The Flame Bearer
2016 historical novel in The Saxon Stories series by Bernard Cornwell
The Flame Bearer is the tenth historical novel in The Saxon Stories series, also known as The Last Kingdom series, by Bernard Cornwell, first published in October 2016. It is set in 10th-century England and continues to follow the fortunes of the fictional Uhtred of Bebbanburg. In this novel Uhtred sets out to finally regain his childhood home, Bebbanburg, which is now held by his cousin.
Plot
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.
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. It seems inevitable that Edward will want to drive all Danes from the north of the country and bring about the Christian Saxon kingdom his father Alfred dreamed of.
Aethelhelm wants to ensure that his grandson Aelfweard – Edward's second son – eventually becomes ruler of a united England.
“The Flame Bearer” enters the record as 2016 historical novel in The Saxon Stories series by Bernard Cornwell. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Flame, Bearer and historical can confirm, complicate or overturn.
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Object files, edition statements, performance records and contemporary criticism preserve different stages of the work’s history. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jun 13, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q59308954. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2016.
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