The Last Kingdom – Bernard Cornwell

I thought that this was just a one off, but no it turns out to be the start of The Saxon Chronicles, Bernard Cornwell’s telling of the creation of the Kingdom of England under King Alfred the Great. The Last Kingdom introduces us to Uhtred, born a Northumbrian (Christian) but brought up a Dane (Viking) – a clash of cultures that continues through the series (and is a handy device for highlighting the various perspectives in play in the second half of the 9th century).

Amazon.co.uk links