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    I Am the Chosen King
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    I Am the Chosen King
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    I Am the Chosen King
    Ebook885 pages16 hours

    I Am the Chosen King

    By Helen Hollick

    4.5/5

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    "A very talented writer." —Sharon Kay Penman, New York Times bestselling author of Devil's Brood

    England, 1044. Harold Godwineson, a young, respected Earl, falls in love with an ordinary but beautiful woman. He marries Edyth despite her lack of pedigree, pitting him against his turbulent family and his selfish King, Edward. In France, William, the bastard son of a duke, falls in love with power. Brutal and dangerously smart, William sets his sights on England, finding ambition a difficult lust to conquer.

    In 1066, with the old King Edward dying, England falls vulnerable to the winds of fate—and the stubborn will of these two powerful men. In this beautifully crafted tale, Helen Hollick sets aside the propaganda of the Norman Conquest and brings to life the English version of the story of the last Saxon King, revealing his tender love, determination, and proud loyalty, all shattered by the unforgiving needs of a Kingdom. Forced to give up his wife and risk his life for England, the chosen King led his army into the great Battle of Hastings in October 1066 with all the honor and dignity that history remembers of its fallen heroes.

    "A novel of enormous emotional power...Helen Hollick is a fabulous writer of historical fiction." —Elizabeth Chadwick, author of To Defy a King

    (This book was previously published in the U.K. as HAROLD THE KING)

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSourcebooks
    Release dateMar 1, 2011
    ISBN9781402263125
    Unavailable
    I Am the Chosen King
    Author

    Helen Hollick

    After an exciting Lottery win on the opening night of the 2012 London Olympic Games, Helen Hollick moved from a North-East London suburb to an eighteenth century farmhouse in North Devon, where she lives with her husband, daughter and son-in-law, and a variety of pets and animals, which include several moorland-bred Exmoor ponies. Her study overlooks part of the Taw Valley, where the main road runs from Exeter to Barnstaple, and back in the 1600s troops of the English Civil Wars marched to and from battle. There are several friendly ghosts sharing the house and farm, and Helen regards herself as merely a temporary custodian of the lovely old house, not its owner. First published in 1994, her passion, now, is her pirate character, Captain Jesamiah Acorne of the nautical adventure series, The Sea Witch Voyages, which have been snapped up by US-based, independent publisher, Penmore Press. Helen became a USA Today Bestseller with her historical novel, The Forever Queen (titled A Hollow Crown in the UK) the story of Saxon Queen, Emma of Normandy. Her novel Harold the King (titled I Am The Chosen King in the US) explores the events that led to the 1066 Battle of Hastings, while her Pendragon's Banner Trilogy, set in the fifth century, is widely acclaimed as a more historical version of the Arthurian legend, with no magic, no Lancelot, Merlin or Holy Grail, but instead, the 'what might have happened' story of the boy who became a man, who became a king, who became a legend... Helen is also published in various languages including German, Turkish and Italian.

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    Reviews for I Am the Chosen King

    4.5/5

    85 ratings11 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Engaging, at times riveting. Really helped me see life as it was then.
    • 4/5
      The book itself is a thick publishers paperback entitled 'Harold the King' but apparently is known mainly as 'I am the Chosen King' - in any event I enjoyed reading it, a good mix of personal lives and governmental events = interesting characters = easy to like Harold and feel sorry for but not like William the Conquerer = tho understand where he's coming from. A good book to read about this era.
    • 4/5
      I'm going to mention once, here and now, that this ebook's formatting was disappointing, sloppy, and annoying for such a reputable publishing house. There! Fortunately, it did not take away from my enjoyment of Ms. Hollick's sequel to "The Forever Queen," "I am the Chosen King (UK title: "Harold the King")." The story of the Godwine family and their rise to power continues in this novel that culminates with the Battle of Hastings and William of Normandy's seizure of England. I am one of the many who only know about 1066 And All That from what the victors told us in their chronicles. I did further reading after finishing this novel and discovered that Harold Godwinson wasn't the bumbling doofus I'd imagined him to be from my history lessons, losing his crown to a far superior man and force. It's said that Harold and the English army was minutes away from victory when Harold was struck in the eye by an arrow and then brutally hacked to death by the Normans, and perhaps William himself. Harold, I discovered, was an able leader who was popular, powerful and elected by the Witan, the council of nobles in Anglo Saxon England, to be the King. Depending on whose history you read, William of Normandy claimed the right to the throne of England because he claimed Edward the Confessor said he was the heir and claimed Harold broke an oath to back up his claim (that oath may have been given under duress). Interesting, since the English at the time elected their monarch - the idea of primogeniture hadn't become the norm.

