Kindle Unlimited
Unlimited reading. Over 4 million titles. Learn more
Read for Free
OR
Kindle Price: $1.99

Save $10.25 (84%)

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Read with our free app
You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

Buy for others

Give as a gift or purchase for a team or group.
Learn more

Buying and sending eBooks to others

  1. Select quantity
  2. Buy and send eBooks
  3. Recipients can read on any device

These ebooks can only be redeemed by recipients in the US. Redemption links and eBooks cannot be resold.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs

Follow the author

Martin Lake
+ Follow
More books from this author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

The Flame of Resistance (The Lost King Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Martin Lake (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 753 ratings
See all formats and editions
England 1066. The Battle of Hastings is over. The Battle for England is about to begin. King Harold and most of England’s warriors lie dead on the battle-field and William, Duke of Normandy is marching towards London. Refusing to surrender, the English leaders turn to the one person they believe can unite the kingdom against the invaders. Edgar Atheling, the last surviving descendent of Alfred the Great, is proclaimed King of England. He is only thirteen years of age. Edgar leads an English army to meet William in battle. But when they see the strength of the Normans his advisers desert him and he is captured. On Christmas Day 1066, William the Conqueror is crowned King. Eighteen months later, when a bitter nation rises up in resistance to the Norman conquerors, Edgar escapes captivity to lead the last armies of England in their fight for freedom. The hopes of a nation are placed on a youngster with little experience of life. His weapons are a fierce intelligence, dauntless courage and the loyalty of a handful of friends. Burdened with overwhelming hopes and expectations, mired in fear and treachery, Edgar begins a life-time of resistance to the Norman invaders. Praise for The Flame of Resistance “An inspiring and exhilarating look inside the mind of King Edgar of England. I would highly recommend it to lovers of history and fiction alike.” “I thoroughly enjoyed this novel from cover to cover. Rich in history the characters felt so real. It was neither too academic nor too fanciful, just the perfect bit of story-telling. I can't wait until I read the sequel.” “A real page turner! It's got plenty of action, tension, tragedy and human interest.” “This is more than a rattling good yarn, although it most certainly is that. The pace and readability hook you from the start, the knowledge of history is profound and the story compulsive, but perhaps the main reason I like this book is its characterisation. The author captures the feelings of desolation, bewilderment and terror Edgar must have felt, together with his determination to survive and defy William's will. READ IT - IT'S TERRIFIC!” New title. Please note that this novel was previously published as Resistance and has minor editorial changes.
Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Book 1 of 4
    The Lost King
  2. Print length
    285 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    November 21, 2013
  6. File size
    3376 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
Next page
Hard Rock apparel
Outerwear, tees, and accessories. Discover the rock shop.
All 4 for you in this series See full series
See included books
Total Price: $14.46
By clicking on above button, you agree to the Kindle Store Terms of Use
More like The Flame of Resistance (The Lost King Book 1)
Page 1 of 1Start overPage 1 of 1
Previous page
  5. The Lost King    4 book series
Next page
Loading...

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B004X23TFO
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ ; 2nd edition (November 21, 2013)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 21, 2013
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3376 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 285 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 753 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Martin Lake

Martin Lake

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Martin Lake discovered his love of history and writing at an early age. After graduating, he worked as a teacher, college lecturer and conference co-odinator before deciding to combine his two passions and write a historical novel.

Since then, he has written twenty novels and several collections of short stories. When not writing, he can be found traveling, cooking, and exploring fascinating places. He currently resides on the French Riviera with his wife.

You can find his blog at http://martinlakewriting.wordpress.com

and follow him on twitter @martinlake14

He also has a Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/MartinLakeWriting

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5
753 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Mercedes Rochelle
4.0 out of 5 stars An uphill climb for England's ill-fated heir
Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2014
Verified Purchase
This story is about the ill-fated Eadgar Aetheling, last true Saxon heir to the throne. Too young to take the crown after Edward the Confessor's death, he was certainly too young to manage things less than one year later when everything had fallen apart. But there was no other choice for the Saxons after Harold Godwineson lost the crown. So the Witan hurriedly elected Eadgar next king of England, and this is where our novel takes up the tale.

Martin Lake presents Eadgar with an unenviable situation. Untrained and uncertain, Eadgar didn't know how to act, didn't know how to react, and found himself at the mercy of every change in fortune. After a half-hearted confrontation with William the Conqueror, Eadgar's supporters abandoned his cause pretty quick, and the youth was forced to submit to the new King. Luckily, a handful of loyal followers kept Eadgar safe and helped give him the confidence to think of himself in a new way.

When Eadgar fled William's court and made his way to Scotland with his mother and sisters, he found a cautious ally in King Malcolm III who fell in love with his sister Margaret. As the disaffected northerners staged a coup to oust the Normans from Durham and York, Eadgar became their figurehead. But he was not yet a leader and had to learn how to navigate his way through treacherous waters.

