Warriors of the Storm is the 9th book in The Last Kingdom series.  The main character is Uhtred, who understands the difference between being a monarch and being a leader.  The series deals with the wars that took place before the formation of England.  The series is loosely based on actual events – Uhtred existed, but there are disagreements about which Uhtred the fictional book series is based upon.

If you have read the other books in the series, this one is similar.  To simplify the plot, a conflict arises, Uhtred comes to save the day.  Another conflict arises, Uhtred doesn’t listen Æthelflæd and saves the day once again.  Uhtred is honorable, understands how to make people follow him, is ruthless when called for (cuts the arms off of enemies), but shows mercy when possible.

My biggest complaint about this book is that Æthelflæd appears to be an idiot.  She is so concerned with promoting Christianity that she can’t see past ruses, despite Uhtred’s warnings.  He is only able to save her from herself by openly defying her.

I would recommend this book because Uhtred is a likeable character and, despite my oversimplified summary of the plot, reading about how Uhtred solves problems and confronts conflicts was interesting.

Disclaimer: I received an advanced review copy of this book