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Sword of Kings: A Novel (The Last Kingdom Book 12) by [Bernard Cornwell]

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Bernard Cornwell

Sword of Kings: A Novel (The Last Kingdom Book 12) Kindle Edition

by Bernard Cornwell (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

5,314 ratings

Book 12 of 13: The Last Kingdom

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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.

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349 pages
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Publisher

Harper
Publication date

November 26, 2019
File size

6478 KB
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Historical adventure on a grand scale.” -- Kirkus

“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.” -- Booklist

“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.” -- The Times (UK)

“The master returns with this latest addition to his wonderful Saxon chronicles.” -- Sunday Times Magazine (UK) --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

About the Author

BERNARD CORNWELL is the author of over fifty novels, including the acclaimed New York Times bestselling Saxon Tales, which serve as the basis for the hit Netflix series The Last Kingdom. He lives with his wife on Cape Cod and in Charleston, South Carolina.

--This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07N7G4CHZ
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harper; Reprint edition (November 26, 2019)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 26, 2019
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 6478 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 349 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #42,139 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #134 in Military Historical Fiction
- #144 in Historical British Fiction
- #257 in War & Military Action Fiction (Kindle Store)

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Bernard Cornwell

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Bernard Cornwell was born in London and worked in television until he met his American wife and moved to the US. Denied a work permit, he wrote a novel and has been writing ever since.

A master storyteller with a passion for history, his current bestselling series, THE LAST KINGDOM, is centred around the creation of England. It is also a major TV series on Netflix, with Bernard playing a cameo role in season three. The fourth season is currently being filmed.

He is also the author of THE GRAIL QUEST series, set in the Hundred Years’ War, THE WARLORD chronicles, set in Arthurian Britain, a number of standalone novels, one non-fiction work on Waterloo and the series with which he began, the SHARPE series.

For exciting news, tour and publication details, and exclusive content from Bernard visit www.bernardcornwell.net and like his author page on Facebook/Bernard.Cornwell

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CBG

A new king

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 16, 2022

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Excellent historical based story on middle age England. I like the use of the real rulers an important men of the time. That is how England formed by important men and women with a dream of one English speaking peoplr

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 26, 2022

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Twelve books into his Saxon Tales series, Cornwall has delivered one of his best Uhtred tales yet in “Sword of Kings.” Early in the novel, we learn that Edward, the self-styled King of the Angles and the Saxons, ruler of Wessex, Mercia, and East Anglia, is dying. His death promises to spark a war between two of his sons with claims to the throne. The first is Æthelstan, Edward’s firstborn, whom Uhtred knows is the rightful heir. The other is his wicked half-brother Ælfweard. Uhtred swore an oath to protect Æthelstan, so it’s no surprise that he quickly becomes embroiled in this brewing conflict. The novel combines the Game of Thrones-style politics of “The Empty Throne” with the desperate circumstance of “The Pale Horseman.” If you’re a fan of Cornwell’s “Saxon Tales” series, as I’ve been since the release of “The Last Kingdom,” you are going to love “Sword of Kings.”

