Warriors of the Storm: Book 9 (The Last Kingdom Series)

Product Information

One of the most beautiful women ever to grace the silver screen, Hedy Lamarr also designed a secret weapon against Nazi Germany. At the beginning of Warriors of the Storm, a fifty-something-year-old Uhtred is residing at the stronghold of Ceaster. Mercia seems to be thriving under the rule of Æthelflæd. Things have been tranquil and peaceful for a couple of years but now a new threat is on the horizon. The fierce warrior Ragnall Ivarson leads an army and he has his sights set on both Mercia and Northumbria. Ragnall is a leader of repute and for all intents and purposes, a man to be feared. To make matters more interesting, he is also Uhtred's son-in-law's brother

This continues Uhtred's incredible growth as a character, as he his entering the stage of life where he is now out of his prime, and has to come to terms with it. Before, he could charge at an enemy and believe in his abilities to fight his way through and survive. Now, he has to use his mind-cunning far more. Old wounds and age slow him down, and the responsibility of his oaths weigh heavily upon his shoulder. However, Cornwell is such a great writer that, although I feel the story overall isn't as powerful as it could have been in a shorter series, I still read or listen (as here) to each new book as soon as they come out! PDF / EPUB File Name: Warriors_of_the_Storm_-_Bernard_Cornwell.pdf, Warriors_of_the_Storm_-_Bernard_Cornwell.epub A fragile peace governs the kingdoms of Wessex, East Anglia, under the rule of the late King Alfred’s son, King Edward, and Mercia, under his daughter Aethelflaed.However, the bulk of this tale is based in an area I know quite well, that being Chester, the Wirral and surroundings, and to rediscover a place with which I am so familiar (I spend quite a bit of time reenacting there now and research a lot into Roman Deva), thjough in a whole different era, is fascinating.

I personally believe this series has gone on for too long. It should have been tied up, with Uhtred retaking Bebbanburg at least four books ago. Of course if there is one thing for which Cornwell is noted it is his battles. He has a long pedigree of writing warfare across many eras, and this has over time granted him the ability to do so with pace and panache, never having to linger too much in the gory detail while delving deep enough to hook the reader and really create an impression of the horror, glory, and above all desperation of combat. Englaland" [sic], King Alfred once said, "will be God’s land," but first the Norse and the Danes, worshippers of the old gods, must be banished, a bloody struggle Cornwell ( The Empty Throne , 2015, etc.) chronicles in the ninth of his Saxon series. Ill Fated is a standalone novel of science fiction romance set in the “Athenaverse”. The little town of Mountmend is a world away from civilization and the accompanying technology. The people of Mountmead are simple humans who love living with nature and don’t see outsiders often and don’t feel the need to. Cornwell was sent away to Monkton Combe School, attended the University of London, and after graduating, worked as a teacher. He attempted to enlist in the British armed services at least three times but was rejected on the grounds of myopia.Outro que é sempre bom ver por perto é Finan, que Uhtred conheceu há muito tempo no período em que era escravo. O irlandês é um lutador exímio e deixará sua marca em combates singulares. Unfortunately, I couldn’t keep myself from spoilers so most of this review, if you can call it that, will be behind the spoiler tag. This exciting standalone story is enjoyable even if you’ve never experienced the Athenaverse. They promise no cheating in the plot, no annoying cliff-hangers, and always a promise of a Happily Ever After (HEA) story. One quote: "Thirty paces, twenty, and you can see the eyes of the men who will try to kill you, and see the spear blades, and the instinct is to stop, to straighten the shields. We cringe from battle, fear claws at us, time seems to stop, there is silence though a thousand men shout, and at that moment, when terror savages the heart like a trapped beast, you must hurl yourself into the horror." Como já é de praxe, no momento em que o autor Bernard Cornwell lança um livro novo das Crônicas Saxônicas/Saxon Stories eu já vou correndo atrás e tento ler o mais cedo possível, já que essa é minha série favorita e Uhtred de Bebbanburg é o personagem que mais gosto. O único problema depois disso tudo é ter que esperar mais um ano pela sequência, mas faz parte. hahaha

Aethelflaed, the daughter of King Alfred who rules Mercia and Wessex, is impressive and powerful, with flaws and uncertainties that make her a far more vivid character than Uhtred. The priests Ceolnoth and Ceolberht were fun and memorable for all their small role, the bishop Leofstan was simply superb, and of Uhtred’s own cadre of warriors, the Irishman Finan was one of the most interesting. Yaal is the first entry of the Warriors of the Alliance romantic science fiction series. A part of the large Athenaverse, it can be read as a satisfying standalone but it is part of the same universe and occasions as the other Athenaverse stories.For once, Cornwell actually wrote about a priest who is not a complete buffoon. All the religious types seems to fit into a stereotyped role of piety that shields their gaze and prevents them from perceiving the realities of a nation at war in this series. For once, Cornwell wrote about a practical priest who understood that he knew nothing about war. And he was a genuinely likable character, and genuine in his faith rather than using it for personal gain. Even Uhtred liked him, and Uhtred hated almost everybody who wore Christian robes. As a child, Cornwell loved the novels of C.S. Forester, chronicling the adventures of fictional British naval officer Horatio Hornblower during the Napoleonic Wars, and was surprised to find there were no such novels following Lord Wellington's campaign on land. Motivated by the need to support himself in the U.S. through writing, Cornwell decided to write such a series. He named his chief protagonist Richard Sharpe, a rifleman involved in most major battles of the Peninsular War. I am going to use the same review for all the books in this series, because I have made it generic about the series rather than give spoilers away for each book, I seriously recommend you get hold of book 1 and start your reading from there.

Northmen led by Ragnall Ivarson invade Mercia near Uhtred's fortress of Ceaster. Ragnall, whose brother Sigtryggr is married to Uhtred's daughter Stiorra, has been driven out of Ireland by the natives to seek less fiercely defended lands. Ragnall's supporters include Jarl Haesten, Uhtred's longtime foe, as well as a single crew of Irishmen led by Conall, the brother of Finan, Uhtred's second-in-command. A force galaxy battleship from the Trident Alliance has limped onto Earth with severe mechanical failure. The risk is that they could likely be being pursued by the Ataxia Coalition, who would be anxious to take advantage of the their vulnerable situation. Anywho, this is a serviceable book that continues the saga admirably. It's not anything special. No major historically related events take place. It's more personal. In fact, at one point Uthred has to rescue his daughter and son-in-law. Warriors of the Storm was another great book in the series. I don’t have much else to say; if you’ve read the previous eight books, then you know what you’re getting into here. The ending of this novel did make me excited to read Flame Bearer in September, and I must say that I’m curious about what Cornwell wrote in the remaining four books. From what I’ve read so far, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of Uthred’s story left to tell. Maybe the next one will have Uthred finally retake Bebbanburg? We’ll see.

Read an Excerpt

So Uhtred does have a heart. I knew at some point he’d be confronted with the relationship between himself and his oldest son. When he disowned him for becoming a priest I was pretty upset. I thought What a horrible father! But, he never claimed to be a good one, and I know how much he hates priests. In the heat of his disappointment and anger he rejected him, but I hoped that time would bring Uhtred’s deeper feelings to the surface. No one could have imagined they would reunite under these circumstances, and fatherly affection might be asking too much, but now I can rest easy knowing that my favorite character doesn’t have a heart of stone.