After the death of the High King, Edwin, the North of Britain suffers through the looting and dominion of Cadwallon of Gwynedd and Penda of Mercia. There are claimants to the Throne of Northumbria but one by one these die. The great hope is Oswald, eldest son of Aethelfrith but living the life of a monk on Iona. Supported by his Christian brethren and his brother Oswiu, Oswald kills Cadwallon and banishes Penda, but his personal life is more complicated and Kings of Britain do not have a long life expectancy.
The tale of Oswald is interesting, a boy who saw his father killed in battle but grows up to be a devout Christian who would rather be a monk than a king. Again Albert spins a fictional tale around the few facts that are known. Here the conflict between the old religion and the newer Christianity are explored further but the violence and the uncertainty of power and blood ties makes for a more exciting narrative.
pluckedhighbrow 