The Flame Bearer

Title: The Flame Bearer

Author: Bernard Cornwell

Publisher: HarperCollins
Year: 2016
Pages: 284
Series: The Last Kingdom/ The Saxon Stories #10
Genre: Historical Fiction

Reading Time: 20 July - 7 October

Binding: Kindle
Goodreads

Stars:
★★★★★

Blurb:

 From the day it was stolen from me I had dreamed of recapturing Bebbanburg. The great fort was built on a rock that was almost an island, it was massive, it could only be approached on land by a single narrow track - and it was mine.

 Britain is in a state if uneasy peace. Northumbria's Viking ruler, Sigtryggr, and Mercia's Saxon Queen Aethelflaed have agreed a truce. And so England's greatest warrior, Uhtred of Bebbanburg, at last has the change to take back the home his traitorous uncle stole from him so many years ago - and which his scheming cousin still occupies.

 But fate is inexorable and the enemies Uhtred has made and the oaths he has sworn combine to distract him from his dream of recapturing Bebbanburg. New enemies enter into the fight for England's kingdoms: the redoubtable Constantin of Scotland seizes an opportunity for conquest and leads his armies south. Britain's precarious peace threatens to turn into a war of annihilation.

 But Uhtred is determined that nothing, neither the new enemies nor the old foes who combine against him, will keep him from his birthright. He is the Lord of Bebbanburg, but he will need all the skills he has learned in a lifetime of war to make hi dream come true.

Review:

 This is an exciting one so don't let my reading time fool you, exams and work drama in lockdown are not a good combination for reading time!

 Yes, exciting, we are headed back for Bebbanburg and my anticipation always peaks when Uhtred returns home to attempt to regain what is his. This book is full of manipulation, masterful planning and another set of battles where the stakes are wonderfully high. Probably as a result of this particular installment being almost completely fictional, Cornwell's historical note had me laughing with his sincerity of his embellishments at the end.

 Uhtred's plans, as always, are uprooted at the beginning of this book. He has oaths to uphold and kingdoms to protect before he can recapture his home. His battle on the way is the result of a sly nature and the consequences are still to be fully revealed. Uhtred's enemies seek any way in which they can remove his power but he just keeps winning.

 Some of our other main characters come back for short periods this book, Aethelflaed appears unwell and Edward is conflicted over the power of his sons, Aethelhelm continues to plan for his grandson to ascend to the throne. Finan is still fighting beside Uhtred but characters such as Oswald and Sihtric have mostly disappeared, I can't really remember why they just disappeared but their parts have never been quite as bit as the tv series.

 Our characters are getting old, old enough to use this as a disguise and old enough to worry me about how they're fairing after each of these battles. We're nearing the end of the series now and I'm really wondering how much more some of our main characters can take!