Product Description

Enter a world where bloody battles, and heroic deeds combine in the historic struggle to unite Britain in the face of a common enemy. The third instalment in Bernard Cornwell's King Alfred series, follows on from the outstanding previous novels The Last Kingdom and The Pale Horseman. The year is 878 and the Vikings have been thrown out of Wessex. Uhtred, fresh from fighting for Alfred in the battle to free Wessex, travels north to seek revenge for his father's death, killed in a bloody raid by Uhtred's old enemy, renegade Danish lord, Kjartan. While Kjartan lurks in his formidable stronghold of Dunholm, the north is overrun by chaos, rebellion and fear. Together with a small band of warriors, Uhtred plans his attack on his enemy, revenge fuelling his anger, resolute on bloody retribution. But, he finds himself betrayed and ends up on a desperate slave voyage to Iceland. Rescued by a remarkable alliance of old friends and enemies, he and his allies, together with Alfred the Great, are free to fight once more in a battle for power, glory and honour. 'The Lords of the North' is a tale of England's making, a powerful story of betrayal, struggle and romance, set in an England torn apart by turmoil and upheaval.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1119 in Books
• Published on: 2007-02-05
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 400 pages

Review
Praise for 'The Lords of the North': 'Beautifully crafted story-telling, complete with splendid set-piece battles and relentless derring-do, so gripping that it rarely stops to catch a breath. It demonstrates once again Cornwell's enormous skill as a historical narrator. He would have graced Alfred's court entertaining the guests with his stories.' Daily Mail 'Cornwell takes the spectres of ninth century history and puts flesh back on their bones. Here is Alfred's world restored -- impeccably researched and illuminated with the colour and passion of a master storyteller.' Justin Pollard, author of 'Alfred the Great' Praise for Bernard Cornwell: 'Bernard Cornwell is a literary miracle. Year after year, hail, rain, snow, war and political upheavals fail to prevent him from producing the most entertaining and readable historical novels of his generation.' Daily Mail 'Cornwell's narration is quite masterly and supremely well-researched.' Observer

About the Author
Bernard Cornwell was born in London, raised in Essex and now lives in the USA. In addition to the Sharpe series, he is the author of the Arthurian series, the Warlord Chronicles; the Starbuck Chronicles on the American Civil War; Stonehenge; Gallows Thief; the Grail Quest series; and his new series, set during the reign of King Alfred.

Customer Reviews

This series gets better and better...
This was a highly enjoyable, and FAST read! An excellent page turner and plenty of fascinating real history woven into the story of Uhtred during the reign of King Alfred in late 9th Century Britain.

The story starts a few months after the end of "The Pale Horseman"(book 2), after the dust has settled from the battle of Ethandun. Although Uhtred was something of a battle-winning hero at the end of the last book, he wasn't given much of a reward from Alfred, so again he finds himself wanting to desert the king and makes his way north again, with the hope of winning back his rightful family home of Bebbanburg.

Of course things are never that simple, and the author has created a wonderful series of plots, and sub-plots with the introduction of several new characters...including a slave that becomes a king and that man's sister Gisela, who seems deeply linked to Uhtred. Again Uhtred is forced to take actions that lead him away from his real goal. There are betrayals, skirmishes and surprises all the way through the book, with ultimately Uhtred's fate still bringing him back to Alfred!

Uhtred's main companion at the start of the book is the ex-nun Hild, and she has a remarkable story in the background of the book, and as a reader you have to smile at how it turns out. There are some excellent returns of characters, from Ragnar and Father Beocca, to Kjartan and his son Sven.

If you liked the first two books in this series, you'll love this third one. This series gets better and better, giving the reader a real sense of the atmosphere and culture of the 9th Century and the factions of Danes and Saxons, and pagan versus Christian. I truly believe this series is Bernard Cornwell's best work so far!

lords of the north part 3 of this series
Mr. Cornwell has done it again with this third book in his alfred series. I couldn't put this down. These are the first of his books I have read and I find myself looking forward to each installment with anticipation. This book again weaves historical fact with fiction most effectively so much so that the edges between the two are blurred as one enters the world of Utred. The political intigue, as this central character is manipulated by those in power around him including a slave who becomes King because of Utreds actions creates a powerful picture of what life may have been like (more likely than not I would think)1000 years ago. treachery and betrayal play there part as utred begins to accept what fate has in store for him despite his better judgement. A nice touch is that these are supposedly the characters recolections but the skill of the story teller still leaves one wondering whether our hero will make it. Like a saga of the period the story twists and turns around daring do and the pits of dispair with skill. The violence is there however although graphic at times not unnecessarily so but of it's period and serves it's purpose in what is a war story. Although that is not all it is.
The story is faster moving than the pale horseman as utred travels north then abroad then to wessex to end up in the north again. Familiar characters reappear together with new ones as vengeance is sought.
All in all I am now left waiting in anticipation for the next instalment of this brilliant series set in one of my favourite periods of the history of britain. There is just enough fact to intrigue the historian in me with the fiction providing the meat on the historical bones.

He's done it again and again and again..
Another superb historical journey into an era so little thought of and yet Barnard Cornwall shows such a great ability to blend research and reality with a great plot and superb turn of phrase. His characterisation is rich, description of both land, action and person strong and the plot always compelling.

Another recommendation for this, the third part of his Dane vs Saxon series. Please don't stop Bernard, this is a great addition to your portfolio and I long for the next installment (and many more to come).