Warrior of Woden brought Beobrand his latest journey where he encounters his most formidable trials yet.
As I delve into the pages, I witness his struggle against treacherous alliances and relentless adversaries, each threat looming more prominent than the last. The stakes are higher, and the dangers are more palpable as Beobrand fights to preserve everything he holds sacred. Through Beobrand’s trials, Warrior of Woden paints a poignant portrait of loyalty and the unwavering spirit of a warrior.
Contents
Warrior of Woden: Storyline
The prologue vividly portrays a fierce battle between Oswald and Penda in Tatecastre in 639. In the midst of the chaos, King Oswald was struck by a fatal arrow on his shoulder. It was then that Beobrand, displaying his unwavering bravery, stepped in and rallied the troops. Together, they managed to push the Mercian army back.
Warrior of Woden delves into the historical event, the Battle of Maserfelth, and the tragic demise of King Oswald on that fateful battlefield. As history records, Oswiu would ascend to the throne, becoming the new King of Northumbria.
The subsequent chapters paint a fictional aftermath of the battle, focusing particularly on the uncertain fate of Beobrand and his loyal gesith. They now find themselves in a new era, pledging allegiance to Oswiu, a ruler whose intentions and actions remain a mystery, setting the stage for a gripping tale of intrigue and suspense.
He wouldn’t have been Beobrand had he not found a feud with obvious troublemakers. Lord Fordraed (now Edlyn’s husband) and Oswiu (Oswald’s younger brother) are the primary sources of problems for Beobrand in this book.
As I remember through the previous books, it has become increasingly clear that Oswiu has demonstrated a strong aversion towards Beobrand. This sentiment is not limited to Oswiu alone, as his thegns also share the same feelings towards Beobrand.
Something about Beobrand’s actions or demeanour might have caused discomfort or offence to Oswiu and his followers, leading to this animosity. I think it’s clear that Oswiu disliked how Oswald had dotted on Beobrand all these years. Jealousy is a strong feeling, you know. This is certainly a significant development in the plot, as it sets the stage for potential conflicts and challenges that Beobrand may have to face in the future.
As a second source of Beobrand’s problem, the feud with Fordraed stemmed from Beobrand’s interference in his plundering of a village. Rather than allowing the villagers to be taken captive, Beobrand decided to pay for their release, effectively making them his property. This move was intended to prevent Fordraed from abusing them or violating their rights in any way. Despite Beobrand’s good intentions, Fordraed was not pleased with this turn of events, and the tension between the two men continued to escalate.
Here, a new character emerged named Sulis. Even though she was saved from being Fordraed’s thrall, she attempted suicide during the journey to Ubbanford. Luckily, Cynan and Coenred intervened and helped restore her health. And, of course, to make things more zesty, both of them fell in love with Sulis.
As she arrived at Beobrand’s hall, Sulis began to present her bitter character. She thought that because she was a Mercian who was now made a thrall, she was in the rightful place to be cynical and critical of how Beobrand’s household was run. I can tell she was not one bit delighted about being made a thrall. But I thought she should be grateful for being under Beobrand’s care instead of the abusive Lord Fordraed.
I cannot appreciate how Sulis was especially hostile towards Reaghan, the new lady of the hall. Sulis despised how Reaghan’s status was elevated from a mere thrall to someone with the power to govern a hall. It’s amazing how jealousy can drive someone to be so bitter and resentful. I should keep an eye for this Sulis character because I strongly feel she would cause more trouble ahead.
The Battle of Maserfelth
On the first day of the battle, Oswald’s fyrd managed to hold off the Mercians from breaching their ranks of shieldwall. Chapter 25 begins with the second day of the war, and it reminded me immensely of Charlemagne’s Saxon War, around a hundred years later when he burnt down the Irminsul. This is why I have to write things down; I nearly mix up something that happened a hundred years apart.
