Dear Mr. Cornwell,
I am a tremendous fan of your Saxon novels, and have enjoyed much of your other work as well – but Uhtred is always my favorite. I just finished The Pagan Lord about an hour ago, and find myself worried about Uhtred for the first time. Obviously, he’s terribly wounded, and unable to communicate, but Gisela’s image has faded away, and I assume he will return to the land of the living. I am relieved about that; somehow it is very important to me that Uhtred have the closure of regaining Bebbanburg, which perhaps you will allow him to do.
You say at the end of your historical note that the final “victory will be won by Aethalstan….and Uhtred will be there to witness it.” I’m torn by your ambiguity here, which I assume is deliberate. Edward and Aithelflaed will both be dead, and I find myself worried that it is our Uhtred’s son who will be there. Perhaps he will be fighting, and Uhtred the Elder will witness the final victory. I realize my worry is pointless, and that I must trust you to take good care of our boy (I think of the boy kidnapped by Ragnar when he was 10).
I really like your female characters. In so many historical novels centering around war, the female characters are two dimensional and uninteresting, they tend to scream a lot, or get kidnapped frequently. Your female characters hold their own with the men in all ways except rowing or fighting with a sword. I particularly enjoy Aethelflaed, and have looked her up and read about her. I’m so glad that her dreadful husband is finally going to exit the picture. I always feel as though I can just watch the clever wheels go round and round in her head, just as they did in her father’s.
I’ve read in your comments and questions sections that you are at work on the sequel, and am happy to hear that. I am happy to know that, as you said at the end of The Last Kingdom, “Uhtred will campaign again.”
One note of little importance, except to me. I love your physical descriptions of the characters, including those of Uhtred himself, this huge, strong, blond man, a “man of metal,” I think you described him once. I didn’t have a good mental image of him for quite a long time, until (don’t laugh please, Mr. Cornwell) I watched the Marvel movies with Chris Hemsworth, all 6’3′ of him, playing Thor. When I first saw him, I laughed in recognition, and thought, “there’s my Uhtred!” I think Uhtred would enjoy being compared physically with Thor, don’t you?
Thank you so much for all the pleasure you’ve brought me in reading your books. Keep up the great work, and please take care of our Uhtred for me.
Sincerely,
Susan Bennett Brady
Grasonville, MD USA