Dreaming Shires

 

I have read 'Jude the Obscure' by Thomas Hardy, and now I need therapy.

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'Tess of the D'Urbervilles' by Thomas Hardy

As long-term readers of this blog know, I struggle with The Classics.  I'm sure I'm not the only one, just as I'm sure everyone has their own reason for avoiding Austen, distancing from Dickens, or backing away from the Brontës.  

I myself have been hiding from Hardy ever since we did 'The Mayor of Casterbridge' at school.  I don't remember much about the experience, but since then have always associated Hardy with impenetrable, long-winded prose and depressing plots.  But a recent encounter with 'Tess of the D'Urbervilles' may have changed all that.  Well, the first bit anyway. 

It's Raining, Men!

It's been a busy month!  Hot on the heels of 'Jeremy and Amy', I finished Bernard Cornwell's latest Saxon Story, 'Warriors of the Storm', featuring the ever cantankerous warlord Uhtred of Bebbanburg.

'Warriors of the Storm'
by Bernard Cornwell
(HarperCollins, 2015)

Holed up in the fortress at Chester,Uhtred awakes to news of smoke spotted on the horizon.  Driven across the sea from Ireland, the formidable Ragnall Ivarson has begun an invasion, but things are not as they seem.  As Mercia's future hangs in the balance once more, many questions are raised.  Has Uhtred's son-in-law, Ragnall's brother, joined this fight?  Will Uhtred's loyal lieutenant Finan's Irish connection prove a blessing or a curse as his countrymen join the would-be conqueror?  Will the aging Uhtred's luck hold as tries to predict his enemy's next move?  As his oathsworn mistress, Aethelflaed of Mercia, and King Edward of Wessex, her brother, are slow to act, Uhtred finds himself the only man ready to take a stand against this latest Norse threat to the fledgling England.

First of all, I know you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, but I bloody love the imagery used on this one.  It's almost 3D!  I could practically hear the sound of weapons being struck against shields just by looking at it, so I was understandably desperate to get started on this latest Cornwell novel.

'Warriors of the Storm' is a good adventure story, although I did feel that it wasn't one of the best in the series.  I thought it took a while to get going, but once it did, boy was it on form.  The narrative has reached a maturity so that this no longer feels like Uhtred's story alone,  It's become an ensemble piece of warriors, family and enemies, all familiar characters that are great to spend time with and root for or curse.  As the royals take a back seat, this emerges as a more personal tale, one of alliances and ambitions closer to Uhtred's heart rather than those of his masters.  

There are many references to Uhtred's ageing and our growling hero is in reflective mood.  After a lifetime longing for what is rightfully his - the formidable fortress of Bebbanburg - the author seems to be finally revealing how Uhtred could end up exactly where he's always wanted to be.  In previous books, sections have suggested that he does achieve his aim, and, to be honest, it's only going to be a matter of time before it becomes impossible for readers to ignore how unlikely it is for Uhtred to still be alive.  Let's face it, he should've snuffed it by now, whether in war or through illness.

So, unusually perhaps, this book ended on a note of hope rather than relief.  Normally, we want to cheer as yet another foolish Jarl gets his comeuppance on the battlefield, but in 'Warriors of the Storm' I both wanted to celebrate and read on as for the first time I felt Uhtred was finally going to get his just reward for a lifetime of service.  Hopefully I'm not just being sentimental.  Let's face it, Bernard Cornwell would reach Downton Abbey Christmas Special bastard levels if he blithely led us through nine books then didn't let Uhtred win his prize.  Call me soft, but I think that would even make Uhtred cry.

Anyway, despite a slow start and a relatively small scale, 'Warriors of the Story' is a great historical adventure story, up to Bernard Cornwell's usual high standards.  A fantastic way to escape modern realities between episodes of 'The Last Kingdom' on BBC 2.  Just can't get away from the aersling lately...

Related Posts

'Sword Song' by Bernard Cornwell (Saxon Story Four)

'The Burning Land' by Bernard Cornwell (Saxon Story Five)

'The Death of Kings' by Bernard Cornwell (Saxon Story Six)

'The Pagan Lord' by Bernard Cornwell (Saxon Story Seven)

'The Empty Throne' by Bernard Cornwell (Saxon Story Eight)

Leave 'Em Wanting More

So, my first book of 2015 was 'The Empty Throne' by Bernard Cornwell, the latest novel in the bloody marvellous Saxon Stories series.

