Death of Kings: A Novel

The sixth installment of Bernard Cornwell€s New York Times bestselling series chronicling the epic saga of the making of England, €œlike Game of Thrones, but real€ (The Observer, London)€"the basis for The Last Kingdom, the hit television series.

As the ninth century wanes, Alfred the Great lies dying, his lifelong goal of a unified England in peril, his kingdom on the brink of chaos. Though his son, Edward, has been named his successor, there are other Saxon claimants to the throne€"as well as ambitious pagan Vikings to the north.

Torn between his vows to Alfred and the desire to reclaim his long-lost ancestral lands in the north, Uhtred, Saxon-born and Viking-raised, remains the king€s warrior but has sworn no oath to the crown prince. Now he must make a momentous decision that will forever transform his life and the course of history: to take up arms€"and Alfred€s mantle€"or lay down his sword and let his liege€s dream of a unified kingdom die along with him.