Kings of the North, The Life and Times of Corban Loosestrife
From “a true master,” a historical fantasy featuring an Irish adventurer caught up in the epic struggle for the throne of England (Kirkus Reviews).
After fleeing Constantinople and the wrath of the Emperor, Raef Corbanson has washed up with his companions on the coast of Normandy. His former patron Gunnhild is dead, and Raef is commanded to return to his father’s hall in Jorvik, in England.
Duke Richard of Normandy has sent his sister Emma to be wife to Ethelred of Wessex, the King of England. But other powers have designs on the island kingdom; Sweyn Forkbeard, king of Denmark and Raef’s old shipmate, would be King of England, too. And Ethelred has other sons, older sons from his first marriage.
Raef cannot escape this web of power; he owes a debt to Emma and her brother for aiding him. He owes fealty to Ethelred, for Jorvik is part of England, and Raef intends to rule the city as his father once did. And he owes an older, stronger, loyalty to Sweyn, for they are kin.
“Holland’s battle scenes are brilliantly, viscerally detailed, and she’s even better in quieter scenes that provide illuminating contrasts . . . If you love history, do not under any circumstances overlook or underestimate Cecelia Holland.” —Kirkus Reviews
Cecelia Holland
Cecelia Holland was born in Henderson, Nevada, in 1943 and started writing at the age of twelve. Starting with The Firedrake in 1966, she has published twenty-one independent historical novels covering periods from the middle of the first millennium CE up through parts of the early twentieth century, and from Egypt, through Russia, central Europe, Scandinavia, Great Britain, and Ireland to the West Coast of the United States. Most recently, she has completed a series of five novels set in the world of the Vikings, covering a period of about fifty years during the tenth century and following the adventures of Corban Loosestrife and his descendants. The hallmark of her style is a vivid re-creation of time, place, and character, all true to known facts. She is highly regarded for her attention to detail, her insight into the characters she has researched and portrayed, and her battle scenes, which are vividly rendered and powerfully described. Holland has also published two nonfiction historical/biographic works, two children’s novels, a contemporary novel, and a science fiction novel, as well as a number of historical essays.
Holland has three daughters. She lives in Fortuna, California, and, once a week, teaches a class in creative writing at Pelican Bay State Prison in Crescent City, California. Holland's personal website is www.thefiredrake.com.
