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The Last Kingdom
The Last Kingdom
The Last Kingdom
Audiobook13 hours

The Last Kingdom

Written by Bernard Cornwell

Narrated by Jonathan Keeble

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

4.5/5

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About this audiobook

The first 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 Netflix series.

In the middle years of the ninth century, the fierce Danes stormed onto British soil, hungry for spoils and conquest. Kingdom after kingdom fell to the ruthless invaders until but one realm remained. And suddenly the fate of all England—and the course of history—depended upon one man, one king.

From New York Times bestselling storyteller Bernard Cornwell comes a rousing epic adventure of courage, treachery, duty, devotion, majesty, love, and battle as seen through the eyes of a young warrior who straddled two worlds.

LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarperAudio
Release dateDec 2, 2014
ISBN9780062393746
Author

Bernard Cornwell

BERNARD CORNWELL is the author of over fifty novels, including the acclaimed New York Times bestselling Saxon Tales, which serve as the basis for the hit Netflix series The Last Kingdom. He lives with his wife on Cape Cod and in Charleston, South Carolina.

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Reviews for The Last Kingdom

Rating: 4.569948186528498 out of 5 stars
4.5/5

386 ratings103 reviews

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    First in the Saxon Chronicles, Bernard Cornwell’s The Last Kingdom vividly recreates a land under threat of Danish invasion and colonization, as seen through the eyes of a young Northumbrian. The voice is convincing as protagonist Uhtred, son of Uhtred, tells how his childhood was interrupted by war, and his loyalties altered by pleasing accident. Those shifted and now conflicting loyalties make for a truly intriguing tale as the English youngster grows up in a Danish family, learning to fight his own people, yet always remaining uniquely loyal to his heritage. It’s a fascinating tale, blending details of well-researched history with complexly authentic politics, vivid social lives and customs, and generous acceptance of different circumstances, religions and needs. The characters on both sides are enthrallingly believable. And the protagonist’s dry humor, human imperfections, and determined honesty make for a great narrator to a tale of great and exciting times. I’m eager to read more, and to watch more of the series on TV!Disclosure: I loved the TV series and now I love the books too.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    The prose in The Pale Horseman is hurried, rambling, with historical inaccuracies and cardboard characters, all of it in need of an editor. Agreed there is little historical record of England's Alfred the Great; however, it is known he overcame a Danish invasion against staggering odds, unifying the squabbling tribes of Saxons, Mercian and some Britons. Yet Cornwell chooses to portray Alfred as an indecisive, toady of the Church, who only gained his kingdom and victory because of some swaggering, selfish, testosterone-ridden fictional Saxon hero. Doesn't wash.Add to that a propensity for run-on sentences, two glaring technical faux-pas (that linen bowstrings are unusable when wet, and arm-rings worn over chain mail), and you have a recipe for a frustrating and disappointing read.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    All the blood and guts a girl could ask for! Why didn't I read this series sooner I shall never know. Highly recommended!!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Loved it! Definitely going to keep reading the series.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I love the character in this book! Ubercool! Excellent telling of the Alfred the Great story
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I'm glad I stumbled on this book. It's a thoroughly engaging and surprising accurate piece of historical fiction. It's has the intense battles and interesting dynamics of game of thrones without all the junk. If you enjoyed watching the history channels Vikings you will love this book.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is one of my favorite narrators, and as usual, Bernard Cornwell is an excellent story weaver.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I got this book at a library sale back in 2007, and just finally got around to reading it. Even though it's the second book in the series, it stands alone really well. This is the first work of historical fiction with which I have ever been impressed. Cornwell does an excellent job making a blood-thirsty warrior play out in a sympathetic way. While the naming conventions of the time make some of the characters a little confusing, I thoroughly enjoyed every chapter of this work.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Absolutely masterful. I listened to the book unabridged on Audible and the narrator performed perfectly. It's rare to find absolute confidence that I'll finish an entire series based on the first book, but Cornwell pulled it off.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Good yarn, based apparently reasonably accurately on history. Easy reading (except for some of the historic placenames.)
