The second in his Alfred the Great/Viking series which is set to be just as big as his previous successes. Vikings seem to be popular at the moment, but of all the sagas crossing my desk, Cornwell’s is by far the most compelling. He has a fast, exciting style and captures well the passion and brutality of the time. This installment of the story has Alfred hiding in a swamp trying to rally support while the Danes walk all over his Kingdom of Wessex. As ever Uhtred, the protagonist, is caught up in the middle, his loyalty torn between his British relatives and his Danish foster family, and his resentment of Alfred’s overly religious rule boiling over. I love this book. For historical escapist adventure Cornwell cannot be beaten.
Comparison: Conn Iggulden; Simon Scarrow, Christian Jacq.
Similar this month: Valerio Massimo Manfredi, Steven Pressfield.
| Primary Genre | Historical Fiction |
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