Lords of the North: The Saxon Chronicles, Book 3

In historical fiction, nobody touches Bernard Cornwell when it comes to striking the right balance between historical accuracy and melodrama. "Lords of the North" is the third in the rollicking series of Alfred the Great in 9th century England. This time around, protagonist Uthred, a Northumbrian lord of Saxon heritage but strong Danish loyalties, emerges as a swaggering and swashbuckling rogue - think Indiana Jones in chain mail - hacking and sawing his way through northeastern England in the service of a the Wessex King Alfred who he doesn't like but begrudgingly respects. So if this one tips the balance more heavily towards action and fiction and less on history, don't fault Cornwell: unlike the scholarly Alfred who kept meticulous records - almost as much a priest as he was a king - the pagan Danish occupiers of much of England at the time left virtually no written records behind. As the author notes, the regency records in the dark days before William the Conqueror were confusing, and even contradictory in attempting to name the kings of the Danish-occupied territories. But given a few scraps of fact, a colorful background of the brutality of life in the Dark Ages, a brilliant imagination, and even some black humor, Cornwell spins a plausible and highly entertaining saga of the politics and intrigue the characterized England in the centuries of chaos following the Roman withdrawal. It is 878, and despite playing a key role in Alfred's victory over the Danish warlord Guthred in the swamps of Ethandun, Uthred's rewards from the pious Alfred are meager. In anger and disgust, Uthred leaves the miserable Wessex estate granted to him, heading north in search of adventure and his step sister, held hostage by the fictional Kjartan the Cruel. From the opening chapter to the final battle the action barely wanes, lurching from one cliffhanger to the next as Uthred slips traps and ambushes and betrayal and fate, dispatching one despicable villain after another. Cornwell throws some clever chicanery into the mix, and colors the action nicely with a primer in the war culture of the Danes and their Norse Gods. Relying more on tactics and strategy than the brute strength and power of the shield wall, Uthred and his allies take their battle to the highly fortified bastions of their evil foe. It's gritty and bloody, with no attempt to glamorize the harsh conditions of the period - a world of dung and straw and damp-ridden wood, the magnificent stone and tile structures of the Romans crumbled long-forgotten mysteries. "Lords of the North" is a violent page-turner that you'll want to burn through quickly to reach the vengeance you know is waiting - a terrific segue from the marshes of southern England to the battle for London as told in Cornwell's next novel, "Sword Song." High adventure and wildly entertaining - a highly recommended read.

I'm on my third series by Cornwell. This is my favorite, which truly surprises me since I'm not really into this era for historical fiction. It's surprising but completely understandable simply because this is some fine writing. The characters are complex and believable as is the plot. The characters and the plot are well thought out and well written so that I experience total immersion in the story. Cornwell has certainly suspended my disbelief. One of the most annoying aspects of serial historical novels is the determined retelling of past events the characters have lived in previous stories. I know you know what I mean. Somehow I guess authors feel the necessity to engage in this type of storytelling. Cornwell has found the correct balance of retelling where it makes sense and is useful to the current story in this series. Cornwell is rapidly becoming my favorite historical novel author. I highly recommend Lords of the North and his work in the Sharpe series, the Grail Quest series and the Saxon tales series. As always, I recommend you start with the first book and read through. This is hours of inexpensive entertainment.

Worth all the hype another great read. The author's word craft is fabulous, and his ability to describe a battle visceral.

This epic series of books is a delight for fans of historical fiction. The author introduces you to the fictional character of Uhtred (Ragnarrson) of Bebbanburg in Book 1 ("The Last Kingdom") as he narrates the story of his life, loves, losses, battles, boon times and hardships, which runs through all of the volumes. Uhtred alternately gives his allegiance to The Danes and King Alfred. It is a wonderful way to learn about what life was like during the later Ninth Century and the vision of King Alfred the Great to defeat the Danes and Vikings and create a united England from various smaller kingdoms (Wessex, Mercia, etc.). As the stories unfold, you learn a great deal about the lives and beliefs of the people living during those times. Most people alive then were very much subject to being, left homeless, uprooted and/or outright slain or sold into slavery in the aftermath of the many battles that were fought during those years. They were also subject to famines due to both weather and depredation by the different armed forces. There was also the issue of a still fairly new Christianity versus the Pagan gods (Wodin/Odin) and the attempt to convert non-believers to Christianity, which was very important to King Alfred. Although each of Cornwell's Saxon Chronicles volumes can be read as a stand-alone book, I would highly recommend the complete series. I am presently reading the 4th volume, "Sword Song", and look forward to reading the remaining books in the series.

One major reason The Saxon Chronicles are so enjoyable is the main character, Uhtred. Put simply, Uhtred rules. He might possibly be the coolest main character narrator to every grace the pages of a book. Cornwell is an expert on religions of the time, and the Saxon Chronicles has a heavy dose of religious history and the growing domination of Christianity. Cornwell doesn't hide the fact that he's a fan of paganism, and I love that aspect of his writing. Descriptions of battles just don't get any better. These aren't Braveheart-style free-for-alls, but true to history 9th century battles. Men fought in shield walls, slipped over blood and guts, moved the enemy's shield a fraction so you could get a sword in to cut at his ankles. Not romantic by any means, but realistic and absolutely thrilling. Cornwell's blow-by-blow descriptions put you smack dab in the middle of the action. Some of you may think a historical fiction book would read like a textbook. You couldn't be more wrong. I'm not sure I've ever read as fast-paced a book as these Saxon Chronicles. You can't read four pages without action. If you're looking for some very entertaining medieval historical fiction, look no farther than the Saxon Chronicles. I would give all these books 4.5 stars out of 5 and I'm really having a hard time deciding whether to give them 4 or 5. I just can't put much fantasy on the same level as George R. R. Martin, but this gets close. Book 3 delivers, just as the first two books did.

