The Pagan Lord

Title: The Pagan Lord

Author: Bernard Cornwell

Publisher: HarperCollins
Year: 2013
Pages: 303
Series: The Last Kingdom/ The Saxon Stories #7
Genre: Historical Fiction

Reading Time: 20 - 28 June

Binding: Kindle
Goodreads

Stars:
★★★★★

Blurb:

 Uhtred - sword of the Saxons, bane of the Vikings - has been declared outcast.

 Peace in Britain had given Uhtred time to cause trouble - for himself. Branded a pagan abomination by the church, he sails north. For, despite suspecting that Viking leader Cnut Longsword will attack the Saxons again, Uhtred is heading for Bebbanburg, fearing that if he does not act now he will never reclaim his stolen birthright.

 Yet Uhtred's fate is bound to the Saxons. To Aethelflaed, bright lady of Mercia and to a dead king's dream of England. For great battles must still be fought - and no man is better at that than Uhtred.

 Uhtred of Bebbanburg's mind is as sharp as his sword. A thorn in the side of priests and nobles who shape his fate, this Saxon raised by Vikings is torn between the life he loves and those he has sworn to serve.

Review:

 Let me begin by acknowledging that my reading speed slowed down a lot on this one. No fault of the book, I found this one a step up on pace and excitement from Death of Kings. I simply had last week off to read as much as I wanted and when I went back to work this week everything that could possibly go wrong did. I'll do better next week and get my reading rhythm back!

 What an opening, peace has had it's time and now Uhtred's ready to get himself in a bit of trouble. He does it with style too, Uhtred is seen as an old man, an old warrior in his time now and his children are grown. Not all in to a life that Uhtred would approve of and thus Uhtred gives the church yet another reason to call for his blood.

 So where's Uhtred going to go? Only the place we've been waiting for him to go since the beginning. BEBBANBURG, BABY! It's all action. It's all tense. What a ride.

 Avoiding the results of that, Uhtred feels he's called back South as the Danes begin to wreak havoc, Aethelflaed calling him back to his duties, more in spirit than orders. Uhtred truly does love her. Here comes another game of strategy, tricks and bluffs showing us how Uhtred's mind has been honed by war. All for the Saxons that continue to resent him. Old enemies come back to the front in this book, it's an entertaining one.

 A final note in comparison to how Netflix has adapted this one. Two deaths are mentioned in this book, big deaths that are only given a short page. That's likely more accurate to the time but Netflix changes these deaths massively, which explains my confusion of the changed events from the last book. The series did these deaths better.

Death of Kings

Title: Death of Kings

Author: Bernard Cornwell

Publisher: HarperCollins
Year: 2011
Pages: 330
Series: The Last Kingdom/ The Saxon Stories #6
Genre: Historical Fiction

Reading Time: 18 - 20 June

Binding: Kindle
Goodreads

Stars:
★★★★★

Blurb:

 Alfred, the great king, is said to be dying. Rivals of his succession are poised to tear the kingdom apart. The country Alfred has worked thirty years to build is about to disintegrate.

 Uhtred, the King's arrior, Viking born but Saxon bred, wants more than anything else to go and fight to reclaim his stole Northumbrian inheritance. But the knows that if he deserts the King's cause, Alfred's dream - and indeed the very future of the English nation - will very likely vanish.

 Death of Kings is an outstanding novel by a master storyteller of how England was made - and very nearly lost.

Review:

 I'd like to start my review with a note on why I'm here, the adaptation of the series currently available on Netflix. The series up until this point has been one series for two books, with series one and two mostly faithfully lifted. The content is excellent so the screen writers don't need much further inspiration. I believe this was also the point at which the series was also still being produced by the BBC. Therefore this book should be represented by the second half of the third series and having watched it I had certain expectations. It was an absolutely excellent couple of episodes and only has the bare bones of the book, so I was a tad disappointed but that is no fault of the book itself and therefore this series continues under a 5-star rating!

 We are picking back up a few years following The Burning Land, Uhtred is now 41 and this book spans another few years, Uhtred is considered an old warrior at this point. Definitely sure some other characters have had ages carried across incorrectly from when they were first introduced, a minor thing but as I'm reading them back to back it's easier to notice. Uhtred is a more mature character than earlier in the series now due to his experience, he's renowned and feared by both Danes and Saxons. Still can't keep his hands to himself though!

