Elfwyne
Daughter of the thegn, raised to serve and to stay silent. She was born to lead, if only the world would let her.
Danelaw's Rise · Book One
The Thegn's Daughter
England, 867 AD. A kingdom is being carved apart by fire and steel.
Danelaw's Rise · Book One
England, 867 AD. A kingdom is being carved apart by fire and steel.
Danelaw's Rise · Book One
Elfwyne has spent her life in the shadow of her father, the thegn of Streanæshalch.
Intelligent, capable and fiercely loyal to her people, she understands leadership better than many of the men around her. But in a world ruled by bloodlines, duty and men, she remains what she has always been: the thegn's daughter.
Then the Norse arrive.
When Viking warrior Njal Bjornsson takes the settlement, he makes an unexpected decision. He will not return across the sea with his spoils. He intends to stay, to build and to make this land his home.
Caught between the old world and the new, Elfwyne finds herself at the heart of an uneasy alliance between two peoples divided by bloodshed, belief and centuries of mistrust. As Saxon and Norse lives become increasingly entwined, loyalties will be tested, faith challenged and old certainties shattered. And Elfwyne must discover whether she will continue to live the life others have chosen for her, or finally forge one of her own.
Rich in atmosphere, conflict and unforgettable characters, The Thegn's Daughter is an epic tale of courage, identity and survival at the dawn of the Danelaw.
★★★★★ Rated five stars by readers on Amazon
L. J. Morton has a real talent for bringing history to life. Her attention to historical atmosphere and descriptive detail makes it easy to imagine yourself standing alongside her characters.
There is a believable humanity to her character that makes you want to know what happens next.
The way you describe in detail gives a very clear picture of what I should see in my mind’s eye, but the way you do not go overly detailed leaves it to me to imagine it as well.
24 pages in and I am hooked.
Best book!
Excellent book! I can’t wait for part 2!
Northumbria in the ninth century, where the old kingdoms meet the long ships.
Daughter of the thegn, raised to serve and to stay silent. She was born to lead, if only the world would let her.
A Viking warrior who takes the settlement and then does the unthinkable: he stays, to build a home in the land he conquered.
The old name for Whitby, on the Yorkshire coast, where the abbey stands over the sea and two peoples must learn to share one shore.
L.J. Morton was born in Germany, raised in Essex, and matured in South Shields. From an early age, she had two great loves: horses and books, though books proved far easier to keep close at hand.
As a young adult, she filled computer files with stories, only for imposter syndrome to convince her to delete them time and time again. A few of those lost stories still linger in the back of her mind, waiting patiently for their turn to be told.
Working for herself in the legal field, L.J. puts her criminology degrees to use every day, drawing inspiration from human behaviour, history, and the complexities of justice. Her fascination with historical fiction, period dramas, and forgotten details made writing in a historical setting a natural choice.
For L.J., writing is only half the joy. The other half lies in the research: uncovering strange customs, overlooked truths, and the small historical details that breathe life into a story.
The Thegn's Daughter is published by Crear Publishing.
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