This had that historical fiction novel that I was hoping for, it had characters that I cared about with what happened to them and how they worked in this story. The plot worked well overall and was engaged with what was happening. It uses England perfectly in this and glad it was so well written. Isybilla Gee has a great writing style and can’t wait for more.

Plot:
How far would you go in pursuit of legacy? In 924, the land that will become England gains a new and unexpected monarch. This King is determined to fulfill his grandfather's dream of a united Briton, no matter the cost, which includes marrying his sister to the Northern ruler of Jorvik, a man who will later be remembered as a Viking. But the course of history is far more complex than anyone realizes, and everyone has their own agenda. Ragnall Ui Imair, the King of Jorvik, wants peace. His brother wants revenge. Edith, who is to be married against her will, wants power. Roza the handmaid wants freedom. The result is a complicated tangle of motivation and want, one that's far too easy to trap yourself in.

Thoughts:
I decided to read this book mainly because of how gorgeous the cover looked (ngl, I’m that tipe of reader that is influenced by the cover!) and I really wanted to try something new.
I’m so happy to say that I found exactly what I was looking for in this historical novel (based on Viking history)!
I loved the way in which it was written and it was so interesting the fact that the author decided to develop the story using different points of view. This really helped to get to know each character, their past, their ambitions and all their thoughts and fears!
My favourite character was definitely Theo but I also loved Edith and her story.
I won't spoiler anything but I absolutely LOVED the last battle scene, it was amazingly written!!
I will definitely suggest this book to everyone who is, like me, looking for a different read and wants to dive into the history of vikings and England.
If I had to suggest something to the author I’d say that it would have been extremely helpful if I had a short “list” of the characters explaining who they were because (especially at the beginning) I found it quite difficult to remember who was who, probably because of their difficult names (maybe it’s something that someone else wouldn’t have mentioned, it can also be that I struggled with it because as usual I have difficulties remembering names🥲😂).