10/01/2018
Still snarling after all these years, Uhtred Uhtredson of Bebbanburg charges again across the Northumbrian landscape in this 11th installment of Cornwell's "Saxon Tales" series (The Flame Bearer; Warriors of the Storm). Haunted by the murder of his daughter and an opponent's blind sorcerer, the intrepid swordsman is at first perplexed by the depradations of Norse refugees from Ireland. The political intrigue of early tenth-century England and its many power centers is equally as vexing. As he chases down his elusive foe, Uhtred detours to the councils of King Edward, before heading off to the ultimate battle. At the end, he finds himself aging, weary, wounded, and facing an impregnable fortress. Yet he lives to tell the tale. Once again, Cornwell has placed his irascible and cunning hero in the midst of personal and political conflict and provided another exciting story. VERDICT For those who enjoy their historical fiction told with verve and imagination. [See Prepub Alert, 4/9/18.]—W. Keith McCoy, Somerset Cty. Lib. Syst., Bridgewater, NJ
Once again, Cornwell has placed his irascible and cunning hero in the midst of personal and political conflict and provided another exciting story. VERDICT For those who enjoy their historical fiction told with verve and imagination.” — Library Journal
“A series that never seems to run out of blood, gore, and glory.” — Booklist
“The most prolific and successful historical novelist in the world today.... Mr. Cornwell writes as if he has been to ninth-century Wessex and back.... Much has changed since the ninth century, but some things, and some feelings, are timeless.” — Wall Street Journal
“A rousing, bloodthirsty tale of tumult in early-days Britain.... Great entertainment for fans of historical epics.” — Kirkus
A page-turning thriller of ancient historical times.... Like the Netflix series “The Last Kingdom,” which is based on this series, the books are definitely binge-worthy. — The Oklahoman
“Uhtred is back where he belongs, in the shield-wall, and telling the story of fame and heartbreak, blood and tears, sword against sword. Whether you believe it all or not is up to you; the good news is that Cornwell, once again, makes it easy to do so.” — Curtis Edmonds, Bookreporter
“Our hero is Uhtred, a good-hearted lout with a pleasantly sour disposition; he’s like a 9th century Han Solo.” — Time
Our hero is Uhtred, a good-hearted lout with a pleasantly sour disposition; he’s like a 9th century Han Solo.
The most prolific and successful historical novelist in the world today.... Mr. Cornwell writes as if he has been to ninth-century Wessex and back.... Much has changed since the ninth century, but some things, and some feelings, are timeless.
A page-turning thriller of ancient historical times.... Like the Netflix series “The Last Kingdom,” which is based on this series, the books are definitely binge-worthy.
A series that never seems to run out of blood, gore, and glory.
Uhtred is back where he belongs, in the shield-wall, and telling the story of fame and heartbreak, blood and tears, sword against sword. Whether you believe it all or not is up to you; the good news is that Cornwell, once again, makes it easy to do so.
The most prolific and successful historical novelist in the world today.... Mr. Cornwell writes as if he has been to ninth-century Wessex and back.... Much has changed since the ninth century, but some things, and some feelings, are timeless.
A series that never seems to run out of blood, gore, and glory.
Our hero is Uhtred, a good-hearted lout with a pleasantly sour disposition; he’s like a 9th century Han Solo.
Bernard Cornwell does the best battle scenes of any writer I’ve ever read, past or present.
2018-08-21
This 11th entry in Cornwell's Saxon Tales series (The Flame Bearer, 2016, etc.) is a rousing, bloodthirsty tale of tumult in early-days Britain.
Uhtred, the powerful 10th-century Lord of Bebbanburg, sets out with less than a hundred men to relieve the siege of Ceaster and rescue Prince Æthelstan, King Edward's son. But someone has tricked Uhtred, who has been lured across Britain "to rescue a man who did not need rescuing." Someone has drawn him away from defense of his native Northumbria, and he determines to "discover the name of an enemy." Around the year 920, Britain is still a jumble of small kingdoms. Edward is the self-appointed Anglorum Saxonum Rex, the first king of the Angles and the Saxons. He wants to annex Northumbria, but Uhtred will not swear loyalty to him. For one thing, Uhtred's son-in-law Sigtryggr is already king there. Meanwhile, Christianity is beginning to spread, but the 60-something pagan Uhtred wants none of that—his gods can walk on water too, if they want to. Although the plot is complicated, it boils down to this: Uhtred wants to kill the Norseman who wants to kill him and conquer Northumbria. The story has marvelous details, such as the fierce warrior Svart who has a beard with bones woven into it. Swords have names like Serpent-Breath, Soul-Stealer, and Wasp-Sting. And be they Saxon, Angle, Dane, or Norse, everyone is enamored of wolves, especially the "wolf-warriors" who use henbane ointment to make them crazy before battle. Uhtred observes that King Edward is caught in "a tangle of love, loyalties and hate, mostly hate….The only thing that was simple was war." And war there certainly is. Serpent-Breath and his many murderous cousins inflict bloody butchery in spectacular hand-to-hand combat. A Christian man laments that "my god weeps for Englaland…my god wants peace." Alas, that god gets no satisfaction in this grand adventure.
Great entertainment for fans of historical epics.