      This is a work of fiction, and Hollick's research and interest in her subject comes through in the dialogue, the characterization and flow of the story. The artistic license she takes enhances the facts and makes her story as plausible and real as the events as they happened. I was particularly impressed with the chapters dealing with the Battle itself - written in stages and with a minimum of gore and detail. Dramatic tension is given to the reader in dialogue and character study. I'm a soft touch for stray dogs and misunderstood monarchs and I had a lump in my throat when I finished the book.

      Harold isn't whitewashed; he has his flaws. He is, like William, a man of his times. William the Conqueror is a real bastard, not the gallant hero of the chronicles and ballads - in fact, he comes across as a psychopath. Edward the Confessor - not so much a saint as someone who wants to be left to his books, hunting and court favorites, never really wanted to be King and didn't make the best of it. His legacy? Westminster Abbey. The women in the story are strong, and range from gentle to shrew, and are pawns moved about on the chessboard as it pleases the men, e.g., Harold takes a 'handfast' wife in the Danish custom, a common law wife, knowing full well that eventually, as a nobleman, he will have to make a marriage that will be recognized by the church, a politically expedient alliance, and say good bye to his marriage of love and all that it encompasses. That must have been torture to live every day wondering if your husband was going to leave and the remarkable Edyth Swannhaels, the handfast wife, is shown as a brave, understanding, good woman who was circumspect about her position.

      I recommend this book for anyone who thinks of Anglo Saxon England as just another blip in history, as Harold Godwinson as just another dismissed and defeated king, and the history of England not beginning until 1066.



