Eleven books into the trials and tribulations of Uhtred of Bebbanburg and its still as fresh and exciting as book one. Be that as it may but when a Norse chieftain gathers a formidable army with the intention of taking Bebbanburg and calling himself ‘King of Northumbria’ Uhtred is the first to gather his horse, shield and sword in preparation for war.

This 11th entry in Cornwell’s Saxon Tales series ( The Flame Bearer, 2016, etc.) is a rousing, bloodthirsty tale of tumult in early-days Britain. And paradoxically, of course, it’s not true --- it’s all fiction --- and it’s to Cornwell’s credit that readers believe Uhtred, at least while they are reading the book. Cornwell is universally regarded as the best current writer in English of battle scenes --- whether it’s Napoleonic-War rifle companies or Saxon shield-walls. Battle scenes are great things to have in novels because they have stakes --- there’s a winner and a loser, and you don’t need a crew of zebra-striped NFL referees huddled around a monitor to tell you which is which. There are real consequences to a battle won, and even more final consequences for a battle lost.Inevitably Uhtred's one-on-one with his nemesis seems to be a thing of the past and BC book highlights from Sharpe to Derfel to Thomas of Hookton have always revolved around the inevitable duel. The battles were epic especially the last one. It was touch and go there for a minute and had me on the edge of my seat wishing I could grab a sword and dive in. Ieremias was a hoot , such a weird and quirky character. My heart also broke at one point … but I’ll just leave it at that. When tragedy strikes after Uhtred is lured away from Bebbanburg with a false summons, the stage is set for an epic journey of revenge. I really did not enjoy the first part & if it was another book in a series I may well have thrown it in......

Nevertheless, Uhtred is bound by his word, so once again, he must strap on Serpent’s Breath — his great killing sword — and fight England’s foes. For the Danes are threatening England again and they want Uhtred dead. Uhtred, now older, wants nothing more than to enjoy retirement at Bebbanburg, but pressures on Northumbria from Edward to the south and the Scots to the North are stretching their small armies to the max and making for an uneasy peace.Yet he still feels bound by an oath he took to protect Æthelstan, his friend, protege and Edward's oldest son. So when there is a Mercian revolt against Edward, he rides with Finan and about 90 veteran warriors to relieve the siege of Ceaster. When he gets there, he realises he has been lied to; the besieged, led by Æthelstan, were in no real danger, and the enemy are soon defeated. War is bitter. The poets give battle a splendor, extolling the brave and exulting in victory, and bravery is worth their praise. Victory too, I suppose, but the poems, chanted in mead halls at night, give boys and young men their ambition to be warriors. Reputation! It is the one thing that outlives us. Men die, women die, all die, but reputation lives on like the echo of a song, and men crave reputation, as they crave the heavy arm rings that mark a warrior’s victories. Uhtred learns that Edward has called a Witan at Tamweorthin, summoning Sigtryggr, but not him. He goes anyway. He sees Æthelhelm there too. Eadgifu, Edward's wife, tries subtly enlisting his support against their mutual enemy, Æthelhelm; later Æthelhelm tries to have him killed, but fails. Sigtryggr agrees to a treaty with Edward so that he can turn his full attention to avenging his wife. Then, Æthelstan swears an oath to never fight against Uhtred or invade Northumbria (if he becomes king of Wessex) while Uhtred lives; in exchange, he gets Uhtred to swear to try to kill Æthelhelm. Lady Æthelflaed, Uhtred's on-again, off-again lover and ruler of Mercia, dies. Edward, King of Wessex, seizes the opportunity to take over the kingdom from his niece Ælfwynn. Uhtred ignores Edward's summons to swear fealty to him, and his Mercian lands are forfeited, but Uhtred is content with his beloved Bebbanburg.

Yet he still feels bound by an oath he took to protect Æthelstan, his friend, protege and Edward's oldest son. So when there is a Mercian revolt against Edward, he rides with Finan and about 90 veteran warriors to relieve the Siege of Ceaster. When he gets there, he realises he has been lied to; the besieged, led by Æthelstan, were in no real danger, and the enemy are soon defeated. Thank you, lord,” he said, and I reflected that the valley of the three brothers had lost all three of them.Uhtred is in his 60s for this book. He's more cautious, superstitious, he's less impulsive, less confident, anger doesn't control him the way it used to. I found myself missing some of his other qualities as a younger man, but his wit is still fully intact and there were several parts of this book that made me laugh out loud.

When a new Viking invader decides to set up his own kingdom in the lawless Western Northumbria, fate pulls Uhtred down a difficult new path of sorrow, pain, and renewed entanglements with Wessex. Bull's Eye Sniper Chronicles Collection (The Second Cycle of the Betrayed Series) by McCray Carolyn(11219)Generally speaking, one easy way to tell if your narrator is more-or-less reliable is if he or she puts himself or herself in the best possible light throughout. Uhtred, I think, has taken pains to point out his mistakes over time, and he does so here, so that’s a point in his favor. He goes out of his way to debunk the heroic tales that the bards sing about him, and that’s another reason to take him seriously. But I think the best reason to believe in Uhtred’s reliability is that the things he remembers, particularly the battles he fights, are just so vividly rendered that it is difficult to believe that what happens in the books is anything other than true. His “enemies,” the Danes, are led by the fearsome Sköll, who numbers among his army the úlfhéðnar — the wolf warriors — ferocious killers with superior fighting skills who are seemingly impervious to pain.