WAR OF THE WOLF (SAXON STORIES 11)

The 11th novel about Uthred begins with the Lord of Bebbanburg riding to Ceaster because is under siege. But it was a trap, though he could meet Athelstan and offers the Prince his men to battle against Cynlaef’s army. Cynlaef had hired men from Wales, but paid by the son-in-law of the King of Wessex and Mercia and East Anglia, Edward. Although, the treason was discovered by one king of a region of Wales who told Althelstan all what he knew about it. So after the rebellion was suffocated, Athelstan killed Cynlaef and took into his army all Cynlaef’s men.

Now, Uthred has a new enemy to battle for. This is the reason why he begins a search of the traitor who wants to capture Bebbanburg and, in that way he will rule over Northumbria. And the traitor is Skoll a new Norse jarl, who killed Uthred’s daughter in Eoferwick during an assault. For this Uthred pursuits Skoll without rest, and avenges his daughter’s murder.

Although, before Uthred gets his revenge, he has to go to the Witan that King Edward will celebrate in the East, in Easter.  Where Uthred’s son-in-law will be stay to oath to King Edward.  There Uthred had been summoned the Queen, who wanted an alliance with him to make her eldest son King of England when Edward die. Besides, Uthred and Sigtryggr, his son-in-law, were attacking by Ethelhem’s one chieftains. In the Witan, Sigtryggr mad the oath to the king, and after that Edward married him with her daughter, the twin of Athelstan. In addition, Sigtryggr had to be baptized to complete his oath. On the other hand, Uthred and Athelstan made oaths each other to kill Ethelhem when time comes.  

When Uthred comes Bebbanburg receives the visit of Skoll to talk about a forecast that his sorcerer have made, and because of this, they don’t fight. After then, Uthred and Sigtryggr joined a host and were marching to battle Skoll in his castle. But the fight didn’t start like Uthred and his son-in-law would have wanted, though an unexpected event happened and Uthred won his revenge.

The novel tells a lot about mythology, religion and beliefs of Northmen.

There is a brief historical novel.

DATOS BIBLIOGRÁFICOS

• Título: War of the wolf (Saxon Stories 11)
• Nº de páginas: 352 págs.
• Editorial: Harper Collins
• Idioma: Inglés
• ISBN: 9780008183837

THE EMPTY THRONE

Bernard Cornwell writes the 8th adventure of Uthred of Bebbanburg. In this ocassion the plot is about the very beginning of Englaland in the battle of Brunanburh.

The story starts with a battle between Lady Athelflad, the Queen of Mercia and sister of the king of Wessex, and Uthred's son against a Norsemen named Haki. After they won, Uthred's son is sending to Gleawecestre to hang Haki in the hall of her husband. When Uthred, the son, arrives he finds his father who had been invited to the Wittan where The Nobles will chose the next King of Mercia.
But in this summit, Uthred, the father, discovers that nobles, bishops and other high-powder men want to kill the eldest son of the king of Wessex, and nephew of Athelflad, Athelstan. So Uthred begins the defense of the boy. He got it, and captured the little army that Ethelmen, Edward's, king of Wessex, father-in-law, sent for it. And supported by king Ethelred of Mercia. So our hero sends Athelstan to Ceaster with his twin sister to gather her aunt Athelflad, and in addition, tries to rescue Elfwynn, Athelflad's daughter, from the ominous wedding that her father had been planned for her.

When they arrive, Uthred could tell Athelflad all what is happening in her kingdom. Also King Ethelred deads and his allies will try to avoid Uthred will arrive in Ceaster in success. For this reason, Eardwulf, the broom, leading the army attacks Uthred and his men, but after Athelflad comes, the battle is avoided and she proclaims Eardwulf as an outlaw because he ignores her and tries killing her and Uthred at night. After that fight, Uthred and Lady Athelflad start a political war in Gleawecestre to make her the new and only Queen of Mercia, after her husband death, though she's never named as Queen otherwise Lady of Mercia.

