Warriors of the Storm by Bernard Cornwell
“Play with the devil," Finan said, "and you get burned.”
In this story, Uhtred defends Mercia for Aethelflaed, who is the daughter of Alfred and the queen of Mercia. However, Northumbria is in a vulnerable state and is constantly being attacked by various warlords. Although Aethelflaed's brother, Edward, is the ruler of Wessex, he is not in a position to help Mercia as he has his issues to deal with. England needs to be unified under Edward's rule, but that seems like a distant possibility as he is unable to march towards Mercia or retake Northumbria.
Ragnall is an invader who aims to conquer Northumbria. However, he lands in Mercia, and Uhtred, along with Aethelflaed, must figure out his true intentions. Uhtred must sift through feints and double feints to determine Ragnall's game, and one wrong move could mean death.
The story is about loyalties that are divided by conflicting national, religious, and family ties. Ragnall's brother Sigtryggr is now Uhtred's son-in-law, which raises questions about his involvement in the invasion. Uhtred's daughter, Stiorra, is also a concern. Finan, Uhtred's right-hand man, finds himself in a similar situation, as his brother Conall has joined Ragnall's force. The reason behind Finan's years of exile is also revealed.
Uhtred does not have enough men to handle Ragnall directly. He must use his cunning to hold him off, which includes making desperate journeys to convince enemies to join him and save his daughter. Brida, Uhtred's former lover, is another obstacle as she wants to reclaim England for the pagans and has become a crazed witch.
The conflict involves Norse and Christians on both sides, with pagans fighting for the Christian Aethelflaed and Irish Christians siding with the pagan Ragnall. The Saxons, Norse, and Irish fight for control of the British Isles, making for an interesting tale.
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