'The Empty Throne'
by Bernard Cornwell
(HarperCollins, 2014)

The future looks bleak for Mercia.  Its ruler, Aethelred, is dying without a male heir and too many people want to fill the soon-to-be-empty throne.  Nobles at home and abroad are manoeuvring themselves and a coup seems inevitable.  Yet the candidates are all politicians, not the warlords Mercia needs to defeat its Danish invaders and prevent them taking over the whole country.  Although Aethelred's wife, the formidable Aethelflaed, is a proven warrior and inspirational leader, no woman has ever ruled and her greatest supporter, Uhtred of Bebbanburg is wounded.  So is this the end for Mercia?

There's little I can say here that I haven't said before about other Bernard Cornwell books.  That sounds like a bad thing, but it's actually a compliment.  His work is consistently absorbing, energetic, interesting and enjoyable, so that really only the action and locations change.  It's like reading one book in instalments rather than a series of books over a number of years.

In a way, the fact that this book is part of a series is its weak spot.  The story, while gripping and eventful, feels like a bridge between one plot point and another rather than a destination in itself.  Even so, it still gives Uhtred fans all the things we've come to expect - treachery, battles, political machinations, sea voyages, a quest and a wonderful sense of time and place.

But because it feels like a stepping stone, it really leaves you wanting more.  Not just more from different characters, but literally what happens next because it feels half done.  I'm like an excitable youngster in a shieldwall, held back by a more experienced commander who knows when it's best to strike.  I'm sure Mr Cornwell knows what he's doing, but, goodness, the next couple of years will feel a long wait!  Just as well I have plenty of other things to read in the mean time!

Related Posts

'Sword Song' by Bernard Cornwell (Saxon Story Four)

'The Burning Land' by Bernard Cornwell (Saxon Story Five)

'The Death of Kings' by Bernard Cornwell (Saxon Story Six)

'The Pagan Lord' by Bernard Cornwell (Saxon Story Seven)

Uhtred Unleashed

I've just finished 'The Pagan Lord' by Bernard Cornwell, the latest in the Saxon Stories series and, I think, the best so far.

Uhtred of Bebbanburg is restless.  The characteristics that make him a hero in times of war are causing trouble in times of peace.  His sense self-importance, quick reactions and strength mean he soon clashes with the Church, while his reputation, status and daring make him a target for the devious Danes conspiring over the border.  Exiled from a Wessex dominated by a naive priesthood and hated by the Northmen whose plans he's repeatedly dashed, he finds himself alienated from everyone and everything that gives him direction and purpose.  Bereft of land and fortune and with few followers, Uhtred doesn't know what to do next.  So his thoughts return to an oath older than any sworn to King or Queen, a promise that draws him back to the fortress inheritance stolen from him as child.  Bebbanburg calls.

'The Pagan Lord' by Bernard Cornwell
(HarperCollins, 2013)

I thoroughly enjoyed 'The Pagan Lord'.  The plot was tighter than some of its predecessors and Mr Cornwell clearly took full advantage of the fact that the Uhtred of this book is a free agent, oath sworn to nobody, and that there were fewer known historical events for him to fit the plot around.  Mr Cornwell seized the opportunity to let his imagination run riot and, as a result, has created what I think is the best instalment yet.  I was on tenterhooks throughout and can't wait to see where Mr Cornwell takes his wayward warrior during his next outing.

I've heard the Saxon Stories described as 'Game of Thrones but real', which I think does them a disservice.  Historical fiction is where mud and myth meet, where hearsay and history are combined expertly to evoke a past that we all have links to  Not only does a plot have to be built around indisputable events and facts, it has to be interesting and surprising enough to make us keep reading.  A really good piece of historical fiction will not only tell you about the past, but make you feel something about it too.  'The Pagan Lord' recreates bloody battles, rural landscapes and Dark Ages culture, but also presents engaging characters who make you think about how it may have felt to step into your first shieldwall, crew a warship on violent seas or live amongst the ruins of the Roman world.

Usually when reading a series of books, it makes sense to start at the beginning.  But if someone asked me which Saxon Story to start, I would be sorely tempted to suggest this one.  So let's hope no-one ever asks.  It's nice to have something this good to look forward to!

Related Posts

'Sword Song' by Bernard Cornwell (Saxon Story Four)

'The Burning Land' by Bernard Cornwell (Saxon Story Five)

'The Death of Kings' by Bernard Cornwell (Saxon Story Six)

Burn, Baby, Burn

Earlier this week, I finished 'The Burning Land' by Bernard Cornwell, the fifth book in the (currently) seven strong army of novels set during the reign of Alfred the Great.

