Book info

• Title Death of Kings
• Author Bernard Cornwell
• Year 2011
• Genre Historical

Alfred, the great king, is said to be dying. Rivals for his succession are poised to tear the kingdom apart. The country Alfred has worked thirty years to build is about to disintegrate. Uhtred, the King’s warrior, Viking born but Saxon bred, wants more than anything else to go and fight to reclaim his stolen Northumbrian inheritance. But he knows that if he deserts the King’s cause, Alfred’s dream – and indeed the very future of the English nation – will very likely vanish. Death of Kings is an outstanding novel by a master storyteller of how England was made – and very nearly lost.

Thoughts

Alfred finally dies, after threatening to do so for the past few books, and the expected chaos doesn’t really happen. But there are still more skirmishes and plots to try and unravel. Every time I think this book isn’t for me and it’s boring and I’m going to stop reading, something real and human and funny happens, the characters are great, and it just pulls me back in. Bernard Cornwell has such a great writing style - intensely detailed, and full of accuracy, but with enough wit and engagement that you can’t help but want to keep reading.

Rating: 3 / 5