One person found this helpful

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Nashoba Losa

Continuity from book to book and consistency of plots,

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 5, 2019

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I have bought almost every one of Bernard Cornwell's books and have enjoyed all of them from The Sharpe Novels through Agincourt and this current latest book in the Saxon Tales Series. Lord Uhtred is the main character that is developed in the first of this series and a kidnapped child raised by the Norse people to be one of them and an enemy of Jesus Christ. Always he is disrespectful of the "Nailed God" but sometimes he cannot help himself when his God "Thor" makes things tough for Uhtred. He sorta with backhanded backdoor compliments seems to realize maybe there is another way beside the trust he has in the Norse gods. But when it comes down to the nut-cutting, Uhtred and his men believe mostly in shield walls, short swords, ponderous long swords (with personal names as if they were alive), spears, battle axes and battle hammers, and sheer brute force in weilding them against Uhtred many enemies when it suits him. Sometimes Cornwell gets lost in explanations and transitions and remembrances as he makes sure we readers don't miss the relationships of all the myriad characters that flow from the histories of the Celts, Danes, Anglo-Saxons, Norsemen, Scotts and the Irish and Kings are made and destroyed and women are treated as chattle and children are taken hostage to guaranted performance to the victors of battles and wars as their just reward for winning said battles and wars. But, even though Uhtred thinks he is a savage, he is strangely a man of honor who keeps his words when he makes a promise or oath. So this book speeds along along for a while and then plods quite slowly during a transition or remembrance and then jumps back and forth as Uhtred reveals his thoughts for a battle or a withdrawal, always making our like a bandit, thanks to Thor's blessings and help. This series is rather good historical fiction with a lot of truth to it from the sometimes terrible names for modern towns, cities and country in the United Kingdom. Some of you will reat the first chapter or two and put it aside. Others, like me, will wade through it to the bloody end and enjoy every bit of it. But I wanted to be a history professor at a small college instead of the hospital CFO then CEO I became. Now that I am retired, I have time for looking into the past and seeing why I speak English instead of French or German or Irish or trying to learn why my Dad talked about the Druid in our family history. Curiosity is a wonderful thing.

16 people found this helpful

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VENOMnVIPER

Worth every dollar of course

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 27, 2019

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Okay forgive me for giving it 5 Stars before actually reading it. But this is the 12th installment and what can I say I know it's going to be a good story I ordered the large print version and it is like the rest easy to hold in the hand very flexible tube in the pages back the large print is phenomenal and of course just glancing add the first few pages and what's written on the back of course it is again well-written and easy to understand. As far as the story context I don't know what's going to happen and how it's all going to happen rather. But I definitely look forward to it this book does seem to be smaller as far as how many pages it is I didn't actually look to see how many page is it was but it just seems smaller nice thick as the previous books so I don't know if he rushed through this book to please us and or how much time he took to write it but I look forward to finding out. I hope that in this volume we will get some type of sweetness between him and his wife I think that she is his last wife Edith but I think that their marriage deteriorated as they got older because her faith in God had become quite more unbearable more pious rather than her just you know being someone who had faith in God and Christ and what not. I think that she ended up being more religious minded than just relationship minded with God and that is what he could not stand and you can't blame him for that. But I would like to see in a little romance in his older age I always envisioned him to look like the TV series I don't Envision him as blond hair it's more relatable to me that way because I watch the TV series before I even began to dive into all of the novels.

2 people found this helpful

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John S

Great historic fiction

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 24, 2021

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This is the 12th book in this series and while it can be read as a standalone novel I strongly recommend that you read the previous novels first as the histories between various characters will make more sense and the book more enjoyable. This is historic fiction, a little loose at times, but still a great look at how England became a kingdom, plus its filled with great battle scenes and intrigue. King Edward has died and his two sons now battle for the crown. Reluctantly, the old warrior Uthred, a pagan Northumbrian Lord is drawn into the battle by an oath he made to would be King Ethelstan . Uthred travels to Lundene with a small band of men to help Ethelstan and to fulfill the oath he made to kill Ethelhelm and would be King Elfweard once King Edward died. Of course Lundene is held by Ethelhelm and thousands of his men and once again Lord Uthred finds himself in a dangerous and precarious position. Another great book in this series.

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Sharon Connolly

Utterly gripping!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on November 4, 2019

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I have said a few times that I am a big Bernard Cornwell fan. I have been reading his books since I was 14 and the Sharpe series was the inspiration for my dissertation at university. He is the most thoughtful author out there; he publishes a book every year in October, just in time for my birthday (for which the hubby and I are equally grateful!). This year was no exception.

This is the 12th outing for Uhtred of Bebbanburgh and Bernard Cornwell has done it again! Sword of Kings is a thoroughly enjoyable adventure set in 10th century England. Full of action, intrigue, friendship and a little bit of love, the master storyteller has given us yet another book that is impossible to put down.

