The Horse-Thegn

Name: The Horse-Thegn
Rating: 4.2 (25 reviews)

by John Broughton Book 2 in the Saint Cuthbert Trilogy series.

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3.7(25)

Northumbria, late ninth century. Cynn serves as the king’s horse-thegn at a time when Viking attack and Danish settlement have permanently altered the kingdom. On his own estates he tries to create a workable peace between communities, but royal duty calls him away when raiders led by the elusive Edred turn pillage into organised revolt.

Cynn must use cavalry, local alliances and political judgement against enemies who exploit the kingdom’s divisions. His brother Galan’s role among the monks carrying Cuthbert’s remains provides another response to the danger: preserving the spiritual centre of Northumbria while its rulers struggle to create a stable realm for the coming century.