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The Pagan Lord: A Novel
The Pagan Lord: A Novel
The Pagan Lord: A Novel
Audiobook11 hours

The Pagan Lord: A Novel

Written by Bernard Cornwell

Narrated by Matt Bates

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

4.5/5

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About this audiobook

The seventh 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.

At the onset of the tenth century, England is in turmoil. Alfred the Great is dead and his son Edward reigns as king. Wessex survives but peace cannot hold: the Danes in the north, led by Viking Cnut Longsword, stand ready to invade and will never rest until the emerald crown is theirs.

Uhtred, once Alfred’s great warrior but now out of favor with the new king, must lead a band of outcasts north to recapture his old family home, the impregnable Northumbrian fortress Bebbanburg.

Loyalties will be divided and men will fall as each Saxon kingdom is drawn into the bloodiest battle yet with the Danes—a war that will decide the fate of every king, and the entire English nation.

With The Pagan Lord, New York Times bestselling author Bernard Cornwell—"the most prolific and successful historical novelist in the world today” (Wall Street Journal)—continues his magnificent epic of the making of England during the Middle Ages, vividly bringing to life the uneasy alliances, violent combat, and deadly intrigue that gave birth to the British nation.

LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarperAudio
Release dateJan 7, 2014
ISBN9780062308559
The Pagan Lord: A Novel
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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Rating: 4.630769230769231 out of 5 stars
4.5/5

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Perhaps the best in the series since the first one. Where many of Cornwell's works center on a young warrior with everything to gain, Cornwell's main character finally comes to recognize his own limitations brought on by increasing age. There are some similarities in plot to the other books - notably the camaraderie of Uhtred's warriors - yet this work is new territory for Cornwell, as it tells the story of an old man trying to fulfill his legacy and protect those he loves, all in the midst of bad luck.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Excellent, Though I prefer the reader from the Last Kingdom.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    When Bernard Cornwell is on form, he can be at least as good, if not a whole lot better, than most everyone else. When he's ticking over, he's also a whole lot better than a whole lot of other writers in the Historical Fiction field. And while there's no doubt I enjoyed 'The Pagan Lord' and thought it was very good, it does have the sound of Bernard Cornwell ticking over. I thought 'Death of Kings' was an excellent book, but it doesn’t seem that Cornwell has used that as a transitional book to take Uhtred to better places, character-wise, or style-wise. I enjoyed this, don’t get me wrong. But I think Bernard Cornwell is a little on autopilot at the moment. In many ways, Cornwell is rather like the mood that radiates off Uhtred in ’The Pagan Lord' - smart, cunning, savvy, clever. He's been there, done that. Many times. But he’s also irritating. Why? Later.

    It goes wrong for Uhtred, the 'Pagan Lord' of the title, from the beginning (actually, I’d like BC to give us an idea of how we’re supposed to pronounce ‘Uhtred’ in our heads while we’re reading this. Idea?) Uhtred goes to try to capture his son, to stop him from shaming the family name and becoming a priest. Of Christ, not Uhtred’s Odin. Uhtred is, understandably for an old-fashioned, died in the wool Viking, somewhat less than chuffed at this development. He tries to reason with his son, threatening to cut him off, as it were, but he instead almost accidentally manages to kill another priest. As you do. Uhtred most likely normally wouldn't lose much, if any, any sleep over this sort of thing. But it isn’t the sort of thing that is going to endear him to his Christian neighbours. To make matters worse, he then returns home to find his hall has been attacked and burnt to the ground by Cnut Longsword, while he was away. He decides to meet with Cnut, only to find that Cnut thinks Uhtred has taken his (Cnut’s) wife and son. Which he hasn’t. And he suspects a double-cross. He returns home to find his peace-loving Christians neighbours have burnt down what remained un-burnt from the last burning. As you do in 10th Century pre-England. So, as he can’t convince anyone to trust him when he says there is treachery afoot, Uhtred’s not in the best of moods at the start of 'The Pagan Lord'. Dark days for Uhtred and it doesn’t get much better.

