War of the Wolf

Still snarling after all these years, Uhtred Uhtredson of Bebbanburg charges again across the Northumbrian landscape in this 11th installment of Cornwell's "Saxon Tales" series (The Flame Bearer; Warriors of the Storm). Haunted by the murder of his daughter and an opponent's blind sorcerer, the intrepid swordsman is at first perplexed by the depradations of Norse refugees from Ireland. The political intrigue of early tenth-century England and its many power centers is equally as vexing. As he chases down his elusive foe, Uhtred detours to the councils of King Edward, before heading off to the ultimate battle. At the end, he finds himself aging, weary, wounded, and facing an impregnable fortress. Yet he lives to tell the tale. Once again, Cornwell has placed his irascible and cunning hero in the midst of personal and political conflict and provided another exciting story.