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Sword Song
Sword Song
Sword Song
Audiobook (abridged)5 hours

Sword Song

Written by Bernard Cornwell

Narrated by Jamie Glover

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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About this audiobook

The fourth installment of Bernard Cornwell’s bestselling series chronicling the epic saga of the making of England, “like Game of Thrones, but real” (The Observer, London)—the basis for The Last Kingdom, the hit BBC America television series.

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: 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.

Sword Song is Cornwell’s finest work yet—vivid with period detail, this breathtaking adventure throroughly reimagines one of the most fascinating tales in all of history—the birth of England—and breathes life into the brilliant king who made it possible: Alfred the Great.

LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarperAudio
Release dateJan 22, 2008
ISBN9780061628757
Sword Song
Author

Bernard Cornwell

BERNARD CORNWELL is the author of over fifty novels, including the acclaimed New York Times bestselling Saxon Tales, which serve as the basis for the hit Netflix series The Last Kingdom. He lives with his wife on Cape Cod and in Charleston, South Carolina.

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Reviews for Sword Song

Rating: 4.0771704308681675 out of 5 stars
4/5

622 ratings29 reviews

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  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    This five hour version is abridged. The full version on Amazon lasts 12 hours. That this is abridged should be noted in the description to stop people from wasting their time with it.

    2 people found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Very good read. I would definitely recommend it...for sur
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    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. It is Uhtred—half Saxon, half Dane—whose uncertain loyalties must now decide England's future.

