Uhtred figures out that Aethelhelm – a wealthy and powerful Saxon warlord and King Edward’s father in-law – is planning to attack Edward’s men and make it look like Sigtryggr did it and so start the war that has been at least delayed a few years by the truce. However, Uhtred's cousin is willing to wait out the siege behind the nearly impregnable walls of his fortress. Uhtred’s men are outnumbered by invading Scots led by Constantin intent on making Bebbanburg their own. 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 fails again to capture Bebbanburg. In this novel Uhtred sets out to finally regain his childhood home, Bebbanburg, which is now held by his cousin. It is set in 10th-century England and continues to follow the fortunes of the fictional Uhtred of Bebbanburg. The Flame Bearer is the tenth historical novel in The Saxon Stories series aka The Last Kingdom series by Bernard Cornwell, first published in October 2016.
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