"It is 997 CE, the end of the Dark Ages, and England faces attacks from the Welsh in the west and the Vikings in the east. Life is hard, and those with power wield it harshly, bending justice according to their will -- often in conflict with the monarchy. With the king's grip on the country fragile and with no clear rule of law, chaos and bloodshed reign. Into this uncertain world three people come to the fore: a young boatbuilder, who dreams of a...

Uhtred of Bebbanburg a man of his word, an oath bound him to King Alfred and another to Aethelstan. Now an oath will wrench him away from his ancestral home, for he has sworn that on King Edward's death, he will kill two men, and Edward is dying. A violent attack drives Uhtred south with a band of warriors, and headlong into the battle for kingship. Plunged into a world of shifting alliances and uncertain loyalties, he will need all his strength to...

Uhtred of Bebbanburg has won back his ancestral home but, threatened from all sides by enemies both old and new, he doesn't have long to enjoy the victory. In Mercia, rebellion is in the air as King Edward tries to seize control. In Wessex, rival parties scramble to settle on the identity of the next king. And across the country invading Norsemen continue their relentless incursion, ever hungry for land. Uhtred finds himself once again torn between...

With a fragile peace between Wessex, Mercia, and East Anglia loyalties and ambitions are put to the test when forces gather against the kingdom's greatest warrior, Uhtred of Bebbanburg.

"The final installment in Bernard Cornwell's bestselling Saxon Tales series, chronicling the epic story of the making of England. England is under attack. Chaos reigns. Northumbria, the last kingdom, is threatened by armies from all sides, by land and sea, and only one man stands in their way. Torn between loyalty and sworn oaths, the warrior king Lord Uhtred of Bebbanburg faces his greatest ever battle -- and prepares for his ultimate fate." -- Provided...