Uhtred’s penchant for swearing oaths, and for standing by his oaths, once again gets him into trouble. This time he has sworn to help put Athelstan on the throne; the grandson of King Alfred and nephew of Uhtred’s former love, Æthelflaed, he is the eldest son of King Edward the Elder. But there is a question over his legitimacy and other, powerful nobles would see Athelstan’s half-brother, Ælfweard. Luckily for Athelstan, Uhtred has also sworn to kill Ælfweard and his uncle, Æthelhelm. However, fulfilling an oath is not as easy as making it!

As we have come to expect from Bernard Cornwell, the action is non-stop. the writing is up to his usual high standard, keeping the reader enthralled from the first page to the last. Uhtred gets himself into some of the worst scrapes yet, leaving the reader petrified that his luck will finally run out…

Uhtred has always been a sympathetic character to me, ruthless in battle but with a softer side for his lovers and (most of) his children. What shines through in this book, probably more so than in the rest of the series, is his friendship with Finan. These two men have been through Hell together – slavery and countless battles – and their relationship has always remained strong. In Sword of Kings it is this friendship that drives the book; their mutual trust and reliance on each other, in battle and out, is what makes this book so engaging.

Bernard Cornwell is a natural storyteller, one of the best at the craft. Sword of Kings is yet more testament to that fact. You never quite know how it is going to work out for Uhtred – he is not immune to loss and suffering – which is what always makes these books so gripping – you know he is not going to come out of his adventures totally unscathed. The suspense, the drama, the intrigue and action all come together to make yet another perfect chapter in Uhtred’s story.

40 people found this helpful

blues95

Uhtred is now aged 67 in this book and still fighting battle's!! Really?

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on November 11, 2019

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I have the entire collection of Cornwell's books in 1st edition. So clearly I love his story lines and writing style. However I have calculated that Uhtred was born in 857 and this book is set in 924, so he must be aged 67!! Lets get real there is no way he can still be fighting as he is. Also there are a number of typing errors and clearly the book has not been well proof read before printing. For instance on one page (219) he refers to 2 barking dogs and then later in the very same paragraph they become "the 3 dogs". I recall in one of the earlier books Uhtred is a very old man living in a Monastery, so presumably this has yet to come?? It's time to finish this series and write maybe a new Sharpe book.

17 people found this helpful

Gilraen

Uhtred is declining, but it's still an enjoyable read.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on October 2, 2022

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I love Uhtred and all this series. That said, since capturing Bebbanburg, the driving force has gone out of both the series and the man. Both this book and the last take Uhtred away from home under false pretexts so he can have an adventure and be in jeopardy; this is necessary as Bebbanburg is impregnable to all except Uhtred. Little is said about Uhtred junior; he is simply a useful tool to guard Bebbanburg, while Uhtred senior is away. Even less is said about his eldest son - Uhtred/Judas, who was horribly maimed in the last book and simply disappears (I think there may be one mention of him and the name he now uses, but that may have been in Book 11). Another reviewer commented on Uhtred senior's ability to continue fighting and winning despite his age, but his ageing and gradual physical decline is mentioned throughout the series, and particularly in this book, it is obvious he is not the fit and young man he once was. My own personal dislike is his betrayal of Eadith - mental certainly, if not physical. He has had many women throughout the series, but he has never before been unfaithful to one he loved, and this is classic man crisis - falling for a younger version when he is an old man - disappointing. One thing I have noticed is that Uhtred's family are not truly part of the story; they are just props used to facilitate the story. All that said, I still love this series and have just ordered Book 13.

Clemens A. Schoonderwoert

A Marvellous Captivating (Uhtred) Sequel!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on March 16, 2020

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This very captivating book is the 12th instalment of the excellent "Last Kingdom" series by the formidable author, Bernard Cornwell. (This series has also been adapted for TV/Film)

The historical details concerning this book has been meticulously researched and documented, with Place Names and a well-drawn map of Wessex, East Anglia and Mercia at the beginning of the book, while at the back you'll notice a well detailed Historical Note and general explanations concerning Uhtred's story.

Story-telling is as ever of a top-notch quality, all the figures featuring in this warlike historical story, whether they are great historical or wonderful fictional, come vividly to life, and the book contains great fighting actions and superbly pictured battle scenes.