The battle went on as the following chapters depict the deaths of Eowa and, ultimately, Oswald. Reading how the battle was portrayed in this book, I could easily conclude that Oswald fell because Beobrand insisted on breaking the shieldwall and avenging Eowa’s death. His ego and sympathy towards Eowa might have brought down the king of Northumbria.
Of course, the real battle did not have Beobrand in it, and how Oswald fell as it’s written in history can be read in various sources.
Matthew Harffy is super talented in weaving elements of actual historical events with an imagined universe. This is why if I don’t read additional sources, I would end up believing my own conviction towards the real historical characters involved in his series. Here’s a case study:
I don’t know what the debate or the discussion is happening amongst early Anglo-Saxon scholars. But reading this reimagined story of the Battle of Maserfelth, I thought that Oswiu deliberately decided not to assist his brother, knowing very well that Oswald would be defeated.
In Warrior of Woden, it was described that the fyrd retreated to Carlisle, where they met Oswiu, who was stationed there. They discovered that Oswiu didn’t join his brother in the battle against the Mercians because he was struck by “the sweating sickness”.
This is me giving you the side-eye, Oswiu. Sweating sickness? Really???
I have been harbouring suspicions that Oswald’s brother, Oswiu, purposely avoided joining his brother’s army in the battle against Penda of Mercia. His motivation, I believe, was to secure the Northumbrian throne for himself. This action, perhaps, was based on his effort to preserve the royalty bloodline.
In addition, Oswiu may have foreseen that Oswald’s army would not be victorious in the battle and decided to use this opportunity to his advantage by not going. He may have also used the excuse of an illness to avoid suspicion.
What further strengthens my suspicion is that immediately after Oswald’s death, Oswiu summoned the Witena Gemot, the council of wise men, to anoint him as the new king of Bernicia. This, to me, seems like a deliberate overturning of power and a calculated move to secure the throne for himself.
I would like to highlight that my understanding of the matter is limited and I am not aware of any ongoing debates or discussions within the historian community. Hence, my comments on the subject, based on the Warrior of Woden account, are purely speculative in nature.
- Why would the warriors tend to kill their horses when they’re spent instead of leaving them or setting them free to roam? Do they even come back to retrieve spent horses to nurse them back to health? Can’t horses recover from fatigue? What’s the thought process behind this act?
- Reading war-themed stories made me think about the crucial roles that messengers and scouts had. Imagine if a misfortune befell on them, and they’re late in relaying their observations along the enemy line. I should read more on this subject.
Verdict
Warrior of Woden offers a captivating perspective on the aftermath of the Battle of Maserfelth. But I was unprepared for the overwhelming emotional impact of this latest instalment. Warrior of Woden drained my emotion.
Wrap-up
Warrior of Woden offers a captivating perspective on the aftermath of the Battle of Maserfelth, delving into the political and social ramifications of this significant historical event. However, this narrative is not without its heart-wrenching moments; the loss of life is staggering. I found myself unable to hold back tears as I reached the final chapters of this poignant tale.
When I finished The Cross & The Curse, I thought it was the most heart-wrenching book in the series. I was unprepared for the overwhelming emotional impact of this latest instalment. The sudden and tragic deaths of several of my beloved characters left me reeling with grief. I was so overwhelmed that tears streamed down my face, and I couldn’t help but cry uncontrollably.
I have a feeling that what happened in Warrior of Woden would be a turning point in Beobrand’s life. If I were him, I would have lost myself. The death of Oswald was of no surprise because it’s written in history already. But the other characters… I’m too sad to continue.
If Killer of Kings (Book 4) captivated me by how the story was woven, Warrior of Woden drained my emotion. I learned from the beginning of this series that undespatched souls will lead to future sources of chaos and trouble. But in this book, Beobrand did it again with Sulis. I’ll expect future shenanigans caused by her antics.
I am not yet prepared for the journey that Book 6, Storm of Steel, will take me on. I need to decompress with a chilling horror film before immersing myself in the next chapter of this gripping series by Matthew Harffy.