The book was told in first person, an interesting approach which served to expose his insecurities in a convincing manner. It's easy to sympathize with Eadgar who must learn to make decisions that could turn catastrophic. However, it's a little hard to take him seriously as well, so when he does try to act like a king he seems a bit silly. The story got somewhat muddled when Eadgar started negotiating with the Danes to divide up England between them...after eliminating William the Conqueror. He suddenly seemed to be taking on too much too soon. I expect this will come clear in the second book.
9 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
DragonflyDebbi
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating story set in the time of William the Conqueror
Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2016
Verified Purchase
I don't remember why I bought this book except that I have liked everything I read by Martin Lake. The Flame of Resistance was no exception, and now I need to read the next 3 in the series!.

I've never heard of Edgar Aethling before, but The Flame of Resistance brings him to life. It begins just after the Battle of Hasting where King Harold and his family are all killed. Edgar is technically heir to the throne, but William the Conqueror won the battle and claimed the title, so Edgar is just a 14 year old boy who poses some, but not a lot, of risk to William. The Flames of Resistance covers the time until Edgar is 17, and Lake does a wonderful job of developing him both as a person and as a character. You know historical fiction is good when you learn something, and by that measure, this is a great book. Can't wait to read the next one in the series.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
LindsaySA
4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating period of history. Worth reading!
Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2016
Verified Purchase
"The Flame of Resistance", is the first in a series called "The Lost King" about Edgar Aetheling, who was briefly the last Saxon King after Harold who was conquered by the Norman King, William! At first it thought it would be a long and tedious read; as the author sets the historical period in more detail than is required by the average reader of historical fiction. And some of his characters are not as fully developed as I would have liked.

However, I enjoyed the storyline and the action was vivid particularly of battle scenes. The narrator is the main character and he came across as authentic and interesting. He was 14 at the start and 16 by the end so was well portrayed as a teenage King who has been dethroned and was in exile in Scotland. Some of the characters were excellent. It remained historically accurate, though there were understandable author interpretations for a period of history so far in the past.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and intend to continue reading the series as I am fascinated by a "fuller" version if the history as I know it. Pleasurable reading for lovers of historical fiction and particularly of a period not often written about as fiction.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
C Woods
3.0 out of 5 stars Middling!
Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2019
Verified Purchase
I guess, as far as I understand this historical medieval period, the story is fairly done.

As for the dialogue, I found it too modern. The plot itself is creatively done as a kingship is thrust upon this boy who appears not to have been expecting it. But such is history.

All in all it's an interesting read for those interested in history and imagining the hows and whys of the past.
Helpful
 Report
Paul Bennett
5.0 out of 5 stars The Lost King - Resistance by Martin Lake
Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2013
Verified Purchase
Once again I found myself immersed in a time period I am not familiar with other than the fact that the year 1066 was one of those we memorized in history class. The Normans under William the Bastard have defeated the English at The Battle of Hastings. That's the starting point for this very enjoyable and well written book. The author is to be commended for his meticulous detail, his characters and the obvious passion he has for this period. The story follows Edgar Aetheling as he seeks his rightful place as King of England. His journeys take him from William's court in Normandy to King Malcolm III of Scotland as he attempts to solidify his position. This is heady stuff for a youth not yet 20 and the author brings out all of the doubts, emotions and occasional flashes of brilliance that Edgar has to deal with. The story ends, or rather it doesn't, with the coming battle with William and his Normans. I look forward to pursuing that in the sequel.
Hoover Book Reviews rates this at 4.4.
4 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Tnafbrat
4.0 out of 5 stars The Ongoing Adventures of ...
Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2013
Verified Purchase
The book is nicely written. Focused on Edgar the Aethling, one of the claimants to the English throne at the time of the Norman Conquest, it provides an interesting supposition and story to his history. Little is actually known about what happened to Edgar, a grandson of Edmund Ironside, and Lake has written a very believable book of historical fiction.

I purchased all three books in this series however I have read only this first one. The book is well written and enjoyable but I did find it too long for someone just wanting to read a history. Someone looking for a serial, perhaps in the vein "of the ongoing adventures of" type will probably enjoy the entire series.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

JPS
4.0 out of 5 stars The boy who could have been King
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 21, 2017
Verified Purchase
This is the first volume of the series and it came as a rather agreeable surprise. It is – yet again – the story of the Norman Conquest of England but seen – rather originally – through the eyes of Edgar Atheling, the last legitimate Saxon heir to the throne. Also for a change, the story stars after the battle of Hastings, as the Saxons are reeling from their narrow defeat and the death of Harold. This volume covers a bit more than the couple of years or so after 1066 and the first attempts to resist the Norman Conquest.

There are a lot of positive things to mention about this book, and perhaps a few less positive ones about both the characterisation and the historical context.

Regarding the characterisation, Edgar – a teen-ager forced by circumstances to grow up quickly when the story begins - is depicted in an interesting way in what is a first-person narrative. William, Duke of Normandy, is shown in all his harshness, brutality, terrible tempers and iron will-power, with these characteristics being accepted by historians and reflected in the sources, including the most favourable ones. While what could pass for his fondness towards Edgar may be fictitious and the author’s license, it – and the reasons for it which will appear in the next book of the series – do offer a plausible explanation to the fact that William spared Edgar several times and did not have killed when he could have. He could however have underestimated the threat that he represented. Odo fighting-bishop of Bayeux and William’s half-brother and William Fitz Osborn, William’s childhood friend and lieutenant, are also carefully described in ways that correspond to historical records.

