The Flame Bearer (The Last Kingdom Series, Book 10)

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Our hero is Uhtred, a good-hearted lout with a pleasantly sour disposition; he s like a 9th century Han Solo. -- Time" I really enjoyed this read, though not as strong as the last few, but that’s probably because I’ve been binging them. The tension did build excellently however, and the ending is gripping and bloody. Exactly what we love to see in an Uhtred story.

Astonishing storytelling skills. Bernard Cornwell brought 9th and 10th century England alive for me. But fate is inexorable, and the enemies Uhtred has made and the oaths he has sworn conspire to distract him from his dream of recapturing his home. 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. Yet Uhtred is determined that nothing—neither the new adversaries nor the old foes who combine against him—will keep him from his birthright. Unforgettable narrator. Uhtred of Bebbanburg is unapologetic and ruthless yet lovable and admiration worthy character with brilliant military strategic mind. He is a true hero!Strong narrative, vigourous action and striking characterisation, Cornwell remains king of the territory he has staked out as his own' SUNDAY TIMES Did it come easily - nah, does it ever come easy for Uthred? Nope- he’s got so many enemies. There’s a ton of obstacles to get past in this installment. You’ve got his cousin Uthred, who is currently the Lord of Bebbanburg, a Viking Lord- Einar the White, a Pirate- the Mad Bishop, Aethelhelm the West Saxon Noble, Constantine the King of Scotland and more. A fragile peace governs the kingdoms of Wessex, East Anglia, under the rule of the late King Alfred’s son, King Edward, and Mercia, under his daughter Aethelflaed. Utred’s son-in-law, Sigtryggr, has the kingship of Northumbria (the remaining pagan portion of the future England). It is this last piece that has Utred, for the first time in decades, allied with pagans who worship Odin rather than the Saxons who worship “the nailed god.” It has also raised his hopes of overcoming his cousin and reclaiming Bebbanburg. Now, at this particular time with so much in the balance there are opportunities for wealth and power that few can resist. Will Uhtred prevail? Can he do so and keep his oath to Aethelflaed? Can he secure Northumbria for his daughter and son-in-law? How much of a chance do the Danes and Norse have against an increasingly powerful Saxon alliance? The Flame Bearer, the tenth of the Saxon Stories of Uhtred of Bebbanburg, is a triumphant return from what I have always considered one of my favourite fictional book series, but also a series I had feared had grown stale. Although The Flame Bearer a little quieter than the previous books, it feels like the calm before the storm, and the ending is just simply fantastic. Uhtred has about him his loveable cast of friends and together, they begin to plan the capture of his birthright.

Earl Haesten– A Danish Jarl (earl), who previously broke a life-oath to Uhtred who is now a dangerous enemy, seemingly based on a Viking leader of the same name recorded in the Anglo-Saxon ChronicleDon’t get me wrong here; this is still a great addition to the series, but it would’ve been so much better if this is the end of the series; Cornwell could’ve easily worked it into making this the final book. I mean, he even admitted that almost the entirety of this novel, unlike the previous books, is fictional. So overall, The Flame Bearer has a powerful start and ending, but unfortunately, the unnecessary fillers underwhelm the quality of this great book. And despite my mixed feelings—mostly complaining—about this installment, I will read the remaining three books, too. I might as well now that I’m this far into the series already. I’m sure the last volume in the series will be terrific, but I’ll keep my expectations low for the next two books before that. Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing! We do not fear. We strut. We go to battle like heroes. We stink of shit. But we endure the horror because we must protect our women, keep our children from slavery, and guard our homes. So the screaming will never end, not till time itself ends.” Moreover, I loved author’s note at the end of every book where author explained which parts were based on historical facts and which parts of his novel he made up.

One quote: "I doubt that I shall ever understand Christianity. 'Thou shalt not kill!' their priests teach, then encourage warriors to give battle against the heathen or even against other Christians if there is a half-chance of gaining land, slaves or silver. Father Beocca had taught me the nailed god's ten commandments, but I had long learned that the chief commandment of the Christians was 'Thou shalt make my priests wealthy." 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.

I have to say, I found the scenes between Uhtred and Constantin to be some of the most enjoyable scenes between two characters of the whole series to date. Well, at least of those I can recall and I am sure there are other 'greats' and after ten books, I simply do not remember them. But Constantin is such a character, a good match for Uhtred, and Cornwell plays both enigmatic characters off each other so well. Norwegian novelist Jacobsen folds a quietly powerful coming-of-age story into a rendition of daily life on one of Norway’s rural islands a hundred years ago in a novel that was shortlisted for the 2017 Man Booker International Prize.

Uhtred fails again to capture Bebbanburg. His son-in-law, the pagan warlord Sigtryggr, king of Northumbria, asks for help against invading West Saxons who seem intent on breaking the recent truce with Aethelflaed, the ruler of Mercia and King Edward of Wessex’s sister. Uhtred’s men are outnumbered by invading Scots led by Constantin intent on making Bebbanburg their own. However, Uhtred's cousin is willing to wait out the siege behind the nearly impregnable walls of his fortress. War and fight scenes are chillingly realistic. I really felt like I was there with Uhtred, fighting every new enemy or being part of countless shield wars. I have been following the story of Uhtred of Babbenberg since the first book in the Saxon Stories. In this book Uhtred achieves his goal he has had since book one. The tenth entry of the Saxon Chronicles is a gripping addition that edges Uhtred closer and closer to his ultimate goal of taking Bebbanburg. Matt Bates can do any accent and does most of them superbly. There is usually a large cast in these books and Bates can rise to the challenge. He is particularly good at subtle inflection changes pertaining to dry humor.There's not a whole lot I can say about this book that isn't just straight up plot spoilers, but it did remind me why I've enjoyed the series so much. I was mostly reading this book 1 chapter at a time, but there was a night where the book was too good to put down and by the end of the book the final part was very enjoyable. The Saxon Chronicles has been a historical fiction series following the story of King Aaelfred the Great of Wessex and his offspring. Unlike the other books in the series, Cornwell does not have to worry about historical accuracy in this book. In this book, he can allow his imagination to run free. Of course, he still stays within the historical parameters of his series. Uhtred recaptures his Babbenberg home, land and titles.