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I had this book on my TBR for several months but only got to it after watching the first season of the TV series on BBC. The book is a detailed account of the battle for England in the late 800s between the Danes (Vikings, Norsemen, etc) and King Albert. The story follows Uhtred Ragnarson a Saxon who was captured by the Danes when he was 10 and raised as a son by Ragnar. Uhtred struggles with his upbringing as a Dane and love for Ragnar and the love of his ancestral home Brabbenburg in Northumbria.Note for those interested in both the TV series and the book - The first season of the TV series extends beyond Book 1.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Engaging and well-researched fictional account of an English boy taken prisoner by the Danish Vikings and raised in their ranks. Uhtred, a young earl and hungry for adventure and glory, loves his new life with his Viking kidnappers. But destiny has other plans for Uhtred, and eventually he finds himself fighting for the English under King Alfred. "The Last Kingdom" references the fact that Alfred is king of Wessex, the last kingdom in England to hold against the Viking invaders. The book is the first in a series, and introduces the characters and landscape on the brink of a turning point in English history.My issue with Bernard Cornwell books is that they relegate women to background roles, usually with little agency and few spoken lines. It's Cornwell's perogative to not have female narrators or main characters (maybe some of his books do, but not the ones I've read), but he just seems clueless as to women's roles and contributions in the different periods of history in which he writes. The character of Brida in this book was the exception to the rule, but even her character seemed two dimensional and that what was supposed to be good about her was that she acted like a man. Women are either whores or victims of rape, and the casual way he describes violence against them is disturbing. Yes, I know it was a "different time" back then, but don't tell me that rape was any less awful, or people experienced it differently.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Wow, just wow. Bernard Cornwell continues to impress me not just with his characterization and prose, but with his attention to time-setting and historical accuracy. In any case, this is one rowdy story filled with passion, honor, personal truth and lots of blood. :) Can't wait to pick up the next installment.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Great book! Pretty graphic descriptions of battles just FYI. But great story!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I liked this book a lot. I think this is one of the better historical fiction series out there. The relationship between Alfred and Uthred is a believable one, and I could imagine existing in the time period.My only issue with the group was the hurried ending. I just thought it was a little contrived. Now I am sure this is what the author wanted, but to me it seemed rushed. A little more explaination after the battle would have been appreciated. But I am sure that is what the next volume in the series is all about.Highly recomended series if you are at all interested in history, war and religon.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    How frustrating! After having suffered from insomnia for years I now discover that all along there was a big selection of turgid tomes by Bernard Cornwell to choose from!I have had more fun watching wood warp!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Through a fictional Saxon, Uthred, raised by Danes, the fight for the begining of England as such. Also the story of Alfred.B. Conrwell is supposed to be a descendant of the family from which Uhtred is shaped
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A wonderful historical story told by a very talented narrator.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Interesting introduction to British Saxon/Danish history. I enjoyed reading it although wonder whether anyone ever survives all the warring and violence, or how they do so.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Violent but vivid. Cornwell does his research and produces historical novels that offer a plausible glimpse inside the heads of, in this case, leading warriors in the age of Alfred the Great.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A narração é fantástica, cheia de vida e emoção. Vale a pena.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Entertaining and historically interesting (within the bounds of fiction, which the author does a good job of clarifying). Not a period you would want to live in, but powerful stories to experience vicariously.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Probably the best Narrator I've ever listened to. Wonderful story spoken with such passion.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The Last Kingdom is an amazing story telling the tales of ancient England being plighted by the Danes, otherwise known as the Vikings. The storyline is brilliant and remarkably told, with truth mixed in with artistic licence. The language used i fresh and full, mixing description with feeling and speech really well.
    My own personal feeling on this is that it should not have been written in first person, although I have a personal biased against that kind of narrative telling. The reasons for this feeling is that the story in first person is very often either very thin because of the narrative techniques when using first person (i.e. third person would be omniscent, to whit a lot more story can be given because of such a wide variety of ability in getting characters perspectives etc). Despite this, the story was well told with only a few minor aspects of the first person narrative making it seem a little forced (an example being the narrator knowing such things that you'd think they couldn't and only an omniscent narrator could).
    The plot and storyline were invaluable and the characters were fiercely likable in most cases, and enjoyably dislikable in others, also being believable for the time and setting. The Historical content was also amazing, the place names and information given was a great insight to a period of England's life that is little talked about.
    The only reason this book has not been given 5-stars is because of my own personal preference for a third person narrative, that is all.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    An excellent history capturing life and hardship with an accurate renditon of the relationships of the warring factions, paganism versus the new God of Rome; alas the characters suffer some as a result as does the plt which lacks a certain crispness. Still a great adventure read!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    It is difficult for me to not compare Bernard Cornwell's excellent The Last Kingdom to the previous book I read. Primarily because this one is so good and that one was ... well, pretty disappointing.

