Englaland burns. The year is AD 865, and the Viking Great Heathen Army has landed, a ravenous serpent coiling around the Saxon kingdoms. For Eadric of Northwic, a young thegn whose world is shattered by the brutal fall of his home, the invasion means the loss of everything ? his family, his freedom, his future. Dragged into captivity, he becomes a thrall in the fearsome shadow of Ivar the Boneless, witnessing firsthand the strategic genius and pitiless cruelty of the Norse conquerors. But within Eadric, the embers of defiance refuse to die. His daring escape into the treacherous fenlands ignites a spark of resistance, transforming him into the elusive "Fenland Ghost," a leader of men striking from the shadows. His path will ultimately lead him to the last bastion of Saxon hope: King Alfred of Wessex.
Meanwhile, Astrid, a formidable Norse shield-maiden, rides with the invading host, her axe earning her renown. But the relentless bloodshed and the decaying honor among her kinsmen ignite a crisis of conscience. Choosing exile over allegiance to a corrupt jarl, she embarks on a solitary journey through the burgeoning, lawless Danelaw. From the turbulent port of Lundenwic to the Norse capital of Jorvik, Astrid forges a new identity as an independent warrior, her skills sought after, her loyalties her own. Yet, a Völva's prophecy and the whispers of a resilient Saxon commander haunt her steps, pulling her towards a destiny she never sought.
"The Serpent's Fury" plunges readers into the heart of 9th-century England, a land torn asunder by cultural collision and relentless warfare. As Eadric rises from a vengeful fugitive to a key commander in Alfred's army, and Astrid navigates the perilous path of an outcast seeking purpose, their lives intersect in moments of conflict, grudging respect, and unexpected alliance. Against the backdrop of legendary battles like Edington and the formation of the Danelaw, this sweeping saga explores the true cost of war, the enduring strength of the human spirit, and the complex choices that shape legacies in an age where survival itself is a victory.
