Tag Archives: Bernard Cornwell

Summer Reading – 2010

22 Friday Oct 2010

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It’s been a busy summer of devouring books as fast as I can; so fast that I couldn’t get a review written of each of them. So, instead, here’s a rapid fire list of what rocked and what was as dull as a rock.
Books that Rocked:

Outliers: The Story Of Success – Malcolm Gladwell
Gladwell is always an interesting read. His ability to find connections in places where they aren’t expected is uncanny.  In Outliers, you will learn that where and when we are born have a large influence on our future.

 

 

 

 

Time to Hunt – Stephen Hunter
I’ve read a few of the Bob Lee Swagger novels, and this one is the best so far.  Go back in time to Bob’s harrowing escapades in Vietnam, and learn why they call him “The Hammer”.

 

 

 

 

The Dresden Files

  • Blood Rites (The Dresden Files, Book 6) – Jim Butcher
  • Dead Beat (The Dresden Files, book 7) – Jim Butcher
  • Proven Guilty (The Dresden Files, Book 8 ) – Jim Butcher
  • White Night (The Dresden Files, Book 9) – Jim Butcher
  • Small Favor (The Dresden Files, Book 10) – Jim Butcher
  • Turn Coat (The Dresden Files, Book 11) – Jim Butcher

Yup, it’s been a summer of Jim Butcher. I’m not surprised. Harry Dresden is a perfect lead character. He’s filled with doubt and weaknesses, but always has enough steely resolve and powerful magic to pull himself out of the tightest places.  Each book is better than the last, and I can only hope that Butcher keeps kicking them out.

 

The Night Angel Trilogy

  • The Way of Shadows (The Night Angel Trilogy) – Brent Weeks
  • Shadow’s Edge (Night Angel Trilogy) – Brent Weeks
  • Beyond the Shadows – Brent Weeks

The Night Angel Trilogy was an interesting fantasy series. It focused on a young boy who wants to escape his danger our and hopeless life as an orphan.  He gets himself apprenticed to the greatest assassin of the land and ends up having a drastic influence on the world while defeating a great evil.  Yup, that sounds like just about every fantasy series out there.  Great characters and interesting plot twists make this a worthwhile read.

 
The First Law

  • The Blade Itself (The First Law: Book One) – Joe Abercrombie
  • Before They Are Hanged (The First Law: Book Two) – Joe Abercrombie
  • Last Argument of Kings (First Law: Book Three) – Joe Abercrombie

Other than the Butcher books, this was my favorite series of the summer.  The story was full of intrigue and plotting, but what was interesting is that for all the machinations of man, there was a handful of demi-gods running around pulling the strings that no one really believed in.  Couple that with a half dozen morally gray heroes and heroines and you’ve got a formula for a great read.  Each chapter switches to a different hero’s perspective, and Abercrombie was able to make it so you instantly know which character you are with.

 
The State of the Union – Brad Thor
An interesting thriller that explores what would happen if Russia was playing possum and only pretended to lose the Cold War.  Think Tom Clancy crossed with Dan Brown.

 

 

 

 

As interesting as rocks

Daemons are Forever (Secret Histories, Book 2) – Simon R. Green
Loved the first book for its sheer volume of fantastical creatues.  The follow up fell flat for me.

The Orc King: Transitions, Book I – R.A. Salvatore
Salvatore has dozens of great books starring the dark elf, Drizzt Do’urden.  As he has progressed, the books have taken on a morally preachy timbre. I love the action, but could do without the sermons.

Agincourt: A Novel – Bernard Cornwell
A book about my favorite historical battle?  Count me in.  I can’t remember now why this was bad or good, and I guess that’s enough to say about it. However, Cornwell typically hits the mark and I would not hesitate to recommend him.

The Red Wolf Conspiracy – Robert V. S. Redick
The whole book takes place on a boat.  There’s some interesting characters, but I didn’t really get into it.

Sharpe’s Trafalgar: Richard Sharpe & the Battle of Trafalgar, October 21, 1805 (Richard Sharpe’s Adventure Series #4) – Bernard Cornwell
I really enjoy the Sharpe series, and I’m going to keep reading them. This book wasn’t that bad, but it wasn’t that great either.

Soldier of Rome: The Sacrovir Revolt: A Novel of the Twentieth Legion During the Rebellion of Sacrovir and Florus – James Mace
I really wanted to like this series, but it is entirely too dry for me.  I guess I’ll find a different Roman era series to read.

That’s 21 books read since March, not too shabby. Luckily, most of them have been good, including 3 series: The Night Angel Trilogy, The First Law, and The Dresden Files. Get some!

Review of Sharpe’s Fortress by Bernard Cornwell

30 Tuesday Mar 2010

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Sharpe’s Fortress is the third (historically) of the Richard Sharpe series, and last of the Sharpe India trilogy, by English author Bernard Cornwell. It tells the story of ensign Sharpe, during the battle of Argaum (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argaum) and the following siege of the Fortress of Gawilghur (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gawilghur) in 1803.

