The Other Side of the Whale Road by K.A. Hayton

Release: August 1, 2021
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Lightning Books
Source: The write Reads Tours
Find it at: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, Kobo

How dark were the Dark Ages? Joss is about to find out…

When his mum burns down their house on the Whitehorse estate after too many vodkas, sixteen-year-old Joss is sent to live with welcoming foster-carers in a sleepy Suffolk village.

The place is steeped in history, as streetwise Joss learns first-hand when a bike accident pitches him back more than a thousand years to the Anglo-Saxon encampment of Haegelisdun. But, he is soon living in the village: tending the fields, eating lumpy porridge and dense bread and sleeping on a rock-hard bed. But he has read his history, so he knows his new friends Aesc, Merwenna and Leofric – as well as his thuggish rival Wuffa – are in peril from a forthcoming Viking invasion.

Risking execution by mistrustful Anglo-Saxon warriors as well as slaughter by the Danes, can he warn the doomed King Edmund in time? And what will it mean for Joss’s troubled family – and his turbulent relationship with new girlfriend Alice – if he ever gets home?

About the Author:

As an RAF child, K.A. Hayton grew up in various parts of Europe, arriving in England just in time for the winter of discontent. Moreover, she spent her first year of an English degree at Sheffield University studying Anglo-Saxon poetry, which sparked an enduring interest in the Dark Ages.

She lives in rural Suffolk, very close to the Anglo-Saxon burial site of Sutton Hoo, where she is a keen runner, sea-swimmer and supporter of Ipswich Town FC.

The Other Side of the Whale Road will be released in September by Lightning Books under Mrs Hayton’s pen name, K.A. Hayton.

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The Other Side of the Whale Road Review:

The first aspect that struck me about the story was its concept of time travel. I liked the way Joss goes back in time when he falls into the quarry in Hoxne. The author also touches on Anglo-Saxon history nicely without shoving too much information. Moreover, I didn’t know about Edmund and the battle at Hoxne with the Vikings till I read this book. I thought this was a nice story to get readers interested in history.

The author also writes the characters nicely. Joss is charming in the lead as he tries to figure out what is happening to his life. I also loved the supporting characters like Leofric and Cyneburga and how protective they are of Joss. The author also mentions some thought-provoking moments, like how people’s instincts and behavior don’t change much, no matter how advanced we are. Some people ridicule and display hostility towards others for being different, irrespective of the circumstances. Some parts of the story are also exciting, like when Wuffa comes with his sword to attack Joss.

However, the story does take a while to pick up, as it is not till the fourth chapter where Joss finds himself in another timeline. Also, initially, it took time for me to adjust to the characters’ names, as they sounded complex. Furthermore, it would have been nice to make it exciting if there was more action and adventure in the story.

Apart from that, I enjoyed reading “The Other Side of the Whale Road” and found it a charming debut by the author.