A fragile peace is about to be broken King Alfreds son Edward and formidable daughter, Athelflaed, 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 Athelflaed are reluctant to move out of the safety of their fortifications. But with Uhtreds own daughter married to Ivarsons 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 warriors courage may be able to find it. Such a man is Uhtred,and this may be his finest hour.
Bernard Cornwell, geb. 1944 in London und in Wessex aufgewachsen, arbeitete lange Jahre erfolgreich als Reporter für das BBC-Fernsehen. 1980 folgte er seiner amerikanischen Frau nach Cape Cod, wo er bis heute lebt und schreibt. In den USA und England feierte Cornwell bereits Triumphe mit einer Romanserie über die napoleonischen Kriege. In Deutschland wurde er bekannt durch seine Artus-Trilogie.
Praise for Bernard Cornwell:
'A tense, powerful and compulsive story' THE TIMES
'Strong narrative, vigourous action and striking characterisation, Cornwell remains king of the territory he has staked out as his own' SUNDAY TIMES
'Blood, divided loyalties and thundering battles' THE TIMES
'A violent, absorbing historical saga, deeply researched and thoroughly imagined' WASHINGTON POST
'The best battle scenes of any writer I've ever read, past or present. Cornwell really makes history come alive' George R.R. Martin
'Cornwell draws a fascinating picture of England as it might have been before anything like England existed' THE TIMES
'He's called a master storyteller. Really he's cleverer than that' TELEGRAPH
'A reminder of just how good a writer he is' SUNDAY TIMES
'Nobody in the world does this better than Cornwell' Lee Child
This is a magnificent and gory work' Daily Mail
'The historical blockbuster of the year' EVENING STANDARD
'A runaway success' OBSERVER
'A master of storytelling' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH
This is typical Cornwell, meticulously researched, massive in scope, brilliant in execution' NEWS OF THE WORLD
'A tense, powerful and compulsive story' THE TIMES
'Strong narrative, vigourous action and striking characterisation, Cornwell remains king of the territory he has staked out as his own' SUNDAY TIMES
'Blood, divided loyalties and thundering battles' THE TIMES
'A violent, absorbing historical saga, deeply researched and thoroughly imagined' WASHINGTON POST
'The best battle scenes of any writer I've ever read, past or present. Cornwell really makes history come alive' George R.R. Martin
'Cornwell draws a fascinating picture of England as it might have been before anything like England existed' THE TIMES
'He's called a master storyteller. Really he's cleverer than that' TELEGRAPH
'A reminder of just how good a writer he is' SUNDAY TIMES
'Nobody in the world does this better than Cornwell' Lee Child
This is a magnificent and gory work' Daily Mail
'The historical blockbuster of the year' EVENING STANDARD
'A runaway success' OBSERVER
'A master of storytelling' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH
This is typical Cornwell, meticulously researched, massive in scope, brilliant in execution' NEWS OF THE WORLD