The ninth century is coming to a close. King Alfred is dying, and his young son Edward is untested on the battlefield. Alfred wants Uhtred to swear his loyalty to his son Edward, but Uhtred wants to be free to recapture his beloved Bebbanburg. The Danes, led by the warrior Harald Bloodhair are on the warpath—just a typical mission for our intrepid Saxon lord who was raised by Danes warrior Uhtred of Bebbanburg. However, there is always a catch, and the major obstacle in his path is a fair woman with a fiery temper named Skade. How can one woman and her plans make Uhtred of Bebbanburg quake in his boots? Book number 5 in the Saxon Stories, “The Burning Land” by Bernard Cornwell, holds all the answers in the next adventure for Uhtred and his men.
We begin our latest adventure with Uhtred as he embarks on a journey in his ship Seolferwulf to make a deal with Jarl Haesten in Alfred’s name. There, we first hear the names Harald Bloodhair and Skade as Haesten warns our hero to be wary of what they will do. As Uhtred and his men raid another town, they come across the sorceress Skade and bring her to the court of Alfred to lure Harald out of hiding to have one epic battle to protect Wessex.
Uhtred’s plan works well, and he does secure a significant victory, but success comes with a heavy price. Skade is furious and curses Uhtred, which he laughs off until he discovers that his wife, Gisela, and their third child died during childbirth. We have seen Uhtred go through so many moments of grief and loss, but this moment pushes him over the edge and causes him to lose control. Uhtred’s actions are so deplorable in front of King Alfred and his court that he is banished, and his children are taken away from his care to be raised as Christians, against Uhtred’s wishes.
Here, Uhtred’s loyalty to Alfred and his family is tested as he is reunited with his friends Ragnar and Brida. He is given a choice on whether to stay loyal to the king he has served for years or to join his Danish family once again. I wouldn’t have blamed him if he abandoned Alfred and Edward to join Ragnar and Brida. Still, an unexpected person calls for his aid, that person being Aethelflaed, the one person in Alfred’s family that he cares about. The final battle in this book cements where Uhtred’s loyalty will remain, but it will also be challenging for Uhtred.
Cornwell continues to weave a fascinating tale of sorrow, woe, and triumphs for the fearless Uhtred of Bebbanburg. Another delightful adventure with Uhtred of Bebbanburg; if you have been reading the Saxon Stories, I recommend you read book 5, “The Burning Land” by Bernard Cornwell.
The year is 855, and the country that one day will be known as England is relatively peaceful. The Danes have their kingdom in the north, while the Saxons, under King Alfred, rule Wessex in the south. Uhtred of Bebbanburg, a Saxon man raised by Danish warriors, lives with his wife Gisela and his children in Wessex, where he is sworn to protect Alfred and his family. It is a touchy alliance, but when rumors about a dead man speaking reach Uhtred’s home, he knows that he must pick up Serpent-Breath once again and make a choice that could change the direction of England as a whole. What do the dead man and new Viking invaders have in plan for Uhtred, and how will it affect Wessex and the rule of King Alfred? Another engaging adventure for Uhtred of Bebbanburg is book four of The Saxon Tales, “Sword Song” by Bernard Cornwell.
King Alfred and Uhtred have achieved a massive victory over the Danes, and as a reward, Alfred has allowed Uhtred to be free of his allegiance. Now, Uhtred travels north to his home, yet fate throws this hero another curveball. He encounters an enslaved person who claims to be the King of Northumbria named Guthred. This chance meeting sends Uhtred on a journey across the seas against his will and to finally face off against Kjartan the Cruel, who captured his stepsister Thyra. Bernard Cornwell takes his readers on another whirlwind adventure into 9th century England with Uhtred of Bebbanburg in the third novel of the Saxon Stories series, “Lords of the North.”
Adventures of a Tudor Nerd 