What the Readers Say
Why The Welsh Warrior Series by Arianwen Nunn Is a Must-Read in Welsh Historical Fiction
Historical fiction from Wales is nothing new, but every now and then a series emerges that makes you look at familiar history with fresh eyes. Arianwen Nunn’s The Welsh Warrior series is just that: a sweeping, dramatic, richly imagined saga centred on 11th- and 12th-century Wales, that manages to combine guts, heart, politics, and the little human moments that make history feel alive. Here are some reasons why readers believe this series stands out.
1. Deep Roots in Real History + Strong Sense of Place
One of the most compelling things about this series is how grounded it is in actual historical events, figures, and tensions. The series follows King Gruffydd ap Cynan and his wife Angharad, their family, and the complex web of loyalties, betrayals, and warfare around them.
For example, The Welsh Warrior’s Inheritance is set in 1109, and it weaves in real historical conflicts: Owain ap Cadwgan’s abduction of Princess Nest, the involvement of King Henry of England, the political manoeuvrings in Gwynedd, and the perilous alliances and enmities across Welsh kingdoms and with England.
That combination of historical fact with imaginative narrative gives readers both learning and escape: you come away feeling you’ve been to medieval Wales, not just read about it.
2. Complex, Relatable Characters: Power, Vulnerability & Moral Grey Zones
Historical fiction can sometimes slip into caricature: kings who are always heroic, villains purely evil, women as passive onlookers, etc. Nunn’s strength is her refusal to go for simplicity.
The protagonists are not flawless. They make choices under pressure, with limited options, under threat from both outside enemies and internal betrayal.
Relationships matter: familial loyalty, betrayal by kin, political marriages, romantic entanglements, personal duty vs. individual desire.
Women in the series are not just partners or victims. Figures like Angharad play central roles, making decisions, taking risks, protecting family, responding to threats in ways that expose both courage and cost.
These characterizations give emotional depth. You care about who lives, who survives, who compromises and not just because of politics, but because of love, duty, fear, and hope.
3. High Stakes, Sweeping Drama & Local Colour
If you like action, political intrigue, and dramatic turns, this series delivers. Battles, abductions, attempted assassinations, familial betrayal, looming invasions and the kind of stakes that historically shaped Wales but are often underrepresented in fiction. For instance:
The abduction of Nest by Owain ap Cadwgan sets off political crises.
The threats from King Henry, the internal danger posed by rival kin, shifting loyalties — all of which force characters to act or to suffer.
But it’s not just about war and politics. The “local colour” is vivid: castles, the geography of Wales (mountains, borderlands, sea), the way of life in medieval Welsh kingdoms. Customs, relationships, survival in a world where everything can change with one decision or one betrayal.
4. Untold / Underrepresented Stories
Medieval Wales is rich in stories, but many are little known outside academic circles or Welsh cultural circles. The Welsh Warrior series brings untold or lesser-known narratives to a broader audience especially in the Anglophone historical fiction market.
Nunn herself is Welsh, now living in Australia, and her passion is for exploring “one of the greatest untold tales in the 11th century”. The fact that she uses these lesser-known historical moments (rather than the more famous crusades or Norman stories) makes the series feel fresh. It helps fill gaps: the perspectives of Welsh rulers, border conflicts, the personal costs of war, rivalry and loyalty.
5. Accessible but Rich Writing / Balance of Detail and Pacing
Another thing that stands out: the books are long, immersive, but the storytelling seems to balance detail (politics, setting, historical context) with pace and human drama. Looking at The Welsh Warrior’s Inheritance, for example, the plot doesn’t stall in exposition since there are emotional arcs, danger, movement, suspense.
For readers who enjoy getting lost in a world, but don’t want to slog through dry historical treatises or get bogged down in over-heavy academic detail, Nunn seems to hit a sweet spot.
6. Relevance & Resonance Today
Why do these stories matter now? Because many of the themes are timeless:
Identity and belonging : what does it mean to be Welsh in the face of external pressure, internal divisions?
Power and its costs: not just for rulers but those caught in the crossfire.
Family, honour, betrayal, love, sacrifice.
Also, what happens to smaller nations under pressure from larger ones is sadly often still relevant. The borderlines between “us” and “them”, alliances that shift, the loss of autonomy are themes that resonate in many places today.
Final Thoughts: Why This Series Feels Like a New Chapter
In a market where medieval and historical fiction often leans on similar tropes (Norman invasion, knights, generic castles, etc.), The Welsh Warrior series offers something more grounded, something less told, and something powerful. It combines political intrigue, human emotion, fierce loyalty, betrayal, and the rugged beauty of Wales in a way that both entertains and educates.
If you want to be swept into a place and time that’s vivid, complex, dangerous, and beautiful and meet characters who feel like people, not just legends this series is definitely worth your shelf.