Sword Song (The Saxon Chronicles, Book 4) | Bernard Cornwell

Sword Song (The Saxon Chronicles, Book 4) | Bernard Cornwell | Uhtred is 1 of the GREATEST literary figures ever created!

books:

Sword Song (The Sa...

	Sword Song (The Saxon Chronicles, Book 4) Bernard Cornwell Harper, 2008 - 336 pages average customer review:based on 44 reviews view larger image
	for more information click here

highly recommended

The Chronicles of Uhtred

Having flown through the preceding books in this series, I was delighted to find this latest work available before leaving for a trip. No spoilers, here, but this volume continues the tale of Uhtred, the half-Saxon, half-Danish warrior who reluctantly serves at the behest of Alfred, King of Wessex, known to us as "Alfred the Great."

Cornwell's command of a relatively little-known period of British history is excellent and more importantly, entirely plausible. His characterizations are rich in detail and well-drawn. Cornwell's development and exposition throughout the series of Alfred the Great is compelling, putting flesh on the bones of a monarch who is mostly the stuff of legends.

Cornwell has found his personal "medium," in the character of Uhtred who, while appropriately grim for a warrior, has a certain sardonic sense of humor and a penchant for pointed social commentary. Cornwell's idea of creating Uhtred as a "pagan" instead of a Christian is brilliant and allows us a far more insightful hero than what might otherwise have been the case.

The narrative is clear and concise, and we are easily able to follow what the characters are doing, where and why.

Altogether an excellent novel by one of the masters of the craft.

for more information click here

Uhtred is 1 of the GREATEST literary figures ever created!

The Saxon Chronicles, panned from the outset as Cornwell trying to return to his British roots, has proven to be a juggernaut that cannot be stopped by bad and, in this case, off-base, press reviews.

Book 4, 'Sword Song: The Battle for London', continues the story of Lord Uhtred, Saxon born, Dane raised, sworn man of King Alfred the great. In this installment, Uhtred fights to take London back from the invading Northemen, the Vikings. Uhtred, who loves the Vikings far more than he cares for the Christian religion of the king he is continually sworn to serve, now must fight to take back London and to save Alfred, and his family, from defeat at the hands of the Norse invaders.

This book, beginning in the year 885, probably doesn't see the end of 886 before the final page is turned. Unlike the first 3 offerings in this series, this book covers a very short period of time, perhaps 6-8 months. It is a fast moving, blood-letting adventure as Uhtred overtakes Danish controlled London whilst his estranged cousin, Aethelred, marries King Alfred's daughter, Aethelflaed, in search of a kingdom of his own. Uhtred is ordered to produce that kingdom as a gift to the newly married couple. Aetheflaed, a young woman whom Uhtred has known and loved as a daughter since she was a child, marries Uhtred's cousin, Aethelred, a man who Uhtred respects little and whom Uhtred, thanks to Alfred's order, owes much; begining with the city of London.

As we again hear Uhtred continue the story of his service to Alfred (All of the books in this series are told in first person), we find that a dead Dane skald (poet) is rising from his grave and announcing that Uhtred is to be King of Mercia. Uhtred witnesses this dead rising and follows the corpses instruction to meet with the Danish attackers who want to take the Saxon lands, present day England. Uhtred obeys the skald and travels to the Danish stronghold in London to meet 2 brothers, Erik and Sigefrid Thirgilson, and Haesten, a man who Uhtred once saved and who owed Uhtred an oath, which had been broken. Uhtred, if nothing else, is a man of his word, but he is tempted by the prophecy of the dead skald. He was tempted by the opportunity to fight along side the Northmen that he loved. He was desirous of seeing Alfred dethroned for he hated the pious nature of the king.

Thus begins our journey with Uhtred. A journey that will lead to the battle for London, another war with the Danes, and a twist of fate (as Uhtred repeats throughout the book, 'Fate is inexorable') that will test Uhtred's oath like no other test has in his past.

Uhtred is one of the greatest characters ever written. He was born a Saxon and rightfully the Lord of Bebbanburg, a county in Northumbria, a part of Saxon England. That birthright was stolen from him by his treacherous uncle earlier in the series. Uhtred longs to regain his birthright but, being a man of his word, he continues to fight for Alfred, and continually waits for his opportunity to return to Bebbanburg and avenge the loss of his birthright.

This book, unlike 'Lords of the North', book 3 in the series, returns to the gory battle and grisly action of the first 2 installments ('The Last Kingdom' & 'The Pale Horseman'). 'Lords of the North' was as excellent as the other books in this series, but it lacked the battles and the carnage of the first 2 books and this latest installment; 'Lords' was still an excellent book and I recommend that each be read to truly appreciate and understand Uhtred's story.

Thankfully, the end of this book is not the end of Uhtred's tale. Cornwell has promised more works about the displaced warrior. With all hope, I can only wait for the Saxon Chronicles to grow to a library the size of which Cornwell has grown his 'Sharpe' series. A continued focus on this man and his adventures in establishing England for Alfred is deserving of at least a large fraction of the number of books produced on Sharpe.

If fate is inexorable, I hope against hope that Cornwell will be fated to continue to write Uhtred's tale for many years to come. There is no greater fictional warrior that I can think of that is deserving of a library of books.

If you have read the first three books of this series, buy this immediately. If you haven't read the Saxon Chronicles, I strongly recommend that you start from the beginning (1}'The Last Kingdom', 2}'The Pale Horseman', 3}'Lords of the North', 4}'Sword Song') and read all of the books in this series. Cornwell is the master of historical fiction and, with this latest installment, has proven that he continues to excel. But, as great as this book is, don't skip to book 4; read the entire series. I demand that you read the entire series!

Highly recommended to anyone that enjoys Viking, Anglo-Saxon, or medieval/dark ages history or historical fiction.

THIS ENTIRE SERIES IS PHENOMENAL!!!

for more information click here

Another WINNER by Bernard Cornwell!!

This fourth in the "Saxon Chronicles" series by Mr. Cornwell is outstanding! As are all of his books in this series. I wish there were more writers out there who could take us back to little known periods in the past and bring them to life in historical fiction with the skill that Mr. Cornwell puts into each book in this series. I've read all four of his books (The Last Kingdom, The Pale Horseman, The Lords of the North, and Sword Song) TWICE! These books are just wonderfully entertaining and captures the very essence of life (and death) during the period as the "Dark Ages" come to an end. I anxiously await Mr. Cornwell's next book in this series! In a word, I'm hooked. You will be too, if you like exciting, true to life historical fiction!

for more information click here

The Fourth Book in the series is another winner!

Should you buy the book? Will you like the book?

If you've read the first three, it's a no-brainer because Bernard Cornwell delivers in Sword Song another entertaining, historically oriented adventure story. You know you're going to like it.

My wife, not a reader of this genre, picked up the book as soon as I finished it and she loved it. She commented on how much she enjoyed Mr. Cornwell's writing style, the way he told the story and how he grabbed her from the first page.

Sword Song

Everything Bernard Cormwell writes is great. I have read all four of these books and each is better than the last.

for more information click here