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War of the Wolf (Saxon Tales)

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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. 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. Constant philosophical battle between paganism and Christianity that depicts given period precisely.

He and Sigtryggr lead nearly 500 warriors there, but their assault fails, and both Uhtred and Sigtryggr are wounded. Their situation is dire, as they are outnumbered, and retreating would be perilous. Then Snorri comes outside the fortress and starts cursing them. The half-mad, self-styled bishop Ieremias engages in a war of cursing and scores a victory of sorts, when Snorri's dog deserts him for the bishop. This enrages some of Sköll's wolf-warriors, half-crazed from applying an ointment of henbane. They charge out as a disorganised rabble, but are defeated by a disciplined shield wall. Then, something unexpected happens. Berg becomes separated from the rest of Uhtred's men during the fighting. He finds his two older brothers in Sköll's fortress and persuades them to switch sides. With their help, Uhtred and Sigtryggr's warriors force their way inside, and Sköll's men either die or surrender. Sköll himself pretends to surrender, then tries to kill Sigtryggr, but Uhtred saves his son-in-law. Uhtred disables Sköll in single combat, then invites Sigtyrggr to avenge his wife, but not before he disarms Sköll, thus ensuring that Sköll will not go to Valhalla. Strong narrative, vigourous action and striking characterisation, Cornwell remains king of the territory he has staked out as his own' SUNDAY TIMES My issue with the way Cornwell kill off his characters aside, War of the Wolf is one of the finest installment in the entire series. Uthred’s dialogues and interactions with other characters were engaging, and Cornwell’s battle scenes remain great as always. War, valor, faith, reputation, family, life, and death are key themes of the entire series, and War of the Wolf has some of the best presentations of it. I have only two books left to read now. I am both sad and happy that I’m so near the end. I hope the next and last two books, Sword of Kings and War Lord, will be even better than this. War and fight scenes are chillingly realistic. I really felt like I was there with Uhtred, fighting every new enemy or being part of countless shield wars. Outside of the inconsequential scuffle at the start of the book, and the large set-piece battle at its end, there isn’t a great deal of martial action in WAR OF THE WOLF. What there is, unfortunately, is a good deal of palace intrigue. The good news here is that Uhtred has (seemingly) learned his lesson about making oaths to Saxon kings, but this doesn’t keep him out of politics. The unification of the English crown, over the long term, is going to require the conquest of Northumbria and the end of the uneasy accommodations that Christians and pagans have made in that community. Uhtred, as a thoroughgoing pagan, can only look at the rise of Christian England with disgust --- and has to endure the spectacle of his pagan son-in-law undergoing baptism to placate the Saxons.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. Eadgyth, Edward, Eadgifu, Aethelstan, Aefweard, and Aethelhelm made a tangle of love, loyalties, and hate, mostly hate, and that was difficult. The only thing that was simple was war. And Sigtyggr and I were going to war.” I’m not too sure what magic Cornwell used here. I’ve mentioned in my review of The Flame Bearer that Cornwell might be running out of ideas to prolong this series. I’ve even mentioned that the previous book should’ve been the final book of the series. Maybe it’s because we’re so near the end of the series now. Or maybe it’s really because this one was just so enthralling. But War of the Wolf, the eleventh book in The Last Kingdom series by Bernard Cornwell, is a return to form to what made the series great. The best battle scenes of any writer I’ve ever read, past or present. Cornwell really makes history come alive’ George R.R. Martin

Uhtred's on-again, off-again lover and ruler of Mercia, dies. Edward, King of Wessex, seizes the opportunity to take over her kingdom. Uhtred ignores Edward's summons to swear fealty to him, and his Mercian lands are forfeited, but Uhtred is content with his beloved Bebbanburg. Cornwell was sent away to Monkton Combe School, attended the University of London, and after graduating, worked as a teacher. He attempted to enlist in the British armed services at least three times but was rejected on the grounds of myopia. This was a pleasure to read but it presented a dilemma for me. Should I read it slowly and savor it or should I read it at the fast speed the writing demanded? Of course, I read it rapidly. I can't get enough. This can be read as a stand alone but why deprive yourself that way? You will miss so much if you don't start at the beginning and watch Uhtred evolve. Uhtred heads to Lundene (London), which is held by Æthelstan's men. He spots Waormund there, but Waormund gets away. Uhtred becomes concerned when he discovers that Merewalh, the commander of the garrison, has taken most of his men and marched east, having been deceived into believing that an enemy army is approaching. Before Uhtred can do anything, Waormund and his men open one of the city's gates, letting in Æthelhelm's army. The city falls.

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One of the most beautiful women ever to grace the silver screen, Hedy Lamarr also designed a secret weapon against Nazi Germany. Then on the other hand, the contents of War of the Wolf are familiar, evocative and unfortunately somewhat stale. Northumbria is under threat. The kings of Wessex struggle to hold together Alfred's dream of England. New Vikings show up to ravage the land. The hero loses something important and requires vengeance. It is more of the same, and of course it's fun reading despite the advanced years of our protagonist, but it does not carry the same thrill as it once did. 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. After publishing eight books in his ongoing Sharpe series, Cornwell was approached by a production company interested in adapting them for television. The producers asked him to write a prequel to give them a starting point to the series. They also requested that the story feature a large role for Spanish characters to secure co-funding from Spain. The result was Sharpe’s Rifles, published in 1987, and a series of Sharpe television films staring Sean Bean.

However, and firstly let me declare that Mr Cornwell's work (not exclusively but particularly Uhtred) has given me years of enjoyment and mirth... But Leofstan was a gentle and kind man. Lord Osferth is troubled. He doesn’t think God loves him, poor man.” Mus, I thought, was a gentle and kind woman. I gave her the last two of my gold coins. And if this is not enough to contend with, King Edward, the late King Alfred’s son and the now would be king of all England, is nearing his death. This situation has Edward’s family at each others throats and when the kingdom is indulging in a deal of blood letting who you gonna call? Uhtred of Bebbanburg of course. So the poor buggers got a lot on his plate. Cornwell draws a fascinating picture of England as it might have been before anything like England existed’ THE TIMESHe then joined BBC's Nationwide and was promoted to become head of current affairs at BBC Northern Ireland. He then joined Thames Television as editor of Thames News. He relocated to the United States in 1980 after marrying an American. Unable to get a green card, he started writing novels, as this did not require a work permit. Uhtred finds himself more than once at the wrong place, and at the wrong time. This is what engenders his thoughts of being cursed by the gods (those being the Norse gods). The themes of War of the Wolf are in many ways beautiful. Here is an old and weathered warrior whose family and friends are mostly all gone with the wind. His old enemies, once legends of the sword threatening the very existence of the places and people we readers have come to know and love, are distant memories from days of yonder. When Uhtred's internal monologue considers his father, his brother, his wife, his children, his mentor, the kings who made him and who he made, his brothers-in-arms from countless battles, and now even the lost keeper of the oath who shaped him, the thoughts are simply glimpses of something that once was, and is no more. Unforgettable narrator. Uhtred of Bebbanburg is unapologetic and ruthless yet lovable and admiration worthy character with brilliant military strategic mind. He is a true hero!

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