In this story, Uhtred is old, and the only thing he wants is to die at Bebbanburg. He has lived a life of war, and politics, and striving desperately to reclaim the home he had lost as a child. Now he has, and he only wants peace. But war stirs to the north and south, and Uhtred must decide whether to fight for King Aethelstan or Constantine of Alba.

Uhtred’s age in this story make any significant fighting on his part a bit farfetched. That’s why the most ingenious part of this book is how Uhtred mostly becomes a battlefield spectator to be awed by a younger generation of warriors making their own reputations. He is the elder warlord whose experience and presence certainly help shape the battle, a general who commands the respect of those who follow him and tries to fight beside them as best as he can. But he no longer seeks out battle–the sword song–as he did in his younger days.

Uhtred’s relationship with King Aethelstan comes to fruition in this story as Aethelstan pays respect to the man who raised him, and Uhtred recognizes Aehtelstan for the noble and fearsome warrior king he has become.

I greatly appreciated Cornwell’s historical note to close the book, and I’ll be looking into his other historical fiction works.

Steve D