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Lords of the North (The Saxon Stories #3)
The year is 878. Uhtred, the dispossessed son of a Northumbrian lord, has helped the Saxons of Wessex defeat the invading Danes. Now, finally free of his allegiance to the victorious, ungrateful King Alfred, he is heading home to rescue his stepsister, a prisoner of Kjartan the Cruel in the formidable Danish stronghold of Dunholm. Uhtred's best hope is his sword, Serpent-
...morePaperback, 352 pages
Published
January 1st 2008
by Harper Paperbacks
(first published January 1st 2006)
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I enjoyed this very much, although I wonder just how wise it is to drive suburban streets while listening to graphic descriptions of people hitting each other with sharp swords. Having listened to the previous book in this series, it was very interesting to hear differences in the styles of the two readers - having become used to Tom Sellwood's more restrained style for The Pale Horseman, it took me a little time to get used to Richard Armitage's more vigorous narration for this book (ah, but he...more
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Cornwell does it again. I keep thinking after reading so many of his books of the same genre I should be feeling guilty like I'm reading Star Trek or romance novels or something... but they're just so damn good.
Not every one is great, and none of them have lived up to the Warlord trilogy but this series is pretty spectacular and the narrator's voice is perfect for the story. Hearing it is like visiting an old friend. I thought that this would be the last book of Utred because in t...more
Not every one is great, and none of them have lived up to the Warlord trilogy but this series is pretty spectacular and the narrator's voice is perfect for the story. Hearing it is like visiting an old friend. I thought that this would be the last book of Utred because in t...more
Third in the Saxon Tales series.[return][return]In 878, Uhtred the dispossessed heir of Bebbbanberg, has been rewarded by Alfred, King of Wessex, for Uhtred s critical role in winning the battle of Ethandun against a Danish army--with a miserable little holding that was barely able to support the three slave families that worked it. Alfred is by nature a miser and his dislike of Uhtred, who refuses to become a Christian, only adds to the insult.[return][return]Uhtred has had enough of Alfred w...more
Uhtred returns north to claim his rightful rule to Bebbanburg after discovering the identity of the usurper that led to the Danes claiming his land. In the south, Alfred is making advances toward the north with the arrival of Guthrum’s Great Army. Uhtred once again finds himself a hired mercenary training soldiers in a hope of claiming back his land. Much of the same really.
There is no real departure from the theme of the series and by now anybody who has read the first two will know w...more
There is no real departure from the theme of the series and by now anybody who has read the first two will know w...more
Lords of the North is the third volume of Bernard Cornwell's Saxon Tales, set in ninth-century England, and is every bit as enjoyable as the preceding books in the series.
In this entry, Uhtred goes north to settle a long-standing bloodfeud. With his customary flair for the dramatic, he disguises himself as the Dead Swordsman and heads toward Dunholm, the fortress of his enemy, Kjartan the Cruel.
Along the way he frees a slave who turns out to be Guthred, king of Northu...more
In this entry, Uhtred goes north to settle a long-standing bloodfeud. With his customary flair for the dramatic, he disguises himself as the Dead Swordsman and heads toward Dunholm, the fortress of his enemy, Kjartan the Cruel.
Along the way he frees a slave who turns out to be Guthred, king of Northu...more
Lords of the North is the middle novel of Bernard Cornwell's excellent Saxon Tales series of five novels set in the 9th century. Alfred is King of Wessex, but the series' point of view character is Uhtred of Bebbanburg (Bamburg), a Saxon of noble birth who is brought up by Vikings. The central point of the whole series is the tug between a newly confident Christianity and the old gods of Asatru. As Uhtred says at one point:
I remember blind Ravn, Ragnar's grandfather, telling me that the gods lik...more
In LORDS OF THE NORTH, the third in Bernard Cornwell's Saxon Stories concerning the lives of Uhtred and Alfred the Great in the late 9th century, the author takes us away from the familiar trappings of Wessex into a whole new territory: the wild Northumbrian north. I think it was a good call, because it breathes new life into the series.
