Synopses & Reviews
Bernard Cornwell — "the most prolific and successful historical novelist in the world today" (
Wall Street Journal) — returns to his Saxon Tales saga with the epic story of divided loyalties, bloody battles, and the struggle to unite Britain.
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 reigning king of historical fiction" (USA Today), 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.
Review
“Uhtred of Bebbanburg rides into battle once again in the seventh installment of Cornwell's stellar Saxon Tales series….Cornwell excels at depicting gloriously gory battle scenes as well as the inherent religious, political, and martial conflicts upon which a great nation was born.” Booklist
Review
“Cornwell successfully brings an unjustly obscure era in British history to life….The conflict between Dane and Saxon is examined with sympathy and insight-without projecting 21st century values onto cultures now alien to us. In the course of this, he shows how historical novels should be written.” Publishers Weekly
Review
“Cornwell, a master of historical fiction, has written another energetic and involving mix of history and storytelling that will please his many fans….A sweeping story.” Library Journal
Review
“A violent, absorbing historical saga, deeply researched and thoroughly imagined.” Washington Post
Synopsis
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.
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About the Author
Bernard Cornwell is the author of the acclaimed New York Times bestsellers 1356 and Agincourt; the bestselling Saxon Tales, which include The Last Kingdom, The Pale Horseman, Lords of the North, Sword Song, The Burning Land, and most recently Death of Kings; and the Richard Sharpe novels, among many others. He lives with his wife on Cape Cod and in Charleston, South Carolina.