Tag: Saxons

Book Review: “The Burning Land”(Book Five of the Saxon Stories series) by Bernard Cornwell

On By hmalagisiIn Book ReviewsLeave a comment

the burThe 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.

Guest Post: “Viking England during the life of Earl Godwine” by Mercedes Rochelle

On By hmalagisiIn Uncategorized1 Comment

The Last Great Earls Tour Banner 1I am pleased to welcome Mercedes Rochelle to my blog today to discuss Viking England during the life of Earl Godwine, as part of the blog tour for her novel, “Godwine Kingmaker” of The Last Great Saxon Earls series. I would like to thank Mercedes Rochelle and The Coffer Pot Book Club, for allowing me to be part of this tour.

During Godwine’s rise to power, England lived under Danish rule from 1016-1042, though for some reason we rarely talk about it. That’s a whole generation! Sweyn Forkbeard conquered England in 1013 and was declared king, sending Aethelred the Unready into exile to Normandy along with his sons Edward and Alfred. But mysteriously, Sweyn died after only five weeks on the throne, and the Danelaw immediately declared his second son Canute king of England. However, the southerners had other ideas and recalled Aethelred, who gladly returned and drove the usurper out. This didn’t last long!

By late 1015, Canute came back with a large mercenary army and Wessex submitted to him, although Aethelred was still alive and sulking in London, leaving his son Edmund Ironside to fight his battles. This, too, didn’t last long; King Aethelred took his last breath on 23 April 1016, and London declared Edmund king. Now England had two kings, and so began a treacherous struggle marked by five major battles, men changing sides, a siege of London—where Canute was said to have dug a trench around the city—and many, many dead warriors.

Although Edmund stoutly aided London in its defense against the Danes, he frequently left the city in order to draw Canute away from his siege. It is said Ironside raised five armies that year–one for each battle. The last and most important, the Battle of Assandun took place on October 18 and ended in disaster for the Saxons because of the treachery of Eadric Streona, who took to flight with his forces and turned the tide against Edmund.

This time Canute was determined to end the conflicts. The Saxons withdrew but the Danes followed them up the Severn River into Gloucestershire, finally stopping at an island called Olney (or Alney). There, in deference to the chieftains of the land who had had enough (led by Eadric Streona, who somehow retained the goodwill of Edmund Ironside), the two Kings decided to solve the issue by single combat. This legend comes down to us through the chroniclers, as unlikely as it sounds.

canute the dane
Combat between Canute the Dane and Edmund Ironside, Matthew Paris, Chronica Maiora, Cambridge, Corpus Christi, 26, f. 160 (Wikipedia)

The Saxon King was said to have been the stronger fighter and soon hammered the Dane, breaking his shield and beating him down when Canute called a stop to the fight. “Bravest of youths,” he cried out, “why should either of us risk his life for the sake of a crown?” Edmund paused, considering. “Let us be brothers by adoption,” the Dane continued, “and divide the kingdom, governing so that I may rule your affairs, and you mine.” (Florence of Worcester). 

The single combat story is probably apocryphal, but the ensuing treaty is not. According to their agreement, Canute was to rule Northumbria and Danish Mercia, while Edmund was the ruler of Wessex, Essex, East Anglia, and English Mercia. It’s unclear who was supposed to rule London (I found it stated both ways), but in the end, the Londoners were obliged to come up with their own tribute payment to Canute and permit him to anchor his ships in the Thames for the winter, so I guess the result speaks for itself.

Most importantly, it was stated that this treaty excluded brothers and children of the two Kings; if either was to die, all the possessions would revert to the other. And so when Edmund Ironside died suddenly in the winter of 1016, Canute took the crown and made sure to bring the witnesses forward to confirm the terms of the treaty. An exhausted England accepted his claim without demurring. Canute sent Edmund’s children, Edward and Edmund Aetheling, to the King of Sweden in the hopes that they would be murdered, but instead, they were whisked away to Hungary for safekeeping. Then, in a gesture calculated to appease his new countrymen, Canute married Aethelred’s widow, Emma, making a deal with her that their children from previous marriages would be passed over in favor of any issue of their own. This agreement disinherited Edward and Alfred (safely in Normandy) and Canute’s son Harold Harefoot by his handfasted wife Aelfgifu of Northampton. Emma gave birth to Harthacnut, who was sent to Denmark when he was only eight years old as Canute’s representative under a council led by his brother-in-law Ulf. We don’t see him in England again until 1040.

Godwine Kingmaker CoverBlurb:

They showed so much promise. What happened to the Godwines? How did they lose their grip? Who was this Godwine anyway, the first Earl of Wessex and known as the Kingmaker? Was he an unscrupulous schemer, using King and Witan to gain power? Or was he the greatest of all Saxon Earls, protector of the English against the hated Normans? The answer depends on who you ask.