At first, though, I thought this was the weakest of the series so far. The first third seems very...irrelevant. We're introduced to a whole new cast ...more
At first, though, I thought this was the weakest of the series so far. The first third seems very...irrelevant. We're introduced to a whole new cast ...more
It’s the late 9th Century and Uhtred Ragnarson of Bebbanburg is back and ready for more sword-waving, shield-bearing, and brute force honesty. Lords of the North opens with Uhtred and Hild immediately after the events of the third Saxon Chronicle book The Pale Horseman. Uhtred, the protagonist of the series, is our narrator again and brings a blunt, rough, and for lack of a better word, stereotypically male point of view to real historical events revolving around certain real historical figure...more
In this next installment of the brillant warrior, Uhtred, and his service to the King Alfred, the tale is very satisfying and we meet all people from his early days to his adult days, most of them enemies and he wouldn't have it another way.
I wish I can be fearless as he is and be able to be cunning against hordes of enemies. The story is getting more and more complicated as Uhtred is wavering between his loyalty to a king he does not like but starts to admire and to his homefolkes,...more
I wish I can be fearless as he is and be able to be cunning against hordes of enemies. The story is getting more and more complicated as Uhtred is wavering between his loyalty to a king he does not like but starts to admire and to his homefolkes,...more
In this third volume of the Saxon series, Cornwell shows us that Uhtred's path towards his unknown destiny will not be smooth. Coming off his victory over the Danes in a critical battle, he heads north toward his homeland, where he was captured as a boy and raised by the Danes. In an encounter with an old enemy, he frees a group of people about to be sold into slavery, and one of them turns out to be a Dane who announces he is a king, named Guthred. Uhtred finds Guthred immediately likeabl...more
The 3rd book in the series about King Alfred.
I thought I'd struggle because I read The Pale Horseman 3 years ago but it didn't matter. There are references to the previous books but it doesn't rely on the reader remembering the details. Lots of battles, new characters & Uhtred's fate alters dramatically but his Gods are with him. Great stuff.
I thought I'd struggle because I read The Pale Horseman 3 years ago but it didn't matter. There are references to the previous books but it doesn't rely on the reader remembering the details. Lots of battles, new characters & Uhtred's fate alters dramatically but his Gods are with him. Great stuff.
This is the third book of the Saxon series, The last Kindom, The pale horseman, Lords of the North, and Sword Song. The series cronicals the Viking invasion of England and a English boy (prince) who is kidnaped in a riad and raised by a viking war lord. I really enjoyed the first three and have the fourth on hold.
Matt
Matt
This is the third volume of Cornwell's Saxon stories. While I enjoyed reading this continuation of the saga of Uhtred, Alfred the Great, and the conflicts between Danes and Saxons in 9th century Britain, this volume didn't seem to carry as much historical weight as the two earlier books. Perhaps I need a break from these stories, but I just wasn't as riveted by this installment as I had been in the two preceding books. It seemed to me that more of the storyline in this volume was purely fictio...more
I am totally hooked by this series and by the fascinating character of Uhtred. I have seen some reviewers don’t like too much Uhtred’s reaction to the Christian religion, but it seems fair to me in the context of the time, and with the struggle with paganism. Plus it is alas historically proved that Christian hierarchs of the time were very far from being great and fair. In this volume, I like how Cornwell manages to get a mix of violence and romance! And always, how Uhtred is torn between diffe...more
Upon finishing this story, I realized that I’d read it before, but a sufficient amount of time had passed that the details had become murky in my mind and I found that I enjoyed the book this time just as much as I did the first time. I don’t know what it is about the no nonsense demeanor of Vikings, but I just can’t get enough of it, whether it be Cornwell’s Danes or Flanagan’s Skandians. There’s something about their outlook on life that appeals to the core of me and I eat it up every time. ...more
The third book in the series is another quick and exciting read. However, it is not as strong as the first two novels. The primary weakness is that Cornwell strayed away from history when he sends his character back to his homeland in Northumbria. The chronicles and sources are largely quiet on events in the kingdom during that period allowing Cornwell to create almost anything.
