Sword of Kings: A Novel

by Bernard Cornwell Narrated by Bernard Cornwell, Matt Bates

Overview

The twelfth installment of Bernard Cornwell's New York Times bestselling series chronicling the epic saga of the making of England-""superior entertainment that is both engaging and enlightening” (Washington Post), and the basis for The Last Kingdom, the hit Netflix series.

It is a time of political turmoil once more as the fading King Edward begins to lose control over his successors and their supporters. There are two potential heirs-possibly more-and doubt over whether the once separate states of Wessex and Mercia will hold together . Despite attempts at pulling him into the political fray, Uhtred of Bebbanburg cares solely about his beloved Northumbria and its continuing independence from southern control.

But an oath is a strong, almost sacred commitment and such a promise had been exchanged between Uhtred and Aethelstan, his onetime companion in arms and now a potential king. Uhtred was tempted to ignore the demands of the oath and stay in his northern fastness, leaving the quarrelling Anglo-Saxons to sort out their own issues. But an attack on him by a leading supporter of one of the candidates and an unexpected appeal for help from another, drives Uhtred with a small band of warriors south, into the battle for kingship-and England's fate.

Editorial Reviews

Booklist

Nobody does the Saxon period better than Cornwell, and readers will find themselves happily immersed in the muck, mire, and machinations of the Early Middle Ages.

The Times (UK)

One of the great joys of the series is Cornwell’s skill in aging his warrior- hero who now creaks as he fights and is haunted by those he has loved and lost.

Sunday Times Magazine (UK)

The master returns with this latest addition to his wonderful Saxon chronicles.

Booklist

Nobody does the Saxon period better than Cornwell, and readers will find themselves happily immersed in the muck, mire, and machinations of the Early Middle Ages.

Kirkus Reviews

2019-09-02
Plenty of gore from days of yore fills the 12th entry in Cornwell's The Last Kingdom series (War of the Wolf, 2018, etc.).

The pagan warlord Uhtred of Bebbanburg narrates his 10th-century adventures, during which he hacks people apart so that kingdoms might be stitched together. He is known to some as the Godless or the Wicked, a reputation he enjoys. Edward, King of Wessex, Mercia, and East Anglia is gravely ill, and Uhtred pledges an oath to likely heir Æthelstan to kill two rivals, Æthelhelm and "his rotten nephew," Ælfweard, when the king dies. Uhtred's wife, Eadith, wants him to break that oath, but he cannot live with the dishonor of being an oathbreaker. The tale seems to begin in the middle, as though the reader had just turned the last page in the 11th book—and yet it stands alone quite well. Uhtred travels the coast and the river Temes in the good ship Spearhafoc, powered by 40 rowers struggling against tides and currents. He and his men fight furious battles, and he lustily impales foes with his favorite sword, Serpent-Breath. "I don't kill the helpless," though, which is one of his few limits. So, early in the story, when a man calling himself "God's chosen one" declares "We were sent to kill you," readers may chuckle and say yeah, right. But Uhtred faces true challenges such as Waormund, "lord Æthelhelm's beast." Immense bloodletting aside, Cornwell paints vivid images of the filth in the Temes and in cities like Lundene. This is mainly manly fare, of course. Few women are active characters. The queen needs rescuing, and "when queens call for help, warriors go to war." The action is believable if often gruesome and loathsome, and it never lets up for long.

This is historical adventure on a grand scale, right up there with the works of Conn Iggulden and Minette Walters.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940172747519
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	11/26/2019
Series:	Last Kingdom (Saxon Tales) Series , #12
Edition description:	Unabridged

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