Synopses & Reviews
Uhtred is a Saxon, cheated of his inheritance, and adrift in a world of fire, sword, and treachery. He has to make a choice: to fight for the Vikings, who raised him, or for King Alfred the Great of Wessex, who dislikes him.
In the late ninth century, Wessex is the last English kingdom. All the rest have fallen to the Danish Vikings, and the Vikings want to finish England. They assemble the Great Army, whose sole ambition is to conquer Wessex. Yet fate, as Uhtred learns, has its own imperatives. When the Vikings attack out of a wintry darkness to shatter the last English kingdom, Uhtred finds himself on Alfred's side.
The Pale Horseman is an enthralling story, a novel of divided loyalties and desperate heroism, featuring a range of fully realized characters, from a king in despair to a beguiling British sorceress. And always, beyond the spearmen and the swordsmen are the folk who suffer as the tides of war sweep over their farmlands. The Pale Horseman is yet another masterpiece of historical and battle fiction that gives life to one of the most important and exciting epochs in the history of England's people and culture.
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“A suavely rendered tale … [brings] turbulent times to vivid life.” Philadelphia Inquirer
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“Entertaining” Arizona Republic
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“A crackerjack adventure tale from a master of the craft.” Booklist
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“Great stuff, as always, from the master.” Kirkus Reviews
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“Filled with bawdy humor, bloodlust, treachery and valor, this stirring tale will leave readers eager for the next volume .” Publishers Weekly
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” [A] big-bellied, bushy-bearded tale ... [Cornwell] endows the book with an unexpectedly complex, thoughtful soul.” Time Magazine
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“Superior entertainment that is both engaging and enlightening ... Cornwells battle scenes ... are superb ... smart and vigorous.” Washington Post
Synopsis
As the last unvanquished piece of England, Wessex is eyed hungrily by the fearsome Viking conquerors. Uhtred, a dispossessed young nobleman, is tied to the imperiled land by birth and marriage but was raised by the Danish invaders--and he questions where his allegiance must lie. But blood is his destiny, and when the overwhelming Viking horde attacks out of a wintry darkness, Uhtred must put aside all hatred and distrust and stand beside his embattled country's staunch defender--the fugitive King Alfred.
New York Times bestselling author Bernard Cornwell's The Pale Horseman is a gripping, monumental adventure that gives breathtaking life to one of the most important epochs in English history.
"Cornwell's characters are vividly drawn, betrayals lurk around every corner, the humor is as sharp as the swords, and the action is non-stop." --NPR
About the Author
Bernard Cornwell is the author of the acclaimed New York Times bestsellers Agincourt and The Fort; the bestselling Saxon Tales, which include The Last Kingdom, The Pale Horseman, Lords of the North, Sword Song, The Burning Land, and, most recently, Death of Kings; and the Richard Sharpe novels, among many others. He lives with his wife on Cape Cod and in Charleston, South Carolina.