The burning land

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The Burning Land (Engl. The Burning land ) is a historical novel by British writer Bernard Cornwell . The book was published by Rowohlt Verlag in 2010 in a German translation by Karolina Fell . The fictional main plot is embedded in historical events . The Burning Land is located in Wessex and Cornwall in the 9th century AD and describes the conflict between the Anglo-Saxon King Alfred von Wessex and the Danish Vikings. Historical figures like King Alfred and his son Edward are juxtaposed with fictional characters like the Anglo-Saxon Uhtred, the hero and narrator of the story.

Classification in Cornwell's series

The Burning Land is the fifth volume in a multi-part series that appears in English under the title The Saxon Stories . In German it is called Die Uhtred-Saga after its protagonist . The previous volumes are The Last Kingdom , The White Rider , The Lords of the North, and Sword Song . The series continued with The Dying King , The Gentile Prince and The Empty Throne . With Wolf War eleventh novel was published the cycle by Alfred the Great and his son Edward in German in April of 2019. How many parts the entire series will contain has not yet been announced by Cornwell.

action

The Burning Land sets in a few years after sword singing : Uhtred von Bebbanburg is around 40 years old, lives in London with his three children and his second wife Gisela, who is pregnant again . Here he is the military governor and takes care of the city's defense. On King Alfred's orders, he travels to the Danes under Count Haesten, who was once Uhtred's husband, to pick up hostages and hand over presents. With this, Alfred wants to keep them from warlike actions against Wessex, since a second large group of Danes under the warlord Harald Bloodhair is staying in the south of Britain .

On his return he is able to place a raiding force of Harald's Vikings under the leadership of Skade in a looted village. He can capture the proud, enchanting woman to whom the Danish ruler Harald has completely fallen. With this bargaining chip he can lure Harald Bluthaar and his army into a trap: the battle of Fearnhamme (Farnham), which he won for himself with the help of Aethelflaed , the eldest daughter of King Alfred, the wife of Uhtred's cousin Æthelred , Aldermann von Mercien can decide. Skade curses Uhtred. Harald is badly wounded and fled with some of his remaining troops to the island of Torneie. The rest of his beaten teams join Jarl Haesten. Gisela and her newborn baby die in childbirth, and Uhtred is disgraced by an intrigue among clergymen (especially Bishop Asser) at Alfred's court in which he kills a priest who has insulted him and his wife. He is supposed to hand over his fortune to the church and to swear allegiance to Alfred's son Edward.

Uhtred leaves Wessex with the captured Skade and his house troops and takes his ship to Northumbria to visit his Danish friend Ragnar Ragnarson. Here the plan matures to sail to Skade's husband Skirnir on the Frisian Islands , to receive the high ransom for the return of Skade and to steal his enormous treasures. With this fortune, Uhtred wants to recruit warriors to recapture his home fortress Bebbanburg, which was stolen from him by his uncle.

After Skirnir and his household troops were overwhelmed by a trick, Uhtred realizes that the hoard is not as big as expected and he does not give Skade the share she asked. Skade leaves Uhtred angry.

Back at Ragnar in Dunholm, they both plan to attack Alfred and conquer Wessex and Mercien . Uhtred would like to acquire wealth and power here in order to fulfill his dream and to recapture Bebbanburg.

But then Father Pyrlig arrives in Dunholm with a message from Aethelflaed, to whom he once swore his oath. He should protect Mercien and her. He travels to her in Mercien, and protects her from an intrigue of her husband Æthelred. In the meantime, the invasion of Merciens by Haesten Dänen begins, which Skade has now also joined.

Individual groups of Danes are plundering across the whole country, their base is Beamfleot. This is where they bring their booty and slaves, where their ships are moored and where the families of the looters are. Uhtred plans to capture Beamfleot, but has great problems assembling a sufficiently large force. Only when Alfred sends him his son, the heir to the throne Edward and Uhtred's old friend Steapa Snotor with reinforcements, can he attack and take Beamfleot.

Count Haesten is not in the fortress, but Skade, who is killed by the crippled Harald Bloodhair, who has withdrawn from Torneie for ransom. Then Uhtred kills Harald.

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