#70 in Historical fiction
The Flame Bearer
- 304
- Pages
- about 6 h
- Reading time
- NYT bestseller · 1 week on the list
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Our view
In “The Flame Bearer”, Bernard Cornwell at last turns Uhtred toward Bebbanburg, the homecoming the series has long promised. His cousin holds the fortress, and in tenth-century England an ageing Uhtred faces enemies on every side. Some readers who find the long series repetitive count this volume among those that make it worth continuing. It is the tenth of twelve novels in “The Saxon Stories”, so newcomers should start with the first.
The view of the BookRank editors, written from readers’ ratings and comments. It does not affect the score or the book’s place in a ranking.
About the book
The Flame Bearer is the tenth historical novel in The Saxon Stories series, also known as The Last Kingdom series, by Bernard Cornwell, first published in October 2016. It is set in 10th-century England and continues to follow the fortunes of the fictional Uhtred of Bebbanburg. In this novel Uhtred sets out to finally regain his childhood home, Bebbanburg, which is now held by his cousin.
Reading order · The Saxon Stories
Full order & progress →- The Last KingdomStart here
8.28.2 / 10 - The Pale Horseman
8.28.2 / 10 - The Lords of the North
–Not ranked yet - Sword Song
8.28.2 / 10 - The Burning Land
8.18.1 / 10 - Death of Kings
8.18.1 / 10 - The Pagan Lord
8.28.2 / 10 - The Empty Throne
8.28.2 / 10 - Warriors of the Storm
8.28.2 / 10 - The Flame BearerThis book
8.18.1 / 10 - War of the Wolf
8.18.1 / 10 - Sword of Kings
8.08.0 / 10
Where the score comes from
The sources average 8.3 across 77 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 34% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Historical fiction average of 8.0. That is how 8.1 comes out.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Library | 8.8 | 5 | 7% |
| Hardcover | 8.3 | 72 | 94% |
Frequently asked
How long is The Flame Bearer?
It has 304 pages — shorter than 83% of the ranked books in Historical fiction.
In this book
Themes this book shares with others — each leads to the best books on it.
If you liked this
The same shelf — Historical fiction — and a score of 8.1, the closest to this book.
