The Pale Horseman: Bernard Cornwell: 2 (Last Kingdom (Formerly Saxon Tales)) - Softcover

Cornwell, Bernard

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0061144835 ISBN 13: 9780061144837

Publisher: Harper Paperbacks, 2017

Synopsis

The second installment of Bernard Cornwell's New York Times 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 television series.

As the last unvanquished piece of England, Wessex is eyed hungrily by the fearsome Viking conquerors. Uhtred, a dispossessed young nobleman, is tied to the imperiled land by birth and marriage but was raised by the Danish invaders--and he questions where his allegiance must lie. But blood is his destiny, and when the overwhelming Viking horde attacks out of a wintry darkness, Uhtred must put aside all hatred and distrust and stand beside his embattled country's staunch defender--the fugitive King Alfred.

The Pale Horseman is a gripping, monumental adventure that gives breathtaking life to one of the most important epochs in English history--yet another masterwork from New York Times bestselling author Bernard Cornwell.

About this title

Review:

The Pale Horseman is the second book in Bernard Cornwell's Alfred the Great sequence, and this highly experienced author will be well aware of the pitfalls awaiting the creator of any second book in a series -- particularly when its predecessor, The Last Kingdom, was so enthusiastically received. The fact that Cornwell's Sharpe books are so beloved (for their immense colour and vivid recreation of a very lively period of history) was not a guarantee that this latest venture for the author would succeed. But succeed it did, and The Last Kingdom conjured an era of Vikings and massacres, with a brilliantly drawn (and complex) King Alfred at the centre of the narrative. So -- does Cornwell bring off this second book with equal panache?

No need for suspense -- The Pale Horseman is just as exhilarating a recreation of an age of heroes as its predecessor, delivered with the brio that is the author's trademark. Uhtred was born in Northumbria but rais! ed as a Viking. Married to a Saxon, he has achieved fame as a doughty warrior. But the more reflective Alfred has problems with the aggressive, self-serving manner of his young friend. An alliance, though, is necessary: these two are the sole remnants of those who commanded Wessex, after ill-judged bargains have destroyed the union. The Vikings now reign over most of England, and Alfred and his company are obliged to hide in the swampy netherland of Athelney, trying to regain the support they once enjoyed. Uhtred cannot shake off his Viking training, but finds himself acquiring an admiration for Alfred, who he comes to sense is a great man. As the narrative progresses, the conflict between the two men must be resolved before bloody battles will change the fate of England.

One expects the heroic endeavours of Bernard Cornwell's novels to be dispatched with panache, but there is another element which his admirers rely on: the conflict between his strongly drawn characters,! exemplified here by the two proud leaders. It'll take a while! before this new sequence achieves the immense popularity of the Sharpe novels, but the auguries are good. --Barry Forshaw

Review:

"Filled with bawdy humor, bloodlust, treachery and valor, this stirring tale will leave readers eager for the next volume ."--Publishers Weekly

"Entertaining"--Arizona Republic

"A suavely rendered tale ... [brings] turbulent times to vivid life."--Philadelphia Inquirer

"A crackerjack adventure tale from a master of the craft."--Booklist

"Great stuff, as always, from the master."--Kirkus Reviews

"Bernard Cornwell does the best battle scenes of any writer I've ever read, past or present."--George R.R. Martin

"Superior entertainment that is both engaging and enlightening....Historical adventures as smart and vigorous as Cornwell's are in short supply."--Washington Post

"A big-bellied, bushy-bearded tale of 9th century England. Our hero is Uhtred, a good-hearted lout with a pleasantly sour disposition; he's like a 9th century Han Solo....He endows the book with an unexpectedly complex, thoughtful soul."--Time

About this edition

• Publisher: Harper Paperbacks
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 0061144835
• ISBN 13: 9780061144837
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 384