 Alfred is weakening and leaving his people in fear of what should happen upon his death. Will the Danes approach, pillaging, raping and burning all in sight? Will Uhtred return to Bebbanburg? Will he remain and protect the kingdom? I don't think even Uhtred knows at some points in this book.

 Aethelwold returns in full force in this book, though we're not seeing him for long periods due to Uhtred's point of view and retrospective narrative. His treachery is plain to all and undeniable at this point but the Christian Alfred can be ever forgiving. So many treacheries in this book, all entertaining and one well written so as not arouse much suspicion by the men or us readers. Mind games are being played by both sides in this war as battle still waits to come.

 Aethelflaed continues to impress, I love the quick wit she has with Uhtred and I can't wait for her to be rid of that hateful husband. I only hope her brother Edward can come to sense as quickly as her and value Uhtred's help above those others that are whispering in his ears.

 The Pagan Lord is next and I just don't know where the series is going now that I can see such a separation for the series. There are things I definitely wanted to read about but now there's more mystety for me than before, very exciting stuff!

 

The Burning Land

Title: The Burning Land

Author: Bernard Cornwell

Publisher: HarperCollins
Year: 2009
Pages: 384
Series: The Last Kingdom/ The Saxon Stories #5
Genre: Historical Fiction

Reading Time: 16 - 18 June

Binding: Kindle
Goodreads

Stars:
★★★★★

Blurb:

 To King Alfred he is 'lord of battles'. He has gained rickes, loyal men and a beloved wife. But Uhtred is dogged by betrayal and tragedy.

 The ailing Alfred presses Uhtred to swear loyalty to his son and heir Edward, preventing the warrior lord from taking vengeance on those who stole his home at Bebbanburg. Now Uhtred will once again defend the Christian kingdom - in a battle which could smash the growing power of the deadly Danes.

 In do doing he meets a woman more dangerous than any warlord. A killer, a schemer with a dark power over men's hearts: Skade.

 Uhtred of Bebbanburg's mind is as sharp as his sword. A thorn in the side of priests and nobles who shape his fate, this Saxon raised by Vikings is torn between the life he loves and those he has sworn to serve.

Review:

 I'd say this is only the second book in the series so far in which we see some real vulnerability in Uhtred, the first being The Lords of the North. Uhtred is now in his mid-thirties, being around five years after the events of Sword Song. I have to say that for a few books now I've been questioning whether some character's ages have been carried across correctly from when they were first introduced and I'm still not sure they're quite right. Uhtred has remained in Lundene with his friends and family and continues to fight for Wessex.

 There are at least two battles in each of these books so far and the first is quickly paced compared to others that we have seen on this scale so far. With it comes the introduction of a new female character, Skade. What a witch. This character is brimming with strong female characters with very different traits. Tragedy strikes for Uhtred early in this book and it sets us in to a new series of events that will continue in to the next book. Uhtred sets sail again and reverts to some of his bachelor days, keep it in your pants Uhtred!

 There are characters that were missed in Sword Song and we are welcomed back to them with open arms, Ragnar and Brida are strong and will be seen again. Alfred is weakening and preparing Wessex for the ascension of Edward. Asser is a troublesome little bastard that Uhtred really should have killed years before. Relationships are being tested unlike they have before and it leads a real question to how their story will progress. We are also reminded heavily in this book of Uhtred's wish to return to Bebbanburg as he travels north for the first time in years before having his loyalties tested once again.

 The battles noted in this book have true inspirations, I always rely on the historical note to help me separate what comes from the history and Cornwell's imagination. He also notes that he does not think Aetheflaed is a woman from our history with enough recognition and I have to agree, it's wonderful to see him pushing her forward as heroin in these stories even if Cornwell notes he's likely giving Aethelred the short end of the stick.

 If you're on your way here from the Netflix adaptation then do not expect this one to line as closely to the series as previous books. It's still very well lifted but I was certainly trying to search my memory to remember if certain elements were completely changed or only inspired by.