The gritty but recognizably human milieu is a great backdrop for the superbly depicted action-drama in this series of books. The up-close experience of historical locations and real-life characters (some actual, some fictitious but credible) is a welcome departure from so much of the contrived feeling swords-and-fantasy fiction out there. Characters aren't all fully dimensional but there's plenty of meat on the bones of the main characters and there's always enough happening or about to happen that you're swept along with it. I just finished the 4th book and am already feeling separation anxiety for when I've finished the 7th one. I also started watching the "Vikings" TV series last night and it's a great companion to the books, even though not literally the same characters or stories. I recommend starting the books first for the depth of background. Anyway, this book is another winner in a very readable, satisfying series. I'd give it 4.5 stars if the rating system allowed.

I'm stunned at how Cornwell is able to worldbuild, weaving incredible stories into character development of historical figures that you GENUINELY care about. This book, the third in the series, is perhaps the best one I've read so far (and I know there are quite a few more in the series to go). I'm honestly a little worried that it will be hard for him to top himself, but each book seems to manage to accomplish that feat. At least so far. This one in particular hits hard because we see our protagonist, Uhtred, face the greatest adversity of his life, and for a moment it truly feels as it might have been the end of his story (and not the tale). I'll leave it for the reader to see what actually develops, but the writing is so taught and the dialog so compelling (the medieval dialog is actually my favorite aspect), that I feel transported into 9th century Britain. It's like I'm watching an epic film in my mind, one that I never want to end.

This is the third novel of the Saxon Chronicles, taking place during the time of King Alfred the Great. In this novel, King Alfred is back on the throne in Wessex, but has a tenuous grip. The Saxons and Danes still battle for control of Great Britain, with native Britons pushed back to the west, Scots on the north, Northmen/Danes occupying parts of Ireland, and conflicts between Christians and Pagans. I am descented from all of them, and my ancestors continually fought with each other. This novel gives a fictional portrayal of the conflicts. The main character, as in the other novels, is Uhtred. He is displeased with Alfred who gave him an insultingly small estate (five hides) as a reward for his services. He is descended from kings and seeks to return north to reclaim the earldom usurped by his uncle. But he also has many enemies in the north. He has friends loyal to him, but learns he cannot trust a king. A head of state will sacrifice people around him in order to maintain his own power and position. He is somewhat fatalistic about that, but he is a warrior you should not trifle with. His fortunes wax and wain. He is a warrior, and most warriors lived for battle and expected to die with a sword in their hand. Those that excelled were awarded with armbands (a practice carried down to modern times with superbowl rings and such). You will learn a lot about the customs of the times. Most people lived in a state of slavery. Education was limited. Even well born people could rarely read and write (that was left to the clergy). Border raids to steal cattle and slaves were common. Customs such as bathing were uncommon, and people commonly had rotten teeth. People's life spans were short. A person over 40 was considered old. Laws tended to be whatever the local lords said they were. They could plunder, rape, and kill as long as they were strong enough to hold their position. Their strength was measured by the number of spearmen they could muster. You learn some more about the use of the shield wall in battle. Untrained hordes attempting to attack a shield wall were usually slaughtered. It was brute strengh against brute strength, the strongest shield wall prevailing. Historical Note - Alfred the Great, who would have been 29 during the setting of this novel, died in 901 AD at the age of 51 (old for that time period) and was succeeded by Edward. Alfred is depicted as being in bad health, but he obviously will still be around in any sequels.

Toda la serie me ha encantado . He comprado la serie en papel para hacerle un regalo a un sobrino / ahijado y tambien le encanta . El problema es que no encuentro en ningun sitio en que orden leerlos

Nobre saxão da Nortúmbria sequestrado e encantado pelos invasores Dinamarqueses ocupando o Nordeste inglês medieval, Uhtred se embrenha cada vez mais na história da unificação dos antigos reinos saxões (em parte tomados pelos escandinavos) no parto da Inglaterra pelo Rei de Wessex, Alfred. Quando jovem, encantado com os modos de seus "algozes", Uhtred se ressentia de sua inescapável associação com Alfred, de quem não poderia gostar por ser cristão renhido e político mais do que guerreiro. Mas não importa o quanto tente se livrar dos grilhões de fidelidade que Alfred espertamente lhe impõe, o dinamarquês por afinidade luta pela causa saxã. Amigos, amores e fortuna vêm e vão e ele sempre busca retomar a herança nortenha. A constante é sempre Alfred, com seu xadrez intrincado para, pelas bordas, restituir um reino forte e unido ao Deus Cristão.

Sono all' inizio (capitolo 3°) ma se va avanti di questo passo é scorrevole e di facile lettura. Vedremo più in là. Galland5

je recommande

“The Lords of the North” is a phenomenal read! From the very first page, I was completely immersed in the brutal, exciting world of medieval England. The characters are vividly drawn, with depth and grit that make you care about their fates. The battle scenes are thrilling and realistic, and the story moves at a perfect pace — never a dull moment. The author’s attention to historical detail adds authenticity without slowing the narrative. Pros: Engaging story, compelling characters, historically rich, fast-paced Cons: Honestly, I couldn’t find any — it’s perfect for fans of historical fiction Recommendation: A must-read for anyone who loves gripping historical novels. I finished it in just a few sittings and can’t wait to read more from this author!