A new Uhtred and the first review of The Land Beyond the Sea

I wanted to remind my fellow Bernard Cornwell fans that his new Uhtred adventure, Sword of Kings, is coming out in the US on November 26th; lucky readers in the UK were able to purchase it last month. And I wanted to share some good news with you all; we got our first review of The Land Beyond the Sea, which will appear in the December issue of Booklist. Very happy to report it is favorable. But then I’d not be likely to post a bad review, would I? Although I do often quote from the worst review I’ve ever gotten when I am out on book tours. It was an evisceration of The Sunne in Splendour; the reviewer hated everything about the book, her loathing so intense that I did wonder if she had any Tudors tucked away in her family tree. At the time, it drew blood, all of it mine, for it was my first bad review. But once the shock ebbed, I realized how over the top it was, rather like using a crossbow to shoot a hummingbird, and I could see the humor in it. Audiences agree with me, for they always laugh when I share the last line in the review: “God has probably forgiven Richard III by now, and in time, He may even forgive the author.” Now that is unintentionally funny!

Anyway, here is the first review for The Land Beyond the Sea:
Penman is justifiably renowned for her medieval epics, including A King's Ransom (2014). Working on a large canvas, she illustrates the era’s political movements and the personalities of its movers and shakers with equal dexterity. In this standalone work, she focuses on the twelfth-century Christian Kingdom of Jerusalem, ruled by relatives of England’s Plantagenets (her previous subjects). Among many well-crafted characters, several quickly stand out, including Baldwin IV, the gifted boy monarch tragically stricken by leprosy; his stepmother, Maria Comnena, a courageous Greek princess scorned by her late husband’s first, discarded wife, and honorable nobleman Balian d’Ibelin. As the Crusader states within Outremer (“the land beyond the sea”) defend their lands against Muslim military forces, which are led by the charismatic sultan Saladin, they struggle with internal strife. The royal succession is of pressing concern, since Baldwin can’t marry and expects to die young. The Muslims’ viewpoints are also relayed firsthand. From fierce battle maneuvers to the emotional corridors of an unexpected love story, readers will feel intimately drawn into the characters’ dramatic lives in Penman's splendid historical novel. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Historical saga fans will pounce on best-selling and always thrilling Penman's latest, which offers a particularly alluring setting. — Sarah Johnson