I’ve read both the Arthur trilogy and all of the Saxon Chronicles.  uhtred has quickly become one of my all time favorite characters, especially when he’s being an arseling.   Your description of the battles in incredible, if a bit repetitive.  But then, most battles at the time probably came down to the same things the shield wall, the man in front of you stinking of mead, and the smells.  I think that it’s much better than the typical method most writers employ where the battle sounds more like some huge dance instead of men shoving against each other trying to rip the enemy’s guts out.  Uthred’s fallibility is also refreshing.  Too many protagonists rarely make a mistake, and when they do they’re humbled but somehow come out smelling like a rose anyway.  I thoroughly enjoyed them all, and look forward to Uthred’s next (last?) adventure.  The parallel between Uthred/Brida and Derfel/Nimue was well done, too.

Chad Cranmer