The book is set in the year, AD 924, and King Edward the Elder is at the end of his life, and in the wings there are two Princelings waiting, namely Athelstan and AElfweard, to become the next King of Wessex, East Anglia and Mercia.

Uhtred, who's safely in Bebbanburg (Bamburgh) receives a plea for help from Queen Eadgifu, wife of King Edward, and that plea will set him on a course to Cent (Kent) in an attempt to rescue her from the clutches of AEthelhelm, and so take her back with him towards safety to Bebbanburg.

On the way back Uhtred is waylaid by certain factors and heads for Lundene (London) to see and notice the lay of the land there, and while being there he gets ambushed by an invasion of reinforcements from East Anglia by AEthelhelm into Lundene, who's taken over the city by luring Merewalh out through treachery, and only by sheer luck and determination Uhtred and his followers manage to escape for a final confrontation.

What will follow is a thrilling and excitable adventure in which Uhtred and his followers, now with the help of Merewalh and his garrison, will try to invade Lundene and complete his oath to Athelstan by killing AEthelhelm and AElfweard, an oath that will fail, but his personal nemesis at this moment Waormund will certainly face his deadly wrath in an attempt to regain his famous sword, Serpent-Breath, and in doing so finally paving the way for Athelstan to become King of Mercia, East Anglia and Wessex, and ultimately also becoming a serious future threat to Uhtred's still free Kingdom of Northumbria.

Very much recommended, for this is another brilliant episode and splendid addition to the Last Kingdom series, and one that I would like to call: "A Marvellous Captivating (Uhtred) Sequel"!

One person found this helpful

D. P. D. Glyn-Jones

Great read but some of the history is suspect

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on June 1, 2020

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The whole series is a great read but some of the history is suspect and the protagonist is not always a particularly pleasant character. Loyalty to his women is not always a strong point, particularly in this novel. Loyal Eadith deserved better, which I suppose Uhtred acknowledges. And he's unforgivingly bloodthirsty. (But then, it was a bloody age).

Not much is known about Aelfweard, but it is unlikely that he was an incompetent psychopath. Why should the Wessex Witan have acknowledged him if this was the case? His cause of death is unknown (as Cornwell acknowledges in his comments in his postscript). I was unaware of Edward's Will, but in Anglo-Saxon times the next king was chosen by the Witan, not by his predecessor (who might have made a recommendation - eg: Harold by Edward the Confessor). Historically, Wessex chose Aelfweard, Mercia chose Aethelstan who had been brought up by Aethelflaed. Nor was there a war over the choices made as far as I know.

This separation wad not unknown in Anglo-Saxon England. In later times, Mercia and Northumbria broke with Eadwig (Edmund's son who had succeeded Eadred) because of his incompetence , and elected his brother, Edgar.
Wessex stayed with Eadwig, but elected Edgar (who became one of England's great early kings) when Eadwig died a year or so later. Later still, Edmund Ironside and Cnut made a like division after an indecisive war. When Edmund died not long afterwards (probably murdered though details are sketchy, particularly over responsibility), Cnut became sole king.

Acknowledging that Cornwell's work is historical fiction (which he does himself), it is a good read. (I got through it in an afternoon and evening). I don't like Uhtred much (arrogant and somewhat selfish), but what's wrong about depicting a flawed hero? It makes him more realistic and interesting.

As an afterthought, Cornwell has chosen to omit the fact that there was another brother, Edwin (I believe, Aelfweard's younger full brother and tacitly acknowledged as Aethelstan's heir)) who fell out with Aethelstan at a later date and was drowned at sea in a deliberately leaky boat (which Aethelstan reportedly felt guilty about afterwards). Also, Aethelstan may have intended to enable the succession of a brother (fairly common in any case (Aethelbald - Aethelbert - Aethelred I - Aelfred; Aelfweard - Aethelstan - Edmund - Eadred; Eadwig - Edgar; Edward II) - Aethelred II hence his not marrying.

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