I think this one was better than the first (though I would not recommend reading them out of order). 
 Uhtred (whom I understand to be a real person whose timeline and life have been reimagined here) is so much fun to read. He is both complex and surprisingly simple. Ragnar- one of my favorite characters is also fun to read about and I'm really hoping I get to see more of him in the next book. Alfred- I never expected to like, but I kind of can't help it. The way Cornwell has written him, in the words of Russell Brand, is an "idiot savant genius". And I can't help but love him for it. 
 The end of this book is heartbreaking, but I understand why it was written this way. It had to be done. The stakes were high and the odds seemed impossible. I can't recommend this series enough.