#IReadsYou Book Review: WAR LORD: A Novel

WAR LORD
HARPERCOLLINS/Harper

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

AUTHOR: Bernard Cornwell
ISBN: 978-0-06-256329-3; hardcover (November 24, 2020)
352pp, B&W, $28.99 U.S.

War Lord is a 2020 novel from Bernard Cornwell, a bestselling British author of historical novels.  This is the thirteenth and final book in Cornwell’s “Saxon Tales” series, his epic story of the making of England and his continuing story of pagan Saxon warlord, Uhtred of Bebbanburg.  “The Saxon Tales” series is also known as “The Last Kingdom” (named for the first novel in the series).  War Lord finds Lord Uhtred torn between protecting what is his and his sworn oath to a young king.

As War Lord opens, Lord Uhtred is ruling his part of Northumbria from his family's fortress, Bebbanburg.  With a new woman, Benedetta, and a loyal band of warriors by his side, his household is secure.  Well, he should be secure, but beyond the fortress, a battle for power rages.

Young King Æthelstan has done something he swore to Lord Uhtred that he would never do.  Uhtred is the man who is most responsible for putting him on the throne and made him “Anglorum Saxonum Rex” – King of the Angles and the Saxons – King of Wessex, of East Anglia, and of Mercia.

That promise that Æthelstan has broken is that he has invaded Northumbria.  He wants to be “Monarchus Totius Britanniae,” King of All Britain, and the invasion is his first stop.  To the north, however, is King Constantine of Alba (Scotland) and other Scottish and Irish leaders who are all looking to expand their territory.  Possessing Northumbria will do that, and the region can act as a buffer zone between the Scots, Danes, Norse, and Irish lands and the Saxon lands.

Uhtred is faced with an impossible choice.  He can stay out of the struggle, but each side will think that he has made a deal with its enemies.  Or he can throw himself into this power struggle that will eventually result in the most terrible battle Britain has ever experienced.  It is a battle that could realize the dreams of King Alfred, King Edward (his son), and King Æthelstan (his grandson).  That dream is to create one realm for everyone who is Christian and who speaks the “Ænglisc” tongue, a kingdom to be called “Englaland” (or England, of course).  Will Uhtred, the War Lord of Britain, survive this crisis and hold onto Bebbanburg?

THE LOWDOWN:  I have read the seventh through this thirteenth entry in “The Saxon Tales” series.  I love these books, and as soon as I reach the last page of one book, I dearly wish the next book was immediately available.  George R.R. Martin, the author of A Song of Fire and Ice (the inspiration for HBO's Emmy-winning “Game of Thrones” television series), says that Cornwell writes the best battles scenes he has ever read.  I can say that Cornwell's “Saxon Tales” are kind of like a real life “Game of Thrones,” with Cornwell taking creative liberties with the story of the creation of England.  And yes, Cornwell's battle scenes are breathtaking.

Well, it is pointless to wish for more.  War Lord is the magnificent finale to the epic story of how England was made.  After writing reviews for seven of these books, I have practically run out of ways to praise Cornwell.  The series just never ran out of steam, as Cornwell never ran out of ways to depict political and courtly intrigue and epic brutal battles.

War Lord borrows elements from the previous books, and wraps up several story lines.  There is family drama and tragedy.  There is sea-faring adventure.  Scores are settled, and an epic battle decides the fate of kings and kingdoms.  Heck, this book is almost two years old, so I can spoil a few things.  Uhtred is alive at the end of this book, but is apparently retired.  Thus, we get a happy ending, a bittersweet one, of course.  I am sure that I am not the only reader who wants more.

In the meantime, I hope new readers discover this riveting series full of wonderful characters, topped by an amazing lead character.  Praise Bernard Cornwell and Lord Uhtred.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of historical fiction and of Bernard Cornwell must have War Lord.

A
★★★★+ out of 4 stars

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


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https://www.bernardcornwell.net/
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The text is copyright © 2022 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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#IReadsYou Book Review: SWORD OF KINGS

SWORD OF KINGS
HARPERCOLLINS – @HarperCollins

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

AUTHOR: Bernard Cornwell
ISBN: 978-0-06-256321-7; hardcover (November 26, 2019)
352pp, B&W, $27.99 U.S.

