Defender of the Realm: 1

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To make this a balanced piece, I should highlight the things that bug me… but there aren’t any, which is strange for me as I’m something of a perfectionist! Alfie is so uncertain of himself but when he comes into his own it gives you such a victorious feeling. But, Hayley is an interesting character, if anything, I would not mind if there are some changes of POV at the subsequent series.

While I occasionally find the swap from one person's point of view to another mid-chapter jarring, it served its purpose here better than I have seen previously. King Alfie must raise an army and take back his country – or is that exactly what Lock’s evil master wants him to do? The majority of members cannot yet drive, so I was skeptical at first, although I kept it to myself as one of the first rules established that you cannot complain about anyone's book choice.And it’s all interlinked, without the failures you don’t learn anything so you’ll never progress to the successes. It follows directly from the events of the first book, so I'd advise refreshing your memory before picking it up.

Unfortunately for him he's heir to the throne of England and keeper of a family secret passed down from generation to generation since the time of Alfred the Great. It weaves superheros and British history brilliantly making the history part fascinating while you enjoy the rip roaring superhero story.

Flawed, in over his head, but doing his best through circumstances he can't control is my favorite type of hero. Alfie really grows from a prince who doesn't want to be a prince to a king who is willing to give his life for his country. It’s a big enough issue for some schools to have a “Failure Week”, where pupils are encouraged to take a risk and try out new sports, subjects and hobbies, even if it means they might fail at the first attempt. Alfie is resilient, stubborn and tougher than he looks, the product of all the setbacks he’s faced in life including the divorce of his parents and the death of his father. It is one of the best exports of British engineering and it has really challenged every other off-road automotive manufacturer.

I wrestled with whether to give it four or three stars, but because of some issues I had with the pacing in the later chapters, I ultimately bumped it down.

What Alfie isn't expecting is the EXTRA roles that come with being King Alfred II, responsibilities that have been passed down from his ancestors and aren't your run of the mill royal duties. To make it worse, I think there is little motivation involved when he decides to become The Defender aside from duties.