Synopses & Reviews
The year is 885, and England is at peace, divided between the Danish kingdom to the north and the Saxon kingdom of Wessex in the south. Uhtred, the dispossessed son of a Northumbrian lord warrior by instinct, Viking by nature has finally settled down. He has land, a wife, and two children, and a duty given to him by King Alfred to hold the frontier on the Thames. But then trouble stirs: a dead man has risen, and new Vikings have arrived to occupy the decayed Roman city of London. Their dream is to conquer Wessex, and to do it they need Uhtred's help.
Alfred has other ideas. He wants Uhtred to expel the Viking raiders from London. Uhtred must weigh his oath to the king against the dangerous turning tide of shifting allegiances and deadly power struggles. And other storm clouds are gathering: AEtheleflaed Alfred's daughter is newly married, but by a cruel twist of fate, her very existence now threatens Alfred's kingdom. It is Uhtred half Saxon, half Dane whose uncertain loyalties must now decide England's future.
A gripping story of love, deceit, and violence, Sword Song is set in an England of tremendous turmoil and strife yet one galvanized by the hope that Alfred may prove an enduring force. Uhtred, his lord of war and greatest warrior, has become his sword a man feared and respected the length and breadth of Britain.
Review
"Cornell's latest tale offers excellent history and great adventure, and best yet, there will be more Saxon Tales to eagerly anticipate. Highly recommended." Library Journal
Review
"Even readers unfamiliar with the series will be able to catch on, but devoted fans will devour this volume while eagerly anticipating the next one." Booklist
Synopsis
The internationally bestselling author delivers the fourth novel in his rousing saga of early England, hailed by the Washington Post as superior entertainment.
Synopsis
The fourth installment of Bernard Cornwell s bestselling series chronicling the epic saga of the making of England, like Game of Thrones, but real (The Observer, London) the basis for The Last Kingdom, the hit BBC America television series.
The year is 885, and England is at peace, divided between the Danish kingdom to the north and the Saxon kingdom of Wessex in the south. Uhtred, the dispossessed son of a Northumbrian lord warrior by instinct, Viking by nature has finally settled down. He has land, a wife and two children, and a duty given to him by King Alfred to hold the frontier on the Thames. But then trouble stirs: a dead man has risen, and new Vikings have arrived to occupy the decayed Roman city of London. Their dream is to conquer Wessex, and to do it they need Uhtred s help.
Alfred has other ideas. He wants Uhtred to expel the Viking raiders from London. Uhtred must weigh his oath to the king against the dangerous turning tide of shifting allegiances and deadly power struggles. And other storm clouds are gathering: Alfred s daughter is newly married, but by a cruel twist of fate, her very existence now threatens Alfred s kingdom. It is Uhtred half Saxon, half Dane whose uncertain loyalties must now decide England s future.
Sword Song is Cornwell s finest work yet vivid with period detail, this breathtaking adventure throroughly reimagines one of the most fascinating tales in all of history the birth of England and breathes life into the brilliant king who made it possible: Alfred the Great.
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About the Author
Bernard Cornwell is the author of the acclaimed and bestselling Saxon Tales, which include The Last Kingdom, The Pale Horseman, and Lords of the North, as well as the Richard Sharpe novels, the Grail Quest series, the Nathaniel Starbuck Chronicles, the Warlord Chronicles, and many other novels, including Stonehenge and Gallows Thief. He lives with his wife on Cape Cod.