Sword of Kings is a 2019 novel from Bernard Cornwell, a bestselling British author of historical novels.  This is the twelfth book in Cornwell’s “Saxon Tales” series, his epic story of the making of England and his continuing story of pagan Saxon warlord, Uhtred of Bebbanburg.  “The Saxon Tales” series is also known as “The Last Kingdom” series (named for the first novel in the series), which is also the name of the television series adaptation.  Sword of Kings finds Lord Uhtred bound by an oath to insert himself in the middle of a war to determine who will rule Anglo-Saxon Christendom.

As Sword of Kings begins, Lord Uhtred is ruling his part of Northumbria from his family's fortress, Bebbanburg.  It is once more a time of political turmoil, and the first indication of this is that fishing ships in service to Uhtred begin to disappear.  Before long, Uhtred has evidence that his old political enemies want him dead.  Why?

King Edward is “Anglorum Saxonum Rex” – King of the Angles and the Saxons – King of Wessex, of East Anglia, and of Mercia.  His dream is to create one realm for everyone who is Christian and who speaks the “Ænglisc” tongue, a kingdom to be called “Englaland” (or England, of course).  But Edward has fallen ill... again.  Rumor has it that he is dying... or is already dead.  Because of such rumors, news, and speculation, Uhtred feels the tug of an oath he made to Æthelstan of Mercia, Edward's eldest son, that he would protect him.  Because Uhtred is certainly no oath-breaker and since Æthelstan will undoubtedly make a claim on Edward's throne, Uhtred must leave his beloved Northumbria and travel south to join the young would-be-king. 

However, the most powerful Saxon of Wessex, Ealdorman Æthelhelm, is a supporter of another candidate to be king, his nephew, Ælfweard, King Edward's second oldest son.  Uhtred would love to leave the Anglo-Saxons to sort out their own issues, but he has made an oath to one royal candidate, been attacked by the supporter of another, and received an unexpected appeal for help from still another candidate.  Thus, Uhtred leads a small band of warriors south, into the battle for kingship, a struggle that may finally see him dead.

THE LOWDOWN:  I have read the seventh through this twelfth entry in “The Saxon Tales” series.  I love these books, and as soon as I reach the last page of one book, I dearly wish the next book was immediately available.  George R.R. Martin, the author of A Song of Fire and Ice (the inspiration for HBO's Emmy-winning “Game of Thrones” television series), says that Cornwell writes the best battles scenes he has ever read.  I can say that Cornwell's “Saxon Tales” are kind of like a real life “Game of Thrones,” with Cornwell taking liberties with the story of the creation of England.

In my review of the previous novel in this series, War of the Wolf, I wrote that I had practically run out of ways to praise Cornwell.  Eleven books into the series, Cornwell's narrative should have run out of steam, but it did not.  This twelfth novel, Sword of Kings, finds the series as strong as ever.  In fact, Sword of Kings may be the best “Saxon Tales” novel yet.

Sword of Kings borrows from several genres.  It is at once a sea-faring novel, with tales of adventure and war.  Next, it is an espionage thriller with daring scenes and sequences of infiltration, entrapment, and escape from enemy territory and strongholds.  Sword of Kings is, at its heart, historical fiction that delves into the world of kings and nobles, oaths, families, relationships and bonds, religious strife, and most of all, the world of power gained, lost, and consolidated on the way to making history.

To be downright crude dear reader, Sword of Kings is a page-turning, pot-boiling, compact literary beast that “goes for your nuts” (to employ a euphemism).  It is brutal and savage and as alluring and as enchanting as the powers of the gods these characters worship.

Bernard Cornwell is the lord king of historical fiction and the undisputed master of writing battle scenes.  And the sequence in which Cornwell depicts the final move by the winner of this game for Edward's throne is the bloody cherry on top of this breath-taking literary cake.  Sword of Kings wants to be the king of your holiday reading list.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of historical fiction and of Bernard Cornwell must have Sword of Kings.

A+
10 out of 10

www.bernardcornwell.net

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.



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Book Review: WAR OF THE WOLF

WAR OF THE WOLF
HARPERCOLLINS – @HarperCollins

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

AUTHOR: Bernard Cornwell
ISBN: 978-0-06-256317-0; hardcover (October 2, 2018)
352pp, B&W, $28.99 U.S.

War of the Wolf is a 2018 novel from Bernard Cornwell, a bestselling British author of historical novels.  This is the eleventh book in Cornwell’s “Saxon Tales” series, his epic story of the making of England and his continuing story of Saxon warlord, Uhtred of Bebbanburg.  “The Saxon Tales” series is also known as “The Last Kingdom” series (named for the first novel in the series).  The Last Kingdom has been adapted into a television series.  In War of the Wolf, Uhtred cannot enjoy the benefits of winning back his ancestral home because he is beset on all sides, by enemies both old and new.

It is the early 920s (A.D.).  War of the Wolf finds Uhtred cold-chilling in his family's fortress, Bebbanburg, which he recently recaptured from a usurper.  He will not leave, even to attend the funeral of cherished friend and former lover, Æthelflaed, the late Queen of Mercia.  Her brother, King Edward of Wessex, not long after his sister's body was walled into the family crypt, quickly took control of Mercia.  However, a mysterious monk arrives one day claiming that Prince Æthelstan, Edward's (bastard?) son and once favored to be the new ruler of Mercia, needs Uhtred's help.  His garrison at Ceaster is under assault.

Æthelstan grew up under the protection of Uhtred, so the legendary and feared pagan lord leads 90 of his fiercest warriors to the prince's aid, but the mission is not as he was told.  Now, Uhtred is surrounded and threatened on all sides, instead of being home and enjoying victory.  Edward's bid to cease power and to unite the Saxon kingdoms into one nation known as Englaland (England) has created a “Game of Thrones” like scenario.  Uhtred and his family may have to bend to the will of Edward and his demands by swearing fealty to him.

So Lord Uhtred is fighting on what he considers to be the wrong side... again, but a new, formidable, upstart and alien enemy will challenge the pagan's lord's place, heritage, and faith.  He is the young Norse warrior, Sköll Grimmarson, who wants to be King of Northumbria, and that means he must have the lands of both Uhtred and his son-in-law, Sigtryggr.  Uhtred has bested all his enemies, but in Sköll, he finds an enemy seemingly favored by the gods.  And if that does not give Uhtred pause, Sköll's crazed wolf-warriors, the “Ūlfheonar,” will.

I have read the seventh through the eleventh entries in “The Saxon Tales” series.  I never get tired of them, and I always want more.  Bernard Cornwell's novels have earned praise from many circles.  George R.R. Martin, the author of A Song of Fire and Ice (the inspiration for HBO's “Game of Thrones”), says that Cornwell writes the best battles scenes he has ever read.  USA Today has declared Cornwell “the reigning king of historical fiction.”  They are not lying.

I have practically run out of ways to praise Cornwell.  One would think that these novels about the events leading to the creation of England would have run out of steam – eleven books in.  How do you keep a long-running series fresh?  It is new plots?  Is it new adversaries?  No and no, the plots are more or less variations of familiar themes, it seems in the books I have read.  The enemies are basically the same, every novel featuring one major and at least a few minor land-grubbers.  Has Lord Uhtred changed?  Of course not.

What keeps “The Saxon Tales” fresh?  Bernard Cornwell does.  He is simply a gifted writer and a mack daddy, master storyteller.  It is as if every word he puts down on paper is the right word to advance the story.  Cornwell's prose is vivid and evocative without being lavish.  His plots are familiar but formidable.  His settings are epic; even when Cornwell places his characters under a grove of trees for the night, it feels as if that is the place where legends are made.

If Cornwell replaced Lord Uhtred with Bob Newhart, his books like War of the Wolf would still have a strangle-hold on the reader's imagination.  In War of the Wolf, someone uses the term, “lord king,” and I like that.  So I will say that Bernard Cornwell is the “Lord King of historical fiction.”

9 out of 10

www.bernardcornwell.net

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2018 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint syndication rights and fees.

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Book Review: FOOLS AND MORTALS

FOOLS AND MORTALS
HARPERCOLLINS – @HarperCollins

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

AUTHOR: Bernard Cornwell – @bernardcornwell
ISBN: 978-0-06-225087-2; hardcover (January 9, 2018)
384pp, B&W, $27.99 U.S.

Fools and Mortals is a 2018 historical from Bernard Cornwell, a bestselling British author of historical novels.  Cornwell is known for his “Saxon Tales” series, a multi-book epic about the making of England as seen through the eyes of a Saxon warlord, Uhtred of Bebbanburg.  Fools and Mortals is a standalone novel that tells the story of the trials and tribulations leading up to the first production of William Shakespeare's comedy, A Midsummer Night's Dream, as seen through the eyes of Shakespeare’s estranged younger brother.

Richard Shakespeare lives in London, the heart of Elizabethan England.  He is an actor, a penniless actor, struggling to make ends meet with his beautiful face, silver tongue, and skill at being a petty theft, but the 21-year-old wants more.  Richard's brother is William Shakespeare, the acclaimed playwright and “Sharer” (part owner) of The Lord Chamberlain's Men.

William is largely dismissive of his younger brother, giving him mostly insignificant parts or female roles (because at the time women could not appear in stage plays).  As William’s star rises, Richard’s onetime sibling gratitude is souring, and he is sorely tempted to toss family loyalty aside.  Opportunity comes when a rival company makes a bold offer to Richard, but the offer comes with a shockingly high price.  When a copy of William's newest play turns up missing, Richard is blamed, and he has also drawn the ire of religious zealots.  Now, to avoid the gallows, Richard must play the role of a lifetime, a high-stakes game of duplicity, betrayal, and violence.  Lord, what fools these mortals be . . .

Some may consider it lazy of me to say Bernard Cornwell's novel, Fools and Mortals, reminds me of the 1998 film, Shakespeare in Love, which won the Oscar for “Best Picture of the Year.”  But I do have a valid reason.

If you, dear readers, have experienced the work of William Shakespeare at a college or university, you know that English departments treat Shakespeare with the reverence with which Sunday schools and catechism lessons treat Jesus Christ.  Shakespeare in Love treated Will Shakespeare as if he were a man like other men – talented – but a man like other men.  When Dame Judi Dench's “Queen Elizabeth” suggests that Gwyneth Paltrow's “Viola de Lesseps” (Shakespeare's object of desire) has been “plucked,” I thought, “Oh, no. Did Joseph Fiennes' “William Shakespeare” tap that ass?”  Ye olde English class is unlikely to talk about Shakespeare knockin' boots.  Although Fools and Mortals focuses on Richard Shakespeare, it is through Richard that we see Will as a man like other men – lustful, envious, scheming, and capable of violence.

Fools and Mortals, however, is Richard's story.  It is part insider fiction; period and court drama, historical fiction, romance, suspense and conspiracy thriller.  It is a lot of things, but this story crackles and that makes Fools and Mortals a page-turner with heat like a summer potboiler.  The novel works because the author makes Richard seem like a natural storyteller, a character the readers want to follow.

As always, Bernard Cornwell offers deft characterization and wit, and his prose is vivid.  I could practically smell the stink of Elizabethan London and feel that muggy and damp filth.  You, dear reader, will beg for a hazmat suit and hand sanitizer because you will feel like you are right there in a stew of funk,  Well, that funk is also a marvelous on-stage and off-stage blend of history, fiction, and speculation.  Once again, Bernard Cornwell proves that he is the king of historical fiction.

A
8.5 out of 10

www.bernardcornwell.net

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2018 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: THE FLAME BEARER

THE FLAME BEARER
HARPERCOLLINS – @HarperCollins

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

AUTHOR: Bernard Cornwell
ISBN: 978-0-06-225078-0; hardcover (November 29, 2016)
304pp, B&W, $27.99 U.S.

The Flame Bearer is a 2016 historical novel from Bernard Cornwell, a bestselling British author of historical novels.  This is the tenth book in Cornwell’s “Saxon Tales” series, his epic story of the making of England and his continuing story of Saxon warlord, Uhtred of Bebbanburg.  “The Saxon Tales” series is also known as “The Last Kingdom” series (named for the first novel in the series).  The Last Kingdom has been adapted into a television series.

The Flame Bearer finds Uhtred ruminating.  From the day it was stolen from him by his late uncle, Uhtred has dreamed of recapturing his family's fortress, Bebbanburg.  The great fort was built on a rock that was almost an island, a place conquered by Uhtred's legendary ancestor, “The Flame Bearer.”  It is massive and practically unconquerable because it can only be approached on land by a single narrow track and any way that it can be approached by sea can be observed and defended.  Bebbanburg is his, and Uhtred plans to take it from its current lord, his cousin.

However, Britain remains in a state of unease.  Sigtryggr is the Viking lord (and Uhtred's son-in-law) who rules Northumbria, the land north of the Saxon lands.  He has agreed to a truce with the Saxon Queen Aethelflaed of Mercia, the land that borders Northumbria.  New enemies, however, are making their play.  King Constantin of Scotland sees an opportunity to seize new land to the south.  Meanwhile, an old enemy among the Saxon heirarchy makes a move to take from Uhtred what is his.  Now, Uhtred must stop a war that could be a disaster for both the Saxons and Vikings and also outwit all those who plot against his claim on Bebbanburg.

Bernard Cornwell's novels have earned praise from many circles.  George R.R. Martin, the author of A Song of Fire and Ice (the inspiration for HBO's “Game of Thrones”), says that Cornwell writes the best battles scenes he has ever read.  USA Today has declared Cornwell “the reigning king of historical fiction.”

The Flame Bearer is only the fifth Bernard Cornwell novel that I have read, and only the fourth of the ten “Saxon Tales,” books.  I intend to play catch up because Cornwell's novels are a joy to read.  He is not just the “king of historical fiction.”  In the realm of this venerable genre, Cornwell is the “king of kings.”  If you like historical fiction and have not read Cornwell, life has robbed you.

In the previous novel, Warriors of the Storm, Cornwell presents Uhtred as a man in flux; in subtle ways, he was changing.  The Flame Bearer gives us Uhtred, a man and a warrior with a singular vision.  He's getting Bebbanburg the fuck back.  For all the vividly drawn characters, colorful locales, and sharp humor, The Flame Bearer is about its resolution, the bloody battle that will either return a domain to a lord or be the end of him.  A skilled writer and engaging storyteller, Bernard Cornwell makes you chase Uhtred and his warriors towards that exhilarating finale.

A

www.bernardcornwell.net

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2016 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Book Review: WARRIORS OF THE STORM

WARRIORS OF THE STORM
HARPERCOLLINS – @HarperCollins

AUTHOR: Bernard Cornwell
ISBN: 978-0-06-225094-0; hardcover (January 19, 2016)
320pp, B&W, $27.99 U.S.

Warriors of the Storm is a 2016 historical novel by author Bernard Cornwell, a popular British author of historical novels.  This is the ninth book in Cornwell’s “Saxon Tales” series, and it continues the story of Saxon warlord, Uhtred of Bebbanburg.  “The Saxon Tales” series is also known as “The Last Kingdom” series, and the first novel in “The Saxon Tales,” The Last Kingdom, has been adapted into a British television series.

As Warriors of the Storm opens, a fragile peace reigns in the Saxon lands of Britain.  Edward, son of King Alfred, rules from Wessex and is slowly chasing the Danes from East Anglia.  Edward's sister, Aethelflaed, rules from Mercia, but Mercia borders Northumbria, a land of Northmen – Norsemen and Danes.  These Northmen, restless and eyeing the rich lands and wealthy churches to their south, are increasingly mounting raids into Mercia.

Now, the Northmen have allied to a fierce warrior named Ragnall Ivarson.  He leads a band of ruthless Irish, and his union with the Northumbrians has formed a threat may overwhelm Mercia.  The “Pagan Lord,” Uhtred of Bebbanburg, the Saxon kingdoms’ greatest warrior, controls northern Mercia from the strongly fortified city of Ceaster.  It is up to Lord Uhtred to stop Ragnall, who apparently relishes facing the Pagan Lord in battle.  Edward and Aethelflaed are reluctant to invade Northumbria, and further complicating matters, Ragnall's brother is Sigtryggr, who is now Uhtred's son-in-law because he married Stiorra, Uhtred's daughter.  Even if Uhtred is the man to stop Ragnall Ivarson, he will need to be at his best, with only a small band of loyal warriors at his side.

Bernard Cornwell has received praise from George R.R. Martin, the author of A Game of Thrones, who says that Cornwell writes the best battles scenes he has ever read.  USA Today says that Cornwell is “the reigning king of historical fiction.”

Warriors of the Storm is only the fourth Bernard Cornwell novel that I have read, and only the third of the nine “Saxon Tales,” books, which are a fictional chronicle of the making of England.  However, I can agree that Cornwell writes the best battle scenes that I have ever read, and he is also my reigning king of historical fiction.  Still, half-way through Warriors of the Storm, I started thinking that I had read this novel before and that it was more of the same.

I was wrong.  In subtle ways, Uhtred is changing, as a father, a lover, and a friend, and also as a ruler and leader of men.  Is he more human, or is it that with age comes wisdom and more knowledge, which Uhtred applies judiciously?  Near the end of Warriors of the Storm, Uhtred's reaction to another person's grief shocked and surprised me.  No, Warriors of the Storm is not more of the same, and, after three books, I can say that the king still reigns and is getting better with age.

A

www.bernardcornwell.net

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2016 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

Book Review: THE EMPTY THRONE

THE EMPTY THRONE
HARPERCOLLINS – @HarperCollins

AUTHOR: Bernard Cornwell
ISBN: 978-0-06-225071-1; hardcover (January 6, 2015)
320pp, B&W, $27.99 U.S.

The Empty Throne is a 2014 British historical novel from Bernard Cornwell, a prolific author of historical novels.  The American edition of The Empty Throne was published in early January 2015.  It is the eighth book in Cornwell’s “Saxon Tales” series and continues the story of Saxon warlord, Uhtred of Bebbanburg.

The Empty Throne follows the events depicted in 2014's The Pagan Lord: A Novel, and the new novel is largely set in Saxon Mercia, with some scenes set along the coast of Wales.  In The Empty Throne, Uhtred fights to assure the survival of Mercia during a conflict of succession that will shape the future of both Mercia and of its immediate neighbor to the south, the Saxon kingdom of Wessex.

The Empty Throne is set in Britain and opens early in the tenth century AD.  Æthelred, the ruler of Mercia, is dying, but he has no legitimate heir.  There is only his wife, Æthelflaed, who is also the sister of King Edward of Wessex, and Æelfwynn, the daughter of Æthelred and Æthelflaed.  There is turmoil among the Saxons over the future of Mercia.

King Edward would love to merge his Wessex with Mercia, but the proud Mercians want their own leader.  The soon-to-be widow, Æthelflaed, has all the makings of a leader, especially as she is widely loved and respected by the people of Mercia.  But can Saxon warriors ever accept a woman as their ruler, especially when some of those Saxons want to control Mercia for themselves?

Lord Uhtred has long supported Æthelflaed, but he was grievously wounded at the Battle of Teotanheale (fought in The Pagan Lord).  Although he is still recovering, Uhtred has many goals:  recover Ice-Spite, the sword that wounded him; fight the Vikings that are encroaching on Wales and northern Mercia; and uncover the conspiracy against Æthelflaed.  In the battle for power in Mercia, Uhtred is forced to play a game of thrones because there can be only one ruler.

The previous two novels by Bernard Cornwell that I have read, 1356 and The Pagan Lord, were battle-heavy tomes of historical fiction.  The clash of swords, axes, shields, etc. resulted in spurts of blood, severed heads and limbs, and a pile of dead bodies that would scare even vultures.  For all the masculine bump-and-grind of war, both novels also offered adventure as the characters traveled far and wide, chasing enemies and rivals and their own goals.

The Empty Throne is also filled with bloody dismemberment and pitched battle, but it is also about courtly intrigue and the larger ambitious of kings, lords, and nobles, and the men who serve them (whose ambitions are often larger than their lords and masters).  The Empty Throne is smart and sarcastic when dealing with intrigues and plots and those darned Christians, revealing the often amusing vanity of the chief plotters and of the faithful.

The Empty Throne is also a bit sentimental.  Lord Uhtred is in the twilight of his life, and his injuries have slowed him.  His vulnerability makes him funnier and forced to be even more crafty and devious.  That's the difference in The Empty Throne, it finds the quiet humanity in a turbulent time of political struggle, of sectarian strife, and of an uncertain future.  So Bernard Cornwell, who writes the best battle scenes (as George R.R. Martin says), makes the best of his characters.  They are not simply warriors; they are also fallible and even frail in a most human way.  A thinking Uhtred is every bit as interesting as a killing Uhtred.  Fans of Bernard Cornwell and of historical fiction will want to sit near The Empty Throne.

A

www.bernardcornwell.net

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

Book Review: THE PAGAN LORD

THE PAGAN LORD: A NOVEL
HARPERCOLLINS/Harper – @HarperCollins

AUTHOR: Bernard Cornwell
ISBN: 978-0-06-196970-6; hardcover (January 7, 2013)
320pp, B&W, $27.99 U.S.

The Pagan Lord: A Novel is a 2014 British novel from New York Times bestselling author, Bernard Cornwell, a popular British writer of historical novels.  This is the seventh book in Cornwell’s “Saxon Tales” series and continues the story of Saxon warlord, Uhtred of Bebbanburg.  The Pagan Lord takes place 10 years after the events of The Death of Kings and is largely set in Anglo-Saxon Mercia and Northumbria.  Uhtred fights against yet another new Danish conquest plot to bring down the kingdoms of Mercia and Wessex.

The Pagan Lord opens early in the 10th century and finds England in turmoil.  Alfred the Great is dead, and his son, Edward, reigns as King of Wessex.  Edward seems determined to hold onto Wessex without making waves, but while peace survives, it cannot hold forever.  The Danes in the north, led by Viking Cnut Longsword, stand ready to invade and will never rest until all of Saxon Britain is under Danish control.

As the novel begins, Uhtred Ragnarson, a pagan who worships Thor, arrives in a small village to stop his eldest son, Uhtred, son of Uhtred, from becoming a Christian.  During the struggle, Uhtred accidentally kills Abbot Wihtred, a bishop.  Uhtred was once Alfred’s great warrior, but now he is out of favor with the new king.  Combine that with his rash actions regarding his son, and suddenly, Uhtred is marked for death by every devout Christian and finds himself expelled from Mercia.

Uhtred decides this is the best time to recapture his father’s fortress Bebbanburg, which is held by his treacherous uncle Ælfric of Bebbanburg.  With a small band of warriors left to him, Uthred heads North to reclaim what is rightfully his.  It is during that journey that he gradually realizes another great Danish scheme to crush the Saxon kingdoms of Britain is being planned or maybe even already launched.

Early last year, 1356: A Novel popped my Bernard Cornwell / British historical fiction cherry, so I’m partial to it.  I have to be honest and say that I did not enjoy The Pagan Lord as much as I did 1356.  Let me be clear, however, The Pagan Lord, is an excellent read.  People who enjoy watching films like Braveheart and The Eagle and television series like “Game of Thrones” would do well to fend off illiteracy by reading The Pagan Lord or any Cornwell, for that matter.

How much the reader likes The Pagan Lord will depend on how much he (or even she) likes Lord Uhtred, the pagan lord of the title.  I found his blood-thirstiness, viciousness, and brutality off-putting; sometimes, he kills so mechanically that it is boring.  On the other side, he is surprisingly thoughtful and imaginative.  I found myself lulled by this tendency towards killing, so I was always delighted that, like a master strategist, Uhtred was discovering, unraveling, and sorting through the details of various plots, schemes, and conspiracies.  Uhtred is a thinking man’s hack-and-slash dude.

The Pagan Lord focuses so much on Lord Uhtred that other characters mostly remain ciphers, and what is known is only knowable by what Uhtred says about them.  Still, The Pagan Lord: A Novel is an enthralling tale about the birth pangs of Great Britain, and although it is fiction, it ain’t no fiction that Bernard Cornwell is the Man.

A-

www.bernardcornwell.net

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

Book Review: 1356: A Novel

1356
HARPERCOLLINS – @HarperCollins

AUTHOR: Bernard Cornwell
ISBN: 978-0-06-196967-6; hardcover (January 2013)
432pp, B&W, $28.99 U.S.

Bernard Cornwell is a British author of historical novels. Cornwell is best known for his cycle of novels starring Richard Sharpe, a rifleman in the Napoleonic Wars. This series was adapted into the Sharpe television movies.

1356: A Novel is Cornwell’s latest novel. This is the fifth book in Cornwell’s “The Grail Quest” series, which focuses on a 14th century English archer, Thomas of Hookton. 1356 is the first Hookton novel since Heretic (2003).

1356 is set in France. The story finds Thomas of Hookton leading a company of mercenary archers and ravaging the countryside of Gascony. Hookton must complete a crucial task before joining Edward, Prince of Wales, a real-life figure. He is now better known as the Black Prince and was the eldest son of King Edward III of England. In 1356, the Prince’s army will fight in what is known as the Battle of Poitiers, a real-life event. Fought on September 9, 1356, it was a major battle in the Hundred Years’ War between England and France.

The novel opens in September 1356. In the besieged town of Carcassonne, Fra Ferdinand, a Black Friar, secretly finds La Malice, a legendary sword shrouded in mystery. Legend has it that the sword could decide the outcome of a war.

Across France, the English army is destroying, when it isn’t plundering and raping. Towns close their gates, and the countryside stands alert for danger. The French army and its Scottish allies, embittered by the defeats handed to them by the English, await the order of King Jean of France to start a war. Is the French King, however, ready to fight the Black Prince and his forces?

Meanwhile, Thomas of Hookton (also known as le Bâtard) is determined to find La Malice. His quest for the sword will take him on a quest to unravel the mystery of an obscure saint. He will become embroiled in the tumultuous marriage of the violent, vindictive, and vulgar Count of LaBrouillade and his wife, Bertille. Thomas will find himself targeted by William, Lord of Douglas, a Scot who is in France specifically to fight the English, and Douglas’ allies, the ambitious Louis Bessières, Cardinal Archbishop of Livorno and Papal Legate to King Jean. With his wife and child in tow, Thomas leads his feared army of men-at-arms and archers, the Hellequin, on his greatest quest since his search to find the Holy Grail.

Without going into extravagant purple prose, Bernard Cornwell paints the world of 1356 to life. Although I had never before read one of his books, I found myself standing in the middle of walled towns under siege. The landscape of France, from vineyards to small valleys and hills were before my eyes. The attire and costumes and the armor and weaponry, all unfamiliar to me, sprang to life in my mind. It seems that Cornwell’s gift is to set a table, unfamiliar as it may be to readers, and make them feel welcomed.

There is a cover quote on 1356 from George R.R. Martin (the creator of A Game of Thrones) that reads, “Bernard Cornwell does the best battle scenes of any writer I’ve ever read, past or present.” I haven’t read enough to agree with that, but I must admit that from strategy and troop movement to sword thrusts and intestines on the ground, Cornwell is the real deal. He does not do the empty-calorie manliness of Hollywood battle scenes that one might find in films like Braveheart and Gladiator (both good films). Cornwell gets to the heart of the matter – victory is survival, and some of those seven deadly sins are the fuel that drives a combatant to victory.

Still, I have higher praises for Cornwell and 1356. I really did not want this book to end. Whenever I returned to it, after having to stop reading, I felt like I was returning to old friends as soon as I opened the book. I was there, off to the side (of course), but watching everything. With 1356: A Novel, Bernard Cornwell takes the reader to another time and makes the reader never want to leave, no matter how bloody and gory the action becomes.

A

www.bernardcornwell.net

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux