this was a great historical read, I liked the use of England and Vikings. The characters were great and I enjoyed getting to know them.

The Last King immediately grabbed my attention: historical setting, overwhelming odds and one man standing against the hordes to protect his homeland. It was also a quick read; the perfect length given the heavy nature of the content.

The Last King is the type of novel made by its characters. Coelwulf is an undefeated warrior, his skill surpassing any opponent to come against him, regardless of the odds. He has no problems killing and is unstoppable once the song of battle enters his blood.

But – more importantly – he’s a complete softie hidden by a tough exterior. He cares for his men. He’ll never leave a man behind and won’t give up on a comrade, no matter how bad their injuries. He will fight for his homeland, accepting what others press on him, not because of the power it gives him but because it’s the only way.

Coelwulf is a satisfying hero to root for: you see both sides of him and watch him balance the two to save the kingdom. I found, however, that Coelwulf is the only one you get to know. By the end, you’re warming to the others and figuring out who is who through what they mean to Coelwulf, but most of the time, you’re trying to figure out if that’s the man he sent left or right.

Part of this lack of connection comes from the narrative itself. This is a heavy book: the entire plot is moving from battle to skirmish and back again. Every chapter contains at least one confrontation with the enemy and little else. Due to the length, Porter gets away with it: Coewulf and his gang move from A to B, fighting along the way with the occasional plot point thrown in. If any longer, it’d be tedious, but it works here. The battles are always clear and there is no unnecessary violence despite the dark nature of the book.

The opening prologue is a scene from the end, with Coewulf in a dire situation. With all the fights happening and the lack of connection to the characters, coupled with believing you know the ending, made it hard for me to fully immerse myself.

I was wrong. Not all is as it seems and when the true plot is revealed, I gasped out loud. It changed the ending for me, helping me invest in the characters and the story and sweeping me up in the excitement of the final battle. My opinion of the entire book shifted and I’m now excited for the second, knowing the power of the writing.

The Last King is the type I enjoyed while reading, then realised just how much I liked it when reflecting on it.

This hasn’t been an easy review to write due to keeping it spoiler free but if you like historical fiction, this is a definite recommendation. Clear battles, likeable characters (those you know) and strong writing has left me looking forward to the second book and Coewulf’s continuing adventures.

I had a hard time getting into this book and was quite put off by the excessive swearing. Once I got a few chapters in it got better but the swearing didn’t abate. If this bothers you don’t read this book. I usually like this time period-9th century British Isles-but this seemed more like a book about contemporary young men set in the time period rather than about the time period. Not sure I would try another by this author. Thank you to #netgalley for the ebook #thelastking to read and review.

The Last King...historical fiction without much actual history! M.J. Porters recent book is a rolicking read if you enjoy reading about battles....endless battles, with gruesome detail. It covers a relatively short period in the life of Ceolwulf, who battles Vikings (called Raiders) and treachery from inside and outside of Mercia, in his attempt to keep Mercia safe. As the description says, they sent 300 to kill his 50 warriors, and he came out victorious. Which leads to the endless battles until he surprise approach which turns the tables at last. The Last King is interesting, but too much time is spent in battle and the dialogue is largely limited to the f bomb. If you enjoy war stories, especially in days of old, you'll love this book. If you like to know more about the lives of historical figures, you won't get that in this book.

I almost stopped reading around page 100. I do not enjoy stories told in first person and the sentences were littered with unnecessary cursing. I pushed through, however, and enjoyed the action-packed story about one man's journey to save his country.

A tad brutal and bloody, nevertheless a good read for any Viking fans. The language seemed a little over the top, especially at first...did not seem accurate to me, but... If you like lots of fighting and brutality, this may be the book for you...not really my cup of tea, though. Only my opinion.

I am a huge MJ Porter fan, so I was extremely excited when I saw this book was available on NetGalley. Unfortunately, however, this book did not live up to its predecessors. While, as always, Porter does a fine job creating the world of the medieval England the writing was sloppy, the dialogue stilted and the language especially anachronistic. In particular--the swearing. Now, I absolutely have nothing against swearing, especially if it fits the characters. Furthermore, any writer who is attempting to recreate this extremely brutal and violent period in history, can only do so by portraying the people and events as honestly as possible. However, when f**k is practically in every sentence every character utters, it starts to distract rather than bolster the story.
In addition, while "characters" in 10th century novels can often be obscure, this one was particularly so. Therefore, having to wait for 50% or so of the book to have any sense of what makes the title character particularly noteworthy or interesting feels like a slog more than anything else.

3.5 stars

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

This historical fiction book about Coelwulf, a battle-hardened warrior with royal blood, and his fight to save his beloved Mercia from a Viking horde is not for those with delicate sensibilities. But if you can withstand a hard-fighting, bloody book with adult language, this is the one for you.

This book started off rough. Really rough. To the point where I almost stopped reading after 10%. The writing was atrocious. Sentences were hokey and incomplete. I have nothing against cursing and have been known to imbibe on occasion. I am all for a well-placed use of the word "f*&k", but the sentences were littered with unnecessary cursing. It felt like I was reading a 14 year old boys late-night mad ramblings.

I have disliked a well-received book before, so I figured this was yet another. BUT, I was really intrigued by the premise. I eventually decided to stick with it, and I am so glad I did. At some point, either the writing improved dramatically, or I got used to the author's style of writing and it didn't feel like nails on a chalkboard anymore. However it happened, once I hit that mark in the book, I really enjoyed it.

