Historical fiction book · Curated
The Last Kingdom
Bernard Cornwell · historical fiction
Series: The Saxon Stories
Uhtred of Bebbanburg, a Saxon earl’s son raised by Danes, is pulled between a pagan war-band and Alfred’s Wessex as ninth-century England is carved up. Cornwell’s opening Saxon novel is medieval military historical fiction: shield walls, divided loyalty, and the making of England.
Why read it: The gateway Saxon/Viking historical novel—adventure and war fiction for the early-medieval gap, and the book behind the Netflix series The Last Kingdom.
About this historical novel
The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell is historical fiction set around 866–878 in the Medieval period with key settings including Northumbria, Wessex, Bebbanburg, England. Uhtred of Bebbanburg, a Saxon earl’s son raised by Danes, is pulled between a pagan war-band and Alfred’s Wessex as ninth-century England is carved up. Cornwell’s opening Saxon novel is medieval military historical fiction: shield walls, divided loyalty, and the making of England.
On HisFic we tag it under 5. Military & war and 6. Adventure & epic so you can pair it with similar story types. Recurring themes include vikings, identity, loyalty, war, and kingship. The gateway Saxon/Viking historical novel—adventure and war fiction for the early-medieval gap, and the book behind the Netflix series The Last Kingdom.
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Plot summary
Uhtred of Bebbanburg, a Saxon earl’s son raised by Danes, is pulled between a pagan war-band and Alfred’s Wessex as ninth-century England is carved up. Cornwell’s opening Saxon novel is medieval military historical fiction: shield walls, divided loyalty, and the making of England. The gateway Saxon/Viking historical novel—adventure and war fiction for the early-medieval gap, and the book behind the Netflix series The Last Kingdom.
Subgenres
Eras
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Regions & places
Britain & Ireland
Northumbria · Wessex · Bebbanburg · England
Themes
- vikings
- identity
- loyalty
- war
- kingship
Tags
classic · series · war · adventure