Wow, what an amazing sixth instalment of this brilliant historical series! After spending the winter recovering from the injuries he sustained while saving the young boys he promised to protect, Icel feels far from fighting fit as he once was. After a short visit to someone to thank them for their help he soon finds himself back in Tamworth and speaking with the king who has an important task for him. Icel is unsure whether he can do what his king asks of him, but with little choice, he finds himself headed into enemy Wessex territory seeking to find important answers while having to hide the fact he’s a Mercian.

I’ve enjoyed every book in this series so far and this sixth one is equally good. While Icel spends time worrying about how unfit he’s become thanks to the injuries he got in the events in the last book, he still journeys into Wessex, desperate to find the information King Wiglaf has tasked him to find. The story is interesting, especially with Icel once more facing time in enemy territory, though this time having the young boy Cuthred with him. I like how this story evolves as we see Icel having problems hiding the fact he’s a warrior, with his height and build, and how he copes with people in Wessex later as he and Cuthred must hide the fact they sound like Mercians.

A lot happens in the story, a lot of good twists and surprises, and I love how interesting this tale is throughout, especially when there seem to be other things happening that seem unrelated at first, such as the interest in Icel’s new horse. The story builds up to a great and exciting ending. Icel’s character is brilliant throughout and I like how clever he is, but I also enjoyed seeing more of Cuthred’s character, and more of some of the other characters including an interesting female character who is involved in the latter half of the book, and I also enjoyed moments with Bicwide.

The ending is good although I’ll be honest and say I’m not a fan of the fact that the last couple of books (including this one) havie a slightly more abrupt ending. Of course it means the story for Icel isn’t over and the events in this book don’t fully conclude, but I would have preferred a slightly longer last chapter with a slightly longer ending to keep me satisfied until the next instalment. The book has some interesting historical notes including a recipe for a certain treatment which I found fascinating. There is also a map and character list at the start of the book and a ‘story so far’ section which is good too. The book does have the occasional use of the s swear word and does have some violence and mentions of blood and deaths, a few injuries a little gory.

Overall, despite the slightly more abrupt ending, I still really enjoyed reading this and couldn’t stopped turning the pages. There’s something about Porter’s writing that just flows so well and it sucked me into Icel’s story that I just didn’t want the story to end. While my favourite book is still the previous one, Protector Of Mercia (I don’t think anything can top that wolf scene for me) this is a brilliant sixth book in the series and one I’d recommend, though to really enjoy this series full I’d advise to read the series from the start as you’ll find out more about Icel and how far he’s come.

Thank you Netgalley and Boldwood Books for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review.
By this point in the series I am very invested in Icel and whats to come off him and his journey through life. Having protected and rescued the children from the last book, now getting him to find out who wanted them gone, finally answered some questions.
This book suffers a bit from it being a clear set-up for the next book and possible confrontation with the parties involved. MJ didn't torture my boy Icel too much in this one and i am really happy about this. He is a good and honest man, trying to do the right thing and not always having the best of luck.
Looking forward for whatever comes next for my boy Icel.

Betrayal! Conspiracies galore! Do you like battles? Then look no further. Poor Icel is given a difficult task and nothing goes as expected. So many people can benefit from the death of Lord Coenwulf and his boys. But who are they? There’s so many questions. But we must wait for answers.

Can this really be the sixth book in this cracking series? Wow.. so much has happened to Icel in that time.. he’s no longer a young lost boy trying to find his way in life… he’s now a man who has found a purpose.. learned his craft and has earned the eye of King Wiglaf.

You’d think Icel would deserve a little peace and quiet after everything that has happened but he’s not that lucky.. even while not fully recovered himself from recent events he can hardly say no when the King requests his service to find out the identity of those who played a part in the kidnap of Lord Coenwulf’s children.

I think what Enemies of Mercia brings to the table is the political landscape of the time, we see the bigger picture become clear and there’s tonnes of detail thrown in to help the reader but themselves right in the thick of the action standing side by side with Icel.

The details not for the faint hearted though.. it provokes a guttural reaction from the reader but really shows you how dangerous the time was and the importance of skill, and need for a lot of luck..

Icel, Oh Icel.. he’s been though so much but Enemies of Mercia is going to be his biggest battle yet both physically but also mentally and the scars must run deep by now.. how much more can his body take?

It’s a bit of a mental battle for Icel too.. is there anyone he can trust?

