The Pagan Lord - Bernard Cornwell

My fictional love interest Uhtred is now 50, and guess what? I'm still into him. But this is exceptionally old for someone living in the 800s. So the fact that he's still holding his own in the shield wall is starting to stretch even my generous belief in his abilities. 

This time around in The Pagan Lord (that's Uhtred, duh), Mercia and Wessex have been in relatively peace for 8 years. Uhtred has been farming the land granted to him by Alfred in the last book and everything is quiet and boring. But that doesn't make for a good Uhtred book. So you know the Danes are gonna be starting something. Cnut and Sigrid were left alive after the last encounter. As was Haesten. 

But people always seem to be underestimating Uhtred. At the beginning of the book, we find Uhtred hunting down his recently ordained first born son, disowning him, and killing a monk in the process. This in turn, gives the local Bishop something to crow about and Uhtred's farm and homestead is burned down. Uhtred is forced to leave and what better time to assault Bebbanburg? His second son, Osbert, is renamed Uhtred, much like his father was, and the band of loyalists to Uhtred very nearly succeeds in taking the fortress. 

But in the meantime, Mercia is in trouble. Again. And Uhtred must save everyone. Again. Maybe this time they'll be grateful. 

You can sense in this book that Uhtred's age is catching up with him. Since Cornwell wrote himself into a corner early in the series making Uhtred the narrator from a long off hall and old age, you never really fear for Uhtred's life, but now, since the series is so good and successful, we need a younger protagonist to carry the banner (literally). I have a feeling Uhtred Uhtredson (the new one) is going to be just the man for the job. 

4/5 Stars.