    Dark days indeed. And whaddaya know? There’s bad weather. Nearly all the time. Cornwell clearly wants us to get the message that the weather matches Uhtred’s mood. But that really is a bit too obvious for a writer of his calibre, isn’t it? And it’s all the bloomin' time. I could be wrong on this but, I can’t actually remember there being good, or even fine, weather in any of Bernard Cornwell 'Warrior Chronicles' books. And there isn’t here. For instance, when he’s sailing off in his ship, 'Middleniht’, there's 'grey sea, grey sky and a grey mist, and the 'Middelniht' slid through that greyness like a sleek and dangerous beast.' I'm all for the weather as a way of mirroring a mood, but when it's all the time, the time comes when you have to say 'enough already with the dreadful weather!' Obviously it’s England we’re talking about here, so it is going to rain more than most places in the 10th Century, but they had sunshine back then as well! Even in the North Sea. It was on occasion dry and mild in the 10th Century, the sleet in the middle of summer didn't always come at you horizontally. But when the book opens with 'A dark sky. The gods make the sky; it reflects their moods and they were dark that day. It was high summer and a bitter rain was spitting from the east. It felt like winter’, you just think ‘oh, here we go again’. Actually, the only time I can think of in 'The Pagan Lord’ when he gets good weather, is when he actually wants bad weather! Obviously as cover for a dastardly deed.

    Having said all that, the weariness, as befits an old man - old for the Viking age anyway - the ’not again, I'm too old for this shit’ of Uhtred, is outstanding. Understandable, given his luck with Christian sons - Christians on general - and inflammable barns and houses, really. He’s a believable and sympathetic character and one Cornwell obviously loves. That comes over loud and clear. Uhtred is, if I’ve read rightly and with only a couple of historical ‘adjustments’ along the way, an ancestor of Cornwell's. Would explain why.

    So, my really big problem with this one?

    And.

    And. And, and, and. And. Ands, every-bloody-where. In sentences, starting sentences, linking sentences. Ands after commas. Ands starting paragraphs, for goodness' sake.

    And way too many of them.

    Cornwell achieves the matter of fact, authoritative style of Uhtred’s narrative, through using 'and' as a link in sentences. Like this:

    "He (Æthelred) wanted the poets to sing of his triumphs, he wanted the chronicles to write his name in history, and so he would start a war, and that war would be Christian Mercia against Christian East Anglia, and it would draw in the rest of Britain and there would be shield walls again.”

    Makes events that follow an and appear inevitable, no other outcome could possibly have happened. Makes it seem like the character of Uhtred is very decisive, knowledgeable and authoritative. Fine a few times. However, the constant, almost metronomic use of ‘and’ like that and too much, becomes irritating. And, time and time again - like the bad weather - enough! Try another approach once in a while. It really became a problem for me reading the book. Like it was standing in the way of my enjoying the book to the full. Like I would have done, if there were less ands. In the end, I was looking out for them and becoming more and more irritated. Starting sentences with an and is wrong, grammatically. You know it. Starting a paragraph with one is a real no-no.

    "And I was a warrior, and in a world at war the warrior must be cruel.”

    Like that. Still on the statute books as being punishable by a blood-eagle, if I’m not much mistaken. Unless you’re writing advertising copy. Then it’s ok. But this is a book, a decent one, this is Bernard Cornwell and he should know that it’s not ok.