Sword Song

Title: Sword Song

Author: Bernard Cornwell

Publisher: HarperCollins
Year: 2007
Pages: 364
Series: The Last Kingdom/ The Saxon Stories #4
Genre: Historical Fiction

Reading Time: 13 - 15 June

Binding: Kindle
Goodreads

Stars:
★★★★★

Blurb:

 The year is 885, and England is at peace, divided between the Danish kingdom to the north and Alfred's kingdom of Wessex in the south. But trouble stirs, a dead man has risen and new Vikings have arrived to occupy London.

 It is a dangerous time, and it falls to Uhtred, half Saxon, hald Dane, a man feared and respected the length and breadth of Britain, to expel the Viking raiders and take control of London for Alfred. His uncertain loyalties must now decide England's future.

 A gripping tale of love, rivalry and violence, Sword Song tells the story of England's making.

Review:

 I've just finished the book and will attempt to write a review through the tears. I can't deny the overwhelming feelings I have for this book are largely heightened due to what I felt when watching the episodes dedicated to this book. This is the only book so far I've really wished we were able to gain a perspective other than Uhtred's but it doesn't greatly take away from the experience if you've not yet watched the series.

 It's been some years since the events of The Lords of the North, Uhtred was 23 at the end of that book and is 28 at the time we now pick up with him. He has matured, helped by the life he has built with Gisela under Alfred's rule. The retrospective narrative voice of Uhtred in his far away future gives us many hints of what may and most definitely will happen to him in future books. I've said before I find this type of narrative comforting and it is but it also gives a sense of foreboding.

 Our opening is pretty exciting, mysterious and inviting for the action that's going to happen later in the book. These books so far just aren't happy with only the one battle scene, Cornwell gives us plenty each time so far.

 Aethelflaed becomes a more important character in this book and Alfred takes a little step back. I'm a real sucker for the last 20% or so of this book and just wish it had lasted longer. All the feels. Erik is a turning point for her and I love him.

 Cornwell's historical note tells us that there is more fiction to this installment than the previous novels and I really, really appreciate it. It's an easy one to love though I feel there's not that much going on in the middle as we were prepared for the next act.

 Once again it's difficult to write a lot without giving away spoilers. I found less humour in this one than I have previously and perhaps that's as Uhtred is maturing. There are characters for Uhtred's past only mentioned in this book and many characters take a larger step back as the family that Uhtred has built for himself takes priority. Alfred brings him out of that state in his constant plans to expand his rule with disastrous results.

 I'm at a bit of a loss for words, excuse me whilst I go and bawl my eyes out watching this part of the series again. Then I might be ready to begin The Burning Land.

The Lords of the North

Title: The Lords of the North

Author: Bernard Cornwell

Publisher: HarperCollins
Year: 2006
Pages: 382
Series: The Last Kingdom/ The Saxon Stories #3
Genre: Historical Fiction

Reading Time: 12 - 13 June

Binding: Kindle
Goodreads

Stars:
★★★★★

Blurb:

 Uhtred wants revenge. He wants the land and castle that is his. He wants his treacherous uncle to pay for taking them.

 Heading north with his lover, former nun Hild, he finds chaos as the Vikings battle among themselves to consolidate their hold on the region. At the heart of it are men from Uhtred's past - Sven the One-Eyed and Kjartan the Cruel, men of vicious reputation. Still, he has matched such men before.

 Then Uhtred suffers a betrayal to rival the treachery that deprived him of his birthright. It will leave him trapped with no hope of escape ...

 Uhtred of Bebbanburg's mind is as sharp as his sword. A thorn in the side of priests and nobles who shape his fate, this Saxon raised by Vikings is torn between the life he loves and the cause he has sworn to serve.

Review:

 At last, we come out from the thumb of Alfred and Wessex, or so it appears for a time. We appear a month after the battle that ended The Pale Horseman and as we can expect Uhtred is not happy. He's lost everything all over again and it is time to journey for himself. To the blood feud and birthright that has haunted him since The Last Kingdom.

 Uhtred is 21 at the beginning of this book and I believe 23 by the end, so this is a relatively short time frame for so much to happen. Uhtred's plans to return home are constantly delayed by the will of others. Northumbria is chaos compared to what we've seen of Wessex so day in the series and that says a lot! Uhtred continues to show a keen mind for battle and deception. He's a real leader at such a young age but can still be ruled by his rage.