For the action fans there’s still some very good and gruesome scenes but what I really enjoyed was this instalment felt more like a chess match.. its not all about the battle.. sometimes you have to set the board up first and sometimes that means avoiding conflict. Someone has set the pieces up.. but can Icel figure out what the gameplan is… and who is pulling the strings..

There really isnt anything bad I can say about this series, it keeps just getting better.. adding more depth to not only the characters but also their motivations.

MJ Porter offers another solid 5* addition to the series, strengthening the readers love of their work.

Final thought… by god I love these books covers for the series!

The previous book, Protector of Mercia, saw young Icel rescue Lord Coenwulf's children – but the people who were really behind their abduction – and their motivation – remained obscure. So what do we learn here?

Icel doesn't have long to recover before King Wiglaf of Mercia sends him out on the trail of those conspirators. He has to head straight into the heart of the enemy's lands – to Winchester, capital of Wessex. This is, as so often with Icel, a trip fraught with dangers, secrets, and suspicions. It doesn't help that he's not able to prove any involvement by the scheming Queen Cynethryth of Mercia, who he suspects has sided with Wessex.

And just what is their goal? Now that the children are in safety, Icel can focus on chasing the conspirators, and, as always, he has the backing of powerful Ealdorman Ælfstan.

Will Icel discover the identity of those who ordered the children killed? Or is not everything as simple as it appeared? Find out in the novel!


I'm a great fan of this series, and even after six novels, it's still exciting to follow Icel's progress. We're not finished with him yet. Still a young man in his early 20s, he is loyal and honest, but has learned fast about political intrigues and plots. He is suspicious, and rightly so, having been betrayed before.

Icel's learning curve, as he matures into a proper warrior, is steep, fraught with dangers, injuries, and disappointments. But his determination to protect Mercia, his homeland, and its king, never wavers. He may not be a great fan of King Wiglaf, and even less so of the plotting queen, but his loyalty to Mercia comes first.

Of course, this novel sees him in skirmishes, and as his fighting ability grows, he is turning into a reliable man, one who, even when injured, does not waver to follow his king's command. One man a king can proudly call a trusted follower.

I find the political intrigues the most fascinating aspect of this series. A king's life could be short and fraught with dangers lurking behind every corner, and there's no shortage of potential candidates to take over. In the midst of this, we have a young man trying to do his best for his kingdom.

Enemies of Mercia is an exciting story as Icel goes on the hunt for the conspirators, and I wonder what the author has next in store for him.

One word of advice, though: read the series from the beginning! I think it's important to follow Icel's story from the start, as it gives readers a complete picture of the political upheaval of 9th-century Mercia (and Wessex and Vikings). Events are interlinked, and it's much easier if you follow the thread.

Enemies of Mercia is a gripping adventure, expertly researched, that takes you right back in time. If you haven't met Icel before, it's high time you did!

I have loved these books especially as they are a totally different gene I usually read. Especially as it's a series I will go back and read again.

Enemies of Mercia by MJ Porter and this is the sixth book from the Eagles of Mercia Chronicles and it is a brilliant read from start to finish. This is book was another action packed and entertaining story that I really enjoyed. I have always been fascinated by
Mercia and the Dark Ages especially when I was at school, so these books have been a treat to read.

Big Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood books for my ARC.

I really do love this series.

I think this series actually does all the good things, the Last Kingdom series does, but doesn’t have the humongous downside that I had for that series, where the story became repeatable and with no unique voice

We are growing up with Icel, we are seeing him change into a warrior and learning that not everything is black and white. Living in the grey is part of life.

This one felt a bit of a transitional story, I am super excited for the next one

Following Icel's rescue of the children, Icel is set the task of hunting down those responsible as they are yet to face justice. Icel once again finds himself on a dangerous mission to restore Mercia. I learned more about Mercia and the Viking Ages which I soaked up while having a exciting experience along the way. I cringed alot with the injuries to the horses because I can handle human injuries and deaths but animals just break me. However it was interesting to learn how far the horses could handle. Icel once again outshone with his strength and durability. A action packed and entertaining read. Beware it does end on another cliffhanger so you will be eager for the next book!

