Sword of Kings

The Last Kingdom Series, Book 12

By: Bernard Cornwell

Narrated by: Matt Bates

Length: 13 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

England is in turmoil as Vikings and Saxons battle for territory. Rumours build about the fatal sickness of the King, and the country awaits an heir.

A violent clash at sea forces the warrior lord Uhtred to lead his men from his Northumbrian fortress to London and plunge into the eye of the storm. For two kings claim the empty throne and a new kingdom cannot be born without bloodshed.

Uhtred’s sword will leave one king dead and the other victorious. But sometimes it is hard to know the will of the gods....

©2019 Bernard Cornwell (P)2019 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic reviews

"Nobody in the world does this better than Cornwell." (Lee Child)

Good edition to the story of Uhtred

I have read all the other Saxon Tales or Last Kingdom books and the story taken in its entirety is excellent. It is disappointing in this book that Uhtred would even consider running from a fight. Too much of the book ponders on his indecision. This is still the authors decision as Uhtred ages that this is part of his story and worth reading. This book is well written and the performance is excellent. Maybe I just don’t like that Uhtred is aging. I expected him to be arrogant and defiant till the end.

And again - excellent

The story of Utred continues and like the other 11 books is excellent. It took a bit to get accustomed to the narrator but he did a great job and all the pronunciations were consistent with previous books. I am excited for the next book.

Corwell never disappoints! Another nail bitter!

non-stop action and laughs! I love this series! I can't wait for the next installment!

Bernard Cornwell Does Not Disappoint

Bernard Cornwell has done it again. Sword of Kings entertains as a new favorite of Cornwell’s Saxon Stories (Last Kingdom) series. Uhtred is an all time favorite literary character of mine and I simply don’t want the adventures to end for this endearingly flawed, oath bound, hero. As always, I had trouble pressing the stop button. The narrator Matt Bates once again provides an excellent performance bringing the characters to life.
Having read many of Cornwell’s series including, Sharpe’s series and others, he has created yet another masterful entertaining work. Well done!

Needs more Keeble

Great read, but this whole series would've been better if Johnathan Keeble were the narrator.

Bernard Cornwell : Simply The Best

There is only one problem with Bernard Cornwell books, they leave you wanting much, much more! The exquisite detail and character development is beyond reproach, I am heartened by his words in the Afterword, that our hero UTHRED will be there for the time when England is United!

typical Cornwell book, PERFECT

Bernard Cornwell to whom I compare all the books I listen to.
without a doubt the best there is

Excellent continuation of the story

I was surprised by how much I liked this. I think it would be too easy to continue the story in formula, so this is what I must have been expecting. While I certainly enjoy the subtext of the historical facts within the series, I also enjoy hearing about Uthred's story and how it unfolds. This was, to me at least, a good tale. It follows his fictional life as he ages, this plot line simply does not get old to me because the author somehow keeps it fresh and engaging. I enjoyed listening too this book and thinking about it in between when I was not listening, to me that is the sign of a good audio book!

Enjoyable

I’ve been waiting for this book and was pleased with it all together. This series is much better than its Netflix version and this book fits well in the series. It did seem the end was a bit rushed and that Cornwell was either ready to complete it or in a deadline. If you like this series you’ll be pleased with this book.

Utred rides again!

Excellant as always. I couldn't help but think back to the younger Utred and compare to the older. He is still formidable although weakening in body. This book shows that his greatest strength is in his cunning and his determination.