Dear Mr. Cornwell, I am currently reading through the Warlord Chronicles (my favourite books of yours or any author!) for the fourth time. I recently found out that our hero and narrator, Derfel Cadarn, is at loosely based on a 6th c. warrior saint by the same name. I was quite excited to find this out, because of my fairly recent conversion to Orthodox Christianity, so I am more attuned to things such as obscure saints. I was wondering, though, why you didn’t mention anything about this in the historical notes at the end of the novels?

Also, I was a bit curious about Bishop Sansum, as you mention in the note at the end of The Winter King, he is remembered today as a saint, but I can’t find any information on him. Was he really as despicable as you make him out to be? I have read some brief lives of various celtic saints, and it is sometimes surprising to find that their lives contain more bad than good. Though I suppose it is how one ends their life that matters.

One more question, and that is concerning the character of Ceinwyn. What does the name mean? I have looked around online and only found it in two places which unhelpfully happen to disagree with each other. Also, is she based on any one you knew, or is she kind of your idea of an ideal woman? Just wondering, because she does seem pretty ideal. Sorry for the length of the letter, and I do appreciate you taking the time to read it. Keep up the good work! Sincerely, John PS-very much looking forward to The Burning Land this fall!