Synopsis:
The Pale Horseman is the second book in Bernard Cornwell's Alfred the Great series set in 9th Century Britain and the sequel to the bestselling The Last Kingdom. This book like its predecessor follows the character of Uhtred of Bebbanberg, a landless pagan Lord of Northumbria who, ... Read review
It is the lowest time for the Saxons. Defeated by the Vikings who now occupy most of ... more
England, Alfred and his group of surviving followers retreat to the trackless marshlands of Somerset. Only Uhtred remains resolute. His plan is to become accepted by their leaders, and to sit in their councils and uncover their plans.
Advantages: Great writing style & rich deep characters Disadvantages: Too short - only 300 odd pages - I wish it was longer
Synopsis:
The Pale Horseman is the second book in Bernard Cornwell's Alfred the Great series set in 9th Century Britain and the sequel to the bestselling The Last Kingdom. This book like its predecessor follows the character of Uhtred of Bebbanberg, a landless pagan Lord of Northumbria who, though raised among the Danes, is now married to, and lives among, the West Saxons of Wessex. The book starts with the aftermath of the battle Cynuit (the ... ...Viking Champion Ubba Lothbrokson. After the battle Uhtred arrives at the court of the King only to discover that Ealdorman Odda the younger has claimed the credit for his victory - incensed and full of the arrogance of a youthful headstrong warrior Uhtred interrupts a religious ceremony and thus angers the church and the pious Christian King Alfred (Alfred the Great). This only further alienates Uhtred from the Christian Saxons and he seeks to return ... more
Synopsis: The Pale Horseman is the second book in Bernard Cornwell's Alfred the Great series set in 9th Century Britain and the sequel to the bestselling The Last Kingdom. This book like its predecessor follows the character of Uhtred of Bebbanberg, a landless pagan Lord of Northumbria who, though raised among the Danes, is now married to, and lives among, the West Saxons of Wessex. The book starts with the aftermath of the battle Cynuit (the end of "Last Kingdom") in which Uhtred had slain the great Viking Champion Ubba Lothbrokson. After the battle Uhtred arrives at the court of the King only to discover that Ealdorman Odda the younger has claimed the credit for his victory - incensed and full of the arrogance of a youthful headstrong warrior Uhtred interrupts a religious ceremony and thus angers the church and the pious Christian King Alfred (Alfred the Great). This only further alienates Uhtred from the Christian Saxons and he seeks to return to the Danes who raised him. However after a sudden attack by the Vikings during Christmas celebrations Uhtred unexpectedly finds himself as the king's protector and one of only a few Saxon warriors that remain with the king. Uhtred and Alfred hide in the swamps as they seek to rebuild the Saxon army (the fyrd) and take back their land from the Vikings. Uhtred views of Alfred and the Saxons change during this time and the book culminates in a final bloody battle to decide the future of Wessex and the Saxons.
Views: The book is a splendid story of divided loyalties as Uhtred struggles to choose between the Saxons of his birth and the Danes who raised him and whom he greatly admires and emulates. The book is also a story of desperate heroism against overwhelming odds where a few brave men seek to change the fortunes of a nation. The book contains a wonderful spectrum of rich, believable and intriguing characters from Vikings Warlords and Sword Danes to British Kings & Cornish Shadow Queens, from greedy & foolish priests to enduring peasants, desperately striving to survive as the land is plunged into turmoil.
For those of you who are familiar with Cornwell's books, such as the excellent Sharpe series, you will know what a fantastic and talented writer he his. Cornwell has a talent for intertwining real historical events and characters with fiction. Like the Sharpe series; Cornwell does a great job with this book of inserting his fictional character seamlessly into real events. This author has a great eye for historical accuracy and detail and his flowing but descriptive writing style really transports you back to the 9th century and really allows you to picture the events in the book and imagine you are there.
Coincidently the third book in the series Lords of the North has just been released in the UK. I assume this will be the last book in the series due to Cornwell's penchant of late for writing trilogies - the grail quest trilogy and the Arthur trilogy (both of which are excellent by the way)
Overall an excellent book that I would definitely recommend to all readers, especially lovers of historical fiction.
Advantages: Great new series of compelling historical fiction Disadvantages: You will want to read the other two books straight away!!
The Last Kingdom is the first book in a new trilogy by BernardCornwell about Saxon and Norse Britain at the time of Alfred the Great (9th Century). The other two books in the series are PaleHorseman (see my earlier review) and Lords of the North (just released, so watch this space for review). For those of you unfamiliar with the work of Cornwell, he is a prolific writer of fiction, predominately historical fiction in which he intertwines his characters and their story with actual historical events. He is probably best know for his Sharpe series (21 books) which was serialised by ITV and stared Sean Bean, the books however are much better and he has been described as perhaps the greatest writer of historical adventure novels today. I digress however so back to The Last Kingdom. (at last I hear you say!!)
Story:
The book follows ...
Product Information for "The Pale Horseman - Bernard Cornwell" »
Product details
Type
Fiction
Genre
Alternate History
Title
The Pale Horseman
Author
Bernard Cornwell
ISBN
0007149921; 0007210469; 0060787120; 0060878924
Manufacturer's product description
THE PALE HORSEMAN the compelling sequel to the bestselling THE LAST KINGDOM. Uhtred, Northumbrian born, raised a Viking and now married to a Saxon, is already a formidable figure and warrior. But at twenty he is still arrogant, pagan and headstrong, so not a comfortable ally for the thoughtful, pious Alfred. But these two, with Alfred's family and a few of Uhtred's companions, are apparently all that remains of the Wessex leadership after a disastrous truce. It is the lowest time for the Saxons. Defeated comprehensively by the Vikings who now occupy most of England, Alfred and his surviving followers retreat to the trackless marshlands of Somerset. There, forced to move restlessly to escape betrayal or detection, using the marsh mists for cover, they travel by small boats from one island to another, hoping that they can regroup and find some more strength and support. They seek refuge in Athelney, a tidal swamp to which Alfred's kingdom has shrunk. Uhtred finds himself torn between his Danish foster brother and the winning Vikings, and his growing respect for the stubborn leadership of Alfred. He must decide whether to rebuild the Saxons' strength from his watery base and help them to take on the Vikings once more. THE PALE HORSEMAN is a splendid story of divided loyalties and desperate heroism, with a wonderful range of characters from Vikings to British kings in their Cornish fortresses, from political but passionate priests to enduring fishermen and farmers desperately striving to survive as the battle sweeps over them. Uhtred and Alfred, Vikings and Saxons, are a winning combination for Bernard Cornwell.
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