In AD781, pagan Saxony groans under the Christian yoke.
The invincible armies of Karolus, King of the Franks, occupy all this freedom-loving land and every Saxon must submit to baptism and pay tithes to the Church, or face death by beheading.
Duke Widukind, leader of the Saxon rebels, is sheltering in the North, beyond Karolus’s reach.
He hopes to persuade Bjarki Bloodhand – once a famous berserker, but now a father and family man – and his fierce sister the shieldmaiden Tor, to join his revolt against tyranny.
But Bjarki has eloped with Widukind’s sister Edith, who was betrothed to Abbio the Crow.
In revenge, Abbio uses seiðr to strike at Bjarki – a powerful spell to drive him insane. Can Bjarki resist the long slide into madness?
And will Widukind finally liberate Saxony from the Franks?
Blood of the Bear by Angus Donald is published on 10 October, 2024. It’s the fifth and last in his Fire Born series.
Angus has written about the historical background to this book in Christian versus pagan: was Charlemagne’s conquest of Saxony the first crusade?
This feature also has links to Angus’s other pieces about Fire Born as well as more on Norse and Viking history and legend.
Our list of over 190 books coming out this year may give you some more historical fiction reading ideas.
