The lords of the North

Probably the weakest Saxon Story novel yet, by which I mean it's a brilliant piece of historical fiction. The plot was solid, but felt more like a series of brilliant but awkwardly connected scenes than previous books. That said, those brilliant scenes truly are brilliant and highly memorable.

Another of the rip roaring set read. Some clever plotting here and an immense amount packed into one book. Really get the sense of a very fluid and confused period in history.

I'm still impressed with Cornwell's ability to depict battle and weave his fictional character, Uhtred, into historical events that occurred between 876 and 889 A.D. in Wessex and Mercia.

I'm not sure what historical works he consulted while writing this series, but his imagination of phalanx-styled warfare is spot on. Perhaps he read Victor Davis Hanson's The Western Way of War or his edited collection Hoplites: The Classical Greek Battle Experience to construct his realist depiction of early middle ages battle.

I'm pretty sure Uhtred of Bebbanburg could take Chuck Norris in a fight.