    • 4/5
      I’ve had Harold the King on the TBR pile for a long, long time and had nearly forgotten about it, but when I went on a trip, this seemed as though it would be perfect reading for the plane ride. The novel tells the story of the Norman Conquest from the point of view of Harold, the last truly English king.The novel is a sequel of sorts to The Hollow Crown. It opens in 1044 with the crowing of Edward, but follow Harold’s story over the next 20 years. It covers his relationship with Edyth Swan-neck; conflict with William; and eventual crowning. Because the novel is from Harold’s perspective, it portrays him in a bit of a rosy light; its William that gets short-changed. But I thought that Hollick’s treatment of both characters seemed very realistic, given that the events of this novel took place nearly a millennium ago. Because the reader comes to love Harold and Edyth, you come to wish that they’ll have a happy ending—even though with hindsight we know otherwise.Harold the King is well paced; the reader is never bored by endless love or battle scenes, or any of the other flaws from which other historical novels suffer. This version of the book certainly needed better editing; hopefully that was changed with the Sourcebooks republication of it. But in all I really enjoyed this novel about the Conquest. Additionally, there are Elizabeth Chadwick’s The Conquest; Sarah Bower’s The Needle in the Blood; or Valerie Anand’s Gildenford, all novels that focus on the Conquest from varying points of view.
    • 5/5
      Despite its title, this novel covers the whole quarter century from just after the accession of King Edward (later called the Confessor) until Harold's short reign culminates at Hastings. The author is a very good describer of landscapes and setting a mood of a place or situation. I am a bit less sure about her handling of characters, many of them come across as being a bit two-dimensional, either wholly positive or wholly negative. She is particularly down on King Edward until he is on his deathbed. But overall an engaging read and the final battle description is excellent.
    • 5/5
      *sigh*I knew how this book was going to end. Even still, even knowing, I found myself turning the pages as it reached the conclusion hoping for a different result. Ms. Hollick writes a tale of Harold that had me rooting for him and wanting him to live. But alas, all students of history know that England lost its King that day and the memory of the date of the Battle of Hastings in 1066 remains.This is the second book by Ms. Hollick I have had the good fortune to read; my first was The Forever Queen (my review is HERE) which tells the history preceding this book. You don't need to read the first to enjoy the second. But you will be missing an excellent book...I Am the Chosen King starts with Edward known to history as "the Confessor" on the thrown. He is, to put it mildly, not the strongest or most competent of kings. He inherited much from his father, Ethelred the Unready. Yet he does have a bit more kindness in his heart than his father. He bumbles through his reign not realizing the results of his promises until it is too late. He makes unwise friendships and alliances caring more for himself than for England.Harold Godwineson ends up Earl of Wessex after the death of his father. He is wise, thoughtful and an excellent leader of men. Despite his good qualities Edward prefers Harold's brother Tostig because Tostig is basically a "yes" man. When Tostig's management of his earldom causes a near civil war Edward finally realizes the error of his ways.I've laid out a VERY simplistic bit of what is a complex, detailed and well researched tale about strong personalities and two men who would be King after Edward. William of Normandy invaded England and took the crown whether it was his to have or not. He didn't care. He wanted it so he took it. There is not much left of the historical record and that which is left was written by the victors so you know how they have spun it!This was a book that was very hard for me to put down. I found myself immersed in time and place and just about felt like I was THERE. Ms. Hollick is a master at delivering a tale that you don't want to end. Even when you know the outcome you don't want to depart from the characters. I spent this morning googling the players in the book to see what more I could learn. What does that tell you about her storytelling? Or this - at times I wanted to jump into the pages and just strangle some people! The writing is that powerful. I loved this book and hope there are more. As much as I hated William I would love to see how Ms. Hollick writes his story.
    • 5/5
      *sigh*I knew how this book was going to end. Even still, even knowing, I found myself turning the pages as it reached the conclusion hoping for a different result. Ms. Hollick writes a tale of Harold that had me rooting for him and wanting him to live. But alas, all students of history know that England lost its King that day and the memory of the date of the Battle of Hastings in 1066 remains.This is the second book by Ms. Hollick I have had the good fortune to read; my first was The Forever Queen (my review is HERE) which tells the history preceding this book. You don't need to read the first to enjoy the second. But you will be missing an excellent book...I Am the Chosen King starts with Edward known to history as "the Confessor" on the thrown. He is, to put it mildly, not the strongest or most competent of kings. He inherited much from his father, Ethelred the Unready. Yet he does have a bit more kindness in his heart than his father. He bumbles through his reign not realizing the results of his promises until it is too late. He makes unwise friendships and alliances caring more for himself than for England.Harold Godwineson ends up Earl of Wessex after the death of his father. He is