'War of the Wolf' by Bernard Cornwell
After a break of - ahem - one or two years, I recently returned to an old favourite, the Uhtred of Bebbanburg books by Bernard Cornwell. In times as changeable and traumatic as this, the entertaining company of this Dark Ages warlord was irresistible. Also, the thirteenth and last book in the series was published last year, and I'd only read books one to ten, so I had a little bit of catching up to do...
Leader of the Pack
It's the early 920s, and aging warlord Uhtred longs for a peaceful retirement in his impregnable coastal fortress, Bebbanburg. But though the man weakens, his reputation remains strong, making him a target for those with political ambitions. When King Edward of Wessex's annexation of Mercia leads to revolt and the besieged city of Ceaster calls for aid, Lord Uhtred leads a band of his most trusted warriors hundreds of miles west in answer. Unfortunately, all is not as it seems, and once again he finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time, with terrible consequences. The power hungry Norseman Sköll, leader of a feared band of mystical wolf-warriors, has launched a savage surprise attack on Northumbria, home to his daughter Stiorra and her husband King Sigtryggr. Can Uhtred reach them before it's too late?
Alpha Male
Now, I'm going to sound like a broken record here, but bear with me. Cornwell is an author who not only knows what his readers want but is pretty much guaranteed to deliver it. If you've enjoyed spending time with Uhtred before, either in other 'Last Kingdom' books (also known as 'The Saxon Stories' and 'The Warrior Chronicles', but not to be confused with the King Arthur-inspired 'Warlord Chronicles'. Keep up!) or as the TV incarnation played by Alexander Dreymon, you'll enjoy 'War of the Wolf'. He may have grown up and grown old, but Uhtred remains very much the same talented, impetuous, honourable, funny and exasperated character he always was. Consequently, he remains great company for those who like him.
Running Wild
On top of this, Cornwell has lost none of his flair for depicting the landscape and texture of Dark Ages Britain. Long after reading his books, I find myself gazing at the countryside, imagining what it may have looked like over a millennia ago, what battles may have been won and lost on its hills and plains, and whose blood has soaked the soil and why. Just hope no one ever asks me what I'm thinking in such moments...
Bark and Bite
Two things in particular stood out in 'War of the Wolf' for me. One was how Cornwell managed to create tension around the final battle in the novel. It was ramped up mercilessly until the event itself, but then twisted into mystery at the last moment. I knew who survived, but had no idea how or in what state, and that was what kept me reading.
War of Words
Cornwell also tries something new when describing the battle. Let's face it, he's written so many by now, he must be desperately bored with writing them in the same way each time. Getting stuck in a rut is the last thing you want where battles are concerned, on or off the page. The themes of aging and the reputation left behind run through this story. Uhtred is thinking of his legacy, and of what songs the skalds will sing about him in the mead halls after he's gone. Cornwell cleverly uses the process of composing such a song as the structure for the end battle scenes, and it's really effective. As a young man, Uhtred was full of pride and vengeance, seeing battle as a way to build reputation and claim his rightful status as a lord. As an older man, he understands the bigger picture, that sometimes the odds are too high, and the sacrifice demanded too great. While Father Selwyn tries to create a legend that will inspire younger men in the coming war of succession, Uhtred argues for something nearer the less glorious truth.
Overall
To put it bluntly, if you liked other incarnations of these stories, you'll enjoy this one. I really like spending time in Uhtred's company, appreciating his sense of adventure, humour and introspection. We're such old friends now that I even find myself crying "Oh, Uhtred!" when he acts on impulse and gets into an avoidable scrape! If you're new to these books but love stories of action and adventure, full of honourable heroes and plotting villains, 'War of the Wolf' is a reasonable place to start. Logically, you ought to start at the beginning, but Cornwell is an old hand at incorporating just enough relevant back story so that new readers (or those who have taken a break between books) can keep up with his cornucopia of characters. 'War of the Wolf' works as an entry point into a broader story, but also is an engaging and enjoyable novel in its own right.
Now, what next..?
'War of the Wolf' by Bernard Cornwell was published by HarperCollins in 2018. It is the eleventh of Cornwell's thirteen books telling the story of Uhtred of Bebbanburg and the birth of England. This review is based on the Waterstone's hardback edition, which includes some fab additional material about Old English poetry. Trust me on that.
