Lords of the North

The Saxon Chronicles, Book 3

By: Bernard Cornwell

Narrated by: Tom Sellwood

Length: 13 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

The year is 878, and the Saxons of Wessex, under King Alfred, have defeated the Danes to keep their kingdom free. Uhtred, the dispossessed son of a Northumbrian lord, helped Alfred win that victory, but now he is disgusted by Alfred's lack of generosity. Uhtred flees Wessex, going north to search for his stepsister in the formidable stronghold of Dunholm.

Uhtred arrives in the north to discover rebellion, chaos, and fear. His only ally is Hild, a West Saxon nun fleeing her calling, and his best hope is his sword. Needing other allies, he chooses Guthred, a seemingly deluded slave who believes he is a king. Together they cross the Pennines to where a desperate alliance of fanatical Christians and beleaguered Danes form a new army to confront the terrible Viking lords who rule Northumbria. Instead of victory, Uhtred finds betrayal. But he also discovers love and redemption as he is forced to turn once again to his reluctant ally, Alfred the Great.

A breathtaking adventure, Lords of the North is also the story of the creation of modern England, as the English and Danes gradually become one people, adopting each other's languages and fighting side by side.

Ready for battle? Don't miss the rest of the Saxon Chronicles Series, including The Last Kingdom (Book 1), The Pale Horseman (Book 2), and Sword Song (Book 4).

©2007 by Bernard Cornwell (P)2007 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

"Cornwell...breathes life into ancient history with disarming ease, peppering it with humor and even innocence." (Publishers Weekly)

sad that Johnathan Keeble didn't read this one

good story, OK narration
I much prefer Johnathan keeble. tom Sellwood was alright. didn't have the same effect however

Great story, okay performance.

The story was fantastic, but I'm a bit disappointed with the switch of narrator. Jonathan Keeble really brought the character of Uhtred to life in the prior books. He sounded like an old grizzled warrior telling the tales of his life by the fire. Sellwood on the other hand did a relatively decent enough job I suppose, but he reads the character like a much younger man. Perhaps it wouldn't have been that bad if he would have been the narrator from the beginning, but he just couldn't quite fill Keeble's shoes.

Great book!

I absolutely love the Saxon series so far. The story is fantastic! The narrator of this book is different from the first two books, and the difference is striking. Although I prefer the deep snarling voice of Utred from the previous books, this performance is still well done. It took a bit to get used to the new voice, but by the end of chapter one, I was good. I would recommend this book to anyone

Excellent story. Not the right Narrator

I enjoyed the story, but Johnathon Keebler’s rough voice is MUCH better for this type of book.

Another hit in the series BUT horrid narrator

Let me first say that narration of this book was horrible. Halfway through I decided to return the book & get the physical copy from the library. I loved the narration of the first two books, but this narrator didn’t have the same qualities.

The book itself was good, carried the series along nicely & I can’t wait for the next!

Performance slippage

Reader just ok.hggh KKK gfddsdhhczsogfdxu huh bug xddfxch gf z ac khfk FCC dsufss hi ogxx SD kfzf dc iffg hi sjg if

Great addition to the series, decent narratot

The story was great. The new narrator doesn't quite land the characters' voices like before.

One small issue

I really liked the voice actor from the first 2 books a lot more. This gentleman does a fine job but he sounds like a younger man....which breaks emersion a bit because the story is being told from an old man's point of view reflecting on the past.

Great story telling

The author is masterful with using historical, factual details and mixing these with creative story telling to create a world and spin a gripping tale…. This narrator was not the best choice for this book though

Great story but change of narrator was not good

I love the Uhtred stories having read each book when they were first published. The change in narrator didn’t capture the heart of the stories characters