Overview

The fourth installment of Bernard Cornwell's bestselling series chronicling the epic saga of the making of England, ""like Game of Thrones, but real"" (The Observer, London)--the basis for The Last Kingdom, the hit BBC America television series. The year is 885, and England is at peace, divided between the Danish kingdom to the north and the Saxon kingdom of Wessex in the south. Uhtred, the dispossessed son of a Northumbrian lord--warrior by instinct, Viking by nature--has finally settled down. He has land, a wife and two children, and a duty given to him by King Alfred to hold the frontier on the Thames. But then trouble stirs: a dead man has risen, and new Vikings have arrived to occupy the decayed Roman city of London. Their dream is to conquer Wessex, and to do it they need Uhtred's help. Alfred has other ideas. He wants Uhtred to expel the Viking raiders from London. Uhtred must weigh his oath to the king against the dangerous turning tide of shifting allegiances and deadly power struggles. And other storm clouds are gathering: Alfred's daughter is newly married, but by a cruel twist of fate, her very existence now threatens Alfred's kingdom. It is Uhtred--half Saxon, half Dane--whose uncertain loyalties must now decide England's future. Sword Song is Cornwell's finest work yet--vivid with period detail, this breathtaking adventure throroughly reimagines one of the most fascinating tales in all of history--the birth of England--and breathes life into the brilliant king who made it possible: Alfred the Great.

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Reviews

The direct heir to Patrick O Brian. --<i>The Economist </i>

Cornwell tells Alfred's story with wit, intelligence and absolute narrative authority.... Like its predecessors, Sword Song offers a generous display of Cornwell's characteristic virtues: larger-than-life characters, direct, uncluttered prose and a precise evocation of the harsh realities of the distant past. As always, the battle scenes are particularly vivid, opening a window on the utter chaos of hand-to-hand combat among heavily armed bands of men. Cornwell remains in full control of this colorful, violent material, and his steadily deepening portrait of Alfred's nascent England continues to enthrall. --Kirkus, starred The direct heir to Patrick O'Brian. --The Economist The fourth installment of the acclaimed Saxon Tales series resonates with the same masculine vigor as the first three volumes. Cornwell's stylistic verve extends to main character Uhtred, a marvelously complex figure.... In typical Conwellian fashion, the battle scenes are magnificent, but the author also deserves points for incorporating a healthy dose of romance and intrigue into the rousing plot. Even readers unfamiliar with the series will be able to catch on, but devoted fans will devour this volume while eagerly anticipating the next one. --Publishers Weekly As expected, the warfare is ferociously bloody, the sacrilege pointedly barbed, and the story expertly paced. Heck, we'd even extol Uhtred's budding spells of sober reflection about life and love -- if we weren't certain he'd slice an ear off for saying so. --Entertainment Weekly Bernard Cornwell ranks as the current alpha male of testosterone-enriched historical fiction.... As usual, Cornwell offers dramatic battle scenes with big swinging swords. There is also treachery, male bonding, plenty of historical nuggets and a skillful examination of the powerful role played by religion in the Dark Ages. Sword Song also has something new: a really terrific and moving love story.... All in all, this satisfying tale leaves you hungry for more of Uhtred's adventures. --USA Today Cornwell tells Alfred s story with wit, intelligence and absolute narrative authority.... Like its predecessors, Sword Song offers a generous display of Cornwell s characteristic virtues: larger-than-life characters, direct, uncluttered prose and a precise evocation of the harsh realities of the distant past. As always, the battle scenes are particularly vivid, opening a window on the utter chaos of hand-to-hand combat among heavily armed bands of men. Cornwell remains in full control of this colorful, violent material, and his steadily deepening portrait of Alfred s nascent England continues to enthrall. --Kirkus, starred The direct heir to Patrick O Brian. --The Economist Perhaps the greatest writer of historical adventure novels today. --Washington Post The fourth installment of the acclaimed Saxon Tales series resonates with the same masculine vigor as the first three volumes. Cornwell s stylistic verve extends to main character Uhtred, a marvelously complex figure . In typical Conwellian fashion, the battle scenes are magnificent, but the author also deserves points for incorporating a healthy dose of romance and intrigue into the rousing plot. Even readers unfamiliar with the series will be able to catch on, but devoted fans will devour this volume while eagerly anticipating the next one. --Publishers Weekly Vastly entertaining and slyly wise.... Followers of this excellent series have stuck with Uhtred of Bebbanburg, the dispossessed pagan nobleman in thrall to the professionally Christian Wessexian monarch, through enough battles and perils for a dozen ordinary men.... Consistently fascinating. --Kirkus, starred As expected, the warfare is ferociously bloody, the sacrilege pointedly barbed, and the story expertly paced. Heck, we d even extol Uhtred s budding spells of sober reflection about life and love -- if we weren t certain he d slice an ear off for saying so. --Entertainment Weekly Bernard Cornwell ranks as the current alpha male of testosterone-enriched historical fiction . As usual, Cornwell offers dramatic battle scenes with big swinging swords. There is also treachery, male bonding, plenty of historical nuggets and a skillful examination of the powerful role played by religion in the Dark Ages. Sword Song also has something new: a really terrific and moving love story . All in all, this satisfying tale leaves you hungry for more of Uhtred s adventures. --USA Today

Cornwell tells Alfred s story with wit, intelligence and absolute narrative authority.... Like its predecessors, <i>Sword Song</i> offers a generous display of Cornwell s characteristic virtues: larger-than-life characters, direct, uncluttered prose and a precise evocation of the harsh realities of the distant past. As always, the battle scenes are particularly vivid, opening a window on the utter chaos of hand-to-hand combat among heavily armed bands of men. Cornwell remains in full control of this colorful, violent material, and his steadily deepening portrait of Alfred s nascent England continues to enthrall. --<i>Kirkus</i>, starred

Author Information

Bernard Cornwell is the author of over fifty novels, including the acclaimed New York Times bestselling Saxon Tales, which serve as the basis for the hit Netflix series The Last Kingdom. He lives with his wife on Cape Cod and in Charleston, South Carolina.

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