Part of The Last Kingdom, book 5
First published 2010
King Alfred of Wessex lies dying while Danish warriors mass for another assault on his kingdom. Uhtred, the Saxon king's most skilled warlord, faces Harald Bloodhair's Viking horde in brutal combat. He crushes the Danish attack and delivers a crushing blow to their forces. But victory turns bitter when personal tragedy strikes. Uhtred abandons his oath to Alfred and crosses battle lines to join the very Vikings he once fought. He allies with Ragnar, his childhood friend, and Haesten, a former enemy. Together they plot to seize Uhtred's ancestral stronghold in Northumbria and launch their own invasion of Wessex. Uhtred now fights against the kingdom he once defended, driven by grief and the burning desire to reclaim his birthright. Yet destiny has other plans for the warrior caught between two worlds.
Genres: historical-fiction, military-fiction, adventure, action
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Northumbria, Wessex
Period: medieval
336 pages · Hardcover · HarperCollins
Content warnings: violence