The success of the first two books was based on history and archeology. Cornwell made an excellent job ...more
The success of the first two books was based on history and archeology. Cornwell made an excellent job ...more
This book was very exciting and full of interesting characters. It was also gruesome and bloody at times. Also most of the “Christians” are very unlikable and though historically the spread of Christianity was very ruthless it also makes you wonder if the author had a particular axe to grind here. But for the most part I really enjoyed this story and like I said the pace was very intense. I would like to read the other books in this series. It was also helpful for me to go to Wikipedia and ...more
Simply put this is one of the best series of books that I have read. The battle sequences are crafted as delicately as a conductor of the New York symphony in a kick you in the mouth and knock out all of your teeth sort of way. If you like Braveheart you will love these novels.
"It was shield wall against shield wall. It was the horror of two shield walls fighting. It was the thunder of shields crashing together and the grunts of men stabbing with short swords or twisting spears ...more
"It was shield wall against shield wall. It was the horror of two shield walls fighting. It was the thunder of shields crashing together and the grunts of men stabbing with short swords or twisting spears ...more
The third book in a continuing series about a man who lived in two worlds. He was born a Saxon, but stolen and then raised as a Dane in the late 800's in England. Set during the beginning of Alfred the Great's rule, he knew them all. This book really brings the time alive. Uthred goes from slave to king in this one. He is sold by a friend, the king, to win allegiance from another king. It doesn't work. Instead Uthred is able to escape after several years and goes back to his home to claim wha...more
The third in Cornwell's Saxon Tales series. Uhtred is back with a vengeance and there is much blood letting. I think I have enjoyed this volume more than the first two. Cornwell seems a bit more free with Uhtred's adventures. Things get a bit weird, and it makes the story a bit spicier. I especially got a tickle out of Uhtred's little side trip to Iceland. I'm interested to see what happens in the next one. Somehow I have a hunch that Uhtred is going to screwed over by Alfred again. I really ha...more
Nach einer längeren Pause – da ich Band 2 nicht so toll fand – habe ich mich nun an "Die Herren des Nordens" gewagt.
Dank einiger Variationen war dieses Buch insgesamt eine positive Überraschung. Der Schauplatz liegt diesmal im Norden Englands, wo unter den Regionalfürsten ein Kampf um die Vorherrschaft entbrennt und wo ja auch Uthreds Stammburg liegt. Die Erzählung hat deutlich mehr Frühmittelalter-Groove, Bräuche und Missbräuche der Kirchemänner, Waren- und Sklavenhandel h...more
Dank einiger Variationen war dieses Buch insgesamt eine positive Überraschung. Der Schauplatz liegt diesmal im Norden Englands, wo unter den Regionalfürsten ein Kampf um die Vorherrschaft entbrennt und wo ja auch Uthreds Stammburg liegt. Die Erzählung hat deutlich mehr Frühmittelalter-Groove, Bräuche und Missbräuche der Kirchemänner, Waren- und Sklavenhandel h...more
Fantastic, this series just keeps getting better and better! The third book in the "England" chronicles is just as entertaining as the first two novels. The characters are richer with depth that only Mr.Cornwell can deliver in his historical-fiction books. You really start to like and dislike the protagonists so it just keeps you turning the pages faster to see what will develop in the story. Although, to start the series with this book would be a disservice to yourself, I would recomm...more
Este audio-livro consta de 10 cd's e a versão que tenho é lida por Richard Armitage.
É a história de um homem - Uthred - a da sua vingança contra os senhores que lhe assassinaram a família e lhe usurparam o território.