    My Review:
    Great historical fiction about Alfred and Uhtred in 885 and their battles for England's future. Can't wait to continue with the next section.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    As with all of Cornwell’s writings, you are vividly transported to each battle, each great hall, and roil with each emotion.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Most excellent..plenty of blood and guts..sure would like Uthred to get home though!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The year is 885, and England is at peace, divided between the Danish kingdom and the Saxon kingdom of Wessex. Uhtred has land, a wife, and children, and a duty to King Alfred to hold the frontier on the Thames. New Vikings have invaded the decayed Roman city of London with dreams of conquering Wessex…with Uhtred’s help. Suddenly forced to weigh his oath to the king against the dangerous turning tide of shifting allegiances and deadly power struggles, Uhtred-Alfred’s sharpest sword-must now make the choice.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Continuing the saga of Uhtred, oathman to King Alfred and a man following his own destiny This is book four and still I find the reading intense. As always Bernard Cornwell's descriptive writing of battle scenes is graphic, believable and gut-wrenching!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The best book in this series since the first one, the story takes an interesting turn here and the new characters introduced in this one work particularly well. There are also more twists than in any of the other books, and they're pretty effective.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Amazing, such quick reading you are swept away. I've never read any historical fiction quite like THIS. It's so incredibly detailed and "real". I believe Mr. Cornwell may be living past lives through hypnosis to write these Uhtred novels! It's as though he's really there describing things only someone walking and looking at the land would see, a hill, a knoll, a crag, the way water moves, the description is incredible but you hardly notice it you are so caught up in the adventures. Wow. Bravo.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The book is set in the late 9th century England and involves several of the primary historical figures of Wessex and Mercia. The characters are well-done, they have depth and are interesting. I can't speak to their historical accuracy, though. The book gives a very good feel for the time period. The characters strong, their actions are immediate and often cruel by our standards. The culture really comes out. The story hinges around the fight for London between Danish Vikings in the north and the Saxons in Wessex. King Alfred gives his daughter's hand in an attempt to solidify his hold on London. I found the fight scenes very detailed and convincing. Their descriptions reveal well-thought out tactics and formations. You can almost smell the sweat and gore. I hadn't realized it was part of a series. It makes a good stand-alone book, though. It helped to solidify my understanding of that period in English history.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I am dashing through this series with delight! I am enjoying how Uhtred is developing over the course of the books - getting more embroiled in politics! Not surprised to see Cornwell's consistency, but, still, impressed!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Uhtred finally begins to grow up!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is the fourth instalment of Bernard Cornwell’s Saxon Stories. Uhtred – the anti-hero of the piece – narrates the goings-on during AD 885 under Alfred the Great’s kingship.As with the previous novels in the series, this one features several vivid battle scenes, depicted in gruesome and believable detail. There’s also the usual dry humour whenever the pagan Uhtred encounters a Christian priest.The only downside for me, as with the previous books, is the author’s overuse of dialogue attribution. When two characters are talking, the reader does not need constantly reminding who’s speaking. The following example shows what I mean, as well as demonstrating how the attribution slows down the dialogue flow: “Still alive, Haesten?” I asked, ignoring my host.“Still alive, lord,” he said.“And no wonder,” I said, “the last time I saw you was at Ethandun.”“A rainy day, lord, as I remember,” he said.“And you were running like a hare, Haesten,” I said.The dialogue itself is excellent, so I don’t get why such a talented author as Mr Cornwell feels the need to distract the reader by frequently inserting “he said, she said”, when we know whose speaking.But on the whole, this is a fast-paced, engaging story, well worth reading if you like upbeat historical fiction.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    To my thinking, Utred of Bebbengurgh is the best of Cornwell's creations, superior even to Richard Sharpe. This fourth installment has the useful, but grumpy, Utred saving London from a Danish attack, and rescuing Alfred's Daughter Aethelflaed, also from Danes. It's good fun.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I liked it. It flows very well. The star crossed lovers reminded me of the Warlord Chronicles.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Another quick read from Cornwell featuring Uhtred, the anti-hero, so to speak, of this Saxon historical fiction series. Nothing really spectacular here except some general early London background info. London and the Thames estuary is the key setting. I think I would benefit greatly from reading the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles and some other nonfiction books about King Alfred the Great. I do appreciate that Cornwell stays true to his theme of depicting King Alfred as sort of weakling, not to mention most of the Christians and monks. Then again, the Danes aren't all that nice either, but they aren't really pretending to be in the first place. Danes = brutal but mostly honorable. Christian Saxons = brutal and manipulative. I'm interested to see how this series gets wrapped up with its flashback narrator still going.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Given to me to read by HMcD. The author is a neighbor of hers. Even though this is part of a series (kind of like skipping to the end of a book to see how it ends) I found it not a problem at all to jump into this take of England during the time of Alfred the Great (9th Century). From what I've gathered, half Saxon,half Dane Uhtred was done out of his inheritance, raised by Vikings and is now sworn by oath to Alfred. In a time when Vikings and Saxons are at war (as well as Christianity and Paganism) Uhtred's warrior skills are of great service.The main part of the tale revolves around the battle for the city of London. The battle scenes are some of the best I have read, clear and grittily (is that a word?) realistic, extreme attention to detail. (I've recently read some really crummy battle scenes, so the difference was quite apparent.) There are plots and subplots (a man arises from the dead to help convince Uhtred where his loyalties need be, friendships, family ties, the complexities of marriage, and love) woven around the battles. Uhtred manages to keep both his integrity and his oaths, even when the two conflict. A good tale.Loved the USA Today quote on the back of the book: Bernard Cornwell ranks as the current alpha male of testoterone-enriched historical fiction....This satisfying tale leaves you hungry for more of Uhtred's adventures."
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Probably my least favorite Cornwell novel so far but still very enjoyable. Utred continues to be mocked by fate while at the same time gaining the power and prestige that he craves.Really the story didn't hold that emotional punch that most of the other novels do (except toward the end where there was a bit of tragedy) and this made it feel like "filler". But never fear there's plenty of battle, shield walls and naval battles.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Good conclusion to the Alfred series
