View source for Saxon: The Book of Dreams (Saxon 1) by Tim Severin

{{infobox1
|title=Saxon: The Book of Dreams (Saxon 1)
|author=Tim Severin
|reviewer=Conor Murphy
|genre=Historical Fiction
|summary=Enjoyable historical novel with plenty of energy.
|rating=3.5
|buy=Maybe
|borrow=Yes
|pages=384
|publisher=Macmillan
|website=http://www.timseverin.net/
|date=August 2012
|isbn=0230764428
|cover=0230764428
|aznuk=0230764428
|aznus=0230764428
}}
Sigwulf is the Saxon prince of a small kingdom - that is, until the ruthless King Offa of Mercia slaughters his family. He is saved from execution for a single purpose - to be shipped off to the court of King Carolus of the Franks. Sigwulf quickly befriends the Kings nephew, Count Hroundland, a powerful and very ambitious man. However, just as quickly Sigwulf survives an attempt on his life, he also finds he has been thrown into a world of deceit and vain ambitions. Only Osric, Sigwulf's crippled personal slave, can be trusted.

Sigwulf's life is complicated further by weird and disturbing dreams and he soon comes into the possession of a Saracen text which he thinks may explain the meaning of such dreams. Sent to Spain to spy on the Saracens, he finds new friends and soon becomes caught between old allegiances and discovers who is true friends really are...

Saxon is a very good, page-turning read, especially for someone like me who thoroughly enjoys military historical fiction. It has all the twists and turns a good story needs and will without doubt keep you entertained.  King Carolus is known to us as Charlemagne and it's fascinating to read about his early campaigns. Having said that, ''Saxon'' clearly isn't really about the Saxons, which may be disappointing for some. I'm not sure this book really does what it says on the tin!

However, whatever it says on the tin, it's easy to read, exciting, and full of interesting historical detail. If you like this type of book, you'll enjoy it, at least as a passing read, if not one you'd want to return to over and again.
You might also enjoy [[The Half-Slave by Trevor Bloom]], in which a raiding Saxon tribe meets its match in the form of a division of the Franks, who have suborned the Roman authorities and are establishing their control throughout the region.

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