    And because he used it as a device so frequently, without seeming to even try to consider the maybes of any other kind of approach, is why I felt he was on autopilot, not really worried or thinking about it. Maybe he was thinking of the next Sharpe? I think if you only read Cornwell, you’d imagine that this is both how Historical Fiction is done and as good as it gets. Anyone who has read a few of the (now) many (many) other excellent writers on Cornwell’s block, like me, know different. Like I said, this is good, but while there is much to admire and recommend, I still came away from it feeling it could have been better. I’m no writer (that’s not news to you?), so I couldn’t for the life of me tell you how he should improve, but I just put it down at the end - even with the bombshell - and thought ‘ho-hum, autopilot’.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A good day with sulky Uhtred of Bebbanburg. Cornwell uses an entry in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle to great advantage. All the good guys remain good, insults are inventively displayed, and Wessex grows toward England. Oh, the bad die in numbers.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    These books are amazing. Best historical fiction I’ve ever read/listened to. The only downside to going through these is now I can’t stand the show, which I loved prior to going through The Saxon Stories.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This seventh instalment of the Saxon Stories is set during AD 910. The tale is as usual narrated by the anti-hero of the piece, Lord Uhtred, a Saxon warrior now in his early fifties. His age makes no difference to his fighting prowess and his reputation as a great warlord continues to grow. Uhtred is, in my opinion, Bernard Cornwell’s best character creation. The author’s depictions of battle scenes are vivid and believable in all his works, but more so in the Saxon tales because Uhtred’s personality helps the reader – this one at least – to feel part of this charismatic warlord’s fights. The story moves at a fast pace, blending humour with the graphic action, also leaving space for contemplation. Confrontation of all varieties, be it physical or verbal, is expertly portrayed.In my view, what prevents Mr Cornwell from being an even better writer than he is already is, is his dialogue attribution. The actual dialogue is excellent, but for 90+ per cent of the time he interrupts the flow by needlessly reminding the reader who’s speaking, more often than not inserting this pointless information – pointless because it’s obvious who’s speaking – in the middle of sentences.Mr Cornwell maybe doesn’t realise that the strength of his characters make it clear to the reader who’s talking, just as he fails to grasp how irritating it is to have his well-written dialogue swamped with superfluous attribution, which sometimes includes unnecessary adverbs.Below is a quote between Uhtred and a female character, which serves as an example of needless attribution, because with the exchange being held between the narrating character and a female character it’s plain who’s speaking:‘And you, my lady, are?’ I asked gently.‘I am Frieda.’‘If you have ale,’ I said, ‘we can pay for it.’‘Not steal it?’‘Pay for it,’ I said, ‘and while we drink it you can tell me why I have crossed the wrong sea.’I also dislike the author’s elements of English style in the most part, especially his overuse of the word “then” – arguably the laziest choice for moving a story forward – and the amount of long-winded sentences he uses. Some of his books are worse than others for these annoying traits. I feel these Saxon stories are least affected by poor style, though maybe that’s owing to them being his strongest works (in my view), thus I don’t notice the weak elements so much.Anyway, style aside, Mr Cornwell’s done a good job with the story of "The Pagan Lord". I also liked his author’s note at the end, as the “genesis” of England through to the conquest doesn’t receive much attention in popular culture, any more than it did during my school years.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    While Bernard Cornwell writes with great authority, impeccable historical knowledge and research, his usually snappy narratives and tight dialogue stuttered to a halt in this continuation of The Saxon Stories.The story opens with the protagonist's holding burned and destroyed, his wife and children taken captive, and then, instead of doing the logical thing, the thing someone of Utrecht's age would do to protect the land and wealth he has remaining, he goes off on an ill-considered and adolescent charge across country to reclaim the impenetrable fortress which is his heritage, with a dozen faithful and under-equipped. Against an impenetrable fortress. With a dozen men. And no equipment. I had to keep telling myself that as the story descended into the ridiculous and incredible.When of course that mission fails, and he is now well and truly broke and broken, he again instead of rebuilding his holdings, he charges off on another wild and hopeless rampage to take a fortified town. And guess what? That mission also fails, so that he's in even more dire straits and barking about it to anyone who will listen.The whole novel is like this. For a while I thought perhaps I'd missed the point, and Cornwell was in fact writing satire. But no.And so no to the remainder of the series, given how badly this novel devolved into nonsensical rambling.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    OK, Cornwell is wonderfully consistently entertaining. The plot twists and turns. Somehow Uhtred survives, again and again. Of course, he's telling the story, so it's a bit obvious. But still Cornwell can keep us on the edges of our seats.I know folks who just can't get enough Cornwell. Maybe it's like pizza. We have a bit of family conflict - whole wheat crust, or white flour? I like the extra nutrition and the staying power of the whole wheat. Ah, but I get over-ruled. Even with white flour, surely pizza is a lot more nutritious than e.g. a soft drink! Yeah, Cornwell is maybe like pizza, I would say like white flour pizza. Easy to digest! Definitely nutritious if you aren't too fussy about such things! Delicious, for sure! But I am thinking, hmmm, if I really want to develop myself, maybe a bit more substance for me! Who knows, every once in a while, pizza is fun. I may be back, but I think I'll take a break for now!