About the Book
Returning from a dangerous mission to Rome, warlord Beobrand looks forward to peace at home, but bloodshed remains his constant companion.
While bringing criminals to justice Beobrand believes he has discovered a secret alliance between two of Bernicia’s enemies: the Picts and the Mercians. He hastens to warn his king, but finds Oswiu distracted, preparing to marry his eldest son to the daughter of former adversary Penda of Mercia, who remains as slippery as ever.
Dismayed, Beobrand finds himself blamed for breaking the truce with the Mercians, and must fight once more for his life. Worse, Penda insists on taking Oswiu’s young son as a hostage.
Beobrand is surprised when Queen Eanflæd concocts a plot to rescue her son and orders him to take part. It will take all their guile to achieve their goal… and keep their heads, when half the kingdoms of Albion want Bernicia destroyed.
Format: Hardcover (464 pages) Publisher: Head of Zeus
Publication date: 4th June 2026 Genre: Historical Fiction
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My Review
Bane of Bernicia is the eleventh book in the series set in Anglo-Saxon Britain featuring Beobrand and his faithful band of warriors, the Black Shields.
The book’s opening follows on directly from the closing scenes of the previous book, Shadows of the Slain, plunging the reader straight into the action. If you’re a follower of the series you’ll know that Beobrand is not known for his calm nature especially when confronted with those who have committed violent acts against people he has sworn to protect. However, meting out what he sees as justice threatens to unravel the precarious peace negotiations between Oswiu, King of Bernicia and Beobrand’s old foe Penda, King of Mercia. Furthermore Oswiu bats aside Beobrand’s warnings about the imminent threat posed by the Picts.
Beobrand’s instinct is to head back to Ubbanford to ready his people to defend the attack he is sure is coming but instead he finds himself taking on a seemingly impossible task: to rescue a hostage from right under the noses of the Mercians. His brain tells him it can’t be done but it’s his heart that’s ruling him because the request comes from none other than Queen Eanflæd, the woman he secretly adores but who appears unattainable. Achieving the mission will require daring, subterfuge and a generous helping of luck. But surely even Beobrand must run out of that at some point? After all, Woden loves chaos.
Beobrand may retain much of his fighting prowess but even a renowned warrior will eventually begin to feel the effects of age. Although let’s pause a moment to reflect on the considerable attractions of his ‘piercing eyes, the scar on his face, his muscled arms and broad chest’. Fortunately he has his faithful Black Shields to come to his aid at vital moments. It’s not just the physical wear and tear either. Beobrand is haunted by memories of the terrible things he’s witnessed on countless bloody battlefields, the faces of the many men he’s killed and the comrades he’s lost. And he still struggles to control the ‘rage-fuelled monster’ he can become in the heat of battle. Perhaps understandable when you’re confronted with a horde of heavily-armed Picts, and outnumbered to boot.
‘After that, for a long while there was no time for thought. There were only the enemies before them and the cacophany and frenzy of battle. The world rang with the clangour of blades, the shouts and insults of men fighting for their lives, and the screams and whimpers of those who were losing that struggle, crying as their lifeblood soaked into the parched soil.’
Closer to home, Beobrand and his son Octa continue their frosty relationship seemingly unable to express their inner feelings to each other. And there are partings as well, one of which in particular left me slightly tearful.
Bane of Bernicia is another thrilling addition to the series, one for those who love their historical fiction full of adventure, and the cut and thrust of battle. And it wouldn’t be a Beobrand tale if there wasn’t a surprise in the final pages.
I received an advance reader copy courtesy of Head of Zeus via NetGalley.
In three words: Action-packed, authentic, dramatic
Try something similar: Eye of the Raven (The Whale Road Chronicles #7) by Tim Hodkinson
About the Author
Matthew Harffy grew up in Northumberland where the rugged terrain, ruined castles and rocky coastline had a huge impact on him. He now lives in Wiltshire, England, with his wife and their two daughters.
Matthew is the author of the critically acclaimed Bernicia Chronicles and A Time for Swords series, and he also presents the popular podcast Rock, Paper, Swords!
Connect with Matthew
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