Achei a história empolgante e envolvente, se o tivesse lido em papel de certeza que não o teria pousado. Os audio livros têm a (enorme) vantagem de poderem ser ouvidos no carro e devo dizer que com este a hora de ponta se tornou bastante mais suportável. Ao ponto de desej...more
É a história de um homem - Uthred - a da sua vingança contra os senhores que lhe assassinaram a família e lhe usurparam o território.
Achei a história empolgante e envolvente, se o tivesse lido em papel de certeza que não o teria pousado. Os audio livros têm a (enorme) vantagem de poderem ser ouvidos no carro e devo dizer que com este a hora de ponta se tornou bastante mais suportável. Ao ponto de desej...more
Uhtred does considerable growing up in the third installment of the Saxon Stories, growing from a brash and over-confident boy to a man hardened and tempered by suffering. He is now a warrior of considerable reputation, but Alfred has dispensed with his services now that peace has come to Britain. Spitting with rage over his demotion, Uhtred goes north to meet old enemies and make some new ones. Betrayal leaves him enslaved and chained to an oar but unbroken, and when he gains his freedom Uht...more
Uhtred makes me laugh. I like him and I get him.
Okay, if you have read my review of the first two books in this series, The Last Kingdom and The Pale Horseman, - and it would be most arrogant of me to assume that you have - then you will understand why I have started this review with those few simple words.
For those who have not read those reviews, let me explain.
I love this Saxon series of Cornwell's, I love the main character, Uhtred, I love the way Cornwell write...more
Okay, if you have read my review of the first two books in this series, The Last Kingdom and The Pale Horseman, - and it would be most arrogant of me to assume that you have - then you will understand why I have started this review with those few simple words.
For those who have not read those reviews, let me explain.
I love this Saxon series of Cornwell's, I love the main character, Uhtred, I love the way Cornwell write...more
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LORDS OF THE NORTH BY BERNARD CORNWELL: In Lords of the North (coming January 23rd), the wonderful writer of great historical periods and characters brings us the third in his increasingly popular Saxon Chronicles series, as he tells the story of King Alfred the Great’s life and his work in unifying the many kingdoms into the country we know today as England.
We continue with our hero, Uhtred of Bebbanburg, who has just helped Alfred save and maintain control over the land of Wessex,...more
We continue with our hero, Uhtred of Bebbanburg, who has just helped Alfred save and maintain control over the land of Wessex,...more
Back to more barbarian invasions and the journey of Uhtred. His arrogant character is both protagonist and antagonist. His story drives the main story and yet his nasty perspective is one drop in the bucket of the greater story. But his character is well written and likeable, despite his arrogance, anger, violence, and shrewdness. He can't stand Christianity because it is weak and serves a God who is not about power and glory. But I still love it...it's just so honest, even if terribly dist...more
Another part of the series started by "The Last Kingdom". I felt that this book doesn't stand so well on its own - it seems like Cornwell is trying to make a long running series a la Sharpe out of the Uhtred story, and in this book he seems to be trying to remedy some of the shortcomings of the previous books. Alfred, who was a fairly major player in the first two books, doesn't really appear much in this book, and it breaks the pattern of the climactic set piece battle set in the prev...more
Just loving this series. Can´t wait till fall when the next part comes in finnish. I may have to start reading these in english... I have always loved history novels, and Bernard Cornwell has certainly hit that spot. Sharpe-series was very different from the Saxon-chronicles. I did not like Sharpe, but these Saxon-chronicles I love. The writing and feeling in the Saxon-chronicles has this "Sven Hassel"-edge on it, and I like it. It´s brutal.
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Cornwell was born in London in 1944. His father was a Canadian airman, and his mother was English, a member of the Women's Auxiliary Air Force. He was adopted and brought up in Essex by the Wiggins family, who were members of the Peculiar People, a strict Protestant sect who banned frivolity of all kinds and even medicine. After he left them, he changed his name to his mother's maiden name, Cornwe...more
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