Book info

• Title Warriors of the Storm
• Author Bernard Cornwell
• Year 2015
• Genre Historical

A fragile peace is about to be broken... King Alfred’s son Edward and formidable daughter, Æthelflaed, rule Wessex, Mercia and East Anglia. But all around the restless Northmen, eyeing the rich lands and wealthy churches, are mounting raids. Uhtred of Bebbanburg, the kingdoms’ greatest warrior, controls northern Mercia from the strongly fortified city of Chester. But forces are rising up against him. Northmen allied to the Irish, led by the fierce warrior Ragnall Ivarson, are soon joined by the Northumbrians, and their strength could prove overwhelming. Despite the gathering threat, both Edward and Æthelflaed are reluctant to move out of the safety of their fortifications. But with Uhtred’s own daughter married to Ivarson’s brother, who can be trusted? In the struggle between family and loyalty, between personal ambition and political commitment, there will be no easy path. But a man with a warrior’s courage may be able to find it. Such a man is Uhtred,and this may be his finest hour.

Thoughts

This book was one of the best so far, with a great intro that grabs you and throws you straight into the action. As always, there’s lots of characters and situations and things happening that I don’t always follow, but what I do get, I like. We also got to learn more about Finan’s past, and he’s such a great character (a fan favourite apparently), I was entranced by those sections. Uhtred continues to lead us through the various battles and situations and although you can tell he’s getting older, more world-weary, there’s still a lot of fight left in him!

Rating: 3 / 5