The Road to Hastings books in order

The Road to Hastings tells the story of Harold Godwinson — the last Anglo-Saxon king of England — from the years of political manoeuvring that brought him to the throne to the catastrophic battle that ended his rule. K.M. Ashman draws on the full complexity of pre-Conquest England to give Harold the treatment he rarely receives.
Series · Historical Fiction · Medieval Fiction · Military Fiction · Adventure Fiction

Reading order

# Title Published Author Buy on Amazon
1 The Challenges of a King 2021 K.M. Ashman Buy
2 Sons and Lovers 1992 K.M. Ashman N/A
3 The Promises of a King 2022 K.M. Ashman Buy
4 The Fate of a King: A compelling medieval adventure of battle, honour and glory 2023 K.M. Ashman Buy

The Road to Hastings is K.M. Ashman’s account of Harold Godwinson, a figure who has often been reduced to a footnote in the Norman Conquest story — the defeated king who lost England at an arrow’s angle. The series, which opens with Sons and Lovers (set in 1056) and runs through The Fate of a King (2023), gives Harold the space to be a full political actor rather than a victim of history.

Ashman traces Harold’s rise through the complex factional politics of late Anglo-Saxon England: the rivalry between the Godwin family and other powerful earls, the troubled relationship with Edward the Confessor, the Norwegian invasion Harold defeated at Stamford Bridge just days before Hastings. The series is as interested in the machinery of 11th-century English politics as it is in battlefield action, and it benefits from that breadth.

The Road to Hastings complements Ashman’s Blood of Kings series by showing the same period from a different angle — where Blood of Kings looks at Norman expansion from the Welsh perspective, Road to Hastings looks at it from the English one.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the The Road to Hastings series?

There are four books in the The Road to Hastings series, published between 1992 and 2023.

What is the first book in the The Road to Hastings series?

The first book in the The Road to Hastings series is The Challenges of a King, published in 2021.

Does The Road to Hastings cover events beyond the Battle of Hastings itself?

The series is primarily concerned with the years leading up to October 1066 rather than the battle itself. Harold Godwinson spent years as the most powerful earl in England before becoming king, and the political struggles of that period — his relationship with the Godwin family, his negotiations with Northumbria, his conflict with Harald Hardrada at Stamford Bridge, and his fatal decision to march south immediately after that victory — are as much the subject of the series as the fighting at Hastings. Ashman is interested in how Harold arrived at that hillside as much as what happened on it.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. We may receive commissions for purchases made through links on this site.

Privacy Policy