 Hild, sweet Hild. A good woman for Uhtred and one I think that is helping shape him more so than his previous lovers. I wish and hope we see a little more of her. 

 There's little to say without spoiling this one. But revenge is the name of the game for a great many of the players. The betrayal part way through this book is a real shock to the system. A grueling story that reveals a more redeeming quality than I've seen so far for Alfred. Uhtred has found new followers and I know they're here to stick around for a while. Bloodthirsty little buggers that they are.

 Another fantastic battle, another tense final chapter. A little more steering to where Uhtred is going as this book finishes than the previous book. Continued retrospective narrative that just becomes more dear to me as I keep reading, fantastic description that allows you to immerse in the history and yet another historical note to nod to Cornwell's thoughts on the history and how developed the story from it.

 Now I'll compare it the series a little as that's how I ended up reading the series. This is only the first few episodes of the second series. Things got ramped up a little and new things invented. I think Hild is more badass. Halig was a wonderful character just for the fact that his death scene is, for me, one of the most powerful scenes in the whole of the series so far. It wasn't in the book at all and I commend the show writers for finding a way to really make this situation felt for the watchers. Finding Guthred was also a bit more entertaining but only ramping up what was already present in the books. Good stuff. But where was the absolute beast that was Thyra in that battle? Or Gisela in her attempt to help? Dammit!

 Well, on to the next!

The Pale Horseman

Title: The Pale Horseman

Author: Bernard Cornwell

Publisher: HarperCollins
Year: 2005
Pages: 415
Series: The Last Kingdom/ The Saxon Stories #2
Genre: Historical Fiction

Reading Time: 6 - 11 June

Binding: Kindle
Goodreads

Stars:
★★★★★

Blurb:

 When peace is torn apart by bloody Danish steel, Uhtred must fight to serve a king who distrusts him.

 Skeptical of a treat between the Vikings and Wessex, Uhtred takes his talent for mayhem to Cornwall, gaining treasure and a mysterious woman on the way. But when he is accused of massacring Christians, he finds lies can be as deadly as steel.

 Still, when pious King Alfred flees to a watery refuge, it is the pagan warrior he relies on. Now Uhtred must fight a battle which will shape history - and confront the Viking with the banner of the white horse ...

 Uhtred of Bebbanburg's mind is as sharp as his sword. A thorn in the side of the priests and nobles who shape his fate, this Saxon raised by Vikings is torn between the life he loves and those he has sworn to serve.

Review:

 I'm here because of the tv series, so let me note that there are increased difference from the first book in this one. Things were adapted to be a little more interesting and needing less explanation on screen but regardless, this was a great sequel to the first book!

 We're looking at a shorter timespan than The Last Kingdom, perhaps only two years rather than ten! We start off recovering from the action of the last chapters in The Last Kingdom and it's not pretty. Uhtred is all rage and justice in these chapters. He's angry with the church, the king, the opposing ealdormen and himself. He's just won a great victory and his thanks is very little. This opens to a particular funny line as we are being told the story retrospectively by an older Uhtred and he will openly criticise his own and other's actions.

 Uhtred's relationships with some of the most important people in his life become more strained in the beginning of this book as his frustrations show. He's young and prone to violence but he's just won a greater battle than any of them could have anticipated. So there's respect for him but it can't be shown too greatly, he still has a lot to prove.

 This book comes in two halves, the first of Uhtred's anger. He's practically exiled to his lands and takes his good friend Leofric on a little adventure to lift his spirits. It's not what I would have expected to happen and the whole experience of finding Iseult would not have been something I anticipated either. Iseult is a real turning point for Uhtred, I think she calms him.

 The second half begins on another spring of action just as Alfred has once again turned his back on Uhtred. The pace here slows a little as Wessex is reduced to the marshes. I say the pacing slows, a lot happens, lots involving some of those opposing ealdormen and lots of trust building until religion comes back in to it. There's action but I feel the focus is taken to Wessex relationships rather than the Danes and Saxons. Iseult and Uhtred are pagans surrounded by Christians that scorn them for their beliefs. I think this shows more of Uhtred's courage as we see Iseult succumb to some of the pressure of this. This also made me realise why I find so many points in these books funny, it's the utter devotion to religion. I'm not religious and to see everyone so devout just seems obsessive to the point I find it hilarious.