At the end of the previous Sharpe novel, Sharpe saved General Wellesley’s life, and was promoted up from the ranks to become an Ensign, a low ranking officer, in the army. Sharpe soon finds that his dream of being an officer is more like a nightmare. The officers don’t like him because he isn’t a noble, and Sharpe is set to demeaning tasks like making sure the men don’t run during a battle and escorting the supply train.

It isn’t Richard’s idea of fun, and he soon finds that he is being asked to sell his commission or move on somewhere else. He leaves the company he is attached to, only to find himself faced with his old enemy, Obadiah Hakeswill. The evil sergeant has it out for Sharpe, and his treachery leads Sharpe on a vengeful mission, and straight into a horrifying siege.

The third book in the Sharpe series is to the point, historically accurate, and a lot of fun to read. Lucky for me, there’s another 18 books or so. I’ll be reading the next one soon.

Rating: 3 out of 5 (What’s This?)

Buy it at Amazon!

Sharpe’s Triumph by Bernard Cornwell

15 Friday May 2009

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I don’t know if this happens to you, but sometimes I know when I’m going to get in trouble with a series of books. As in, I’ll start it, find out I like it, and then have to keep reading all of the books in the series.  It happened with the Harry Potter series. I told myself I was too old for it. I told myself that it was just a kids book. I told myself that it couldn’t be that great anyway. And then one afternoon I “accidently” read  the first book of the series. And that was the end of my resistance.

I’ve read a lot of Cornwell in the past, but I didn’t want to start the Sharpe series. It was going to be a mammoth undertaking if I started it.  There’s got to be twenty books in the series.  Unfortunately (or fortunately, I’m still not sure which), I read Sharpe’s Tiger last year and really enjoyed it. So, it means I have to start tackling the entire series.

Book two is called Sharpe’s Triumph. It takes place in 1803 and the British, along with soldiers from the East India Company, are fighting against some Indian princes from the north.  Sharpe is a sergeant with an a socially irresponsible wish to become a gentleman and an officer. Or is that officer and a gentleman.

If you like history, this is a good book for you. If you like the history of British battles in India, this is a great book for you. If you like to learn history while reading a pretty exciting story, this is an excellent book.

I won’t call it a great book overall, though. It had a decent plot, one really cool battle, and Cronwell’s historical footnotes at the end of the book are always interesting to read. However, I think it’s enough to keep me reading the Sharpe stories.  At one a year, I should be ready to retire when I finish the last one.

Oh, and if you want to learn more about this particular battle, read this.  It’s almost like cliffnotes for Sharpe’s Triumph.

3 out of 5 – read about the ratings

Sword Song by Bernard Cornwell

16 Monday Feb 2009

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This is the third Saxon Chronicles book by Cornwell that I’ve read in a row.  The first one, The Last Kingdom, I read last year.  All four of the books have been enjoyable, but let me throw out a few applicable clichés.

“It’s possible to have too much of a good thing.”

“Everything in moderation.”

“The early bird gets the worm.”

The first two apply to reading three of these books in a row.  The third one does not. Frankly, I was just on a roll and didn’t feel like deleting it.

In this installment, Uhtred fights, he swears oaths, he wishes he could break his oath, he fights some more, he contemplates, he does some more fighting, he comes close to dying, and then he fights a bit more.  I surmise that had I read this book a year after reading the previous one, I would have thoroughly enjoyed it. As it was, it was too much of a good thing.  The plot had too many of the same aspects of the previous books.

That’s not to say the book isn’t good. I enjoyed it. It’s a solid installment for the series, and I’ll definitely read the next book as it looks like there is more to come. However, I warn you Dear Reader, everything in moderation.

3 stars – See our rating system here

Lords of the North by Bernard Cornwell

13 Friday Feb 2009

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Lords of the North 

Bernard Cornwell continues his epic tale with Uhtred of Bebbanburg.  After helping Alfred reclaim Wessex in The Pale Horesman, Uhtred is given a small land holding. Taking offense with the meager reward, Uhtred buries his wealth and heads north to reclaim his ancestral home.

Along the way, he unwittingly frees a slave that has been picked to become the king of Northumbria.  Uhtred sees Guthrum as his means to recapturing his own homeland, so they set off together to reclaim Northumbria from the Danes.

What follows is a rousing tale of revenge, treachery and redemption.  Uhtred comes so close to seeing his dreams realized, only to find himself in worse trouble than he could have imagined. Rescued by Alfred, whom he hates, he once again finds himself sworn to him.

The action in the book doesn’t waver from the previous tale.  Great fight scenes, interesting characters, and changing allegiances kept me intrigued throughout. Cornwell treats us once again with a historical note about the characters, what they really did, and which ones were made up.  He also reveals that he is descended from a family with the name Uhtred who ruled in Bebbanburg.  I thought that was an interesting aside to what continues to be a great series.

3 star – see the book rating explanation here