The Empty Throne - Bernard Cornwell

A mere 22 days ago, I finished The Pagan Lord and wondered how my main squeeze Uhtred was going to continue his dominance of the Mercian and Saxon fighters. You see, his chest, like mine, was pierced by a sword at the end of the last book and I wasn't sure he was going to make it. 

Cornwell, obviously being aware of Uhtred's appeal (I was going to write charm, but that's not quite it), decided to toy with my heart and have the opening chapter of The Empty Throne penned by the younger Uhtred. I was saddened that Uhtred had been put out to pasture so unceremoniously, although I doubted he had died. And I was slightly warming to the idea that Uhtred2 (his son) would carry on the legacy of irreverent humor and calling people turds. 

But, alas the second chapter picks up with our trusted narrator and although he's not doing well (he's got a weeping infected wound) he still manages a few barbs now and then. And as always he's 1/4 to 1/2 a step in front of everyone else. So when King Edward's father in law decides to flex his muscles in Mercia, threatening Aethelstan's life and Aethelflaed's daughter with marriage, Uhtred knows he's got to set some things right. 

In the meantime, he needs to find the sword that pierced him in order to be healed. He's sure that someone is using witchcraft to continue to torture him. And who better to tell him than a lady who is having a change of allegiances after her brother turns out to be a whimpering rat turd. 

In the end, Uhtred is intimately involved in making Aethelflaed the Lady of Mercia and protecting the kingdom of Mercia from marauding Norsemen. It will be interesting to see if Uhtred2 has more narrative involvement in the next installment. You know I'll be reading it.

4/5 Stars.