 There's another final battle to this one, it takes longer than previous battles and I think back to the first battle with Uhtred as a child wishing the soldiers would move faster. In the retrospective narrative Uhtred speaks of how this was the wish of a child not understanding battle and we're being taught this as we live through the shield wall experience again and again with Uhtred in increasingly sized battles. There's a rather impulsive and exciting ending to this battle and I like it in the books and how it's done very differently in the series. In the series these use a small battle reference from The Last Kingdom and use it here. I think I'm glad to see that on the screen than the complexity of this battle and it's ending.

 There's another note on the historical accuracy from Cornwell in this book and he acknowledged some of his movements. It's an excellent note for those ignorant of the history (like me) to know what events are inspired by the truth of how this country was built.

 The next book is Lords of the North, expect to read about it soon!

The Last Kingdom

Title: The Last Kingdom

Author: Bernard Cornwell

Publisher: HarperCollins
Year: 2004
Pages: 327
Series: The Last Kingdom/ The Saxon Stories #1
Genre: Historical Fiction
Reading Time: 3 - 6 June
Binding: Kindle
Goodreads

Stars:
★★★★★

Blurb:

 In a land torn apart by conflict, an orphan boy has come of age. Raised by the Vikings, deadly enemies of his own Saxon people, Uhtred is a fierce and skilled warrior who kneels to no-one.

 Alfred - Saxon, king, man of god - fights to hold the throne of the only land still resisting the pagan northerners.

 Uhtred and Alfred's fates are tangled, soaked in blood and blackened by the flames of war. Together they will change history.

Review:

 So I've just finished watching the series so far, which has only recently seen the release of season four on Netflix. I tried a few times in the past year to get in to this series not to get any further than episode four, history has never been a big interest of mine. This time I made it all the way through, with the 20 hours of seasons 3 and four being consumed in one tense weekend. Then I thought to myself, what am I going to do whilst I wait for the next series? Wait, what? There are books?

 I hesitated on looking in to the books, historical fiction is not a genre I've really entered before. Libraries are shut during the pandemic and I simply don't have room for 13 books that aren't signed or special editions. Imagine my surprise when I browse the kindle store only to find that I purchased the book in 2016 whilst it was free on kindle. Perfect!

 For me, this was really easy reading. The writing isn't complex and the story moves along easily. Reading this on kindle, I think this is my most highlighted and bookmarked book so far. I wasn't expecting it to be funny but there are little sentences and interactions all over the place that made me smile or chuckle.

 Our story is all told from Uhtred's point of view and there is a long range of his early years in this story. I think we see around a decade with him from the age of nine. There's no shying away from the fact that monstrosities happened to children at this time. So much more happens at a younger age to Uhtred than we realise from the series and I think that's fantastic for shaping him for a character we'll see through a long series. He can be brave, irrational, arrogant, distraught and we really do see it all.

 Brida is a great character as this series begins and you can tell from some of the early pages with her that she's going to cause trouble. She's intelligent and fierce, a fantastic female companion for Uhtred.

 Alfred, I must say I have greater interest in now than when I was watching the series. It's the same for a great many of the characters and so I decided to start watching the series again in order to see how well lifted from the books this series is. The answer is really well. Little interactions that I found funny in the series have come out of the books, the material is there. They're have been elements moved around but it is generally very true to the book and that's why it's so fantastic.

 The pacing moves well for me, there is plenty of action in this book and it's told in an evolving way as Uhtred ages and has move involvement, just as he's shaping his mind to that of a warrior. He's brash in the beginning but is learning the intelligence of those around him and he's got a good bit of luck on his side. His priorities are set and he often has to complete tasks he doesn't want to but it's all in order to reach his final goal of going home. He's outmatched several times and seeing how Uhtred then conquers or faces the consequences of this is a source of wonder and tension.

 I can't talk about historical accuracy because I frankly haven't got a clue. There's a historical note and I believe Cornwell has done his research.

 As I'm writing this I've just finished the second book, The Pale Horseman, the previous evening. I have books I want to read, but this series is taking priority right now. I'm obsessed!