The Last Kingdom CD (Saxon Stories)

Epic Historic Fantasy! (Spoiler Free Review)

If you're into gritty heroic historic fantasy and have an interest in the Viking Invasions of England, then you'll enjoy this book. Story In the 9th Century, the Danes (Vikings) raid England in search of wealth, bloodshed, and conquest. King Alfred must skillfully negotiate, muster his armies, and win key battles to turn back the ruthless invaders! The story is told from the perspective of a young warrior, Uhtred, who ends up fighting for both sides in the wars. Legendary Viking Invaders, Ragnar, Ivar, and Ubba play key roles in the story. Characters The characters are all deep and well written. They have their own motivations for their actions and their beliefs. The main character is Uhtred, the second oldest son of an English nobleman, who watches cities fall and suffers great triumphs and losses throughout his life. As he grows into manhood, his beliefs are shaped by the Viking warlords and the Christian leaders of England. Writing Style The story is told from Uhtred's point of view as he reflects back upon his youth. He was a young boy when the story begins and this book covers about a decade of his life. He witnesses the destruction of towns, the slaughter of armies, and both cultures first hand. Because Uhtred is a warrior and not a scholar, the writing style is plain, simple, but still manages to be epic and visceral! Action The book is fairly action packed with battle strategies, tactics, politics, and epic battles! You feel the carnage of a shield wall and the terror of sailing through stormy seas in a leaky boat and the thrill of victory. There are fights, duels, skirmishes, and large scale battles with thousands of soldiers. The battles are exciting and the characters suffer consequences as a result. Fantasy This is a historic book based on the Viking Invasions. There's some superstition, but no magic spells, dragons, evil spirits, or goblins. Well, there is one goblin, but he's a dog. When the races and cultures are well defined and the action is exci...