The Last Kingdom

The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell // 333 pgs

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This is the story of the making of England in the 9th and 10th centuries, the years in which King Alfred the Great, his son and grandson defeated the Danish Vikings who had invaded and occupied three of England’s four kingdoms.

The story is seen through the eyes of Uhtred, a dispossessed nobleman, who is captured as a child by the Danes and then raised by them so that, by the time the Northmen begin their assault on Wessex (Alfred’s kingdom and the last territory in English hands) Uhtred almost thinks of himself as a Dane. He certainly has no love for Alfred, whom he considers a pious weakling and no match for Viking savagery, yet when Alfred unexpectedly defeats the Danes and the Danes themselves turn on Uhtred, he is finally forced to choose sides. By now he is a young man, in love, trained to fight and ready to take his place in the dreaded shield wall. Above all, though, he wishes to recover his father’s land, the enchanting fort of Bebbanburg by the wild northern sea.

This thrilling adventure—based on existing records of Bernard Cornwell’s ancestors—depicts a time when law and order were ripped violently apart by a pagan assault on Christian England, an assault that came very close to destroying England.

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I enjoyed this one, it was captivating and I enjoyed seeing Uthred’s perspective and watching him grow as a child to an adult with a life held hostage but also captivated by war. It felt like I was actually reading a historical account at some points, despite being aware it was obviously fiction. Cornwell did a good job of making it feel like an old man writing down his life story, with subtle hints of what is to come in the future.

Watching Uthred struggle between the Danes and the English was interesting, and Cornwell did an excellent job showcasing how both sides are good/bad. Uthred is a truly neutral character, which led me to be curious how he would act at any moment. His main focus is on survival, revenge, and taking back his land.

I’m also glad that I’m already vaguely familiar with the events of the Vikings invading England (thank you AC Valhalla), so seeing some familiar names helped me connect and understand the world a bit better. I’m excited to read the later installments of the series, and how the characters will develop with what I am aware of what happened historically.