Plot

Although the wider Eagle of Mercia series is set during a time of Viking invasion and population in Britain, Enemies of Mercia focuses on internal conflict between Saxon kingdoms. I’ve enjoyed the depth and detail we’ve explored in this series so far - and this sixth instalment builds upon that cleverly. 
Events in Enemies of Mercia follow on almost directly after those of book 5. What I also really enjoyed about this book is how the consequences of those events have shaped both characters and the events that follow. Without giving anything away, it’s something we’ve not seen before in the series, and from a development point of view, I really enjoyed this. More on that later. 
The driver of the plot in this instalment is very political. That said, we follow Icel amongst other characters in their quest to find out the truth of a conspiracy to murder heirs to the Mercian throne. This inevitably leads them into all kinds of danger, battle, and desperate chases for their lives. If you enjoy fast-paced and action-driven historical fiction, Enemies of Mercia will not disappoint! I really enjoyed the balance of the underlying motive, together with the actual investigation and elements of danger our protagonist inevitably gets embroiled in. Icel is in more danger than ever as he tries to quash a dangerous plot against fellow Mercians. 
 


Setting

Stepping into enemy territory was never going to be a walk in the park. Doing so to try and uncover a conspiracy to murder innocent children, and make it back to Mercia and King Wiglaf with evidence is a challenge. Nevertheless, that is the quest Icel embarks on at the request of his King. 
By nature, stepping into hostile territory is fraught with danger. It also incorporates a lot of tension into the narrative, which was a real contributing factor in keeping me reading on…and on, and just another chapter… 
Many of the places we find ourselves in during the narrative should be familiar to readers from previous books, or even from a basic understanding of English geography. Some place names do very slightly from modern day, but they are distinct enough to identify what is happening where. Geography was probably one of my worst subjects at school and I still didn’t have a problem. 
 


Characters 

Icel undergoes yet more character development in this latest instalment of the series. Without giving away spoilers as to events of the previous book, in Enemies of Mercia Icel suffers physically and with his confidence as a result of those final events. Instead of being the strong warrior who recovers to go charging to the next battle headlong, instead we see a slightly more reserved young man.
It changes the dynamic of the narrative as well. Instead, we see some attempts at avoiding conflict where possible. It’s fair to say he is a bit more of a tactical individual who would rather pick his battles as opposed to have others choose it for him. That’s not to say he always gets his way, because this world wouldn’t be what it was without perpetual infighting.
I enjoyed seeing Icel reflect on his experiences to date and use them as an opportunity to grow. Whilst he may think himself a lesser man for his predicament, I think it’s a big plus, and shows a level of maturity, that he doesn’t just dive in and consider the consequences later. 
Icel is by far one of my favourite characters, not just in this book or series, but in the genre. He is a complex character that has grown considerably in the series to date. I highly doubt that will cease to be true in further books in the series either, which has me asking where he will go next! 
 


Narrative Style

Enemies of Mercia, with its conspiracies and unfolding drama, is a fast-paced page turner. I read this book in a handful of settings, purely because once I picked it up, I didn’t want to put it down again! Action and plot threads unravelling consistently mean that readers will always want to pick up just one more chapter. At least, I did!
The chapters in this book are also a great length to keep readers engaged. They are neither too short, nor so long that we lose interest. This is also great if you do need to pick up and put down the book around other things. It makes the text approachable for readers of any commitment level.
The same can be said for the length of the book. There is plenty of page count to explore a detailed narrative in Enemies of Mercia without becoming too long or overwhelming.
 


Summary

I really enjoyed this sixth instalment to the Eagle of Mercia Chronicles, and I can’t wait to see where future events take us. It is abundantly clear Icel still has a part to play in the fate of Mercia and the other Kingdoms yet to come. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

In the fifth book from the Eagles of Mercia Chronicles, The Enemy of Mercia by MJ Porter.Icel it’s slowly healing from his devastating wounds yet it doesn’t stop him from excepting a mission from king of Mercia Wiglaf to find out who was behind the conspiracy to kidnap the exiled lords children and Wynflead makes him take Cuthred with him. When all is said and done Icel and his warriors will be lucky to make it back to Mercia alive. There’s always way too much in these books to give a brief summary just know the story continues in this one was a really good addition to the series I love these books in love how the political intrigue seems to never end. I also want to say I could’ve lived without listening to all the injuries of the horses IDK why when it’s people that doesn’t bother me so much but definitely could live without the animal injuries. Having said that this was a wonderful book and a definite five star read that any history fan would love. I want to thank boldwood Books and NetGalley for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

I always enjoy MJ Porter's historical fiction and like the Eagles of Mercia. This is another action packed and entertaining story that I enjoyed.
I learned a lot about Mercia and the Dark Ages and think this made me learn something more while having fun.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine