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4.21 AVERAGE
4.21 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
4.5 - I liked this installment of the series, listening to them mostly on audio and the narrator as Uhtred is kinda great—there is a humor to it that you wouldn't expect with it being full of war and whatnot. Also realizing stories told by an older version of the main character I actually really like
It was a delightful decision to commence reading The Last Kingdom series after having watched the television show and movie on Netflix. While I found the show to be quite enjoyable, I believe that the books are superior in terms of quality. After watching the movie and show, I felt that Uthred did not receive the justice he deserved considering all that he had done for Alfred and Edward. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Uthred's remarks were indeed humorous.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Have you ever read a book series that made your heart thump with excitement each and every time your eyes feasted on its words? Did you get giddy with anticipation for the continuation of the story, and of the lives involved? Did the fictional characters feel real? -you wonder about the characters and how their lives will fare even when you are not actively reading about their lives. Yeah, that has all happened to me with my most favorite series of all time. And it seems, I now have another series that can draw these feelings from me.
It dawned on me, as I was listening to the third book of The Last Kingdom series, I am feeling the giddiness, excitement, wonder, and attachment to characters in same manner that I do with my most favorite series. These two series are not similar save they're historical in nature, and the writing is superb which draws me into the story and lives of the characters in ways that other books cannot accomplish. They're both smartly written with characters that evolve—the epic nature of the story does not remain stagnant. With that said, just as in life, the stories do ebb and flow—every book does not live on a high.
This third book of The Last Kingdom Series, The Lords of the North, is damn fantastic. But, it has it has low moments where it's not very exciting and maybe a bit dull....the hum drum of life. An epic story, however, can take these low moments and build on them to create an over arching momentum of an high. That's what I am experiencing with this series, and with The Lords of the North—it has low moments and then swings back into the hustle and bustle of the grittiness, cruelty, and harshness of 9th century England—Danes and Saxons. What is even more exciting is the thrill of the over all ride, the thrill of Uhtred's life narrative. Yeah, he sometimes annoys me with his arrogance, but honestly I like him with all his nuts and bolts.
One of the more interesting aspects for me, this time around, is how history can be perceived differently depending on one's bent on life, their belief system. With Uhtred, the history is totally bent towards a negative perspective on Christianity —towards the priests, monks and leaders who claim to be a Christian. I've been reading a few biographical sketches lately which portray King Alfred in a bit better light than how Uhtred is painting him. While Uhtred does not seem to like King Alfred, he does admit to some significant positive aspects of Alfred's character. And I do think, Uhtred does have a level of respect for King Alfred but doesn't show it much due to his prideful nature.
Damn, I like these characters. All of them. I like the story arch. All of it. This is an exciting adventure. An adventure that feels real, as real as fiction can feel without physically zapping me right into its space.
This nine book series, so far, seems to be claiming a favorite series position on my audiobook bookshelf. It has infiltrated my reading world—I cannot wait to get back to Uhtred's narrative and will soon be starting book four, Sword Song. Once done, if the way I currently feel about the series remains, I will then confidently place it in my reading repertoire as my second favorite series.
It dawned on me, as I was listening to the third book of The Last Kingdom series, I am feeling the giddiness, excitement, wonder, and attachment to characters in same manner that I do with my most favorite series. These two series are not similar save they're historical in nature, and the writing is superb which draws me into the story and lives of the characters in ways that other books cannot accomplish. They're both smartly written with characters that evolve—the epic nature of the story does not remain stagnant. With that said, just as in life, the stories do ebb and flow—every book does not live on a high.
This third book of The Last Kingdom Series, The Lords of the North, is damn fantastic. But, it has it has low moments where it's not very exciting and maybe a bit dull....the hum drum of life. An epic story, however, can take these low moments and build on them to create an over arching momentum of an high. That's what I am experiencing with this series, and with The Lords of the North—it has low moments and then swings back into the hustle and bustle of the grittiness, cruelty, and harshness of 9th century England—Danes and Saxons. What is even more exciting is the thrill of the over all ride, the thrill of Uhtred's life narrative. Yeah, he sometimes annoys me with his arrogance, but honestly I like him with all his nuts and bolts.
One of the more interesting aspects for me, this time around, is how history can be perceived differently depending on one's bent on life, their belief system. With Uhtred, the history is totally bent towards a negative perspective on Christianity —towards the priests, monks and leaders who claim to be a Christian. I've been reading a few biographical sketches lately which portray King Alfred in a bit better light than how Uhtred is painting him. While Uhtred does not seem to like King Alfred, he does admit to some significant positive aspects of Alfred's character. And I do think, Uhtred does have a level of respect for King Alfred but doesn't show it much due to his prideful nature.
Damn, I like these characters. All of them. I like the story arch. All of it. This is an exciting adventure. An adventure that feels real, as real as fiction can feel without physically zapping me right into its space.
This nine book series, so far, seems to be claiming a favorite series position on my audiobook bookshelf. It has infiltrated my reading world—I cannot wait to get back to Uhtred's narrative and will soon be starting book four, Sword Song. Once done, if the way I currently feel about the series remains, I will then confidently place it in my reading repertoire as my second favorite series.
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
medium-paced
I loved this installment of the Saxon stories. I love how well developed the characters are. If you have watched the TV show I would highly recommend reading the books as you get so much more detail and story than the show. You also get to see far more of the characters, and they are really quite different to their show counterparts. Uhtred, for example, is a lot funnier and quick witted with his remarks. He's a lot less mysterious and brooding in the books, which I really enjoy as he feels like a more complete character and definitely feels more human and flawed.
adventurous
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No