The eighth installment of Bernard Cornwell’s New York Times bestselling series chronicling the epic saga of the making of England, “like Game of Thrones, but real” (The Observer, London)—the basis for The Last Kingdom, the hit television series.Britain, early tenth century AD: a time of change. There are new raids by the Vikings from Ireland and turmoil among the Saxons over the leadership of … and turmoil among the Saxons over the leadership of Mercia. A younger generation is taking over.
Æthelred, the ruler of Mercia, is dying, leaving no legitimate heir. The West Saxons want their king, but Uhtred has long supported Æthelflaed, sister to King Edward of Wessex and widow of Æthelred. Widely loved and respected, Æthelflaed has all the makings of a leader—but could Saxon warriors ever accept a woman as their ruler? The stage is set for rivals to fight for the empty throne.
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Historical fiction fans of the medieval bent will love this series. Set in 9th Century Britain, it charts the life of a Northumbrian noble, who is also a contemporary of King Alfred the Great and so the story is about him as well, and his efforts to bring about his dream of a united ‘Englaland’, or land of the English.
One of the most …
Always love his books
No matter what this man writes, you should read it — his grasp of history and narrative is impressive beyond words, and once he starts you down the road of his story, you simply find it hard to put his tale down for even a short while.
A great continuation in the Uhtred saga. In every book he gets a little closer to his ultimate goal of ruling his ancestral land of Bebbanburg.
Cornwell rarely fails to make me enjoy his books. This is another good story
I am a huge fan of Cornwell reading thru all of his Arthur, Grail and now this Saxon Series which has 11 books. i am not a fan of his Sharpe series but the others I enjoy. He is heavy on the battle descriptions which may put some readers off but his development otherwise has been in the reader’s seat since I love historical fiction, …
Nobody does battles like Bernard Cornwell. He’s also kept my interest in his main character, Uther of Bebbensburg throughout the series. Scenes are gritty, and feel very authentic.
Cromwell is one of my favorite authors. His mix of history, unforgettable characters, and with is magnetic.
Having read all of Cornwell, the Saxon Tales are definitely my favorite. The books tell the story of the beginning of medieval England, coming out of the Dark Ages, and while the historic detail available for that time is limited, other than the fictional main character there isn’t any reason it couldn’t have happened like this multivolume story. …
One of my favorite authors. A master of historical fiction penned with remarkable accuracy.