Saxon Chronicles Series

This epic saga plunges you into the turbulent era of medieval England, where the fates of the Anglo-Saxons and Danes collide in a struggle for dominance. Follow the lives of warriors, kings, and common folk, whose determination, courage, and intrigue shape history. The series masterfully portrays the raw reality of warfare, political power struggles, and personal dramas during a time of upheaval and uncertainty.

Recommended Reading Order

1
The Last Kingdom
Bernard Cornwell
4.3(81797)Add rating
The Last Kingdom is set in the England of the ninth and tenth centuries. These were the years when the Danish Vikings had invaded and occupied three of England's four kingdoms, and when King Alfred, his son and grandson fought back and won the freedom of the country again. The story is seen through the eyes of Uhtred, a dispossessed English nobleman. Captured as a child and raised by the Danes, he now finds his allegiances divided. But the one thing he knows is that he wants to recover his father's land, the fort by the wild northern sea that we now know as Bamburgh. Bernard Cornwell is a master of historical fiction and this new series looking with a fresh light at Alfred the Great, his kingdom and his legacy will be as outstanding and as popular as the Grail Quest and the Warlord Chronicles
2
The Pale Horseman
Bernard Cornwell
416 pages
15 hours of reading
4.3(42356)Add rating
The last unvanquished piece of England, Wessex is eyed hungrily by the fearsome Viking conquerors. A dispossessed young nobleman, Uhtred is tied to the imperiled land by birth and marriage but was raised by the Danish invaders--and he questions where his allegiance must lie. But blood is his destiny, and when the overwhelming Viking horde attacks out of a wintry darkness, Uhtred must put aside all hatred and distrust and stand beside his embattled country's staunch defender--the fugitive King Alfred. The Pale Horseman is a gripping, monumental adventure that gives breathtaking life to one of the most important epochs in English history--yet another masterwork from New York Times bestselling author Bernard Cornwell.
3
The Lords of the North
Bernard Cornwell
400 pages
14 hours of reading
4.5(4074)Add rating
Enter a world where bloody battles, and heroic deeds combine in the historic struggle to unite Britain in the face of a common enemy.The year is 878 and the Vikings have been thrown out of Wessex. Uhtred, fresh from fighting for Alfred in the battle to free Wessex, travels north to seek revenge for his father's death, killed in a bloody raid by Uhtred's old enemy, renegade Danish lord, Kjartan. While Kjartan lurks in his formidable stronghold of Dunholm, the north is overrun by chaos, rebellion and fear. Together with a small band of warriors, Uhtred plans his attack on his enemy, revenge fuelling his anger, resolute on bloody retribution. But, he finds himself betrayed and ends up on a desperate slave voyage to Iceland. Rescued by a remarkable alliance of old friends and enemies, he and his allies, together with Alfred the Great, are free to fight once more in a battle for power, glory and honour. 'The Lords of the North' is a tale of England's making, a powerful story of betrayal, struggle and romance, set in an England torn apart by turmoil and upheaval.
4
Sword Song
Bernard Cornwell
488 pages
18 hours of reading
4.5(3621)Add rating
Uhtred has been made Governor of London while Alfred, building fortified towns to hold Wesssex, pushes into Mercia.
5
The Burning Land
Bernard Cornwell
384 pages
14 hours of reading
4.3(29235)Add rating
In the last years of the 9th century, King Alfred is in failing health and his heir an untested youth. The Danes who have failed to conquer Wessex smell an opportunity and Harald Bloodhair leading a Viking horde is led into a trap by the warlord Uhtred inflicting the greatest defeat ever suffered by the Vikings thus saving Alfred's Wessex.
6
Death of Kings
Bernard Cornwell
400 pages
14 hours of reading
4.3(586)Add rating
As the ninth century wanes, England appears about to be plunged into chaos once more. For the Viking-raised but Saxon-born warrior, Uhtred, whose life seems to shadow the making of England, this presents him with difficult choices.King Alfred is dying and his passing threatens the island of Britain 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.Uhtred's loyalty - and his vows - were to Alfred, not to his son, and despite his long years of service to Alfred, he is still not committed to the Saxon cause. His own desire is to reclaim his long lost lands and castle to the north. But the challenge to him, as the king's warrior, is that he knows that he will either be the means of making Alfred's dream of a united and Christian England come to pass or be responsible for condemning it to oblivion.This novel is a dramatic story of the power of tribal commitment and the terrible difficulties of divided loyalties.
7
The Pagan Lord
Bernard Cornwell
320 pages
12 hours of reading
4.3(19468)Add rating
The seventh installment of Bernard Cornwell’s New York Times 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 television series. At the onset of the tenth century, England is in turmoil. Alfred the Great is dead and Edward, his son, reigns as king. Wessex survives, but peace cannot hold: the Danes in the north, led by Viking Cnut Longsword, stand ready to invade and will not rest until the emerald crown is theirs. Uhtred, once Alfred’s great warrior but now out of favor with the new king, must lead a band of outcasts north to recapture his old family home, that great Northumbrian fortress, Bebbanburg. In The Pagan Lord, loyalties will be divided and men will fall, as every Saxon kingdom is drawn into the bloodiest battle yet with the Danes: a war that will decide the fate of every king, and the entire British nation.
8
The Empty Throne (the Last Kingdom Series, Book 8)
Bernard Cornwell
352 pages
13 hours of reading
4.4(16560)Add rating
