Dear Mr. Cornwall,

I read out (edited) the books to my ten year old son – he loves the books as much as I do.

We are wondering why it is you (we think) have chosen the “west” location of Brunanburh on the Wirrall, favoured by Max Adams, and more recent historians rather than the “east” location near Doncaster as favoured by Michael Wood?

Still think Uhtred should have buried a hoard just outside Lichfield on his way to the battle of Tettenhall, but hey, it was your book.  We are partisan, living in Hednesford, not far from Lichfield, Penkridge and Hammerwich.

Are you going to branch into another area of history when Uhtred’s story is finished?  I still could see a generational gap and maybe a grandson carrying on post Brunanburh – there’s the whole drama of Erik Haraldson (who may or may not have been Eirik Bloodaxe) and the morally bankrupt Wulfstan yet.

By the way, we are wondering what Stiorra’s son is called – you told us she called her daughter Gisela, and that they both sadly died at the end of the most recent book.   Or did they? Because the are both niece and nephew of Olaf Guthfrithson, who is going to be opposite Aethelstan next to Constantine over the matter of York.

Rory (my son) likes how you write the landscapes so well. He has aspirations of being an author when he’s older.

Best regards,

Lucy and Rory