Death of Kings

Death of Kings

First edition cover
Author	Bernard Cornwell
Original title	Death of Kings
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Series	The Saxon Stories
Genre	Historical Novel
Publisher	HarperCollins
Media type	Print (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages	335 pp (first edition, hardback)
ISBN	(first edition, hardback)
Preceded by	The Burning Land
Followed by	The Pagan Lord

Death of Kings, published in 2011, is the sixth novel of Bernard Cornwell's Saxon Tales series. It continues the story of Saxon warlord Uhtred of Bebbanburg who keeps fighting against a new Danish invasion of Wessex and Mercia.

The novel is written as a first person narrative told by Uhtred as a reflection. The novel was also published with a family tree of Alfred the Great, a historical note, a list of Anglo-Saxon placenames and their modern-day equivalent and a map depicting Anglo-Saxon Britain and the Southern coast of the English Channel and North Sea.

Alfred the Great was dying, rivals for his succession are poised to tear the kingdom apart. The country that Alfred had worked for thirty years to build was likely to disintegrate. Uhtred, a Saxon born warrior, who has been raised by the Danes, 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 the very future of the English nation - might vanish immediately. At the outset of the book Uhtred was attacked by bandits, but defeated them. He was then summoned to go to the King of East Anglia to negotiate a treaty on behalf of Alfred. Uhtred did not trust for his safety took precautions that allowed him to catch a force of East Anglia soldiers by surprise and he captured them. He then turned to face a Danish force led by Sigurd at a bridge on the River Use. Uhtred defeated Sigurd’s men because they recklessly attacked over the bridge without regard for their safety. Uhtred then went home without ever negotiating that treaty.

Uhtred was not satisfied with the outcome of the battle because he believed that some other attack would happen next. He traveled to Ceaster because Haesten’s force was surrounded by a Mercian Army. Uhtred left some of his men under the command of his loyal follower Finan. His goal was to travel to see the prophetess Aelfadell and determine if she could see the future. Uhtred arrived and heard her prophecy, but was tied up by her and then two monks attempted to kill him. Uhtred escaped and killed the two monks, but left Aelfadell and her young assistant untouched. Uhtred then went to the Sigurd’s Winter Quarters at Snotengaham and burned their fleet of ships, taking one and sailing for Lundene.

Upon returning to Lundene, Uhtred was reunited with his children for a short time, but decided to go see the ailing Alfred in Wintanceaster. Uhtred arrived just before Alfred died, but before his death Alfred gave Uhtred a large rich estate in Mercia at Fagranforda. Upon the death of Alfred, Aethelflaed was kidnapped by Aethelwold, but Uhtred saved her. Edward is now king and Uhtred expected an attack from the Danes any day, but that attack never came for years.