The eighth novel in Bernard Cornwell s number one bestselling series on the making of England and the fate of his great hero, Uhtred of Bebbanburg. In the battle for power, there can be only one ruler. The ruler of Mercia is dying, leaving no apparent heir. His wife is a born leader, but no woman has ever ruled over an English kingdom. And she is without her greatest warrior and champion, Uhtred of Bebbanburg. An empty throne leaves the kingdom exposed to rival West Saxons and to the Vikings, who are on a bloody rampage once more. A hero is needed, a hero who has been in battle all his life, who can destroy the double threat to Mercia. A hero who will ultimately decide the fate of a nation "
9
Warriors of the Storm
Bernard Cornwell
298 pages
11 hours of reading
4.4(14010)Add rating
The new novel in Bernard Cornwell s number one bestselling series on the making of England and the fate of his great hero, Uhtred of Bebbanburg. BBC2 s major Autumn 2015 TV show THE LAST KINGDOM is based on the first two books in the series. A fragile peace is about to be broken King Alfred s son Edward and formidable daughter, AEthelflaed, rule Wessex, Mercia and East Anglia. But all around the restless Northmen, eyeing the rich lands and wealthy churches, are mounting raids. Uhtred of Bebbanburg, the kingdoms greatest warrior, controls northern Mercia from the strongly fortified city of Chester. But forces are rising up against him. Northmen allied to the Irish, led by the fierce warrior Ragnall Ivarson, are soon joined by the Northumbrians, and their strength could prove overwhelming. Despite the gathering threat, both Edward and AEthelflaed are reluctant to move out of the safety of their fortifications. But with Uhtred s own daughter married to Ivarson s brother, who can be trusted? In the struggle between family and loyalty, between personal ambition and political commitment, there will be no easy path. But a man with a warrior s courage may be able to find it. Such a man is Uhtred, and this may be his finest hour."
10
The flame bearer
Bernard Cornwell
336 pages
12 hours of reading
4.4(12470)Add rating
In this latest installment of Bernard Cornwell's bestselling series, the saga of Uhtred of Bebbanburg continues against the backdrop of a fragile peace in Britain. Northumbria's Viking ruler, Sigtryggr, and Mercia's Saxon Queen Aethelflaed have established a truce, providing Uhtred with a rare opportunity to reclaim his ancestral home, Bebbanburg, stolen by his uncle and currently held by his cousin. However, Uhtred's quest is complicated by the enemies he has made and the oaths he has sworn, which divert his focus from his goal. As new threats emerge, including the ambitious Constantin of Scotland, who seeks to expand his territory, the stability of England hangs in the balance. Uhtred is resolute in his determination to reclaim his birthright, but he must navigate a landscape filled with both old adversaries and new foes. To succeed, he will rely on the combat skills and cunning he has honed throughout his tumultuous life. The stakes are high as Uhtred confronts the challenges that threaten to derail his ambitions and plunge England into chaos.
11
War of the Wolf
Bernard Cornwell
4.3(559)Add rating
At the fortress of the eagles, three kings will fight ... Uhtred of Bebbanburg has won back his ancestral home but, threatened from all sides by enemies both old and new, he doesn't have long to enjoy the victory. In Mercia, rebellion is in the air as King Edward tries to seize control. In Wessex, rival parties scramble to settle on the identity of the next king. And across the country invading Norsemen continue their relentless incursion, ever hungry for land. Uhtred - a legendary warrior, admired and sought as an ally, feared as an enemy - is once again torn between his two heritages. But when he finds himself fighting on what he considers the wrong side, facing one of his most fearsome enemies and cursed by misfortune and tragedy, only the most astute cunning, the greatest loyalty and the most spectacular courage can save him ...
12
Sword of Kings
Bernard Cornwell
400 pages
14 hours of reading
4.3(238)Add rating
An oath of loyalty. Two warring kings. A destiny he didn't choose...
13
War Lord
Bernard Cornwell
4.6(7461)Add rating
IN THE FINAL RECKONING, CHOOSE YOUR SIDE CAREFULLY... The epic conclusion to the globally bestselling historical series. After years fighting to reclaim his rightful home, Uhtred of Bebbanburg has returned to Northumbria. With his loyal band of warriors and a new woman by his side, his household is secure - yet Uhtred is far from safe. Beyond the walls of his impregnable fortress, a battle for power rages. To the south, King AEthelstan has unified the three kingdoms of Wessex, Mercia and East Anglia - and now eyes a bigger prize. To the north, King Constantine and other Scottish and Irish leaders seek to extend their borders and expand their dominion. Caught in the eye of the storm is Uhtred. Threatened and bribed by all sides, he faces an impossible choice: stay out of the struggle, risking his freedom, or throw himself into the cauldron of war and the most terrible battle Britain has ever experienced. Only fate can decide the outcome. The epic story of how England was made concludes in WAR LORD, the magnificent finale to the Last Kingdom series.
The Last Kingdom 1.-5. díl box
Bernard Cornwell
The first five books in Bernard Cornwell's No.1 bestselling THE LAST KINGDOM series, a captivating historical fiction series that transports readers to a time when epic heroes rose amidst the tumult and war of the 9th Century.BBC2's major TV show THE LAST KINGDOM is based on the first two books in the series.Bernard Cornwell's captivating historical fiction series, THE LAST KINGDOM, tells the tale of Alfred the Great, his descendants and the enemies they faced at the dawn of England. Against their lives Bernard Cornwell has woven a story of divided loyalties, reluctant love and desperate heroism. In Uhtred, he has created one of his most captivating and heroic characters.The series follows Uhtred from his childhood – an English boy, growing up among Danes with increasingly conflicting loyalties – to his adulthood as he becomes one of the greatest warriors of England, fighting epic battles and navigating the ever-shifting landscape of England.BBC2's major TV show THE LAST KINGDOM is based on the first two books in the series.The box set includes:The Last KingdomThe Pale HorsemanThe Lords of the NorthSword SongThe Burning Land