THE BURNING LAND

Since I didn't read any of Bernard Cornwell's previous Saxon Tales, I was intrigued to find out if I could read this fifth book as a stand alone novel. The answer is yes! It is so fluent that there is no need to look up the four previous Saxon Tales for missing information. Well done, Mr. Cornwell. I've often wondered how the author could juggle this series, the Sharpe novels, the Grail Quest series, three other series, and seven stand alone novels without getting confused! All of these novels occur during different periods in the birth of England. Bernard Cornwell remains the historical fiction genius throughout the literary world.

This tale occurs around the year 892 with the continuing story of Uhtred of Bebbanburg, a pagan warlord under oath to the Christian King of Wessex named Alfred. How many of these facts are true is conjecture. We learn that Uhtred is a brilliant leader during the battle for Fearnhamme against the invading Danes (Vikings) led by the furious Harald Bloodhair. The description of the hand to hand combat is done in pure vintage Cornwell clarity.

After the battle, Uhtred is goaded into killing a priest in front of King Alfred and his many clergy cohorts. He breaks his oath to the King and flees north towards Northumbria with some of his loyal followers. There, he meets up with his foster brother Ragnar, Lord of Durham. Wanting to dispose of his uncle at his rightful castle in Bebbanburg, Uhtred is instead cajoled into joing forces with the Danes to end the Christian rule in Wessex once and for all. The rest of the story is classic Saxon versus Dane or Christian versus Pagan. You will have to read this magnificent story yourself to find out what happens in the exciting climax with many twist and turns in the final battles.

The novel is deep and rich in wonderful characters, such as: Aethelflaed, the daughter of Alfred; Haesten, the Dane pirate; and Skade, the most vicious sorceress ever known. This is the fourth book that I've read by Cornwell, and it doesn't disappoint. Like I've said before - can this man describe medieval combat or what?

RATING: 5 out of 5 stars

Comment: According to Cornwell, there are at least three more Saxon Tale novels to come. The first five focus on Alfred the Great's reign during the ninth century. Uhtred was an English orphan living in Northumbria and adopted by a Dane. This is why Uhtred was brought up as a follower of Thor instead of Christ. The remains of participants involved in the book's final battle were found underground when a railway line was being built in the middle of the nineteenth century.