'The Burning Land' by
Bernard Cornwell
(2009, HarperCollins)

It's the late 800s and the greedy eyes of the Vikings are still fixed on Alfred's flourishing kingdom of Wessex. Looking for gold, power and reputation, two notorious Norsemen, Jarl Haestan and Harald Bloodhair, land in the country.  While Haestan is content to wait for Alfred to buy him off, Harald ravages the land, leaving a trail of devastation in his wake.  Before long, Uhtred of Bebbanburg, the king's reluctant oathsworn warrior, finds himself once again doing the calculating king's dirty work, going into battle to defend a country not his own.  But this is an Uhtred whose success has made him confident to the point of arrogance, whose fury is fuelled by his enemies at court and who is made discontent by his burning ambition to retake the Northumbrian castle stolen from him by his uncle.  Will Uhtred's bitterness overwhelm his judgement? Will Wessex's greatest warlord be there in its hour of need? Or, after so many year's of service, will Uhtred finally burn out?

I bloody love Bernard Cornwell's books.  I wish I could say something more intelligent or analytical, but that really does sum it up.  They're not high literature and shouldn't be read as such, but they're absolutely fantastic, rollicking, gung ho stories that sweep you up and keep you galloping along to the last page and beyond.  The atmosphere Mr Cornwell creates is amazing and it's hard to visit any location mentioned without trying to imagine it all those centuries ago.  A bit of escapism does us good once in a while.

This isn't everyone's idea of historical fiction - this is blood-and-guts rather than cloak-and-dagger or romance-and-royalty - but boy is it good fun!

'The Burning Land' is part of a series and, as such, does feel a bit of a stepping stone, but that's not really a problem.  Because you know there are more books to follow, it just makes you wonder what waits in store for Uhtred and how long it will be until he makes a final play for his hereditary home.  Although it is carefully structured (lead up to battle, battle, trouble, adventure, lead up to battle, battle), this book is not filler, it propels Uhtred's story forward and takes him into a different direction with a whole new set of possibilities. I can't wait to see what this means for him in 'Death of Kings' and just published 'The Pagan Lord'.  After all, there's no smoke without fire.

Admittedly, Uhtred is not the nicest of characters - he's petulant, grumpy, thuggish and, at times, driven by his less than noble passions.  You may not want to be mates with him, but he's a hero, has a spark of intelligence and a sense of justice and it's hard not to cheer him on as he joins another shieldwall or fights another battle.

Overall, if you want to escape from the daily grind of more cuts, bland characters and the first gloomy signs of autumn, here's a ring of fire you might enjoy diving into.

Now, the newly published Jung Chang or some more Saxon sword clashes?

Relevant Posts

'Sword Song' by Bernard Cornwell (Saxon Stories Book Four)

Thwacks Lyrical

I've just finished 'Sword Song' by top, pop historical fiction writer Bernard Cornwell.  'Sword Song' is the fourth of Mr Cornwell's Saxon Stories, all set during the reign of King Alfred the Great and narrated by Lord Uhtred of Bebbanburg.

'Sword Song' by
Bernard Cornwell
(HarperCollins, 2007)

Uhtred has been living in relative peace, working to rebuild defences at Coccham and protecting the Temes river, all part of King Alfred's plan to fortify Wessex against Danish attack.  He is settled with his wife Gisela and young family, but remains embittered by his oath to the king.   When King Alfred weds his daughter Aethelflaed to Uhtred's cousin Aethelred, he gives them overlordship of Mercia and the city of Lundune.  Unfortunately, Lundune is occupied by two unfriendly new arrivals, Sigefrid and Erik Thurgilhson, brothers who look towards the defiant young kingdom of Wessex with hungry eyes.  Ordered to reclaim the city for his hated cousin and to secure the frontier once more, Uhtred the feared warlord again finds himself dancing to Alfred's tune, an instrument of Wessex's will.

The last book in this series, 'The Lords of the North', seemed to go a bit odd at the end (there was a character communicating with dogs for goodness sake), but Mr Cornwell is definitely back on form with 'Sword Song'.  It's classic Cornwell, full of bloodthirsty battles, duplicitous warlords and impossible challenges.

I absolutely love Bernard Cornwell books (except, weirdly, his best known work, the Sharpe novels. Go figure!), but they aren't music to everyone's ears.  They are incredibly violent, the characters are usually uncomplex and having to translate old place names into their modern day equivalents is enough to make your head spin.  But I find I get completely lost in them.  I love the way England in the Dark Ages is recreated and places that I know now are given echos of the past.  I love imagining the heat and fervour of shieldwall battles and fearing for the lives of the characters at war.  And I love the character-driven politics of it all, the network of oaths and allegiances, the blood feuds and promises of vengeance, the friendships and family ties.  His books are tales of heroes and villains and it's hard not to get a buzz from it.

'Sword Song' and its siblings are certainly not to everyone's taste, but if you're a fan of Cornwell or love a good adventure, it may be worth you tuning into the first in this series, 'The Last Kingdom' or 'The Winter King', the first of the equally superlative Warlord Trilogy based on the legend of a post-Roman King Arthur.

Let's hope the next in this series is also a hit!