Warriors of the Storm (Last Kingdom Series #9) (Saxon Tales Series)

by Bernard Cornwell

Overview

The ninth 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.

A fragile peace reigns in Wessex, Mercia and East Anglia. King Alfred’s son Edward and formidable daughter, Aethelflaed, rule the kingdoms. But all around the restless Northmen, eyeing the rich lands and wealthy churches, are mounting raids.

Uhtred of Bebbanburg, the kingdoms’ greatest warrior, controls northern Mercia from the strongly fortified city of Chester. But forces are gathering against him. Northmen allied to the Irish, led by the fierce warrior Ragnall Ivarson, are soon joined by the Northumbrians, and their strength could prove overwhelming. Despite the gathering threat, both Edward and Aethelflaed are reluctant to move out of the safety of their fortifications. But with Uhtred’s own daughter married to Ivarson’s brother, who can be trusted?

In the struggle between family and loyalty, between personal ambition and political commitment, there will be no easy path. But a man with a warrior’s courage may be able to find it. Such a man is Uhtred, and this may be his finest hour.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062441737
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	01/19/2016
Series:	Last Kingdom (Saxon Tales) Series , #9
Edition description:	Large Print
Pages:	496
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

BERNARD CORNWELL is the author of the acclaimed New York Times bestselling Saxon Tales series, which includes The Last Kingdom, The Pale Horseman, Lords of the North, Sword Song, The Burning Land, Death of Kings, The Pagan Lord, and, most recently, The Empty Throne and Warriors of the Storm, and which serves as the basis for the hit television series The Last Kingdom. He lives with his wife on Cape Cod and in Charleston, South Carolina.

Editorial Reviews

Bernard Cornwell does the best battle scenes of any writer I’ve ever read, past or present.

George R.R. Martin

A violent, absorbing historical saga, deeply researched and thoroughly imagined.

Washington Post on The Pagan Lord

Gripping….One of his great gifts is his fertile tactical imagination. No two battles are the same….Mr. Cornwell’s ‘Saxon Stories’ subvert myths of national origin as few would dare. They are ‘unofficial histories’—and all the more realistic for that.

Wall Street Journal on Death of Kings

Gripping, exciting, and engaging. It is another great read from the masterful author. . . . A Cornwell novel is always full of suspense, and this one is no different. Time after time the suspense is intense. It will have you on the edge of your seat.

New York Journal of Books

For those who are looking for something akin to ‘Game of Thrones’ on HBO or in George R.R. Martin’s novels on which it is based, you can’t go wrong with Cornwell’s tales of Saxons in the years before Britain became England.

Oklahoman

’Warriors’ may be the best in the ‘Saxon Tales’ series yet…. Cornwell’s informative stories are told with appealing imagination to reveal the complicated, lengthy history of England’s formation.

San Antonio Express

Bernard Cornwell does the best battle scenes of any writer I’ve ever read, past or present.

George R. R. Martin

Moves from one spectacular battle to the next…. The tangled politics and social mores of the day are intricately interwoven into the plot, placing the frenzied action firmly into historical context.

Booklist

Praise for Bernard Cornwell:'A tense, powerful and compulsive story' THE TIMES'Strong narrative, vigourous action and striking characterisation, Cornwell remains king of the territory he has staked out as his own' SUNDAY TIMES'Blood, divided loyalties and thundering battles' THE TIMES'A violent, absorbing historical saga, deeply researched and thoroughly imagined' WASHINGTON POST‘The best battle scenes of any writer I’ve ever read, past or present. Cornwell really makes history come alive’ George R.R. Martin‘Cornwell draws a fascinating picture of England as it might have been before anything like England existed’ THE TIMES‘He’s called a master storyteller. Really he’s cleverer than that’ TELEGRAPH‘A reminder of just how good a writer he is’ SUNDAY TIMES‘Nobody in the world does this better than Cornwell’ Lee ChildThis is a magnificent and gory work' Daily Mail'The historical blockbuster of the year' EVENING STANDARD‘A runaway success’ OBSERVER‘A master of storytelling’ SUNDAY TELEGRAPHThis is typical Cornwell, meticulously researched, massive in scope, brilliant in execution’ NEWS OF THE WORLD

From the Publisher

01/01/2016
The irascible and combative Uhtred Uhtredson returns in the ninth book (after The Empty Throne) of Cornwell's historical series set in a fractured ninth-century England. The aging Saxon warrior is surprised by a Norse attack from across the Irish Sea. Worse, he learns that a former lover has allied with the invader, Ragnall Ivarson: the latter wants a kingdom, and the former to annihilate Uhtred and his grown children. Threaded throughout is the nascent Celtic Christianity, and how it melds or conflicts with the old religious ways. The desire to create (or prevent) a unified England under Edward of Wessex is behind much of the maneuvering, too. Uhtred uses all of his martial prowess, wits, and gut instinct to save his offspring and the future of his land. VERDICT Cornwell again offers an exciting and tricky retelling of history from the standpoint of a colorful warrior lord. Historical fiction fans, especially of this period, as well as viewers of BBC America's The Last Kingdom (based on this series) will want to read the entire set. [See Prepub Alert, 7/27/15.]—W. Keith McCoy, Somerset Cty. Lib. Syst., Bridgewater, NJ

Library Journal

2015-10-22
"Englaland" [sic], King Alfred once said, "will be God's land," but first the Norse and the Danes, worshippers of the old gods, must be banished, a bloody struggle Cornwell (The Empty Throne, 2015, etc.) chronicles in the ninth of his Saxon series. This tale's a continuous barrage of battles, interspersed with political, social, and religious intrigue. In the 10th century, Saxon King Edward (Alfred's son) rules Wessex and East Anglia. Mercia is ruled by Edward's sister, Lady Æthelflaed. Between those three regions and wild Scotland is Northumbria, controlled by Norsemen and Danes. Edward is cautious, unwilling yet to move north. The more adventurous Lady Æthelflaed's being prodded by her ally Uhtred, Lord of Bebbanburg, whose northern lands are held by the invaders. Wielding his sword, Serpent-Breath, Uhtred speeds to battle when Ragnall the Cruel, leading Norsemen, Danes, and Irish, sails up the River Mærse. Ragnall intends to conquer and unite the four kingdoms. Thus begin battles large and small, culminating at Hrothwulf's Farm. (Cornwell includes a map and place name index.) Uhtred, always attacking at "wolf-light," the mist-riven pre-dawn hours, has grown into a multidimensional character, and Cornwell's vivid descriptions do justice to the sceptered isle. Beyond the sword and shield are interesting themes about political expediency, personal loyalty, and the complicated confrontations between early Christians and worshippers of pagan gods. Cornwell's archaic curses are fun—"a useless lump of self-important gristle"—and there's more than one colorful factoid—bleached skulls on ramparts become a fear-inspiring "ghost fence." As usual, Cornwell's research gives the book veracity, and his rendering of the tale from Uthred's point of view allows immersion into the complex story of how disparate kingdoms became England. Cornwell's latest is often bloody, sometimes ribald, but always smartly done. Fans might be disappointed with this effort's brevity, though, and new readers will be better served by beginning at the start of the series (The Last Kingdom, 2005).

Kirkus Reviews