Sword of Kings

September 15, 2019
Plenty of gore from days of yore fills the 12th entry in Cornwell's The Last Kingdom series (War of the Wolf, 2018, etc.). The pagan warlord Uhtred of Bebbanburg narrates his 10th-century adventures, during which he hacks people apart so that kingdoms might be stitched together. He is known to some as the Godless or the Wicked, a reputation he enjoys. Edward, King of Wessex, Mercia, and East Anglia is gravely ill, and Uhtred pledges an oath to likely heir Æthelstan to kill two rivals, Æthelhelm and "his rotten nephew," Ælfweard, when the king dies. Uhtred's wife, Eadith, wants him to break that oath, but he cannot live with the dishonor of being an oathbreaker. The tale seems to begin in the middle, as though the reader had just turned the last page in the 11th book--and yet it stands alone quite well. Uhtred travels the coast and the river Temes in the good ship Spearhafoc, powered by 40 rowers struggling against tides and currents. He and his men fight furious battles, and he lustily impales foes with his favorite sword, Serpent-Breath. "I don't kill the helpless," though, which is one of his few limits. So, early in the story, when a man calling himself "God's chosen one" declares "We were sent to kill you," readers may chuckle and say yeah, right. But Uhtred faces true challenges such as Waormund, "lord Æthelhelm's beast." Immense bloodletting aside, Cornwell paints vivid images of the filth in the Temes and in cities like Lundene. This is mainly manly fare, of course. Few women are active characters. The queen needs rescuing, and "when queens call for help, warriors go to war." The action is believable if often gruesome and loathsome, and it never lets up for long. This is historical adventure on a grand scale, right up there with the works of Conn Iggulden and Minette Walters.

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October 15, 2019
The seemingly invincible, yet physically aging Uhtred of Bebbanburg rides again in the twelfth installment in Cornwell's Saxon Tales series. Initially reluctant to leave an independent North Umbria to take up arms again as factions coveting the throne of a united Wessex, East Anglia, and Mercia jockey for position, Uhtred joins the fray when an old friend and a sacred oath taken long ago compel him to do so. As King Edward's health fails, his tenuous grip on power and upon his possible successors slips. When Aethelstan, King Edward's eldest illegitimate son, seeks his assistance in his quest to succeed his father, Uhtred loyally, though certainly not eagerly, forgoes the well-earned comforts of retirement to plunge once more into battle and political intrigue. Nobody does the Saxon period better than Cornwell, and readers will find themselves happily immersed in the muck, mire, and machinations of the Early Middle Ages. Prepare for plenty of demand from both Cornwell devotees and fans of The Last Kingdom, the popular Netflix series based on his books.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)

November 1, 2019

A washed-up corpse and an old oath propel Uhtred of Bebbanburg out of his castle and back into battle in the 12th exciting installment of Cornwell's "Saxon Tales" (after War of the Wolf). Getting along in years, the old warrior would prefer to hang up his sword and remain in Northumbria, but the rumored death of King Edward and the possible civil war between royal half brothers force Uhtred back into the field, as well as into the water. Using his cunning almost more than his waning strength, he rescues a queen, but his wits are not enough to keep himself from capture and humiliation. In the end, with a little help from a friend, he vanquishes his tormentor and helps the rightful heir become king. VERDICT One can start with this volume, but readers of history and warfare, not to mention Game of Thrones fans, will want to go back and read the entire series, especially with four seasons filmed for British television. [See Prepub Alert, 5/13/19.]--W. Keith McCoy, Somerset Cty. Lib. Syst., Bridgewater, NJ

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2019

Here's the 12th in a series that gives a vivid account of the making of England, described by the Observer as "like Game of Thrones, but real." No plot details yet, but once more our hero is caught between Saxon and Viking on the bloody battleground that was England. With a 75,000-copy first printing.

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.