He was befriended by the Danes, raised up by Canute the Great, and given an Earldom and a wife from the highest Danish ranks. He sired nine children, among them four Earls, a Queen, and a future King. Along with his power came a struggle to keep his enemies at bay, and Godwine’s best efforts were brought down by the misdeeds of his eldest son Swegn.

Although he became father-in-law to a reluctant Edward the Confessor, his fortunes dwindled as the Normans gained prominence at court. Driven into exile, Godwine regathered his forces and came back even stronger, only to discover that his second son Harold was destined to surpass him in renown and glory.

Buy Links:

This series is available on Kindle Unlimited

Universal Link: https://books2read.com/u/38VrJZ

Amazon UK:  https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BRQMHYWB

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BRQMHYWB

Amazon CA:  https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0BRQMHYWB

Amazon AU:  https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0BRQMHYWB

Audio:  https://www.audible.com/pd/Godwine-Kingmaker-Audiobook/B09JFJCY3G

Mercedes RochelleAuthor Bio

Mercedes Rochelle is an ardent lover of medieval history and has channeled this interest into fiction writing. She believes that good Historical Fiction, or Faction as it’s coming to be known, is an excellent way to introduce the subject to curious readers. She also writes a blog: HistoricalBritainBlog.com to explore the history behind the story.

Born in St. Louis, MO, she received her BA in Literature at the Univ. of Missouri St. Louis in 1979 then moved to New York in 1982 while in her mid-20s to “see the world”. The search hasn’t ended!

Today she lives in Sergeantsville, NJ with her husband in a log home they had built themselves.

Social Media Links:

Website: https://mercedesrochelle.com/

Twitter:   https://twitter.com/authorrochelle

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mercedesrochelle.net

Book Bub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/mercedes-rochelle

Amazon Author Page:   https://www.amazon.com/stores/Mercedes-Rochelle/author/B001KMG5P6

Goodreads:   https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1696491.Mercedes_Rochelle

Book Review: “The Pale Horseman (Book Two of the Saxon Stories series) by Bernard Cornwell

On By hmalagisiIn Book Reviews1 Comment

68528._SY475_England is in danger of falling to its Danish invaders. The kingdoms of East Anglia, Northumbria, and Mercia have already fallen; all that stands in the way of complete Danish domination is Wessex and its king Alfred. Yet this king is more of a saint than a warrior, so Alfred desperately needs a man who knows how to fight. A man like Uhtred of Bebbanburg is a skilled warrior even though he doesn’t always see eye to eye with Alfred on matters of faith. When Alfred and his family become fugitives, he must rely on Uhtred to help restore him and his family to ensure Wessex does not fall. This is the premise of book two of The Saxon Stories series by Bernard Cornwell, “The Pale Horseman.”

Cornwell begins this book where we left off in “The Last Kingdom” after the battle of Cynuit and the death of Ubba by Uhtred. Uhtred believes that he will be treated as a hero by Alfred and will receive rewards, but he is wrong. Instead of going straight to Alfred after the battle, Uhtred dallies to rescue his Christian wife Mildrith and his son Uhtred, which allows his rival Odda the Younger to take credit for Ubba’s death. Furious at his king, Alfred shows how naive he is, forcing Alfred to humiliate Uhtred in front of the entire royal court by penance; Uhtred decides to take his men and his friend Leofric on some raids in the northern part of England.

Uhtred falls for the beguiling beauty and shadow queen Iseult during this raiding expedition, even though he still has a wife and child at home. Torn between his sworn loyalty to the Saxons through Alfred and the love for the Danes that raised him as a boy and taught him to fight, Uhtred must find his path and follow his destiny wherever it may lead. Unfortunately, destiny’s path for Uhtred and Alfred led to the near-collapse of Wessex when the Danes invaded, forcing Alfred and his family to seek refuge in the most unlikely of locations, in the middle of a swamp. It is here when everything seems so dark, and all hope is lost when Alfred and Uhtred choose to bury the hatchet for the time being and fight for an idea of a united England.

Cornwell expanded the world of Uhtred and Alfred to give us a glimpse of the conflicts that shaped England in the 9th century. With the growing conflicts, Cornwell grows his colorful cast of characters. We are introduced to Aethelwold, the slimy nephew of Alfred who desires the crown., the warrior nun Hild who is willing to fight for what she believes, and the vicious Viking leader Steapa. With new conflicts come new elements of grief, loss, rage, and renewing hope in our characters as they struggle to survive in such a turbulent time.

If you want to embark on another adventure with Uhtred of Bebbanburg after reading “The Last Kingdom,” I recommend reading “The Pale Horseman” by Bernard Cornwell. I enjoyed “The Pale Horseman” just as I did when I read “The Last Kingdom.” Cornwell’s writing style is so engaging that sometimes it didn’t feel like I was reading but watching these stories play out on the page.