08 Dec Paula Lofting The Wolf Banner (Sons of the Wolf, Book 2) The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour #HistoricalFiction #BlogTour #CoffeePotBookClub

Introduction

It is my pleasure to feature Paula Lofting as part of The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour being held between December 7th – December 18th, 2020. She is the author of the historical fiction novel, The Wolf Banner (Sons of the Wolf, Book 2). The 2nd Edition of the book was released on 26th August 2020 by Longship Publishing.

Below are highlights about The Wolf Banner, Paula Lofting’s biography, and my review of her book. 

The Wolf Banner

The Wolf Banner

Songs of the Wolf, Book 3

By Paula Lofting

WAR AND BLOODFEUD

“Best battle description ever!”

1056…England lurches towards war as the rebellious Lord Alfgar plots against the indolent King Edward. Sussex thegn, Wulfhere, must defy both his lord, Harold Godwinson, and his bitter enemy, Helghi, to protect his beloved daughter.

As the shadow of war stretches across the land, a more personal battle rages at home, and when it follows him into battle, he knows he must keep his wits about him more than ever, and COURAGE AND FEAR MUST BECOME HIS ARMOUR…

Buy Links:

Amazon UK • Amazon US

Author Bio: Paula Lofting

Paula Lofting is the author of 2 volumes in the Sons of the Wolf series of which she is working on her third instalment. She has been a prolific reader all her life, inspired by authors like Rosemary Sutcliffe, Mary Stewart, and Sharon Penman. She is a psychiatric nurse by day and writes in her spare time whenever she can. Mother of three grown up children and 2 grandchildren, she lives in Sussex and is also a re-enactor of the late Dark Age period. 

As a reenactor of the period I can actually say that I have fought and died at the Battle of Hastings at least three times.

Author’s Social Media Links:

Website • Blog •  Twitter • Instagram

The Wolf Banner Book Review

An ill wind blows over England as noble families are drawn into battle and their loyalties are tested in the political machinations of Anglo-Saxon rulers.

The Wolf Banner (Sons of the Wolf Series, Book Two) by Paula Lofting is an epic saga in pre-Norman 11^th Century England where Lord Alfgar plots a war against King Edward for political gain. The epic saga continues the tale of the Sussex thegn, Wulhere, who faces strife within his family and conflict with his bitter enemy, Helghi. There is sufficient background to read the second book as a standalone but reading the first book in the series would be advantageous to help avoid confusion with the myriad of characters and their storylines.

The epic continues in 1056 when Wulhere defies his lord, Harold Godwinson, by breaking a marital agreement for his daughter to wed the son of his bitter enemy, Helghi. Wulhere’s relationship with his wife is strained due to his infidelity with a mistress who gives birth to their child. As he struggles to balance internal conflict within his family, an ill wind blows over England as Lord Alfgar allies with the Norsemen and Gruffudd to war against King Edward for political advantage. Harold manipulates Alfgar’s son, Burghred, to betray his father a second time. Loyalties are tested and betrayals revealed in a chest game for political power.     

Author Paula Lofting weaves heartfelt personal tales into the broad political landscape of historical figures who drive events leading up to the Battle of Hastings. The story is told from various points of view to give a broader historical context, but the frequent changes in perspective sometimes make it difficult to transition from one storyline to another. The narrative works best when it focuses on Wulhere’s struggles with his family and adversary, Helghi. Lofting masterfully captures Wulhere’s raw emotions of love, betrayal, and loss in his life journey as a noble warrior and family man. There are some poignant moments when his children’s lives are caught up in the political whirlwind of those in power. Burghred is also another engaging character with whom I could empathize with his conflicting loyalties to King Edward and his father, Alfgar. However, there are a few scenes that did not add significantly to the plot which, in my opinion, could have been deleted to make the narrative leaner. 

The battle scenes are riveting and some of the best I’ve read. This is where the different perspectives of the various characters work best to capture the logistics of the battlefield and the unfolding tragedy. The everyday life in medieval England is brought to life with impeccable detail based on the author’s extensive research. The glossary of places and language used in the book were extra bonuses. It would have been helpful to have a list of characters highlighting their historical significance and their relationships with other characters. There are a few grammatical errors, but these do not detract from the story.    

The Wolf Banner is a multi-layered, epic saga set toward the end of the Anglo-Saxon rule in medieval England with memorable characters, realistic depiction of middle ages lifestyle, political intrigue, and gripping battle scenes. Recommended.

Linnea Tanner

Schedule of Blog Tour