The Burning Land
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Average rating3.7
The latest in the bestselling Alfred series from number one historical novelist, Bernard Cornwell.In the last years of the ninth century, King Alfred of Wessex is in failing health, and his heir is an untested youth. The Danes, who have failed so many times to conquer Wessex, smell opportunity...First comes Harald Bloodhair, a savage warrior leading a Viking horde, who is encouraged to cruelty by his woman, Skade. But Alfred still has the services of Uhtred, his unwilling warlord, who leads Harald into a trap and, at Farnham in Surrey, inflicts one of the greatest defeats the Vikings were ever to suffer.This novel, the fifth in the magnificent series of England's history tells of the final assaults on Alfred's Wessex, that Wessex survived to become England is because men like Uhtred defeated an enemy feared throughout Christendom.
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Executive Summary: Another enjoyable read in this series. These books are always quick reads that seem so packed with story.
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It feels a bit contradictory to say this book had a slow start, while still being a quick enjoyable read. I'd be hard pressed to say exactly what happened for most of the first part of this book of importance, but the rest of the book more than made up for that. Not to mention he does it in a way where it never feels rushed.
Mr. Cornwell just seems to be an expert and packing plot development and action into the minimum amount of words. You won't get flowerly prose, or excessive description. In return you're rewarded with a tight, and normally well-paced story.
As with previous books, I continue to love Uthred and despise Alfred, but it's the secondary characters that make it for me. There are so many to note: Ragnar, Gisela, Brida, Steapa, Aethelfaed, Osferth, Father Pyrlig, Finan, and of course Brother Beocca. I'm especially fond of Ragnar and Steapa. This book is full of strong women in a time period where it seems the history books would have us believe none existed. I think he does an especially great job with Alfred's daughter Aethelfaed.
Mr. Cornwell continues to blend history and fiction in such a way to leave me wondering how much is history and how much is fiction. These are always great stories. I'd read more history books if they were written by Mr. Cornwell. Despite knowing some of how things end up, I worry every time Uthred goes into battle.
I want to jump right into the next book. Things don't exactly end up on a cliffhanger, but certainly there is much at hand to resolve. I fear for some of the things that may come to pass in the next book, but yet I can't wait to read it. I'll be sad when I catch up on this series because it's so enjoyable.
