The Dragon and the Raven vs The summer of the Danes: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Great Britain, History, Fiction
The Dragon and the Raven
“A low hut built of turf roughly thatched with rushes and standing on the highest spot of some slightly raised ground.”
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For many years England was assailed by Danish hordes whose barbarians reduced the Saxons to pitiable legions of disconnected and ravished communities. In the later 800's A.D. a man named Alfred emerged from the darkened…
The summer of the Danes
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In the summer of 1144, a strange calm has settled over England--almost a peace. For several months there has been little actual fighting between the forces of King Stephen and those of Empress Maud, the two royal…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- The summer of the Danes has the widest readership — 5410 ratings behind its score.
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How to choose
Scores by source
| The Dragon and the Raven | The summer of the Danes | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.9 (1448) | 4.1 (5410) |
| Hardcover | — | 4.2 (6) |
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Reception
| The Dragon and the Raven | The summer of the Danes | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 1448 | 5410 |
| Editions | 373 | 35 |
| Film adaptations | — | 1 |
| Want to read | 957 | 2147 |
| Reading it now | 175 | 1319 |
| Written reviews | 131 | 365 |
| Wikipedia attention | — | 230 |
| Pages | 216 | 289 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: The Dragon and the Raven or The summer of the Danes?
The summer of the Danes has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The summer of the Danes 4.1/5, The Dragon and the Raven 3.9/5).
Which is shorter to read: The Dragon and the Raven or The summer of the Danes?
The Dragon and the Raven is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The Dragon and the Raven (216 pages, ≈ 4 h 00 m); The summer of the Danes (289 pages, ≈ 5 h 21 m).
Which is harder to read: The Dragon and the Raven or The summer of the Danes?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — The Dragon and the Raven: Challenging; The summer of the Danes: Moderate.