the story. Thank you for the chance to read!

A fascinating story that brings medieval England to life! The background setting was so well - and interestingly- described that I felt like I was there with the characters! The characters were well developed and deep so I could totally visualize them! I had a very difficult time away from the story since I wanted desperately to know what happened next! The narrator did a good job of voicing the characters and enhancing the story.

Overall, I found this boring and odd. The narrator was a good choice, and actually makes it seem like you’re listening to a story told by a 16 year old boy, although a bit bratty. He spends the whole first chapter complaining about his dad, and being homeschooled. I actually homeschool my kids, and I can say they don’t use the language that is used here. Overall, the book feels like an older adult trying to think like a teen that has, in his view, been sheltered from society and taught weird things for a purpose, but the kid doesn’t feel authentic. Otherwise, it’s a fairly basic time travel story. Just not my cup of tea.

*Here's your warning: This review contains spoilers!*
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'm not sure what to think about this book OR how to describe it. It was... interesting. Ha. Let me start by saying it was enjoyable. That much is certainly true, but beyond that, it was --- hard to describe.

At first, everything about it made me think it was mid-grade fiction. Not young adult - but geared towards an even younger audience. The somewhat cheesiness of the story, the jumping immediately into the action from like PAGE ONE, the narrator's voice - EVERYTHING.

I thought it was going to be a slightly predictable but fun kid's book take on history. (a la Percy Jackson, albeit that was mythology, not history.)

And after finishing it, 95% of me STILL thinks that. As I said, the heavily action-driven plot, the dialogue, and the narrator (both the audio book narrator and the story's voice narrator) make the book seem entirely middle-grade. However, there are other things about it that don't fit with that assessment.

For one, there are several deaths. I mean, don't get me wrong. People aren't dying left and right in horribly gruesome ways, but there are definitely deaths. There are also a few more complex themes and plot points that I wouldn't expect to find in a middle-grade fantasy novel. These include:

- allusions to sex
- a scene in which a 16=year-old girl strips completely nude and another character is clearly excited by this fact
- discussions of abuse and sexual assault (though not in-depth or graphic ones)
- inner conflict over saving history or sacrificing one's friends
- etc.

There were also a few cuss words, which - while not any of the bad ones - are not things I expect to find in a mid-grade book.

So yeah, I'm honestly not sure if this was supposed to be middle-grade fiction or not.

If so, it was obviously written by an adult who may not have a firm grasp on the kinds of things one can include in fiction for that age level and still expect it to sell. And if not, then it was written by an author who obviously isn't super experienced yet and still writes somewhat immaturely. (Or, I suppose, it could have been written by an actual child, in which case the author's voice is spot-on for their age level. But if that's the case, then kudos to you, kid, because despite the childish voice and immature writing, that's one hell of an impressive book to write before adulthood.)

Still, I liked the book. And though my review may seem a bit critical, I want to reiterate that point. I actually did enjoy it. It had a good story, and it was action-packed. True, it was a little cheesy in places but not so cheesy that it was unpleasant to read. I liked the characters, and I liked that the events stuck pretty close to the real events that happened in history. It took a good storyteller to make that happen in a believable way.

It was a solid 3- to 3.5-star book. I'm not sure I loved it enough to want to follow up with the next installment to see what happens next, but I'm definitely not angry or disappointed about having read it. It was time well spent.

The first in a planned series, Andrew Varga’s ‘The Last Saxon King’ is a wild middle grade ride I would have absolutely eaten up at about twelve or thirteen. Historically accurate, a young narrative voice, authentic-feeling characters, fast paced action sequences, and an overall fun vibe without sugar coating the violence of the time. This feels like the kind of series that could launch thousands of pre-teen history obsessions.

The targeted age range means it wasn’t really my bag, but I can see the appeal for a more age appropriate audience.

Thanks much to Netgalley, Andrew Varga, and Imbrifex Audio for the opportunity to listen to an advanced audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Net Galley for an audio ARC of The Last Saxon King by Andrew Varga. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was short and to the point. The plot was good and not a complex YA read. I did find Dan and his male gaze to be relatively "cringy". The characters are somewhat lacking but it does not hinder the overall story.

I’m enjoying this book. I especially liked how it began. It was a short exposition with good details. The storyline is good. There are unique aspects and a seems like there’s a decent amount of research done and embedded into the piece. The characters are well developed. I can see how the series is set up and it definitely workable.

I am disappointed it does appear they’ve inserted a love interest. I get why but I feel like it would’ve been better if the two characters were just friends. It just feels way too cliche.

That being said I’m still planning to read book two.

This is a really fun YA time travel story. I would have probably been really obsessed with these books in high school!

Dan is homeschooled and dealing with a very particular curriculum set by his father. When he returns home one day to his father being attacked, he finds himself suddenly in 1066 AD England. Dan and his father are part of an ancient society of time travellers that protect humanity’s timeline. Something has been changed in history and now it’s up to Dan and his new friend Sam to fix what has been broken.

There were definitely some YA tropes in here, but it was done without being forced. There were some really interesting characters and the setting of medieval England was a lot of fun. You could tell Andrew Varga did his research. I really loved Sam as a character and would love to see more of them.

Read this if you like:
- A reluctant hero
- Knights! Kings! Squires!
- Glitches in time

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this was a fun and exciting time travel novel. I enjoyed how it jumped right into the action and the reader learned about time travel along side Dan. The use of history in the creation of the book was fascinating and I cannot wait for the next novel.

I will post a review on goodreads as well.

In general the book was ok. Definitely not my favorite. But I do think it’s more in down because I’m not a young adult. I found parts of the book interesting, and there was always something going on which I appreciate in a story.

As an educator of middle school students, I really enjoyed this book. The author did a great job of presenting how teenagers act and respond in various situations. I also enjoyed the fantasy element of time travel that was used in the story and the fact that youth were being used to repair glitches in history. Finally, I enjoyed all of the historical elements of history presented as well as the notes at the end of the book explaining the factual information. I think to receive 5 stars for a youth perspective, the author needs to try presenting the facts in a more engaging way. A solid 4.5 stars from me!

Dan is a sixteen-year-old who witnesses a brutal attack on his father by an unknown man. At the same time he is transported back in time to England in the year 1066. As he figures out how to survive in this brutal time he learns why his father forced learning history and combat on him growing up. Dan befriends another time jumper and eventually learns that it his duty to fix time glitches, a task typically passed down between father and son. Dan needs to learn how to fix the time glitch in order to make it back to his own time.

Overall, I absolutely loved the concept of this story and was looking forward to historical themes shining through in this fantasy. I will say that the execution was too simple. I had high expectations for a historically accurate packed plot that was not there. The story had two major action scenes that were well written, but the rest of the story seemed sluggish. Also, the writing was quite bland and simple. I also think there could have been a much better maturity arc for the main character, but perhaps that is in the next book? I am interested enough in seeing where this tale goes and will be reading the sequel.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

3.25/5 rounded down.

Thank you NetGalley for this copy.

I"m a high school librarian, so I read a lot. I loved this book, it was like the YA version of Timeline.

Dan is a homeschooled kid, whose dad has taught him so very odd things for a 16 year old. How to fight with swords and hammers and tons of British history. Dan has always wondered when he will ever need these tools, but soon he finds out when he is transported back to 1066 England. How will he get back. He meets Sam, who is also a time traveler and together they work to get back home. Will it be in time to save his dad?

This is the first book in this series and I"m seriously down for the second one. I loved this book.