The sixth installment of Bernard Cornwell’s 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 BBC America television series.
As the ninth century wanes, England is perched once more on the brink of chaos. King Alfred is dying; with his passing, the island of Britain seems doomed to renewed warfare. Alfred wants his son Edward to succeed him, but there are other Saxon claimants to the throne—as well as ambitious pagan Vikings to the north.
With the promise of battle looming again, Uhtred, the Viking-raised but Saxon-born warrior, whose life seems to shadow the making of England itself, is torn between competing loyalties. Uhtred’s loyalty, and his vows, are to Alfred—not to his son—and despite long years of service to the old king, Uhtred is still reluctant to commit to Alfred’s cause. His own desire is to reclaim his long lost ancestral lands and castle to the north. As the king’s warrior he is duty-bound, but the king’s reign is nearing its end, and his death will leave a vacuum of power. Uhtred is forced to make a momentous choice: either take up arms—and Alfred’s mantle—to realize his dream of a united and Christian England, or be responsible for condemning it to oblivion.
Death of Kings is a harrowing story of the power of tribal commitment and the dilemma of divided loyalties. This is the making of England magnificently brought to life by “the best historical novelist writing today” (Vince Flynn).
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"Bernard Cornwell is one of my favorite authors so it is no wonder that I thoroughly enjoyed this further adventure of Uhtred, Alfred's reign is nearing its end and once again Uhtred is called upon, reluctantly as always, to defend and save the kingdom. Uhtred has aged (45), but he still is formable on the shield wall, wields Serpent Breath mightily, and is wily setting up a battle. This is the sixth book in the Saxon Tales. You do not have to have read the prior novels to appreciate this one, but I highly recommend doing so for the enjoyment."
— Steve (4 out of 5 stars)
“[Cornwell] writes morally complicated and intricate stories, and he’s won a following not just among readers but also among fellow writers.”
— New York Times“Gripping…Mr. Cornwell’s Saxon Stories subvert myths of national origin as few would dare. They are ‘unofficial histories’—and all the more realistic for that.”
— Wall Street Journal“Compelling.”
— Publishers Weekly“Cornwell’s love scenes are as deft as his action scenes, though far fewer, of course—all driven by a hard-shelled, sporadically soft-hearted, always charismatic protagonist.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review)" I fell in love with the story and Stephen Perring. The writing, so rich, it was easy to place the images in your imagination. I listened to another book of this English tale and doesn't seem to have the same draw to the story as Stephen's version does. Five stars for the book and Stephen Perring! "
— Izzie, 1/1/2019" The Death of Kings by Bernard Cornwell is the sixth book in the Saxon Series. Listen to them in order. The tale gets better and better. This particular book is narrated by Stephen Perring and he is very good. Exellent book. "
— Chap, 5/4/2016" dreadful, a dreadful book i was such a fan of this series but this is just a filler in. mr cornwell could/should have wrapped this story up 4 or 5 books but me thinks he is in it for the money and gonna draaaag it out , what a pity "
— Peter, 2/20/2014" good. almost great. but not as thrilling as the first three books in this series. "
— Brian, 2/10/2014" Narrativa excelente, bastante detalhada nas batalhas, o que deixa os acontecimentos empolgantes! "
— Tiago, 2/8/2014" Bernard Cornwell seems to find his stride again in this one. He still doesn't seem as passionate as he did when he started the series, or maybe I am just getting too familiar with the storylines, but this one is a step up from the last one. Cornwell's effortless mixt of history and drama is annoyingly good. I can't imagine how much research he does for his stories, but it is impressive. I will continue to read these until Utred either dies or finally claims Bebbanburg. "
— Roberto, 1/28/2014" Okay, just not my favorite subject. "
— Jim, 1/8/2014Bernard Cornwell, born in London, worked for the BBC and Thames Television before coming to the United States to write full time. His sweeping historical novels, including the acclaimed Richard Sharpe series and many more, make him a number one bestselling author in the United Kingdom and around the world. He is the author of the acclaimed New York Times bestselling Saxon Tales series, which serves as the basis for the hit television series The Last Kingdom.
Stephen Perring is an actor, voice artist, singer, and guitarist who trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.