Also interesting is the characterisation of the brave and faithful Housecarl Oswald, presented as the former leader of Harold’s bodyguard. The sympathy between Harold and the young Edgar who saw the Godwinson as a second father is also invented and maybe somewhat difficult to believe if only because Edgar was the real heir to the throne, not Harold.

The author has well used the historical facts and weaved his story from them. There was some resistance at London, with the Normans being denied access to the bridge and repulsed at Southwark. Edgar was designated King by the witan, or rather what was left of it following Hastings, but it members, starting with Stigand, swiftly deserted his cause, cut their own deals with the Norman invader and essentially betrayed in exchange of conserving their lands and privileges, forcing Edgar to submit to William. Also historical is the rather ambiguous role of the brother earls Edwin and Morcar, who failed to appear alongside Harold at Hastings, and the refuge and support that Malcom Canmore provided to Edgar in Scotland, at least partly because he married (and probably fell in love with) Edgar’s elder sister.

An exciting read and story told in an original way through the eyes of the little-known Edgar the Atheling. I have bought and look forward to reading the next three instalments and would rate this one four stars.
4 people found this helpful
 Report
Tricia Preston
5.0 out of 5 stars The aftermath of the Battle of Hastings.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 20, 2016
Verified Purchase
We all know that William the Conqueror was the victor at the Battle of Hastings but nobody at school bothered to tell us what happened afterwards. Did the crown sit easily on the Conquerors head?
In this story, we follow the campaign to make Edgar Aetherling, the sole surviving descendant of Alfred the Great, the new King of England.
Clearly well researched, in this, being the first book of a series, we see the thirteen year old boy begin his lifetime of resistance. Initially held prisoner by William, who felt there was some worth in keeping him alive, we see Edgar, surrounded by a few oathsworn comrades, adapting to the new circumstances of his life and beginning to learn the necessary wiles for his survival.
Against the backdrop of increasing unrest throughout the country, Edgar manages to escape the clutches of William and flees north to be re-united with his mother and sisters at the court of King Malcolm of Scotland. Here, we witness his coming of age as he grapples with the motives of the people surrounding him, working out who to trust and what to do. Martin portrays Edgar as a very engaging young man who is obviously very intelligent and extremely brave. He is very easy to like and it doesn't take long for you to wish him every success. Although we know that he is ultimately not triumphant, I was eager to find out what happens next. As a consequence, I have already bought the remaining three books in the series and am looking forward to them appearing at the top of my 'reading pile'.
One person found this helpful
 Report
misty meanor
4.0 out of 5 stars The Winner Takes It All
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 26, 2015
Verified Purchase
I read all three in this series straight after each other, which I would recommend to all readers. This kept the impetus of the narrative flowing and supported the development of Edgar, the Lost King. This is an era of history that I know little about and it was fascinating to learn more of the circumstances around William the Conqueror's acquisition of the English throne, the impact of the Danes and Edgar's developing ideas of an English nation, which hadn't at this time emerged from the virtually autonomous earl/dukedoms. The author's research sits lightly in the stories, with the characters gaining individuality as the plot progresses. Each one is readily identifiable so there is no confusion as to who is speaking or taking action. The customs of each nationality, Saxon, Norman and Danish are explained, especially the war practices. My only quibble, which is one that occurs in far too many novels, is the incorrect use of "you and me", "you and I". This is an editing issue which proof-readers really should be dealing with.
Report
John Hopper
5.0 out of 5 stars very good, pacy read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 22, 2016
Verified Purchase
This is the first novel in a series covering the life of Edgar the Atheling, last surviving male member of the Saxon royal house, who was briefly declared king of England by the royal council, the Witan, after King Harold was killed at Hastings. After briefly resisting William's advance on London, he and other leading figures capitulated when William circled London and attacked from the north. Edgar was a boy of only 13 and, in this novel, quite immature at this time, so it is not too surprising he was unable to garner much support, but over the next two to three years he escapes from William and flees north, settling at the court of the Scottish king, Malcolm Canmore (the vanquisher of the historical King Macbeth). The Danish King Svein Estrithson also attempts an invasion. These were of course turbulent times, when William's control over his country outside the south east was very shaky and, given slightly different circumstances, history might have turned out differently for young Edgar. But William was an utterly determined and ruthless ruler, and skilled in battle. As this novel ends, Edgar, now showing much greater maturity and judgement, has reached an uneasy truce with the Danes so they can all turn on William. It's an exciting read, with short chapters ending on a cliffhanger, and I downloaded book 2 immediately after finishing this.
Report
J. Marsh
3.0 out of 5 stars a goodish book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 13, 2017
Verified Purchase
The story flowed well and was almost a really good book but was let down by poor proof reading and/or predictive text going berserk. Improve this and I would be happy to recommend this author.
Report
Report an issue

Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report