A review by kandicez
The Pale Horseman by Bernard Cornwell
4.0
Wow! Cornwell is a master at making history (well, a very fictional version of sparsely sprinkled historical tidbits!) incredibly entertaining.
This volume was especially heartbreaking. Uhtred loses almost everything and everyone important to him. I absolutely flew through the television series and wondered just how much of the heartbreak was added for drama's sake. Turns out, none! Not only is there even more heartbreak in the pages, but something only vaguely alluded to as a possibility on screen was a certainty in the book.
I really enjoy historical fiction, and this is that at it's very best. My exposure to England's history has been mainly focused on the Tudors, but Cornwell is doing an excellent job of schooling me in the age before. It's infinitely fascinating, and like all good historical fiction, has me looking up and researching things constantly. That's what good HF is, after all, a spring board for our ever inquisitive minds.
This volume was especially heartbreaking. Uhtred loses almost everything and everyone important to him. I absolutely flew through the television series and wondered just how much of the heartbreak was added for drama's sake. Turns out, none! Not only is there even more heartbreak in the pages, but something only vaguely alluded to as a possibility on screen was a certainty in the book.
Spoiler
Uhtred's son dies as a result of Alfred's son living. In the show, it's mentioned as a possibility, but because his death would be the result of paganistic "magic," the viewer is allowed to believe this is only coincidence. On the page, Cornwell basically states this as a fact. I almost wish they had done so with the show because I always had a hard time understanding Uhtred's unfailing loyalty to Alfred and his heirs, despite his often crappy treatment. Knowing this would have made that loyalty a bit more understandable.I really enjoy historical fiction, and this is that at it's very best. My exposure to England's history has been mainly focused on the Tudors, but Cornwell is doing an excellent job of schooling me in the age before. It's infinitely fascinating, and like all good historical fiction, has me looking up and researching things constantly. That's what good HF is, after all, a spring board for our ever inquisitive minds.