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Lords of the North
Lords of the North
Lords of the North
Audiobook (abridged)5 hours

Lords of the North

Written by Bernard Cornwell

Narrated by Jamie Glover

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

4.5/5

()

About this audiobook

The third installment of Bernard Cornwell’s bestselling series chronicling the epic saga of the making of England, “like Game of Thrones, but real” (The Observer, London)—the basis for The Last Kingdom, the hit BBC America television series.

After achieving victory at King Alfred’s side, Uhtred of Bebbanburg is returning to his home in the North, finally free of his allegiance to the King—or so he believes. An encounter with a vicious slave trader introduces Uhtred to Guthred, the self-proclaimed King of Northumbria. Curious about Guthred’s astounding claim, Uhtred follows him north. But he soon discovers fate has another incredible surprise in store, and begins an unexpected journey that climaxes in the midnight siege of a city thought impregnable—a dangerous seige that results in the forging of England.

Lords of the North is Bernard Cornwell’s finest work yet—a breathtaking adventure, but it also tells the story of the creation of English identity, as the English and Danes begin to become one people, appropriating each other’s languages and, thrillingly, fighting side-by-side.

LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarperAudio
Release dateJan 23, 2007
ISBN9780061257322
Lords of the North
Author

Bernard Cornwell

Bernard Cornwell was born in London, raised in Essex and worked for the BBC for eleven years before meeting Judy, his American wife. Denied an American work permit he wrote a novel instead and has been writing ever since. He and Judy divide their time between Cape Cod and Charleston, South Carolina.

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Reviews for Lords of the North

Rating: 4.587155963302752 out of 5 stars
4.5/5

109 ratings18 reviews

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The first Bernard Cornwall book I have read and it was a good one, although this is the third in a series I was able to make sense of what had previously happened. It had a very readable style, which made reading it very quick. I loved the historical details about York and Durham and how he weaved in details about St Cuthbert and holy relics. Enjoyable.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Bernard Cornwell’s oeuvre has the panache for interpreting war with all its savageries and triumphs. His storytelling is so raw that I have found myself at times vividly remembering his tales with such precision, that I thought I saw them at the theater instead of having read them. And once again true to Mr. Cornwell’s style, the insults are utterly fantastic, “When you are dead…I shall have your skin tanned and made into a saddle so I can spend the rest of my life farting on you.” All this and packs of wild dogs, it doesn’t get any better than this people.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    More of the same really. The pace moves along quite quickly and this passes the time when one wants a less demanding read. But Uhtred is for me as unsympathetic a character as ever, going around the country slaughtering everyone who stands in his way. The broad historical backdrop and background to Alfred and the Vikings are what keep me reading and what will undoubtedly make me read Sword Song when it comes out in paperback.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Uthred of Bebbanburg heads north, now that he has succeeded at the court of Alfred, but getting what he wants isn't going to be easy. The north's a complicated place, and our hero needs to face some of his own baggage and sort out some family issues.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Cornwell is predictably unpredictable! The novel moves at a steady pace but there are plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader turning the page! For sure I will be reading the next book in the series before very long! These books are taking me about two days each to read through. Grand fun!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This book is incredible!!! However, this is an abbreviated version in which he skips sentences and leaves off useful information. I’ll be looking for a reader who reads the entire book as it was written.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Just a modest correction to previous review. This is the third in the series. And it looks like there's more to come.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    People need to know this is the ABRIDGED version. At 5 hours, it is less than half the length of the 13 hour unabridged recording. (It's not like Cornwell's books are bloated by any stretch...).
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I read the book in German, as I am from Germany. I like the book very much. I can recommend the whole Saxon Chronicle and I am looking forward to the fifth part which will come out in Sep/Oct this year.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    In this installment of the 'Saxon Stories', we are finally introduced to the craziness and insanity that is Northumbria. While the first two books were great in their development of Uhtred's story, this is where the main story arc across the main series really gets going. Bernard Cornwell has a habit of playing mind games, and forces his readers to understand that no character, however noble, always makes good decisions.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Entertaining and about what I was expecting.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Third in the Saxon Stories set in the 9th century Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of Wessex and Northumbria. It is 878 and Uthred of Bebbanburg is heading north. He has helped the Saxons of Wessex defeat the invading Danes but his help has been mostly unacknowledged by King Alfred so is setting off to help sort out some old business. I haven't managed to find copies of the earlier books in the series yet but this was okay so I might read them in future.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Left me breathless, running around the house shouting, "Uhtred and Ragnar! "
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    2nd of a good Trilogy. Good action writing
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This whole series has been amazing so far! I have been listening to the audio books, this may not be the wisest move depending on the price of gas in your area. The battle scenes are so captivating I find myself sitting in the car at my destination unable to pry myself away until I find out who Uhtred has slain and what inventive insults have been thrown about the bloody place!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Yet another gift from Cornwell ! Splendid, enjoyable, bloody fun!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Lords of the North is the third book in the Saxon Stories and Cornwell promises that more - perhaps many more - are in the offing. As is almost obligatory, let me acknowldge that I am a big Cornwell fan - I've read many of the Sharpe books, part of the Grail series and all three of the Saxon Stories. The Lords of the North picks up right after Alfred's historic victory at Ethandun (or Edington) in 878 CE and continues the tale of Uhtred, a man stuck between the worlds of Saxon and Dane. Uthred returns to the north as he begins what will apparently be a multi-volume quest to reclaim his title as Lord of Bettanburg. Unfortunately, the historical record for Northumbria at this time is extremely sparse and confused. Consequently, Lords of the North is more fictional and less historical than the previous two books. I frankly found the book fell somewhat short of my admittedly high expectations. The atmosphere of the tale seemingly has historical authenticity, but the ending is rushed and struck me as implausible. After a long struggle to overcome one of their major antagonists, Uthred and Ragnar dispense with another one in one brief encounter. A good tale and fans of Cornwell will enjoy it, but in parts it felt like a book that simply bridges the gap from one part of the story to the next. The good news is that Uhtred lives into his 80's, so many more tales remain - let's just hope that doesn't become the bad news, too. Recommended.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The third in Cornwell's Saxon Tales series. Uhtred is back with a vengeance and there is much blood letting. I think I have enjoyed this volume more than the first two. Cornwell seems a bit more free with Uhtred's adventures. Things get a bit weird, and it makes the story a bit spicier. I especially got a tickle out of Uhtred's little side trip to Iceland. I'm interested to see what happens in the next one. Somehow I have a hunch that Uhtred is going to screwed over by Alfred again. I really have to read up on Alfred. I can't believe he was such a pansy.