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4.19 AVERAGE
4.19 AVERAGE
I haven't read any of Bernard Cornwell's books before. To be honest haven't picked up much historical fiction lately either - but I couldn't resist when reading the premise of this Viking-Saxon battle epic.
'The Pagan Lord' is set at a particularly fragile point in time for a divided Britain, what with Saxons fighting Danish Vikings, and Wales and Scotland fighting them both, the country is continuously on the precipice of war, and everyone is fighting to be the next King, or Lord, or for another inch of land.
Uhtred is of Saxon heritage, but spiritually believes in the 'Old Gods' - the Norse Gods, Odin, Thor etc. But although he spends some time fighting the Vikings and some fighting the Saxons, what he really wants is to fight his way back into his ancestral home, and be Lord of his own land, the only part of England under neither Saxon nor Viking rule.
It made for a much more interesting historical tale than a simple black and white 'Clan A is fighting Clan B' type plot. Although I did spend a lot of time wondering whose side Uhtred would be fighting on next, and each battle they fought seemed to get them nothing and nowhere.
Unfortunately, after getting through about 200 pages I found out that 'The Pagan Lord' is acutally book 7 of series - a massive fail on my part. However, I didn't work this out from simply reading the book - I only spotted my error via Goodreads - and whilst the book did allude to past events here and there, they are never things that make a new reader such as myself feel alienated towards the overall plot, and I suppose it takes a well honed skill to enable the reader to pick up the story with ease this far into the series.
I found the ending a little ambiguous regarding Uhtred, but thankfully the historical afterword cleared that up for me.
A few here on Goodreads seem to believe it's not quite up to the standard of the others, but as I can't compare I'm quite happy to hear it; now I can track them down and read them all!
'The Pagan Lord' is set at a particularly fragile point in time for a divided Britain, what with Saxons fighting Danish Vikings, and Wales and Scotland fighting them both, the country is continuously on the precipice of war, and everyone is fighting to be the next King, or Lord, or for another inch of land.
Uhtred is of Saxon heritage, but spiritually believes in the 'Old Gods' - the Norse Gods, Odin, Thor etc. But although he spends some time fighting the Vikings and some fighting the Saxons, what he really wants is to fight his way back into his ancestral home, and be Lord of his own land, the only part of England under neither Saxon nor Viking rule.
It made for a much more interesting historical tale than a simple black and white 'Clan A is fighting Clan B' type plot. Although I did spend a lot of time wondering whose side Uhtred would be fighting on next, and each battle they fought seemed to get them nothing and nowhere.
Unfortunately, after getting through about 200 pages I found out that 'The Pagan Lord' is acutally book 7 of series - a massive fail on my part. However, I didn't work this out from simply reading the book - I only spotted my error via Goodreads - and whilst the book did allude to past events here and there, they are never things that make a new reader such as myself feel alienated towards the overall plot, and I suppose it takes a well honed skill to enable the reader to pick up the story with ease this far into the series.
I found the ending a little ambiguous regarding Uhtred, but thankfully the historical afterword cleared that up for me.
A few here on Goodreads seem to believe it's not quite up to the standard of the others, but as I can't compare I'm quite happy to hear it; now I can track them down and read them all!
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Not what I had come to expect from a Bernard Cornwell
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Fate is inexorable. So, as with all the books in the Saxon Stories, this one got me hooked on the first 10 pages. After some quick research to remember how the last book had ended, I was able to fully get into the newest installment of Uthred's saga and couldn't put it down until I finished it. Great battles (Shield Wall!), cunning deceptions and twists of luck told in Cornwell's delicious writing style make this a fine step in Uthred's long way to the North. The only problem is that it ended too soon!
4 Stars ✨
“The art of war,” I told him, “is to make the enemy do your bidding.”
Another fantastic installment to the Saxon Stories! Loved the last battle- on pins and needles with the ending though, Cornwell always leaves me wanting more! He does such an amazing job of writing the character Uthred he’s portrayed so well at this point, I feel as if I was there and know him well. Such a great series!
“The art of war,” I told him, “is to make the enemy do your bidding.”
Another fantastic installment to the Saxon Stories! Loved the last battle- on pins and needles with the ending though, Cornwell always leaves me wanting more! He does such an amazing job of writing the character Uthred he’s portrayed so well at this point, I feel as if I was there and know him well. Such a great series!
I've been unwell and haven't been reviewing this year. I'm uploading all my reads now and maybe someday I'll write a proper review here.
adventurous
fast-paced
adventurous
inspiring
fast-paced