Wulf the Saxon -- Heirloom Audio Productions -- my REVIEW

Audiobooks are such a treat when we are confined to the car! Since my kids were little we have enjoyed listening to a broad range of titles, from children's books to classics to mysteries to silly stories. They are engaged listeners and my husband and I enjoy listening with them. We have enjoyed selections from Heirloom Audio Productions before, so we were excited to listen to the newest title, Wulf the Saxon by G. A. Henty.


As with other Heirloom Audio Productions titles that we have listened to before, this audio adventure is excitingly dramatized with music, special effects, and a full cast of actors and actresses who bring the story to "life." The story begins with some young boys looking for something interesting--and they encounter a story teller who introduces them to the story of Wulf the Saxon, a young man (old teen) who lives in England in the year 1065. Wulf is in the service of an earl, but goes home to rule his land--and proves himself to be fair and honest to the people who live in his area.  He is called up to serve his earl and he takes the blacksmith's son along with him to help him out.

Wulf and his party embark on a trip by sea and become shipwrecked on the shores of Normandy. They are taken captive, but Wulf escapes and helps to bring them to relative freedom. Wulf and his companion form a positive relationship with a family in the area of Normandy and they fight a battle and then recover there. Before the earl can leave he is kind of double crossed by the fellow he thinks he can trust, William, who forces him to swear his allegiance as well as promise to marry his daughter, before he (Earl Harold) may return to England.

After their return to England, Wulf continues to serve Harold and England. He engages in battles with the Welsh. He fights with enemies from the north, battles foes from the south. He fights and fights and fights, and is quite successful at it.

Eventually Harold is forced to do make a huge sacrifice that he was not happy for, in order to (as he supposes) ensure the safety of England. This actually does not have the intended result, and more wars are fought.  Harold eventually is killed in battle (though Wulf survives), and William (from Normandy) swoops in and takes advantage...and takes the country.

SO..here's the time for my take on the audiobook.  Did we like it? Not really. To my family (myself and my 3 teenagers) we felt that it was a lot of wars and battles. From one to the next to the next. My son thought that there was not much battle action (just a lot of sound effects) and for myself, I thought that it was just too much battle then battle then battle then battle.

I think, though, that it did give us a feel for the unsettled-ness of the time period and how some attempted to form alliances, though they were often not as successful as hoped.

The audio quality is lovely. The narration and acting is wonderful. The whole production is done so professionally and nicely.  We just didn't love the story.  Would I recommend it? Honestly, no. We have enjoyed productions before from Heirloom Audio Productions and I imagine we will again in the future. This didn't turn us off to it, Wulf the Saxon just wasn't a favorite story of ours.

To read what others have to say about this audio drama, please click on the link below!