"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: Ætheleflæd—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.
A gripping story of love, deceit, and violence, Sword Song is set in an England of tremendous turmoil and strife—yet one galvanized by the hope that Alfred may prove an enduring force. Uhtred, his lord of war and greatest warrior, has become his sword—a man feared and respected the length and breadth of Britain."
3 comments:
I'm about two-thirds through this latest book and was curious to know if Bernard Cornwell's negative portrayal of the early Anglo-Saxon Church (with the exception of Father Beocca and Prylig) is historically accurate or does it carry a personal distaste of religion into the story? Thanks - Brian
I’m sorry, Brian, but Sword Song is still in my “to be read” stack so I’m afraid I can’t comment on it yet. I focus most of my personal research efforts on the Roman Empire so I also have very little background in the history surrounding the early Anglo-Saxon Church. However, I notice that someone asked Mr. Cornwell a similar question on his official website:
Sir. I have just finished reading the last of the Uhtred books cannot wait until 2009 your estimate of a new Uhtred book. Question: reading the books it became clear you are not fond of the early Christian clergy any reason? Yours D.D.Ingle.
A: um, delete 'early', delete 'clergy', add an 's', and you're there
Apparently Mr. Cornwell does not have a fondness for Christians in general.
Historically speaking, I suppose there is a fairly bad track record for humanity's attempt to successfully put Christianity into practice. Unfortunately, I am a contributor to that poor effort as well, but there's always room for improvement!
Thanks for your reply!
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