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| Date first published | 3 Sept. 2007 |  |
| ISBN Number | 0007219717 | |
| Page Count | 366 h/b | |
| h/b= hardback : p/b= paperback | ||
Sword Song
Storyline
Uhtred is fairly settled. He has land, a wife and children and peace reigns in 885. However Uhtred is a warrior by nature and rails at peace. Trouble is stirring, and a dead man has risen to tell Uhtred he will be King of Mercia, all he has to do, is persuade his friend Ragnor to help attack Wessex and destroy Alfred. Uhtred is tempted with the promise of power, but stronger ties of his blood oath to Alfred keep him loyal.
Alfreds daughter has been married, and as a sign of patronage, Alfred gives Aethelred Mercia to rule - but not as King. In an attempt to prove himself Aethelred leads a mission against the Danes, but stays too long gathering plunder. The Danes successfully counter attack, and capture Alfreds daughter. Now the Danes have the means of funding the destruction of Wessex.
Uhtred is sent to negotiate with the Danes, however there is only one likely outcome, and one that Uhtred revels in.
Review
The story is OK. It is not one of Cornwell's best. I'm not sure why it doesn't quite gel, but in my mind it doesn't. It may be because Uhtred is taken out of his normal surroundings (the battle field). Much of the story is taken up with power plays, and the mounting tensions between Uhtred and Aethelred, something that is not resolved.
The story starts to get going once Uhtred is sent to negotiate for the life of Aethelflaed. The life of Alfreds court is dull, whereas in the court of the Viking lords their is revelry, and perhaps this is why the story picks up.
The battles are as usual well done, and full of description, but again lack that spark which truely brings Cornwells writing to life, it is as though the book has been written on auto pilot. In the final analysis, Cornwell admits he's used a lot more artistic licence, as Aethelflaed was never captured by the Vikings. This might be why the book lags a bit, it is missing a lot of those little details that pop out and hit you.
The book whilst not fantastic is still a good read, but doesn't quite reach the heights of the last two in the series. The book is most definitely worth reading, and is still a lot better than some authors can manage when at the top of their form!
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