Sword Song

Another good entry in the series, in some parts even better then the previous ones. The author keeps the protagonist faithful to his personality, there are no cheap tricks just to get a kick out of the readers.

The immersive narrative is concise, only mentioning what is needed. It manages to stay fresh and interesting, even though it's the fourth book and a lot of the characters were already presented. The new Norse antagonists are interesting characters, the Saxon's Ealdormans are petty, stupid and power hungry. Yet they are Christians, and Uthred is not. This is the perfect environment for our hero to shine.

Executive Summary: Another great entry in this series, that seemed to be over before it started. How can you not like Uhtred of Bebbanburg?

Full Review
I've never really been a big historical fiction fan before discovering this series. I'm not enough of a history buff to know what elements are true, and which are fictional. Regardless this series continues to be fascinating and engrossing.

Compared to many of the doorstopping fantasy books I tend to read, these feel minuscule by comparison. So much happens in so few pages though. I love to see just what crazy thing Uhtred might do next in his quest for glory.

However it's not just Uthred that endears this series to me. He's once again surrounded by a great supporting cast of characters. Some I love, some I hate, and then there is Alfred who I love to hate. I've always disliked Alfred, but after this book he became a total piece of shit. I won't say why, but if you read this book and don't agree with that, I'll be shocked.

For a “brutish” warrior, Uthred shows a lot more heart and compassion for people in his life than the pious and cunning Alfred, the man who would be king of all England. It makes for a great contrast.

I'm already looking forward to the next book in this series. It's going far too quick for my liking though. Before I know it, I'll be out of books to read, and then what will I do? (Well probably read another of the 100 or so unread books I already own, but that's besides the point).