Sean Barrs 's Reviews > 1066: What Fates Impose

This is an era of history that I am extremely interested in, and unfortunately there just aren’t enough novels about it. However, this book helps to fill the gap tremendously. I think sometimes when you read a book you can tell very early on whether it is going to be good or not. With this it was a very well written paragraph on page three that told me this was going to, with all certainty, be good; it told me to give this book my full focus. Indeed, this paragraph really drew me straight into the story, and into the history:

“With the very last of his strength he raises his head to look around the room. There are his sons, his brothers, the bishop, and …”Oh God, oh Good Almighty. No, not him! Not him!” His voice rasps in his constrictive throat, his eyes bulge as he is gripped by terror. Before him, unseen by the others, stands a blood drenched warrior, tall and proud as an oak, fresh from the battlefield, his lank and sweat soaked hair hanging down his shoulders, his once handsome face made ugly by an eyeless socket. More blood runs from a wound in his throat and another in his chest. As though to steady himself he leans on his battle axe, resting his hands on its iron head. He stared impassively at William with his single eye, blue and as deep as the ocean; a stare made all the more intense by its intense singularity.”



I absolutely love the idea of starting the story with its ending. William the Conqueror is about to die and he is haunted by his past. The Conqueror has finally been conquered himself, but not by a mere man; he has been conquered by death. He looks back on his decision to invade England, which lead to the death of his rival claimant to throne: King Harold Godwinson. He questions whether his imposing of Danish ways on the Saxons was a Christian act or one that will send him straight to the fiery depths of hell. This is manifested by him being haunted by the spectre of King Harold who represents the Conquerors biggest accomplishment and, in this case, his biggest regret. He sincerely wonders if the conquered deserved their fate.

After the prologue the novel goes back and recounts the events that led to that fateful day in 1066. Harold’s early political routes are established along with his reverence of his father Godwin. This shows us he has learnt from his mentor; it shows us how he utilizes the same political tact and careful planning of his forbear. Godwin narrowly avoided a civil war, through his politicking, and his son is the same kind of man. He would rather avoid a war if he could, but he would not surrender the Kingship England granted him because it is not his to surrender even if that meant avoiding war. England granted it to him, he didn’t just take it for himself.

Well defined history

Eventually as the years pass Edward the confessor dies with no real heir. There is only one man in England who is capable of being a King; thus, Harold is anointed as the new English King. He’s the right man for the job, but William Duke of Normandy has also been promised the crown, he too believes he is the King. He has manipulated Harold’s brother into invading England. Woe to King Harold as he now has the threat of invasion on two fronts and at the same time has to deal with the incompetence of his own Earls.



This book is very thorough. The events leading up to Harold’s fate are recounted in a way that shows you how a multitude of factors, ultimately, led to a Norman victory at Hastings. I think the author has written this quite cleverly, I think if you read between the lines you can see suggestions of how Harold could have avoided his defeat. If he could have persuaded his brother to re-join before he swore himself to another King, the battle of Stamford Bridge could have been avoided, and perhaps the Battle of Hastings would have had a different victor.

Overall, this is a book I really enjoyed. I think considering this book is independently published the author has done a remarkable job. He has managed to convey an in deep narrative of the history of the characters, and at the same time hasn’t lost their feel for being characters. What I mean is at points this read like a historical non-fiction narrative, but the characters didn’t feel like non-fiction characters. They still retained their status as individuals rather than just someone in history. This really gave the author an individual style of writing, which made me enjoy this more.

I recommend this book as much as I would any book by leading authors in the genre; thus, I gave this a strong 4 star rating.

The author sent me this book in exchange for an honest review.