Warriors of the Storm

by Bernard Cornwell Book 9 in the The Last Kingdom series.

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Uhtred defends Mercia as a coalition of Norse and Irish forces gathers around Chester. The attackers use family connections, hostages and seaborne mobility to threaten both Mercia and Northumbria, forcing Uhtred to respond across land and sea.

The campaign becomes personal when members of Uhtred’s family are drawn into the enemy alliance. He must protect Æthelflæd’s kingdom while preventing the invaders from creating a new northern power base.

Chester matters because control of the Irish Sea links raiders, traders and armies from Ireland, Wales and northern England. Uhtred must therefore think beyond a single fortified town and prevent the enemy coalition from creating a durable maritime base. The campaign shows how seaborne mobility could overturn political arrangements that appeared secure on land.