The Burning Land

The Saxon Chronicles, Book 5

By: Bernard Cornwell

Narrated by: John Lee

In a clash of heroes,the kingdom is born. At the end of the ninth century, King Alfred of Wessex is in ill health; his heir, an untested youth. His enemy, the Danes, having failed to conquer Wessex, now see their chance for victory. Led by the sword of savage warrior Harald Bloodhair, the Viking hordes attack. But Uhtred, Alfred’s reluctant warlord, proves his worth, outwitting Harald and handing the Vikings one of their greatest defeats. For Uhtred, the sweetness of victory is soon overshadowed by tragedy.

Breaking with Alfred, he joins the Vikings, swearing never again to serve the Saxon king. Instead, he will reclaim his ancestral fortress on the Northumbrian coast. Allied with his old friend Ragnar--and his old foe Haesten--he aims to invade and conquer Wessex itself. Yet fate has different plans. The Danes of East Anglia and the Vikings of Northumbria are plotting the conquest of all Britain. When Alfred’s daughter pleads with Uhtred for help, he cannot refuse her request. in a desperate gamble, he takes command of a demoralized Mercian army, leading them in an unforgettable battle on a blood-soaked field beside the Thames.

In The Burning Land, Bernard Cornwell, “The reigning king of historical fiction” (USA Today), delivers a rousing saga of Anglo-Saxon England--an irresistible new chapter in his thrilling Saxon Tales, the epic story of the birth of England and the legendary king who made it possible.

©2010 Bernard Cornwell (P)2010 HarperCollins Publishers

John Lee's narration didn't work for me

Any additional comments?

I have listened to most of the books in this series, and John Lee's narration is the only one that didn't really work for me. His style is a bit too "actorly". The pace is too constant, and the almost robotic rise and fall of the sentences started to send me to sleep after a while. It was like listening to Toast of London doing the voice over for a Sat Nav. Didn't help that he used different pronunciations of names from all the other narrators. Great book of course.

loved it

the narrator does justice to the writer, the story and the listener...loved it and will continue with the next book

Captivating.

Before listening to this novel I had read the reviews about a different narrator so I was prepared for the difference. After getting into the novel quite a ways I was used to the difference in pronunciation. Overall i was enthralled by the somewhat historical accounts of this era. I am definitely going to finish out this series.

narrator??

I did not like the narrators voice. I felt like he was in a hurry at times and just wanted to get it over with.

I've learned so much

If you could sum up The Burning Land in three words, what would they be?

Fascinatingly written history

What other book might you compare The Burning Land to and why?

I can't think of anything that compares other than the breadth of Herman Wouk on WW!!. It's a total experience - both a history of characters and of people groups.

What does John Lee bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Narrator brings so much to the story. The accents, the easy transition between characters.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, I think I listened in just three or four sittings (or walkings).

Another great story

Really impressed on the story and the need to hear more from this series. Looking forward to book 6.

I miss previous narrators, but I got used to him.

I love the series and wish they didn't keep changing narrators. John Lee is no Jonathan Keeble.

Good but...

Another enjoyable Cornwell story. Similar, but different from the tv show. My only issue is Lee is no Keeble as far as narrators. Keeble is fantastic, Lee solid.

Great story but….

The original narrator of the series was much better. This performance was not as engaging and while a nice voice it was a bit monotone.

Historical fiction at its finest.

Truly enjoyed reading the actual book, The Burning Land. The plot is intricate and as historical notes describe, based more on fact than fiction.

The narrator is terrible and I struggled to finish the audiobook of The Burning Land. Admittedly, John Lee’s performance whilst reading of the final battle at Beamfleot is much better than at the beginning, where when Uhtred shouts, “Shield Wall!” as if he’s asking one to pass the salt and pepper at dinner. Some of his exaggerated pronunciations reminded me of Count Dracula in old Vampire movies.

I don’t know why Jonathan Keeble left as a narrator of the Saxon Tales as his depiction of Uhtred as an old warrior, telling his life’s story, is the best of the bunch. I’ve loved Keeble’s narration in the War Lord and Archer’s Tale series, and his is by far my favorite Uhtred.

Lee does pronounce Beamfleot correctly, but slaughters other names, such as Steapa and Gisela.

The BBC series is good, but does not always reflect the book plots which are intricate and much better. The bees 🐝 know.