After this event, Athelflad orders Uthred to go to Ceaster to protect its fortress of the Norsemen. But, before he comes there, Uthred got cure an old injury caused by the cut of one sword that stabbed his and had a kind of sorcery. And after finding the sword, and stabbed by Eadith, the mistress of Ethelred, Uthred got well.
In Ceaster, Uthred discovers that Eardwulf is with the Norsemen ready to attack it. However, he and his men avoid this happen.
Finally, the battle starts and the norsemen are slaugtered by Uthred and his men. Despite their leader tried to fight against Uthred, but is defeated because the daughter of Uhtred distracts his.

There is a brief and interesting historical note.

DATOS BIBLIOGRÁFICOS

• Título: The empty throne
• Nº de páginas: 352 págs.
• Editorial: Harper Collins
• Idioma: Inglés
• ISBN: 9780007504190

THE PAGAN LORD

That is the first time that I post in English.

This is the seventh novel of Uthred's series. In this novel is narrated the war between saxons of Mercia and Wessex against Danes of Northumbria. Moreover the author tells us the attemp of Uthred to recover Bebbanburg.

The story is divided in four parts.

The first one is told how our hero killed or slaughtered by a mistake to one abbot, so for this is damned and condemned by the Christian priests, and of course, they cursed him. And their folk try to kill him for this reason, too.
In addition, Uthred renamed his younger son due to the fact that he was told his elder one off, who was named as his father, since Uthred's elder son is got a Christian priest.
Apart from that, Uthred is judged as guilty of Cnut's wife and children kidnap. For all these reasons, our main character escapes from his field and made a settlement with Cnut to try to discover where is Cnut's wife and children.

In the second part, our hero and thirty men are got a war-ship and travel to Bebbanburg to conquer it, but this fortress is dominated by his uncle who had robbed long time ago to Uthred. While they did their attemp, Aethelred, the king of Mercia, invaded East Anglia, and Cnut and his ally Sigurd are marching to Mercia to conquer it.
At the same time, Uthred knows who had captured Cnut's family and he kill his uncle and kidnap his cousin's son and wife to escape from Bebbanburg's failed attack with live.

During the third part of the novel, our heroes come back to Britain from Frisia and they're helping Mercian in the close war, after they thought about offering their help to Mercian, Uthred and their garrison attack Ceaster, one of the most important Cnut's allies fortresses.
But of all this is made by Wulf Ranulfson, Uthred's nickname to be able to save from his enemies.
During the assault, Uthred and his small army defeat Ceaster's garrison and they have been their captives to Cnut's wife, Frigg who was the sorceress from Buchastane, and their twins. Besides Haesten's wife, a treachearous womas as her husband is.
All things considered, Ceaster is burned in its totality, but it's remained the Roman ruins and buildings. After that, Uthred send a message to Cnut, no war.
At the end of this part, Uthred send more messages to Cnut to avoid the war, while our main character is coming to Gleawecestre, where the invasor army is defeated without fighting and go back to Cnut. After that, Uthred takes the control in the walled city and he, his oath-men, and Aethelflaed, the Queen of Mercia, decide to seek and fight against Cnut and his allies in a battle where the fate of England will be decided.

All in all, in the last part of the story, Uthred forces Cnut to not battle against due to the fact that Uthred gives Cnut's wife and daughter back, but manteinance as a prisoner to Cnut's son.
Meanwhile, he's waiting for Aethelred and Edward's help, destroying and burning Cnut's land and war-float. After that, Cnut persues Uthred till they have the final battle in Teatenheale where Uthred almost has been defeated by Cnut, our heroe receives the help of his son, father Judas, and his Welsch friend, father Pyrlig as well as King Edward's army. However, Uthred and Cnut fight in a single sword-fight where the winner decides the fate of England.

The novel also contains an interesting historical note where it's explained its plot.

Futhermore, I post a link of a TV series as far as this book serie is concerned:

http://ororo.tv/en/shows/the-last-kingdom



DATOS BIBLIOGRÁFICOS

• Título: The pagan lord
• Nº de páginas: 243 págs.
• Editorial: Harper Collins
• Idioma: Inglés
• ISBN: 9780007331918