• The Serpent Sword

  • The Bernicia Chronicles, Book 1
  • By: Matthew Harffy
  • Narrated by: Barnaby Edwards
  • Length: 12 hrs and 9 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (513 ratings)

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The Serpent Sword  By  cover art

The Serpent Sword

By: Matthew Harffy
Narrated by: Barnaby Edwards
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Publisher's summary

633AD. Anglo-Saxon Britain. A gripping, powerful, action-packed historical thriller about vengeance and coming of age. The Bernicia Chronicles are perfect for fans of Bernard Cornwell.

Beobrand is compelled by his brother's almost-certain murder to embark on a quest for revenge in the war-ravaged kingdoms of Northumbria. The land is rife with danger, as warlords vie for supremacy and dominion. In the battles for control of the region, new oaths are made and broken, and loyalties are tested to the limits. With no patronage and no experience, Beobrand must form his own allegiances and learn to fight with sword and shield.

Relentless in pursuit of his enemies, he faces challenges which transform him from a boy to a man who stands strong in the clamour and gore of the shieldwall. As he closes in on his kin's slayer and the bodies pile up, can Beobrand mete out the vengeance he craves without sacrificing his honour...or even his soul?

©2016 Matthew Harffy (P)2016 Audible, Ltd

What listeners say about The Serpent Sword

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    319
  • 4 Stars
    136
  • 3 Stars
    37
  • 2 Stars
    10
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Performance
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Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    269
  • 4 Stars
    136
  • 3 Stars
    31
  • 2 Stars
    11
  • 1 Stars
    7

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Amazing story, needs a warning in the description.

I purchased this book thinking it would be an epic story of honorable warriors accomplishing great feats of power. That's pretty much what I got. But when the author would go into detail about rape scenes and the like, it was disgusting. I saw no such warnings in the description of the book as I was contemplating the purchase, at least nothing obvious. But aside from that, it was a great book full of satisfying revenge and violence (minus the aforementioned scenes). So if there was a warning in the description notifying potential customers of the TYPES and EXTENT of violence, this would be a 5/5 star rating all-round.

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39 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic!

If you could sum up The Serpent Sword in three words, what would they be?

Taking up this book based on the comment about it being a good one for Bernard Cornwell fans, of which I am a huge fan, it started a bit slow. But I stayed with it and was rewarded by a gripping tale every bit as worthy of the genre. The tale covers a wide array of emotional tides other than revenge and grief. Mr. Harfly weaves this tale well and makes it a hard book had to put down. I look forward to the next two books to see what happens to the boy who became a warrior, Beobrand.

Have you listened to any of Barnaby Edwards’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I've never listened to any of Mr. Edwards' narrations but I am now a fan. It is difficult to remember that all of those voices are being said by one narrator and not an entire company of actors.

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15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Good tale...

Good vs evil, with good ultimately, albeit painfully, triumphing. Would not recommend for teens...they may not be ready for graphic sexual violence scenes described, although the author does not shy from such realistic aspects of that time. Worth the read...good disclaimer at the end for minor historical inaccuracies (literary privilege), although they don’t distract from the tale.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Not that great a story

Would you try another book from Matthew Harffy and/or Barnaby Edwards?

Dont think so. I found the story weak

Has The Serpent Sword turned you off from other books in this genre?

No i enjoy this genre

Have you listened to any of Barnaby Edwards’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

Did The Serpent Sword inspire you to do anything?

Certainly not to buy the 2nd book

Any additional comments?

Very weak and predictable story. Hero gets everything right all the time

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Now that was good

After listening to a few stories that didn’t hold my interest and seemed marginal at best finally I was not moved to seek a return on my credit investment

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

PRE SERIES TO BERNARD CORNWELL'S SAXON TALES

Would you consider the audio edition of The Serpent Sword to be better than the print version?

DIDN'T READ BOOK.

Who was your favorite character and why?

MAIN CHARACTER BEOBRAND. LIKE THE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT OF WHAT MAKES A MAN A WARRIOR.

Have you listened to any of Barnaby Edwards’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

HAVE NOT.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

OF COURSE THE FINAL SCENE OF MEETING HIS BROTHER'S KILLER.

Any additional comments?

THIS BOOK FEELS LIKE IT IS WRITTEN BY BERNARD CORNWELL. GREAT BOOK AND READY FOR HIS NEXT ADVENTURE.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

didn't care for it.

I wrote a really harsh review at at first however that's not fair. I feel that this story has been played out way too many times and then this is just another version of it it might be good for somebody I just didn't care for it

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Slow and unfocused

I was disappointed in the pace, and the graphic description of rape was not appreciated.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Not perfect for Cornwell fans

Where is the story here? The characters are flat and uninteresting. Plot and dialogue are meandering trails that seem to take us nowhere. Narrator is as uninteresting as the story. I wander off in my head and snap back to realize they’re still sulking in the woods or some random town. There’s not story here.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Great story

Can’t wait to listen to the others....This story was very intriguing. I never lost track of who was who and where was where. Very easy to listen to and follow. The narration is quite comforting. Gave personality to characters according to their roles. I enjoyed it very much. I did get a sense of Bernard C’s Last Kingdom.

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1 person found this helpful