Review of The Sins of the Father by Annie Whitehead

The Sins of the Father by Annie Whitehead

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Richly textured with detail only a medieval scholar could bring.

Sins of the Father should really be called Sins of the Fathers because it follows the children of both King Penda and King Oswii in the ongoing feud between these two royal families. Sins of the Father is the sequel to The Cometh Hour, however, I don’t think you need to read that book to understand this one, even though I recommend that you do because it’s also excellent.

Sins of the Father picks up a few years after the Battle of the Winwaed, where Penda was slain by Oswii’s forces. Penda’s eldest son takes back the Mercian throne and then reunites with his siblings, who’ve been cast asunder and have been living in hiding since the death of their father. The joy of reunion is short-lived as the old grudges between the families come back to haunt them.

Whitehead does a great job of painting seventh-century Britain with vivid details like clothing, customs, food, crafts, and medicine. She even gets the flora with the seasons right. I felt I could see, smell, touch, and taste the scenes. The Mercians, Northumbrians, and Welsh had different and unique cultures from each other. I liked that the main character was sensitive, self-conscious, and, at times, full of self-doubt. It made him seem real and relatable and not some “biggus dickus” with a sword. All the characters were well-fleshed out with understandable motivations.

In the end, this is a tale of how a feud between families can spiral into an endless cycle of tragedy that can last for generations. If you want to visit seventh-century Britain, Whitehead takes you there with a well-researched story of Britain’s last Pegan king and his legacy. Be sure to read the historical note at the end of the book, where she explains much of the real historical aspects of the story.


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