Tanzanite's Castle Full of Books

It’s 866 and life is uncertain for the Saxons in Britain. As their ancestors invaded the land before them, now they are being invaded by men from the north. And as the King Arthur of legend united the Britons against the Saxons, now it is time for someone to bring the Saxons together in an effort to drive the Danes from their shores. That man will be King Alfred (later known as Alfred the Great).


Bernard Cornwell covers this period of history in (currently) five books of which The Last Kingdom is the first. The narrator and main character is Uhtred – a young boy who witnesses his families defeat by the Danes and who is taken prisoner by them. His captor, Earl Rangor, takes a liking to Uhtred’s character and spirit, sparing his life. Uhtred will be raised by the Danes and over the course of the next several years will come to think of himself as a Dane, even killing Saxons in the process. But as Uhtred becomes an adult, a small part of him longs to return to what he once was.

As one by one the Saxon kingdoms fall to the Danes, it is the last kingdom – King Alfred’s Wessex – that will finally hold their own. A Dane-trained warrior, Uhtred suffers an ugly betrayal and finds himself pledged to Alfred as they unite against a common enemy. He doesn’t like Alfred, but he comes to respect him.

Uhtred is a fictional character and overall, I liked him well enough and the first person narration works pretty well. Alfred is a little sketchy but definitely has the makings of a good king – he’s smart, thoughtful and cautious. He also suffers from a chronic stomach problem. Life was not easy during this time and Cornwell does nothing to pretty it up or make it something that it probably wasn’t.

There is no question that this is a male centered and oriented story and had I not heard such good things about the series (and of Cornwell’s writing in general) there is no way that I would have picked this up on my own. Despite the testosterone and sometimes battle heavy story, I enjoyed it very much. And that surprised me. I think it’s because at its heart, this is a story of loyalty, betrayal and finding one’s identity in a constantly changing world.  I'm looking forward to seeing where this goes.

Women:  “I have heard some women complain that they have no power and that men control the world, and so they do, but women still have the power to drive ment to battle and to the grave beyond.” Uhtred on one of the reasons men fight each other (the others being land and power).



In case the FTC asks: This one came from Paperback Swap.