wise, thoughtful and an excellent leader of men. Despite his good qualities Edward prefers Harold's brother Tostig because Tostig is basically a "yes" man. When Tostig's management of his earldom causes a near civil war Edward finally realizes the error of his ways.I've laid out a VERY simplistic bit of what is a complex, detailed and well researched tale about strong personalities and two men who would be King after Edward. William of Normandy invaded England and took the crown whether it was his to have or not. He didn't care. He wanted it so he took it. There is not much left of the historical record and that which is left was written by the victors so you know how they have spun it!This was a book that was very hard for me to put down. I found myself immersed in time and place and just about felt like I was THERE. Ms. Hollick is a master at delivering a tale that you don't want to end. Even when you know the outcome you don't want to depart from the characters. I spent this morning googling the players in the book to see what more I could learn. What does that tell you about her storytelling? Or this - at times I wanted to jump into the pages and just strangle some people! The writing is that powerful. I loved this book and hope there are more. As much as I hated William I would love to see how Ms. Hollick writes his story.
    • 4/5
      Another well-written tale by Hollick. In this one we follow the last 30 years before 1066, and see the fall of the last English King.Harold Godwinesson is the son of Earl Godwin of Wessex. In his youth he falls in love with a beautiful woman, Edyth and takes her as his handfast wife. Because he knows that in the future he must make a alliance and get a wife in a Christian ceremony. We follow his life as he becomes Earl of East Anglia, as his sister Edith marries Edward (the confessor), as he fights with his brother Swegn, as they all has to go into exile. As the Earls grumble about what a bad king Edward is, as they try to subdue the Welsh, more fighting within the family, worrying about who the next king will be, and at last, Hastings.That might seem like a lot but the book does chronicle 30 years, and they were not easy years. The book sometimes follows different people, and one of these is a certain young Duke of Normandy. A bloodthirsty man who later wants England. I liked that there were different POVs now and again, because even if we mostly follow Harold, we also get to see what other things. William, Edward, Queen Edith, and a few more. A hint what they might have thought about events taking place.The book does what it sets out to do. It tells about these last years of Anglo-Saxon rule and what a man Harold might have been. And he is a good man who truly loves his hand-fasted wife (concubine). The bad guy in this tale is Duke William. As for King Edward, well him I mostly feel sorry for because he just is so useless.Conclusion:A good historical novel, long yes, but it explained things nicely and she had her own spin on things. I liked this tale about how it all might have happened, and at last, this is fiction, we can never know the whole truth as Hollick says at the end. At the end I go nooo! Why? Because I did not want to see it happened, that which had to happen in 1066.Rating:Well-written
    • 5/5
      If you visit the book blogging community here on the Net, you will have read or seen many reviews of I Am the Chosen King by the end of March, since this is the month of this book's U.S. publication. Most of these review, if not all of them, will be praises to Helen and her talent, and rightfully so because she is one of the best storytellers there are and this talent of hers to draw a reader into the world of the past shines in this historical novel.Helen Hollick is a fantastic writer and she created an absolutely wonderful piece of art in I Am the Chosen King. Yes, I believe that writing is an art and if done well, such as Ms. Hollick does it, delivers a lot more than just pure entertainment for the recipients, a.k.a. readers. In the days when I was reading I Am the Chosen King, I felt I was kidnapped by this story of the Saxon England. When I couldn't read the book, I thought about it during the day, I researched what I didn't know online and when sleeping, I dreamed about the characters (I believe I actually used such words as thegns, aetheling, housecarls in my dreams). I think it will not be an exaggeration when I say that Helen cast a spell on me, the one that made me fully absorbed in the world of I Am the Chosen King.As amazing as the storytelling is, there's nothing lacking in other departments of this book either. The way the characters are introduced and made familiar to us is flawless. You will not even notice at what time they all become real, three-dimensional figures instead of merely ink on a piece of paper. And by all I mean quite a few characters. Harold Godwinesson, the future and last Saxon king is someone you just have to root for. His personality is endearing and causes others to really forgive him anything (not that there is much to forgive there, he really is a noble person). Edyth, Harold's taken-as-wife woman (in accordance to the Saxon law), is an amazing woman and as the story progressed, I admired her more and more for her poise and strength in the face of many, many hardships. As I mentioned in a conversation with Misfit, Edyth was ten times the woman I could ever dream of being. And then, there is the impossibly selfish, whiny, unable to function independently King Edward the Confessor. Supposedly, his reputation nowadays is being repaired by historians, but it was difficult for me to muster any compassion for this ruler. Of course there's no purpose in speculating about things past, but who knows what would have happened, had he been the King such as his predecessor, Cnut and such as England deserved to have.Those are only the three