This is a piece of good old historical YA fiction in the tradition of Rosemary Sutcliff and Elizabeth George Speare. Set in Britain during the reign of King Alfred around 878 AD, it tells the story of a brother and sister, Edward and Judith, who are Mercian hostages to the Danes who have invaded Britain. During their captivity they learn of enemy plans that would topple the tenuous reign of Britain's king, Alfred, and so they set off with their friend, a serving-boy named Elfwyn, to warn King Alfred of the pending Dane attack. What follows is a riveting adventure as the children are caught up in the war between the Saxons and the Danes.
I love this story for the excellent writing, the great characters, the believable culture, the well-researched history of the period, and for the marvelous smell of my hardback copy's thick pages :-). I can't recommend this book enough. ( )