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    While I'm a bit disappointed that the author has decided to add another volume to the growing Saxon Tales, I'm also excited to see what happens next. Those new to the series, you can start with this volume as there is plenty of back story in every book of the series, but I'd recommend beginning with The Last Kingdom. While those familiar with Uhtred, 'The Pagan Lord' is one of the better stories from the Saxon Tales series, at least in my opinion. There are twists and turns throughout, including failures and defeats combined deceptions and victories. Bernard Cornwell has always impressed me with his writing skills, even if at times the overall story isn't that original or worthwhile. And in 'The Pagan Lord' that ability to draw the reader in, hold tight to their interest and create an eagerness for more is present. So much so that by the end of the book rather than wanting the series to reach a satisfying conclusion, I wanted more!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Continuation of the 10th century series on the rise of Alfred of Wessex and his successor Edward. It is a part of the larger series known as "Saxon Tales" and centers around the character, Uhtred. Bernard Cornwell is a brilliant writer of historical fiction. His depiction of shield wall combat is stunning. I highly recommend this book to readers interested in this line of historical fiction.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was pretty good! I didn't realize this was book 7 in a series when I started it (I picked it up during an Audible sale), and I couldn't actually tell while I was reading it, either. I suppose the political situation and Uhtred's various relationships with other characters would have been marginally less confusing, but as is, it's still easy enough to follow.The first scene drew me right in. It's hard not to be interested when that's the first thing that happened.The fights were very well done, and I appreciated Uhtred's commentary and the great detail that went into the emotions behind each of the battle charges. I also enjoyed the fact that Uhtred was basically a narrator with nothing, and that he had to trick his way to victory through most of the book. Highly entertaining.Uhtred himself was a great character. A scoundrel, yes, but one that was easy to root for.Overall, a great read. I'd never read anything by Bernard Cornwell before, nor have I really read about this period in English history. I liked it's somewhat similar flavor to the sword-and-sorcery stories I'm fond of, but there's less magic, of course (but still a touch of some). I'll probably go back and try this series from the beginning.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Coming in on middle of series so didn't really know the main character or the situation. Good story with many twists and turns. Of course one knows that the Danes lost in the long run and that the scattered kingdoms became England and remained Anglo-Saxon until the Normans arrived. But surmises about the steps along the way make for interesting events.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I'm glad he left it open to more books. I liked The Pagan Lord it flowed nicely and kept my interest all the way through.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Uhtred Uhtredson is quickly becoming one of my all-time serial fiction characters. Now in his 7th "Saxom Chronicles" book, the ornery Saxon is older, not wiser, but as strong and vulgar as ever. His life is complicated -- he's a Saxon, raised by a Dane, a follower of pagan Norse religion, who finds himself in the service of Christian Saxons against his Danish brothers. The book starts with Uhtred demoting his son, Uhtred, to Judas (he became a Christian priest) and upgrading his second son to Uhtred. It's similar to what happened to him when his own older brother was killed in battle and his father promptly renamed him. After losing Bebbanburg (Bamburgh) castle to a treacherous uncle, Uhtred has spent his whole life trying to reclaim his birthright. He comes close this time, but can't quite pull it off while once again, duty to the Saxons call. His former sire, Alfred the Great, has been dead for several years now, but Uhtred still has a thing with his daughter and pledges to help protect her worthless husband's territory of Mercia against Danish incursion.The book is filled with delightful slurs as a prelude to battle (or in general conversation with church folk). The climatic battle is based on one that was fought but poorly documented, the perfect setting for making a fictional book seem authentic. Cornwell ended with a cliffhanger...but then spilled the beans in his historical notes following the book. Ah, well, the good thing is Uhtred will be swinging his sword Serpent-Breath again. The enemies list is getting smaller...perhaps one day he will get his castle back.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Several Cornwell fans, myself included, have wondered how long the Uthred saga will be dragged out. The Derfel Cadarn parallel remains too obvious to the long-established reader of Cornwell. In itself the book was well-written and while a new departure, to some degree, as there was a lot more intrigue going on and a lot less fighting, the story remained pacey and was told well. I have said before though that there needs to be a definitive conclusion to the Uthred saga and soon. These are good stories but not Cornwell's best work in my opinion. I reiterate my previous demand that he pick up the pen and re-launch Starbuck. His previous excuse for not doing so was because additional Sharpe novels were running at that time. He could finish Uthred and re-launch Starbuck as a twin-track approach with two different genres on display.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Yet, another excellent book in a great series. Cornwell's ability to take a brief skein of history and to turn into a compelling story keeps him at the very forefront of the current author's of historical fiction. Uhtred continues to serve as the catalyst in the evolution of Saxon Britain into England.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is the seventh novel in the series featuring Uhtred of Bebbanburg. More battling against the Danes, this time to prevent them from attacking Mercia and thus expanding their rule further southwards again, thus undoing the work of King Edward of Wessex's father Alfred. Uhtred travels a bit further afield here, visiting Frisia. One minor aspect of the novel that struck me was the Saxons' attitudes towards the Roman ruins in their midst, a mixture of fear and awe as though they were fallen gods rather than real men.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Uhtred is now out of favor with the new king, and is leading a band of outcasts north to recapture his old family home, the impregnable Northumbrian fortress Bebbanburg. Localities will be divided and men will fall as each Saxon kingdom is drawn into the bloodiest battle yet with the Danes- a war that will decide the fate of every king, and the entire English nation.