characters I decided to write about but in I Am the Chosen King, the multitude of them is astounding and almost every one is important to the story.The time (1044-1066) might have been called the Dark Ages at one point but it's no longer that and Ms. Hollick shows us exactly why historians no longer choose to use that name. The Saxon England was everything but dark. The combination of Christianity and old Saxon laws and traditions provided for a very rich life indeed. The people were intelligent, interesting and could teach us a thing or two about what's important in life. There's much to be admired and much to be learned from that time in history and also much to be thankful for to Ms. Hollick for bringing it alive for us, contemporary readers. A perfect example is the final battle, The Battle of Hastings. It was breathtaking and heartrending to read it. Even though I knew what the outcome would be, I was still hoping for the impossible, still holding my breath in an event that maybe I read the history wrong and William, the Duke of Normandy didn't win. How incredible is that?! What a writing talent that can do that to a reader, to make you question the reality?! Brava, Ms. Hollick!
    • 5/5
      I find Helen Hollick's writing to be magical. As a confirmed lover of all things European ,and of the 15th and 16th centuries, I didn't think that I would have much interest in the earlier history of Britain, let alone 11th century Saxon Britain------ that is until I read "The Forever Queen"."I Am The Chosen King" begins in England in 1044 and follows the time line and lineage put forth in "The Forever Queen". The first chapter begins as Queen Emma "The Forever Queen" still powerful at 54 years of age, watches as her firstborn, recently returned from exiled, son, Edward, is crowned King of England. Emma doesn't believe that the rather too delicate Edward (known as the Confessor) is fit to be King. She believes that he is as "as shallow and incompetent as his father, Athelred (Emma's first husband) had been.." . In this chapter we are also introduced to a young Earl, Harold Godwineson....thus begins the story of King Harold - the chosen King; the last Saxon King of England.In this wickedly good read, Helen Hollick brings to life the Battle of Hastings from the English point of view "....and brings to life ... the story of the last Saxon King, revealing his ... love, determination and proud loyalty...shattered by the unforgiving needs of a Kingdom. Forced to give up his wife and risk his life for England, the chosen king led his army into the great Battle of Hastings in October 1066 with all the honor and dignity that history remembers of its fallen heroes...." . This last sentence is from the endpapers on the book and, I think, spells out the theme of the book better than I could paraphrase it!Much of the action in this book is centered around battle preparations for the Norman invasion and the Battle of Hastings in October 1066. Harold, who became King after the death of Edward in January 1066, is married a beautiful commoner named Edyth. Because this is not a politically advantageous marriage he becomes pitted against his powerful family. In France, a bastard duke's son, William of Normandy, has become besotted with power and has set his sight on conquering EnglandThis book is historically based and I think that Helen Hollick can well be called an expert on this time period. It has totally opened my eyes to this pivotal period in history when the shaping of England was, truly, in the balance. This is also a book that weaves history with romance and warfare in nearly equal measure. It's a book's that I simply have to re-read. That's how much I like it. It is, perhaps, not as much of a romance as "The Forever Queen" but, then again, the times surrounding the Battle of Hastings (fought at Senlac Hill near Hastings, East Sussex, England) were difficult and romances would have been, I think, been forced to a back burner as preparations for war were made.I am now a confirmed fan of Saxon England! I am grateful to Ms. Hollick for bringing this fascinating period of history to lovers of great historical fiction. I will eagerly await more from this gifted writer. This book will, I think, appeal widely to fans of historical fiction, romance and, more to the point, those interested in the history behind the historic Battle of Hastings. There is much to be enjoyed in this book - and much history to read about on the side!
    • 5/5
      Harold the King, a sequel of sorts to A Hollow Crown (AHC was written after HTK), beings in 1043 as Edward the Confessor (as he was named after his death) rules England along with his aging mother the Dowager Queen Emma, and Harold's father Godwine is the second most powerful man in England. Harold falls in love with a woman he cannot marry, Edyth Swannhaels, but they are hand fasted and begin a lifelong relationship. The story also parallels the life of Duke William of Normandy as fate, treachery and a weak king with no heir spins England out of control leaving it ripe for picking at the hands of the Norman aggressors. While most of us know the story of the 1066 Conquest and what follows afterward, there is so little that is known of the period and politics leading up to that event, and I very much enjoyed getting an "inside" look at this period. I loved the strong and vulnerable aspects of Harold's character (have the tissue ready for the end), along with the implacable and terrifying Duke William of Normandy. I have to admit that the first part of the book was a bit slow for me, but that was because I had recently read Valerie Anand's Gildenford so I was having a lot of déjà vu, but once I passed where Anand's book ended I was thoroughly engrossed and had a hard time putting this one down. Highly recommended for any lover of medieval fiction or for those interested in England prior to The Conquest.