The Empty Throne (The Warrior Chronicles Book #8) by Bernard Cornwell
2014 - HarperCollins ebook - 305 pages
“My name is Uhtred. I am the son of Uhtred, who was the son of Uhtred . . .” Britain, early tenth century AD: a time of change. There are new raids by the Vikings from Ireland, and turmoil among the Saxons over the leadership of Mercia. A younger generation is taking over. Æthelred, the ruler of Mercia, is dying, leaving no legitimate heir. The West Saxons want their king, but Uhtred has long supported Athelflaed, sister to King Edward of Wessex and wife of Aethelred. Widely loved and respected, Athelflaed has all the makings of a leader—but could Saxon warriors ever accept a woman as their ruler? The stage is set for rivals to fight for the empty throne.
I'm slightly shocked that I read the seventh book in this series back in January. Can't believe it's been that long. Where has this year gone?
Anyway, returning to the series with this eighth entry was great. Picking up a while after the brilliant finale to the previous novel, The Pagan Lord, here we find Uhtred to be feeling his age, for various spoilery reasons. Cornwell's characters are always engaging and here he gives Uhtred a world-weary edge that sees his relationships with others gain a pleasing warmth. The other characters aren't short-changed either. I've always loved the banter between Uhtred and Finan and here it goes above and beyond, full of witty one-liners and a level of trust that comes from their shared experiences. Additionally, Cornwell brings Uhtred's son (called Uhtred, of course!) and daughter, Stiorra, to the fore, and his development of them - particularly Stiorra - is wonderful.
There's less action in this one than in previous entries, and I didn't mind a bit, because the characterisation, the setting, the atmosphere, and the history is so rich. When the action does come it is thrilling, but it is far from the be-all and end-all of this novel.
Apart from a brief dip in interest around book five, The Burning Land, this series has never failed to entertain me, and the last couple of books and been bang on form. The Empty Throne is, for me, one of the best instalments in the series so far.