Warriors of the Storm

Warriors of the Storm is the ninth historical novel in The Saxon Stories series by Bernard Cornwell, first published in October 2015.

It is set in 10th-century Mercia, Northumbria and Northern Ireland and continues to follow the fortunes of the fictional Uhtred of Bebbanburg.

Ragnall, whose brother Sigtryggr is married to Uhtred's daughter Stiorra, has been driven out of Ireland by the natives to seek less fiercely defended lands.

Then Ragnall unexpectedly turns north to seize the bordering kingdom of Northumbria from its weak king, his plan all along.

Uhtred, with Æthelflaed's reluctant authorisation, launches a surprise attack and catches Ragnall's men unprepared, killing hundreds of enemy warriors and capturing many horses, women and children.

Having received word that his daughter Stiorra and son-in-law Sigtryggr are besieged because they did not support Ragnall's invasion, Uhtred takes a couple of days to sail to Ireland and rescue them, disobeying Æthelflaed's orders.

Uhtred offers to make Sigtryggr king of Northumbria, in part to further his own lifelong ambition of regaining Bebbanburg.

This time Finan takes Conall's crown, before riding the length of the enemy line and heading back.

Seeing this, Uhtred orders his own men to charge out of their fortifications, yelling the silly war cry, "For Mus, the best whore in Britain!