A Prince of Cornwall

A child lost among snowbound beech trees opens this tale of friendship across the frontier between Saxon and British kingdoms. The narrator, Oswald, looks back on his bond with Owen, a Cornish prince, and acknowledges how much his life owes to him. Charles W. Whistler places their story in the days of Ina of Wessex, around the conflict with Gerent in 710, when the western border was shifting through Somerset and Devon.

The adventures range through forests, coastal settlements and royal courts. Outlaws are pursued across the Quantocks, a possible ransom concerns the king, and the Norseman Thorgils earns thanks for helping Oswald. Personal loyalties bring warmth to the political tensions, while Oswald's thoughts of Elfrida add a more private concern. Readers interested in early English historical fiction will find a first-person adventure shaped by regional geography, rival churches and friendships between people from opposing communities.