Coelwulf and his group of warriors have spent their time trying to rid Mercia of the Viking raiders that have been plaguing their land. After one such brutal battle, he is shocked to hear that the King of Mercia has given up the throne and handed it to the Vikings. As Coelwulf makes his way to the heart of Mercia to find out for himself if the rumor is true, he encounters several bands of Vikings searching for him. The Viking leaders have sent 300 men to find Coelwulf to bring him to swear allegiance to them. Coelwulf's response is to kill everyone he encounters.

This book is told in first person, which is a bit jarring at first since it's not often done. In this case, however, it allows the readers to get a good feel for Coelwulf's relationship with his men, particular two brothers that act as his lieutenants and protectors. His men certainly have interesting personalities and interactions with each other, which you would expect to find in a small group of men that have fought, and survived, together.

If you can push through the first few chapters of this book and stick with it, I think you'll enjoy this fast-paced, action-packed story about one man and his quest to save his country. The book is only 257 pages, so you should be able to tear through it quickly.

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

Loved this, as I have done all of Porter's books. Fast paced, deep character development, page turning action, what more do you need. Well done!

This was incredible! The battles scenes are amazing! They're gory, bloody and detailed, the writing is fantastic! I could almost see the fighting as if I was watching a film.

The characters are brilliant, I especially love Rudolf and his mannerisms, Pybba and his determination and the relationship between Edmund and Hereman. The author's skill at getting all these different characters to shine through individually is fantastic especially the loyalty shown by Coelwulf's men.

As for the storyline, I loved it! This isn't my usual era of history to read about but I'm so glad I did. I really cannot praise this book more. There is swearing as expected from battle scenes etc but it doesn't bother me and only lends more to the experience.

I honestly cannot wait to read more from this series and will certainly be reading more from M J Porter.

I've never been a fan of first person per se. However, I make an exception with this action packed historical If you are offended by blood, gore and curse words this is not for you. But it is one page-turner of a read.

Do you ever feel like you need a change of genre when reading? I often do, something to clean the pallet and reboot, especially during these strange times. Being confined to our homes and not being able to get outside stimulation, conversation or excitement, I decided it was time for something different from my usually read. I do not have a specific genre of book I like, mainy, I tend to stick to the general genre of ‘feel good’ books.
It has been a while since I’ve read a historic fiction and I’m so glad The last King was my first book back into this genre. Set in middle England, Coelwulf and a handful of faithful men are tasked with defending Mericia from the Vikings. Coelwulf is a fierce warrior with an honourable battlefield moral code. Coelwulf’s character is one that you soon learn to respect and admire, along with his men. With plenty of gory battle scene MJ Porter’s descriptive writing really brings Coelwulf’s battles to life. I often find battle scene confusing with too much going on, but this is not the case with The last King which is clear and well written.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! The battle scenes where really well written. The only thing that bugged me is the author calling the horses bridle a harness. Lol. A harness is what a horse wears when it's out on a cart. (Sorry equestrian girl problems.)
This is my first read by this author and I will definitely be looking for more!

The Last King, is a riveting, berserker of a read, M J Porter is a new author for me and it usually takes me a while to settle in to a new authors writing style, this however was an instant page turner and I found that when not reading it, I was wondering what would be happening next to Lord Coelwolf and his band of loyal warriors in the quest to rid their lands of the invaders.

The Last King starts with a punchy opening paragraph that instantly draws you into the story. It also tells you two things; this book is going to be full of action and it’s not suitable for those who are upset by curse words!

It’s 874 CE and the Anglo Saxon Kingdom of Mercia has been abandoned by it’s craven king to the tender mercies of the Great Heathen Army. Before he fled to Rome King Burgred told the Jarls who had ousted him that there was only one man in the region who could defeat their Raiders. This is of course the hero of our tale; Lord Coelwulf. We learn through the story that he is the sole remaining descendant of an old ruling family of the Hwicce tribe, now subservient to Mercia. He is a fierce and skillful warrior with a formidable band of fighters at his side. Readers are invited to join them in the shield wall and follow them to the last bloody moments of every hectic battle.

I haven’t read anything by M.J. Porter before and after perusing this author’s back catalogue I can’t imagine why, but it’s an oversight that warrants correction. The Last King is a spirited novel; drenched in gore and positively ringing with the sound of seaxes on shields. This novel suits anyone who prefers a fast paced tale with plenty of action. If you are a fan of Bernard Cornwell’s Uhtred series then this could help ease the wait till the next installment.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publishers for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I am a big fan of M. J. Porter, especially the Lady Elfrida books and the Tenth Century series. So I was very pleased when Netgalley and the publisher allowed me to read and review this new book The Last King. This book takes place in ninth century Britain in the kingdom of Mercia and is about King Coelwulf II. The Danes have given King Burgured and his Queen the offer of their lives in exchange for their kingdom, an offer they hastily accepted. They have since fled to Rome. The Danish leaders have now sent their 300 best men looking for Coelwulf, the last living member of the previous Royal family, to get him to join them or to kill him as he is the only one left in Mercia who could stop the Danes take over. So begins a tale that moves fairly swiftly, breathless at times, with great battle scenes and just the right amount of humor. I gave it 4 stars because of some of the language though I realize fighting men curse it was a lot. I will be glad when book 2 comes out.

Well written but definitely more of a male read. I love Bernard Cornwell novels but this was a gritty no holds barred version with strong language and gruesome details of battles. An entertaining read but not sure I would look for anything from this author again.

I really loved this book, great strong central characters that grow on you. Fantastic read, the book had me gripped. Excellent story line , fast paced, full of action, bloody action and violence you feel like your stood in the shield walk or charging on a horse with the blood & sweat of man & beast around you as you help battle the impossible odds. The stories main character ceolwulf is a true warrior of royal blood & the only man with the skills & presence to pull the lords of Mercia toghether.. He stands tall with his band of warriors & draws men to him to do battle. A true hero of old.