“War Lord” by Bernard Cornwell — Even the Greatest of Series Must Come to an End

My journey with Uhtred of Bebbanburg has finally reached its end with War Lord, the thirteenth and final book in one of the greatest historical fiction series of all time.

I began my foray into Cornwell’s The Saxon Tales back in 2005. Thirteen books later, I’ve followed the life of Uhtred of Bebbanburg, one of my all-time favorite characters, from a boy captured and raised by Vikings to the War Lord of England. I’m going to miss him.

The series tells the story of England’s founding. The vision of Alfred the Great – a united kingdom called Englaland – is finally realized in the series’ final chapter, and War Lord is a more than fitting end to the saga.

The jacket of my hardcover has a beautiful line that encapsulates the conflict in this tale: “In the final reckoning, choose your side carefully….” That’s precisely what Uhtred must do here.

Æthelstan, whom Uhtred raised like a son, is now king of Wessex, Mercia, and East Anglia. All that stands in the way of a united Englaland is Uhtred’s home of Northumbria. Earlier in the series, Æthelstan vowed not to invade Northumbria while Uhtred lived. But the ambitious king breaks that vow early in the novel, and Uhtred hears rumors that the king wants Bebbanburg – even if he has to take it through treachery.

With his trusted ally looking more like an enemy, Uhtred is forced to weigh alliances with Æthelstan’s rivals, including the kings of the Welsh and the Scots, and even the Norse ruler of Northumbria. Like most novels in the series, however, things are not as they appear, and this intrigue drives the first half of the story.

As with most of The Saxon Tales installments, the novel builds toward the final battle. And this one, according to Cornwell’s excellent historical note, was one of the most significant battles in the history of Britain. No one writes battle scenes better than Bernard Cornwell, and this one is a doozy. Although, it is the characters that make these stories thrive, and War Lord involves pretty much everyone who’s not dead by the thirteenth novel, including some surprise characters from much earlier books in the series.

While War Lord was not my favorite Uhtred tale, it is still excellent, and I could not imagine the story ending in a better way. If you enjoy historical fiction but haven’t read this series, what are you waiting for? After thirteen books, this one’s about as good as they come.