Hello Mr. Cornwell,

I’ve just finished The Pagan Lord and would like to say that by far, the speech Uhtred gives when he enters the hall where Cnut’s wife is is simply mesmerising. So far, in the previous books, Uhtred’s first fight, where he breaks the shield wall and makes his first kill was my favourite scene. The intensity of the moment, the joy of battle, all is felt by the reader. But still it does not compare with this speech. I’m going to write it here, with some subtle changes, just for the sake of better illustration of the scene, feel free to remove this if you think this is somehow an infringement to any copyright law:

“I died, and died without a sword in my hand, so I was sent to Hel and heard her dark cockerels crowing! They announced my coming, and the Corpse-Ripper came for me.” I took a pace toward him and he stepped back. “The Corpse-Ripper, all rotted flesh peeling from his yellow bones and his eyes like fire and his teeth like horns and his claws like gelding knives. And there was a bone in the floor, a thighbone, and I picked it up and I ripped it to a point with my own teeth and the I slew him”. I hefted Serpent-Breath. “I am the dead come to collect the living. Now kick you swords, spears, shields and helmets toward the door”

As we say it in my region: the guy who would’ve heard this from a man he believe dead was standing in front of him in a bloodied battle-glory, his longsword glistering with fresh blood, would have surely filled his boots with shit.

Thanks for this awesome story.

Cheers,

Rafael