    And I found myself comparing the two as I was reading The Last Kingdom because there are similar techniques at work. Cornwell has a very straightforward and succinct writing style, and he plunks you right down in 9th century England without any real context or development. (Previous author does the same, although not 9th century England, but 17th century Bavaria) And when I say no context or development, I mean nooooo context or development. Cornwell writes like you live in 9th century England and the reality he is portraying to you is your reality.

    And in previous books I have read, this tactic hasn't always worked well for me. But it did in The Last Kingdom. And I think the main reason is the sole narrator / first person perspective of the story. Compared to the previous novel - which shall remain nameless here - the entire story of The Last Kingdom is told by Uhtred, the heir and lord who finds himself caught up in the 9th century wars between the then five English kingdoms and the Vikings. Since Uhtred is the only narrator, it became so easy to get engrossed in his story ... compared again to previous novels, which had multiple storytellers, and therefore, too many perspectives to feel really attached to any of them.

    And I'm not saying the multi-narrator tactic doesn't work, but I do think more time is needed in creating a context to the individual characters so you can connect with them. I will give an example of a multi-person POV series that I think handles this just swelly: A Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones) by George R.R. Martin. If you don't take the time to create that context and that connection, then why should I care about the characters or what happens to them? Just my humble $0.02.

    I was also surprised to see how much I enjoyed Uhtred's cursory and simple description of the events in his life. It is his story after all, so it was refreshing to read through and see which moments meant more to him as a character than others. And they were surprising selections. I reached certain passages and thought they would drag on for days, but nope. Uhtred plows through them in a couple of pages ... and others that would have seemed insignificant, but Cornwell spends more time describing them through the eyes of Uhtred than it would feel, at least initially, is necessary. As the story will prove, those longer passages do connect to later moments in the novel, but it still felt new and innovative to get so lost in a character's personality.

    So yes, I did compare this book to the previous one I read. Because it felt good to connect with that character, to get lost in his story, to see his world through his eyes, and to feel his emotions at his level. And both novels were set in violent and exciting time periods in history - but thanks to my immersion in Uhtred, I felt the world he was living in far more than 17th century Bavaria...
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I listened to this to and from my drive to NYC a few weeks ago. Needless, to say the drive seemed shorter than usual. Cornwell did not disappoint me with this book. The subject is the Dane's invasion of England, the last kingdom being that of Alfred, in Wessex. Definitely 5 stars.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I wanted to say that I didn't like this book. Really, I did want to say that. But I can't. Yet, at the same time, I can't say I loved the book. It gave me so many mixed feelings that I ended up giving it four stars when I originally wanted to give it three stars.

    I wish I could say the overall story was boring and nothing interesting seemed to happen, but I can't. At first you even think that the story never goes forward and all you read is what's going on with the world. It's a world in war and a boy is telling you what he sees and boy, that is annoying. But then one completely unexpected event happens. And the another. And another. And another. And another. That's when you realize that you're halfway through the book and you're... actually enjoying what's going on. Boy, you'll soon notice that you're actually curious to know what's about to happen, even if the story seems to get stuck in the description of the scenarios.

    Next, I wanted to say that the characters are plain and not well developed. But then, I started to like the briefness and subtlety of their actions and words. They're not ones to talk too much, but they're actually very easy to like. They are somewhat predictable, yet there is "something" in them that makes you like them, be it Ragnar's fatherly words or Brida's wise-ass replies. After a while, even Uhtred's naïvety started to look kinda charming.

    This is a confusing book. So hard and, at the same time, so easy to like. Maybe not something I look forward to re-read, but definitely something that gave me a hell of a good time while it lasted.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I've found myself a new favourite author. I've found myself a 13 part series to read! The author can trace his ancestry back through his father to Uhtred the Bold, Earl of Northumbria and Lord of Bamburgh, the main character in The Last Kingdom - imagine that! Story takes place in 9th and 10th centuries England when the Danes are invading, the English are learning to unite, life is short and men are considered old in their 40s. Once again I found the writing exceptional although, to be honest I did stumble on some of the - olde English place names but I didn't let that ruin the narrative.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I enjoyed this book, to a point, but I didn't particularly enjoy the bloody and repeated battle scenes. This is the beginning of the history of Alfred the Great and early English history, and I know the era was a bloody one with a lot of fighting as the English battled the Danish invaders. I appreciate tremendously the scholarship and research that went into the writing of this novel, because it is intense. My gut feeling tells me this is very realistic historic fiction. It was just a bit too realistic, I guess!