THE PALE HORSEMAN

In this novel about the struggle of medieval King Alfred and the nucleus of a future England against invading Danes, Tom Sellwood represents historical dialects by giving characters contemporary accents matching their provenance. The Danes sound Scandinavian, the cultured Alfred has an educated "standard" accent, and Uhtred, the hero and narrator, a fierce pagan Northumbrian accent, in which "struggle" sounds like "stroogle." His accent is at first distracting, but one soon grows used to it, and Sellwood's tactic allows him to differentiate characters well. At times, vocal characteristics are exaggerated to the point of caricature, but Cornwell's storytelling skills and Sellwood's vigorous reading keep the tale involving and entertaining to the end. W.M. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/ SEP 06]