The burning land

After taking a break from his best-selling Saxon Chronicles series to write the stand-alone Agincourt (2009), Cornwell revisits ninth-century Britain to continue the story of Uhtred, the morally and emotionally conflicted Saxon-born, Danish-bred prince who was kidnapped and trained in the arts of war by his captors. Reluctantly committed to King Alfred of Wessex, Uhtred is still plagued by divided loyalties that continue to influence his actions and reactions both on and off the battlefield. After an embittered and overlooked Uhtred finally sets off on his own, determined to reclaim Bebbanburg, his ancestral home in Northumbria, Harald Bloodhair makes a play for the aging and debilitated Alfred's throne. Called back into service by Alfred's daughter, Uhtred meets and defeats the Viking warrior at the Battle of Farnham. Once again, Cornwell, a master of martial fiction, makes history come alive with his rousing battlefield scenes. Since the future of a united Britain is left hanging in the balance, keep on the lookout for further installments.--Flanagan, Margaret Copyright 2010 Booklist

Slathered in blood and gore, Saxon warlord Uhtred of Bebbanburg hacks his way through the ninth century in the exciting fifth installment to bestseller Cornwell's Saxon Tales series (following Sword Song). This action-packed novel continues the saga of warfare for supremacy in Britain, a brutal period when Saxon and Danish swords, battleaxes, and treachery ruled the day. By now, Alfred the Great is old and feeble, unwilling and unable to repel the Danish invaders. He relies on trusty pagan warlord Uhtred, but Uhtred's temper and an unexpected violent act force Uhtred to break his oath of loyalty to Alfred and flee north with his men, intending to reclaim his ancestral home. En route, they face marauding Danish armies, betrayal, battles for a pirate treasure, and the curse of a vicious Danish witch, only to eventually be manipulated back into fighting for Alfred. Vivid descriptions of merciless battlefield slaughter, rape, and destruction are artfully related by a masterful storyteller. Uhtred is victorious in some battles, but the outcome of others will have to wait for the sequel. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Uhtred the Warlord is the irreverent and conflicted hero of Cornwell's Saxon Tales saga about Alfred the Great. In the fifth volume (after Sword Song), both he and England are in peril. The Saxons and the Danes are at war, and this puts Uhtred in a precarious position. Worse, he is an unrepentant pagan in a world that is becoming aggressively Christian. After tragedy strikes, he is exiled and determines once again to become a Viking, retrieve the mighty fortress that is his heritage, and get away from not-so-merry England. However, fate pulls him back to help protect the kingdom of Mercia from the Danes. Almost unwillingly, Uhtred becomes a major player in an extremely violent and exciting period of English history. Verdict The prolific Cornwell (Agincourt) has been described as a master of historical fiction, but that may be an understatement. Cornwell makes his subject material come alive. Better, his major protagonist is totally believable and human, if incredibly violent. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 9/15/09.]-Robert Conroy, Warren, MI (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.