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I would kill them instead.”
Uhtred of Bebbanburg, the Saxon-born, Danish-raised warrior who has reluctantly become a fighter for Alfred of Wessex, is back in this sixth volume of the Saxon Stories. With his usual blend of confidence, physical strength, and gleeful sarcasm at the ready, he recounts a critical period in the making of England – and his involvement therein.
King Alfred is finally dying. The Danes lie in wait, eager to invade and tear apart the Christian realm he worked so hard to build. Uncertainty and suspicion are present from the outset, an effect that nicely mirrors the soon-to-be-fractured state of the kingdom. After foiling a murder attempt at his winter residence up north, Uhtred must return to duty when Alfred asks him to negotiate a treaty with King Eohric of East Anglia. The meeting place seems oddly chosen, and Uhtred smells something fishy. Uhtred has grown to admire Alfred over time, but he doesn’t feel the same loyalty toward Alfred’s heir, the ætheling Edward. Not only does Edward mistrust him, but Uhtred knows he will have a hard time convincing him that peace-making isn’t the way to create a united Saxon country. Treachery and lies abound, not just from the enemy Danes but also from a rival claimant to the throne. While he faces Alfred’s slow but impending demise as well as numerous threats to his own safety, Uhtred makes up his mind about his ultimate goal – and how he will attain it.
If this were purely an adrenaline-based saga, Death of Kings would be an impressively entertaining read. The strategies are laid out clearly, and the action is brutal and vigorous. Cornwell excels at depicting the “battle-joy” that comes over Uhtred as he prepares to face down a deadly foe. Even pacifists may find themselves caught up in the moment! The historical background is solid and vividly described, with authentic place names giving the setting a realistic feel.
Some of Uhtred’s choices are wickedly clever, and they have his enemies running in frustrated circles. He delights in causing trouble, which makes for hilarious scenes. His taunting of the Danes at Snotengaham is meant solely to enhance his already fearsome reputation. He also has an excellent sense of how to annoy the ubiquitous priests who believe that victory can be won by prayer.
Death of Kings encompasses more than military encounters, however, and we experience a full range of emotions along with Uhtred: the assurance with which he leads his trusted men, the solemnity of his king’s final moments, and the tenderness and pride Uhtred has for Æthelflaed, Alfred’s daughter, whom he loves dearly. And while he always greets the possibility of war with eager anticipation, his encounter with a pagan sorceress in her otherworldly lair makes him shake in his boots. The consummate skill with which Cornwell evokes every aspect of Uhtred’s story and character transforms an already exciting book into a truly outstanding one.
Death of Kings is published in October by HarperCollins UK at £18.99 (hardcover, 335pp). It will appear in the US next January from Harper at $25.99 (and good luck waiting that long).
Sounds such an intriguing read.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of my son's favorite authors. Too bad it doesn't come out until after Christmas.
ReplyDeleteI love his books! Thank you
ReplyDeleteSarah!!!! I want to read this one!!! Can't wait. Got it pre-ordered.
ReplyDeleteI have not read a single book by Bernard Cornwell, but you make this sound like a deliciously entertaining place to start - provided it can be read as a standalone? Do you have any personal favourites when it comes to this author? (Which reminds me to thank you so very much for the Jude Morgan recommendations. I am savouring Passion right now :-))
ReplyDeleteI hope you all enjoy it as much as I did. It's great fun.
ReplyDeleteYes, it can be read as a standalone - I've read the first book as well as this one, but not the ones in between. Not yet anyway (I'm still catching up!). While it would be helpful to have some knowledge of Alfred the Great's family structure beforehand, there's a genealogical table at the beginning to refer to. The glossary of English place names and what they are currently is also a big help.
This is my favorite book of his so far, not just because the Anglo-Saxon era especially interests me, but because of Uhtred's sarcastic sense of humor. I don't normally go for historical adventure stories but make an exception for these. War's a messy business, and I often find I get lost in endless confusing descriptions of battle strategies, but the action scenes here were crisp and clear.
I'm so glad to hear you're enjoying Passion, Danielle!
This is one of the few series I really like, and the only one of this author's that I read. But I read the heck out of this one. I'm looking foward to this installment when it's published in the U.S., officially January, so may it will be in December.
ReplyDeleteIt's about time Uhtred gets his ancesteral domain back from his conniving uncle though, coz he's running out of time!
Love, C,
I just started the first book in this series this week. So far so good. Thanks for the review.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know he had another book in the series coming out. From the review, sounds as exciting as the rest! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteIt'd be good if it was available before the holidays, though the official pub date in the US is 1/17.
ReplyDeleteYou're right about his ancestral home, Foxessa. I won't say more either way lest it be construed as a spoiler!
