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From Publishers Weekly
Bestseller Cornwell leaps back a millennium from his Richard Sharpe series to tell of the consolidation of England in the late ninth century and the role played by a young (fictional) warrior-in-training who's at the center of the war between Christian Englishmen and the pagan Danes. (Most of the other principal characters—Ubba, Guthrum, Ivar the Boneless and the like—are real historical figures.) Young Uhtred, who's English, falls under the control of Viking über-warrior Ragnar the Fearless when the Dane wipes out Uhtred's Northumberland family. Cornwell liberally feeds readers history and nuggets of battle data and customs, with Uhtred's first-person wonderment spinning all into a colorful journey of (self-)discovery. In a series of episodes, Ragnar conquers three of England's four kingdoms. The juiciest segment has King Edmund of East Anglia rebuking the Viking pagans and demanding that they convert to Christianity if they intend to remain in England. After Edmund cites the example of St. Sebastian, the Danes oblige him by turning him into a latter-day Sebastian and sending him off to heaven. Uhtred's affection for Ragnar as a surrogate father grows, and he surpasses the conqueror's blood sons in valor. When father and adopted son arrive at the fourth and last kingdom, however, the Danes meet unexpected resistance and Uhtred faces personal and familial challenges, as well as a crisis of national allegiance. This is a solid adventure by a crackling good storyteller.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Booklist
An acknowledged master of rousing battlefield fiction as evidenced by his crackling Richard Sharpe series, Cornwell also deserves praise for his mesmerizing narrative finesse and his authentic historical detailing. Here he introduces a new multivolume saga set in medieval England prior to the unification of the four Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of Northumbria, East Anglia, Mercia, and Wessex. Weakened by civil war, Northumbria is invaded by the fearless Danes, and Uhtred, the rightful heir to the earldom of Bebbanburg, is captured by the enemy. Raised as a Viking warrior by Ragnar the Terrible, his beloved surrogate father, Uhtred is still torn by an innate desire to reclaim his birthright. Fighting as a Dane but realizing that his ultimate destiny lies along another path, he seizes the opportunity to serve Alfred, king of Wessex, after Ragnar is horribly betrayed and murdered by Kjartan, a fellow Dane. Ever watchful and ever practical, Uhtred awaits his chance to settle the blood feud with Kjartan and to seize Bebbanburg from his treacherous uncle. Leaving his hero suspended on the threshold of realizing his desires, Cornwell masterfully sets up his audience for the second volume in this irresistible epic adventure. Margaret Flanagan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
A rare gem,
This review is from: The Last Kingdom (Paperback)
For the first time, I have rated a Bernard Cornwell work, 5-stars. I rarely hand out 5-star ratings for books, but by God this book deserves it. I picked up this series at the behest of my wife who had read a very favourable review from a respected Internet literary web site. Putting my past train wrecks with Cornwell's books aside, and with great doubt, I picked up this book ... and was knocked on my butt.This book was simply incredible. Researched superbly, the characters are not flat cut-outs but have dimension and life to them, and the battle scenes are among the very best I have ever read. I simply could not put this book down. Perhaps the best piece of historical fiction I have read, in a very long time. And that is saying quite a bit. I cannot wait to pick up The Pale Horseman, next, despite the fact that I have 6 other books sitting in my queue.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
What better way to explore 9th century Wessex?,
By J. Cameron-Smith "Expect the Unexpected" (ACT, Australia) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Last Kingdom (Paperback)
In this, the first of three novels centred on Uhtred, Bernard Cornwell breathes life into 9th century Wessex and the struggle between the (West) Saxons and the Danes. Cornwell's writing style is suited to the action of combat, conflict and intrigue and the images he invokes in my imagination feel very real.Uhtred moves between the Christian world of Alfred the Great and the pagan world of the Danes. By belonging to neither world, and to both, Uhtred is perfectly placed to take the reader into the conflict for the last of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. The story is narrated by Uhtred in his old age and paints a quite different picture of King Alfred (the Great). This is a struggle between different civilizations, cultures and values. Neither side has a monopoly on righteousness, or on evil. Be warned: if bloodthirsty battle makes you squeamish, this book may not be for you. For myself, I've found a new hero in Uhtred. Read it, enjoy it - and then read the next in the series! Jennifer Cameron-Smith
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is the one that got me hooked,
By
This review is from: Last Kingdom (Paperback)
You don't always remember when you first read the work of a particular author, but in this case, I do. Vacationing in Britain, I found the UK bookstores offering a buy 2 get the third one free deal. So I bought this, the Da Vinci Code (yuck!) and a Michael Crighton book. Of the three, "Last Kingdom" was by far the best. The era the story is set in (the time of Alfred the Great and the Viking invasions of England and Ireland) is meticulously researched and the tale simply rolls along. A very easy book to get lost in and read in a single sitting (or trans-Atlantic plane journey in my case).The story follows Uhtred, a young, disposessed lord of Northumbria as he seeks his revenge amidst the ever-changing landscape of Anglo-Saxon England. Lots of action, and lots of history, a must for readers of historical fiction.
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