Lady Estrid

A member of the ruling House of Gorm, Estrid might not be eligible to rule, as her older two brothers, but her worth is in more than her ability to marry and provide heirs for a husband, for her loyalty is beyond question.

With a family as divided and powerful as hers, stretching from England to Norway to the land of the Svear, she must do all she can to ensure Denmark remains under the control of her father’s descendants, no matter the raging seas and boiling ambition that threatens to imperil all.

Lady Estrid by M J Porter, is one of those historical books that shows why someone such as me who likes history, explains why I read and enjoy historical fiction.

Because it takes a period of history, brings it to the fore shows what people did, but with a writer's skill goes into explaining why that person may have done what they did, in a way historical non-fiction may not.

The story is told through the Eyes of Lady Estrid herself, both in what she is thinking and her asctions, as well as letters and messages she receives. This method of the story not only gives the reader an understanding of what is happening at the time.

The letters allow you the reader to see both what information the lead character has to work with and some historical context to what is happening in the world at the time.

One of the main difficulties in reading the book is the names of all the people involved and how they are so different to a modern english reader, with names such as Ethelred, Elfigfu, Athelstan, all names from the English royal family at the time.

However this is not the fault of the writer and once you get into the story the names start falling into place, in addition to this for anyone who has studied the causes of the Norman invasion of 1066, as the book goes on you meet more names of the people you have read about in the history books, for example Emma of Normandy, Edward the Confessor.

Once you work out who everyone is and how they are interconnected, this is a great work of historical fiction, to read, with all the intrigue of the time in how the royal families of Northern Europe were so interconnected at the time. As well as examining how the female members of Royal families were used as political pawns and yet could carve a life for themselves.

Who should read Lady Estrid? The best answer for this would be anyone, who reads historical fiction outside of World War II, in addition to those who enjoy political fiction, like the House of Cards etc. In addition, having just Read Ken Follets prequel to the Kingsbridge Series The Evening and the Morning (which you can read my review here), this novel covers the period if English History just after that book is set.

All the above means that M J Porters Lady Estrid is a book you should read.

Lady Estrid, is the daughter of the King of Denmark in the 11th Century where you have the King of England not only fighting to keep England from Denmark you have them being invaded by the Vikings. Estrid tells the story of her life as daughter of the King of Denmark,her brothers who want to rule and all the others. At the beginning M.J.Porter tries to give you a sense of who some of these characters are,but they're so many but as you read,don't give up,they will all start to make sense on who is who. The story is told by Lady Estrid 's letters which I liked, it made me see what was going on better. Follow Lady Estrid's life as it unfolds before you and what happened in this time in history of Denmark,Norway,Sweden and England. This is a very well laid out historical fiction story has all you need to see what happens when you have greed,love hate and what you will go through to rule a country. If your not familiar with this time in history,you will be when you finish. I am fortunate enough to know some of this history so it made sense to me,some of it but not of Denmark 's history but England's history in this period. It's a very well written story of Lady Estrid's life and what happens through her eyes and letters.If you enjoy history and stories of the characters that played a part of these countries history,you will find this book not only entertaining but you will learn history in the 11th Century.. Received from Net Gallery.. This is a must read it you are interested in history ,if not,you will still find the story enchanting of a woman that wanted to rule but was not allowed!!

Lady Estrada was the daughter of King Swein of Denmark in the Eleventh Century. She was an important member of the House of Gorm. This may be an historical novel but it is in no way stuffy. Yes it is full of historical events and wars for Denmark, England and Norway. But more than that it’s full of adventure, love, life and death. A brilliant read, enjoy.

Thank you Netgalley and BooksGoSocial for an early review copy!

I’m a historical fiction fan to the max addict and Lady Estrid satisfied that craving to the max! Set in 11th century Denmark, Lady Estrid is a bright young woman, daughter of the king, and royal pawn to be used as he sees fit. Initially sent off to Russia to cement an alliance, she returns to Denmark upon the untimely (depending on your point of view!) death of her husband. Although daughters can’t rule, they can influence, and Lady Estrid is the story of a woman whose behind the scenes advice and influence saves kings and countries, including England and Denmark. While Lady Estrid is a real person, there is not much information about her, and M J Porter has done an amazing job of creating an inspiring, engaging person that I’d like to believe represents the real Lady Estrid. What a great story!

This book was a historical novel that focused on Lady Estrid, a member of the Danish royalty. It begins with the death of her father and goes on to encompass the ruling timeframes for her brothers, one of her sons, and other family members. The correspondence between Lady Estrid and many members of her family helps enhance and relay the telling of this time in history. It is an interesting read, especially for anyone who enjoys a good historical novel. I, personally, especially appreciated learning more about the ruling families that were in power during the 11th Century. (I was given a copy of this book from NetGalley for my honest review.)

M. J. Porter has done a masterful job of bringing Lady Estrid to life. Very little is known about Lady Estrid since she is rarely mentioned except in genealogical lists. She was a queen in 11th century Denmark, with ties to the royal houses of England, Norway, and Sweden.

Since so little is known about Lady Estrid, the author has created a fictional character imagining the possible life she might have lived. I would recommend this title to anyone who loves medieval historical fiction. I would also recommend that readers expecting a nonfiction historical recounting avoid this title, as they will likely be disappointed.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a free digital copy of this title to review from Net Galley.

#LadyEstrid#NetGalley

I love historical fiction and this book fit all the things I love in this genre. Strong women, foreign countries and relatable characters- Lady Estrid has it all. Very well written and researched. I have no hesitation in recommending this book. 13th century Denmark is detailed perfectly here, I am reminded of Music and Silence by Rose Tremain, no higher praise.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC. This book was a little confusing but I enjoyed it. I like history. Not much was known about Lady Estrid so that was refreshing.

I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. I really enjoyed this book about a fascinating woman I had never heard of but intend to read much more about.