I am excited to welcome author Matthew Harffy to my blog today. His novel, The Serpent Sword, is one of the greatest stories that I have read this year and it has been deservedly named an Editors' Choice by the Historical Novel Society. (Read my review or the HNS review.)
One common element in Harffy's many positive reviews is a comparison to historical fiction master, Bernard Cornwell. Matthew shares what it feels like to be held to such a high standard and how his Bernicia Chronicles differs from Cornwell's Saxon Stories. I, for one, am thankful that we have both Beobrand and Uhtred adventures to enjoy!
You can also take advantage of a fantastic Kindle sale today to decide for yourself if Beobrand can take on Uhtred. ~ Samantha
Being Compared to Greatness: How the Bernicia Chronicles differ
from Bernard Cornwell’s Saxon Stories
My novel, The Serpent Sword, gets compared
to Bernard Cornwell’s Saxon Chronicles a lot. I get it, I really do. The first literary
agent I contacted turned me down because, and I can quote this verbatim, as I
kept the rejection letter in a frame (that’s not weird, is it?): “It’s a tough ask to set a novel here and
in this period, when one of the big beasts (the Biggest Beast some would say)
of the genre has written such a successful series in the Uhtred novels (albeit
a few centuries later).”
It is all true, apart from the bit about
Bernard Cornwell being a “big beast”. I’ve never met the man, but he comes
across as a pleasant guy in interviews and videos!
I knew my writing would be compared to
Cornwell's and that many would even believe I had copied him in an attempt to
pick up some of the crumbs left from his Dark Ages banquet. In fact, I was so
worried that this would happen, despite it not being the truth, that I very
nearly didn’t publish, or even complete writing The Serpent Sword.
In many ways, my writing is inspired by
Cornwell, just not by his tales of Uhtred. You see, I began writing The Serpent
Sword in 2001 after seeing a BBC programme on television about archaeological
digs taking place in and around Bamburgh Castle. I had read Cornwell’s
retelling of the Arthurian myths and loved the way he tackled the period. I had
also lived in Northumberland as a child and always loved the area and I was
alone at home that evening and something sparked inside me. The muse whispered
and I answered and started to write a scene of a young man arriving on the
beach at Bebbanburg. I had never written anything of novel length before and I
had a full-time job, a young family and I was halfway studying for a degree, so
progress was slow. But a couple of years later, I had read a lot of research,
planned the plot and written about a quarter of the book. I was about to finish
my degree and so was hopeful I would be able to buckle down to finish the
novel. Then Bernard Cornwell brought out The Last Kingdom, the first of his
books featuring one Uhtred of Bebbanburg. His book was set a couple of
centuries later, but the similarities were evident. Apparently, Cornwell had
liked the Dark Ages too, and it seems the muse does not only speak to me!
To cut a long story short, over the next
few years Cornwell continued to do what Cornwell does so well – writing great
historical fiction. As each new Uhtred novel was released, I devoured it and
gritted my teeth.
The books were great.
My book could have been great.
But not if I never wrote it! So I finally
decided that having one successful series that mentions Bebbanburg and Saxons
does not preclude another series becoming successful. Otherwise, after James
Bond there would be no more spy novels in any of the locations he has visited.
And how many Westerns had gunslingers and Marshalls visiting Dodge City?
So I finished the book and guess what – it
was successful. Those who have read it enjoyed it and most reviews have been
great. But the inevitable comparisons continued. Some reviewers said they
preferred my writing to Cornwell’s (really?!), others said my writing was no
match for the master of historical fiction. But whatever the opinion, many
readers made the link between Beobrand and Uhtred.
The similarities are obvious – swords,
kings, shieldwalls and Bebbanburg, but I thought it would be a good idea to lay
out some of the main differences.
No Vikings
First, and this is an important
distinction, there are no Vikings in my books. The Bernicia Chronicles take
place over a hundred and fifty years before the first recorded Viking raid on
the British Isles. Almost all of Uhtred’s energies go into fighting the Danes.
He is an adopted Dane who then goes on to become the Saxons’ greatest warlord,
defending the Christians and defeating the pagan Vikings at every turn, despite
his better judgement.
Beobrand is an Angle from Cantware (Kent)
who becomes a warrior and thegn of the Angle kings of Bernicia and Northumbria.
He too stands in many battles, but these are against the native Britons and
Picts and other Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of Britain, rather than invaders from
elsewhere.
Religion
Uhtred is notoriously pagan. All of the Saxons
he sides with are Christians and he is much-maligned by them for worshiping the
older, tougher gods of the Norsemen.
Beobrand is also a pagan, but in the early
seventh century, when the Bernicia Chronicles are set, Christianity was making
a slow rise to prominence following centuries of decline in Britain after the
Romans left. The Angles, Saxons and Jutes all traditionally worshipped the old
gods of Woden (Odin) and Thunor (Thor) and the rest, and it is during
Beobrand’s lifetime that the kingdoms of Britain are converting to the new
religion of the Christ that promises no more sacrifices and everlasting life.
What’s not to like?
Whilst Beobrand favours the old gods, he
sees both religions side by side and questions the worth of each as the novels
progress.
No England
In the Uhtred books, King Alfred is
constantly striving to create one kingdom of Christian English to confront the
Danes.
In Beobrand’s world, the kings of Britain
such as Edwin and Oswald seek to become Bretwalda, over-king of all other
sub-kings. They want the power of having the fealty of other kingdoms.
Religious conversion in this context is used as another political weapon.
Sensitivity
Uhtred doesn’t really go in for deep
philosophical thinking. Get in his way and he kills you with never a second
thought.
Beobrand is also an implacable killer, who
does not shy away from dispatching his enemies with sword and spear. But there
is a vulnerability to him that we never see in Uhtred. Beobrand fears he will
become violent towards women and children as his father was, and he often
questions his own decisions after events he’s involved in. He is not maudlin
(well not all the time!), but I do think he has a certain sensitivity to his
character that Uhtred does not have.
***
There are many more differences between
Cornwell’s novels and mine, but I think you get the idea. In the end I am
flattered to be compared to Bernard Cornwell. He is one of my all-time
favourite authors. And I’m pleased I made the decision to tell Beobrand’s
story, despite the similarities with Cornwell’s books. Just as there is enough
room in the world for both James Bond and Jason Bourne, so there can be both
Uhtred and Beobrand.
Have you read any of Cornwell’s Uhtred
novels and The Serpent Sword? What do you think of the comparisons? Can you see
any other differences I haven’t mentioned?
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