Reviews

I'm having a rollercoaster of feelings about this book. It's probably my least favorite of the series so far. I'm not entirely sure if that has to do with the plot and progression, other external factors, or even some combination. This book felt like more setup than progress. There were a few great moments, but I wanted more out of some of the scenes. Overall, I love reading Uhtred's story, but this one had me feeling slightly burned out.

My other issue was that I hated the audiobook narrator. "Hated" might be a strong word, but I'm growing increasingly nostalgic for the perfect tone set in the beginning of the series by Jonathan Keeble and more averse to these milk toast, generic British narrators with their atrocious pronunciations. When in doubt, stick with how the words have been pronounced for the past five books instead of going your own way. It's about the readers' enjoyment of the story, not your chance to try to prove you're smarter than the previous guy.

dmcke013's review against another edition

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3.0

To date, in all of English history, there has only ever been one King granted the suffix 'the Great': King Alfred of Wessex. His story is tied into events in (what is sometimes known as) Bernard Cornwell's Saxon Stories, of which this is the sixth - and, I heard, penultimate - book in the series: a series that started with 'The Last Kingdom'.

Every novel in the series so far has been told in the first person, through the eyes of one Uhtred of Bebbanburg - a character who, though he shares a greater affinity for the ways of the Danish invaders, nevertheless finds himself fighting on the side of the Saxons against those self-same invaders. The novels are also all set chronoligically, with Uhtred (and Alfred) in the earliest novel not all that old, but with the two characters ageing throughout the series - a strong indicator (as is the title) of what will transpire in this one.

anotherwomack's review against another edition

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adventurous informative tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

twislerguy's review against another edition

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adventurous funny inspiring fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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