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4.19 AVERAGE
4.19 AVERAGE
Same succesfull recipie for one more fine novel from the master of the genre. Uhtred plods through early Eng(la)land's history, always a relic of other times, but always present, resourceful and usefool and even tool.
Others wrote:
It is a time of political turmoil once more as the fading King Edward begins to lose control over his successors and their supporters. There are two potential heirs—possibly more—and doubt over whether the once separate states of Wessex and Mercia will hold together . Despite attempts at pulling him into the political fray, Uhtred of Bebbanburg cares solely about his beloved Northumbria and its continuing independence from southern control.
But an oath is a strong, almost sacred commitment and such a promise had been exchanged between Uhtred and Aethelstan, his onetime companion in arms and now a potential king. Uhtred was tempted to ignore the demands of the oath and stay in his northern fastness, leaving the quarrelling Anglo-Saxons to sort out their own issues. But an attack on him by a leading supporter of one of the candidates and an unexpected appeal for help from another, drives Uhtred with a small band of warriors south, into the battle for kingship—and England’s fate.
Others wrote:
It is a time of political turmoil once more as the fading King Edward begins to lose control over his successors and their supporters. There are two potential heirs—possibly more—and doubt over whether the once separate states of Wessex and Mercia will hold together . Despite attempts at pulling him into the political fray, Uhtred of Bebbanburg cares solely about his beloved Northumbria and its continuing independence from southern control.
But an oath is a strong, almost sacred commitment and such a promise had been exchanged between Uhtred and Aethelstan, his onetime companion in arms and now a potential king. Uhtred was tempted to ignore the demands of the oath and stay in his northern fastness, leaving the quarrelling Anglo-Saxons to sort out their own issues. But an attack on him by a leading supporter of one of the candidates and an unexpected appeal for help from another, drives Uhtred with a small band of warriors south, into the battle for kingship—and England’s fate.
adventurous
tense
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:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
fast-paced
adventurous
informative
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
I’ll never get tired of reading about Uhtred. You can see how his years have shaped him, but what makes him him is always there. He’s fallible, but reliable and honourable and who can’t root for that guy! I love this series and the historical notes at the end are a great cherry on top of the books!
Great to be back with Uthred in Sword of Kings in the penultimate instalment of The Saxon Stories. Cannot believe that I only have one to go!
I would say that Sword of Kings is one of the strongest of this series, with some very high points, and one of the most engaging opening sections of all the instalments so far. It was a fantastic start, and that continued through much of the story.
Whilst there was a section which I thought had pacing problems, the rest was usual Bernard Cornwell success. It has a great cast of characters, with an entertaining plot, and a smaller arc taking place and resulting satisfactory within the wider arc and drive of the series, which is the formation of England under one king.
What I particularly enjoyed in this instalment was that it seamed less streamlined than many of the other instalments. A major focus for Uhtred deviated somewhat from the usual, instead focusing on his hatred of slavery, partly due to personal experience. This materialised into some powerful scenes that both made me love Uhtred more, and also managed to explore the character of Uhtred even more! Bernard Cornwell somehow manages to expand on Uhtred every single book, and I would say this makes our main character one of the most successfully and interestingly developed characters in fiction.
Full Review to Come
I would say that Sword of Kings is one of the strongest of this series, with some very high points, and one of the most engaging opening sections of all the instalments so far. It was a fantastic start, and that continued through much of the story.
Whilst there was a section which I thought had pacing problems, the rest was usual Bernard Cornwell success. It has a great cast of characters, with an entertaining plot, and a smaller arc taking place and resulting satisfactory within the wider arc and drive of the series, which is the formation of England under one king.
What I particularly enjoyed in this instalment was that it seamed less streamlined than many of the other instalments. A major focus for Uhtred deviated somewhat from the usual, instead focusing on his hatred of slavery, partly due to personal experience. This materialised into some powerful scenes that both made me love Uhtred more, and also managed to explore the character of Uhtred even more! Bernard Cornwell somehow manages to expand on Uhtred every single book, and I would say this makes our main character one of the most successfully and interestingly developed characters in fiction.
Full Review to Come
Another great Saxon tale full of our hero Uhtred and many violent warring clashes.