The Last Kingdom is a story set in England in the 9th century. Uhtred is a young noble living in a fortress in Northumbria when the Danes invade and overthrow the small kingdoms of the northeast. Uhtred is taken at age 10 by the Danes and adopted by a family, learning their ways. In the wars to follow, Uhtred fights with the Danes, but over a series of betrayals, slaughters, and new alliances, he turns his allegiance to the English. Uhtred’s life will be caught up with King Alfred’s in a last stand to protect Wessex (the Last Kingdom) as the Vikings invade Northumbria, Mercia, and East Anglia.
Uhtred becomes a great warrior and a leader, but his non-Christian upbringing is not favored by the Church and a number of incidents provides tension between his worth as a great warrior, but his Viking-pagan heritage. These conflicts multiply over a long period of time, told in 13 books.
The books follow Uhtred and a period of time of King Alfred and his successors. Each book is a complete story, but they are all linked in consecutive order and the whole tale builds the depth of the main characters, provides cultural insights and history, and thoroughly entertains readers along the journey.
I have read all 13 books, but I have also read 24 books in the Sharpe series, all of the Grail Quest novels, and a few of the standalone books. Cornwell never fails to entertain and provide a strong storyline. I plan to read some more of his books over the coming years.
The Last Kingdom was successfully adapted as a TV Series. Each episode is entertaining and has strong production values, but the story is truncated and adjusted. The books provide a much stronger historical novel experience for readers.
The stories of Uhtred are based on historical documents and Bernard Cornwell himself is a direct descendant. The author has done a great service to his readers by making Uhtred someone we know and want to continue to follow.
A highly recommended book – 4.8 out of 5.0 stars