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