Add another title to Bernard Cornwell’s long running
Saxon Tales. The seventh installment of the series, “The
Pagan Lord”, is narrated by Uhtred of Bebbanburg. It
is early in the 11th century and with Alfred the Great’s
death, his son Edward now is in charge of the Saxon south.
An uneasy peace exists with the non-Christian Danes who control
the north.
Although Uhtred has pledged his allegiance
to the new king, Edward is not one of the Court’s favorites.
Far from it. Nominally a Christian, Uhtred was raised by a
Dane and he has forsaken all his pagan beliefs and the fifty
year old has little time for the Christian deity he scornfully
calls ‘the nailed god’.
To complicate matters, Uhtred’s oldest
boy has become a priest and refuses to give up his religious
vocation. Then to make matters worse, the intemperate warrior
kills another priest in a fit of rage and disinherits his
son.
This rash action results in banishment from
the Church, but that’s just the beginning of Uhtred’s
problems. His lands have been ravaged and a band of ruthless
miscreants posing as Uhtred have kidnapped the wife and children
of a Danish lord. On top of everything else Uhtred is obliged
to find the kidnap victims and clear his name.
With a small group of his most loyal followers, the indomitable
aged warrior is intent on regaining control of Bebbanburg,
his ancestral holdings seized by his uncle. It’s going
to be a particularly vicious and bloody campaign between the
Saxons and the Danes that will once and for all drive the
Danes from the Midlands. And, ultimately, this will mark the
beginning of a series of conflicts that will finally solidify
the sovereignty of the nation called England.
If you have followed this gripping saga, naturally
this latest chapter is a must read. But, for those who relish
a good historical novel and haven’t yet started this
journey with Bernard Cornwell, this might be a good time to
do so. The history of the Middle Ages comes alive thanks to
the author’s research and skill as a writer; thus, this
is a truly pleasant way to learn some of the important events
and characters associated with the Anglo-Saxon period during
the time that led to the creation of a unified England.
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