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    More of the usual rollicking, blood and thunder (especially the former) stuff, endless gleaming sword thrusts and whirling axe blades, plus some treachery and even the odd attractive character here and there. Typical Cornwell series stuff.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Alfred has sent Uhtred to capture Lundane from the Norsemen. He has also sent his somewhat useless but arrogant son-in-law, Aethelred, who will claim the victory he doesn't deserve. Aethelred's wife, is kidnapped by the Norse and a ransom is demanded. Uhted will try and rescue her and save Alfred's kingdon at the same time - as the ransom would be used to field an army for the Norse.While Uhtred is fictional, a lot of the story is historical and very well done and to be continued.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    In the fourth installment of the Saxon Tales series, Alfred the Great captures London via the fictional hero of the series. Drama ensues when the displaced Northmen win a battle against the Lord of Mercia, capturing Alfred's daughter in the process. In the Norse camp. however, is a traitor with a history of breaking oaths. The final battle eliminates the Northmen threat, returns the daughter to her father, and still leaves the traitorous nemesis on the loose to be a protagonist in future novels.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I’ve been reading Bernard Cornwell’s historical novels for approximately two years now and it never ceases to amaze me on how well written, profound, robust and deadly his stories can be and his latest is no exception. “Sword Song” his fourth book in Mr. Cornwell’s Saxon chronicles featuring Uhtred on Bebbanburg, Alfred the Great and the origins of England were an incredible read. I took my time reading this book savoring it like a fine wine during a scrumptious repast. As an aperitif Mr. Cornwell begins the novel with our hero Uhtred recounting one of the most brutal battles I’ve read. For the main course he gives us the sack of London. And as a final dessert a love story –akin to Tristan and Isolde- coupled with a mêlée to end all mêlées. Needless to say I will definitely be picking up Mr. Cornwell’s next Saxon novel, fate is inexorable.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I really enjoyed this one. It did sort of follow a Bernard Cornwell pattern but, like it says on the blurb it is really well researched (actually, how do I know that? I'm no historian, it could be really poorly researched and I'd be none the wiser!). The characters are well drawn. Like Cornwell's most famous work (Sharpie!!!) the hero does have his faults but it's really clear who you're supposed to like and who you're supposed to hate. I can't help feeling a bit sorry for Uhtred's missus. I was expecting her to meet an untimely end all the way through this book but she made it, there's just a sort of sense of doom about the way that she's written though that makes me think she won't make it to the end of the series. All in all a really good, easy read and I know a bit more now about the politics of King Alfred's time. I'll definitely be getting the rest of the series.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I love this series - but this particular book (aside from the lovely cover art) was a bit of a disappoiintment
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I can't get enough of this saga. He cannot write these fast enough.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Good book, in the same vein as Volumes 1-3, lots of bloody battle scenes, read in Maui 1/08
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Note: This is a review of an ARE I received from Harper Collins. Given that the book has been published in the UK, I assume it is essentially a finished product and it read that way.“Doom [Judge] very evenly! Do not doom one doom to the rich; another to the poor! Nor doom one doom to your friend; another to your foe!” King Alfred in the Doom Book or Code of Alfred.Bernard Cornwell has given us another smashing tale of war and love from 9th century “England”. The year is 885 CE and King Alfred of Wessex struggles to consolidate his control of the Saxon lands as defined in the treaty with Guthrum that divided the island between Saxon and the Danelaw. Cornwell’s once again uses the narrative voice of Lord Uhtred of Bebbanburg as he reflects on his life in extreme old age (probably around 940 CE). Uhtred, now 25, is a Saxon raised as a Dane, pagan serving a most Christian king. Uhtred worships the old Norse gods and looks forward to long days of battle and nights of song, drink, and women at Odin’s Death Hall (Valhalla). In Uhtred’s eyes, Alfred worships the ‘Christian nailed god’, a god who fences men in with laws and rules so limiting that a man is not allowed to lust after his neighbor’s wife!Alfred needs Uhtred because as Lincoln said of Grant, ‘he fights’ and exceedingly well. Alfred seeks to reclaim Mercian Lundene (London) and that battle forms the centerpiece of the first half of the book. The latter half centers on battles on the lower Temes (Thames) at Beamfleot (Benfleet), including some crashing marine assaults. Sword Song does not lack for ringing swords, shield walls, smashed skulls, splintered oars, battle fear and death – and also broken hearts.Uhtred requires assistance and Cornwell supplies with him familiar friends from earlier volumes: Steapa, the warrior priest Pyrlig, and most necessary of all, Uhtred’s wife Gisela.Uhtred is a simple man, violent in battle, bound by his sense of honor, an esteemed and rightly feared warrior, and a loving and loved husband. Gisela and Uhtred have a relationship that struck this reader as perhaps a bit too modern in its mutual respect. Uhtred never seems to be fighting for his own interests. He longs to return and take Bebbanburg in Northumbria, but cannot or will not break his oath to Alfred. (One hopes that Cornwell will keep the Saxon stories going until Uhtred fights that battle.) The heroic Uhtred is offset by Alfred’s son-in-law Aethelred, a cowering and grasping little weasel who Alfred elevates to Earl of Mercia precisely because he wants a weak ruler there – Alfred’s aim is to be King of the Anglo-Saxons, King of ‘England’, a place that doesn’t even exist yet. Aethelred also turns out to be a vicious husband. (By the way, Cornwell’s Aethlered is based on an historical figure, but is not to be confused with the later Aethelred unfairly tagged the Unready.)Uhthred’s worthy battle opponents are Danes with their pagan amulets (like his own), their shields and battle axes. He understands these Danes, respects them, is comfortable with them. Some of the Danes do prove to be a bit treacherous, but what do you expect from a bunch of 9th century pagan warriors?!Cornwell’s historical note admits that he has probably been very unfair to Aethelred. The fact is the historical record for this era is thin indeed. Cornwell’s telling captures a plausible feel for the era, mostly limited to the perspective of a warrior lord. A small quibble: The image on the book cover shows warriors heaving lighted spears from a broken stone bridge over the Temes, an image unsupported by the historical record in at least one detail. The first stone bridge over the Thames at London was not completed until the early 14th century. Cornwell might have explored why the Christian god with all his rules and restrictions had broader appeal than the free-spirited Norse gods. Indeed, Alfred’s Christian religion eventually prevailed more effectively than warfare in uniting England. Why? Was this because the nailed god’s church offered some salvation to every man whereas the Norse gods really only appealed to the warrior class? Or that the Christian church had organized proselytizers? The nailed god seems to have not only demanded more, but also offered more and to more people than Odin. Sword Song is a compact, exhilarating tale of historical adventure that entertains a lot, informs a little, and won’t overtax your noggin. Stoke the fire in your hearth and settle in for a good story. A fine addition to the Saxon Stories and Cornwell promises that “Uhtred and his story will continue.”
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Bernard Cornwell does an amazing job of weaving great historical detail into a captivating story of a warrior torn between loyalties. There is plenty of action, but battle scenes are never drawn out, and there is human drama throughout: love, jealousy, cunning, and striving to do the right thing in the face of a difficult situation. Even minor characters have fully realized personalities and the narrator is just the man you would want on your side. The prose is never dry though the book is full of interesting information, and fortunately the characters never seem to do anything anachronistic. The antagonism between the pagans and the Christians was especially believable and fascinating.