Extremely readable historical fiction ostensibly told by Uhtred himself. The conversational aspects are actually double-sided though. On the one hand, it allows for some compelling, even fast-paced story telling. On the other, because he’s forced to learn to read and write and it’s fairly heavily insinuated what we’re reading is his account, there’s a dissonance created with the device. Uhtred comments on things he really wouldn’t for the benefit of the reader, and it only grows when his ostensible recollections become more like omniscient wonderings that no longer compartmentalize the character. 

Having seen the show, I knew all of the plot beats already, and not much more, weirdly, was added to the story in this medium. It’s very cinematic and rarely do we get all that much insight into the times and lives of the people. When we do, again, it creates some dissonance, as Uhtred basically goes out of his way from telling a camp fire story, to explaining granular idiocentric historical details.   

It’s a very fun, almost short, good time, though. With the book end events very much feeling like more-or-less a pin holding in the tale, and not like a self contained fully fledged plot I’d prefer from series.