I read the Saxon Chronicles this past summer and was so disappointed when I got to the last one, I wanted more, more, more! Love this series and I'm so excited about this new one that I'm not waiting for it to be published after the new year, but will be heading on over to Amazon UK to order my copy!
ReplyDeleteAs a writer, I gotta love that first line!
ReplyDeleteI should clarify - it's not the first line of the book. It's from the first few pages. But I thought it provided a good intro!
ReplyDeleteThis series seems to be one of the few adventure sagas to have a large female readership - would you all agree?
I thought Sharpe had a large female readership too, though Sean Bean as Sharpe in the television adaptations may be the real female audience for Sharpe (I'm not one of those either!).
ReplyDeleteIf Uhtred has a largely female following that would be really interesting. I'd love to know why. I can give my reasons, but they're not in any way gender specific or even oriented. At least that's what I think about my liking, but maybe not. Perhaps others can discuss why they like these books?
The Uhtred series has everything that male readers supposed like, right?
But I don't want to say any more either, for fear of spoilers, as I have read them all (not all of them as as good as the first two, and the two most recently published before this latest one).
Love, C.
I've heard that too - that Sean Bean was a big draw for potential women readers!
ReplyDeleteI was just observing... all of the commenters here are women, many of whom are longtime readers of the series. For me, much of the draw is Uhtred's narrative voice - there are some great comic scenes here - also partly the time period. Also, while Uhtred is a warrior, the books don't have a formal military setting, and the latter may be less interesting to many women readers. The humor in the books expands the range of readers even more.
Just some thoughts.
I seem to collect Cornwell books and then not actually read them...
ReplyDeleteAlso, in this series at least, Cornwell includes some terrific women characters, not all of whom are there 'merely' as slaves and sex-romance interest and reward for the warriors. Some of them have nothing to do with sex at all, and they discuss matters that aren't about marriage or romance either, for that matter.
ReplyDeleteAs far as Uhtred is concerned, his character feels so 'authentic' for what it is in this period of history, particularly for someone is a natural born as well as trained warrior in those cultures and eras. His nature divided between his desires and his honor, his growing maturity in how politics and other systems in the time he's living in, feels authentic as well.
Yes, as Alfred's penetrating mind recognized immediately -- Uhtred is a true asset, and it is far better to have him working for you than against you.
Love, C.
I liked Æthelflaed a lot in this one, even though she's not front-and-center much. The sorceress is also very powerful, in an eerie sort of way.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on Uhtred's character. Alfred knows his value, but Edward takes more convincing... in that problem lies the conflict of much of this book!
I can give one reason at least to explain the popularity with women of this series of books: Richard Armitage. This actor (North and South, Robin Hood, MI5 and now Thorin Oakenshield in the upcoming Hobbit) has a deep, sexy voice and has done a superb audiobook reading of the third book in the series, Lords of the North. Many women fans have started with this book first and then have gone on to read the whole series. Mr Armitage really does become Uhtred and brilliantly reproduces more than 30 other voices.
ReplyDeleteThanks for that info - that might have me listening to some audiobooks for a change!
ReplyDeleteFunnily enough, I was rather put off by the choice of Sean Bean to play Richard Sharpe, who is described as tall, lean and dark-haired, with a scarred, hawk-like face. Sean Bean as Uhtred, now, I could definitely see!
ReplyDeleteMy copy of “Death of Kings” has just arrived in the mailbox, and I’m looking forward to it. I’ve really enjoyed this series, and like you, I’m taken with Uhtred’s sardonic sense of humour, which seems so characteristic of the laugh-in-the-face-of-death Saxon/Viking style.
I also love the ghastly old warrior Uhtred who is the retrospective narrator of these stories. I’m reminded very much of The Silver Horde, Terry Pratchett’s memorably menacing ancient barbarians in his novel “Interesting Times” :)
Re Danielle’s query - I do think it would be useful to read the "The Last Kingdom", the first in the Saxon series , before tackling “Death of Kings”, in order to gain an understanding of the forces that shape Uhtred’s life and personality.
Annis, I think you're right about Last Kingdom and the usefulness of reading it first.
ReplyDeleteIt is reassuring, while reading the novels, to know that Uhtred survived into old age.
Sarah and Annis, thank you both for the additional information and comments, and apologies for the extremely belated reply. As I am not generally patient with long series I have decided to order The Last Kingdom and then skip on to Death of Kings (which I confess intrigues me a lot more) unless I find myself drawn in enough to want more of the series world. It does happen, every now and then :-)
ReplyDeleteI have difficulties with long series also, given my limited time for reading. I hope the combination of both the first and last works out!
ReplyDelete