Poetry of Reading

Death of Kings covers the events surrounding the death of Alfred the Great of Wessex in 899. His son Edward is heir to the throne, much to the chagrin of Alfred’s nephew, Æthelwold. Uhtred, the protagonist of The Saxon Tales and the warrior who defeated many a Dane in defense of Alfred’s kingdom, is in his forties by this novel. He is still the lover of Æthelflaed, Alfred’s daughter, and remains the greatest Saxon warrior in England. But his own life and the fate of the kingdom become threatened by Alfred’s impending demise as a cast of Danes, and even some treacherous Saxon lords, scheme to take Wessex for their own. And killing Uhtred of Bebbanburg is at the top of the list for achieving that goal. As with most of the novels in The Saxon Tales series, it lay the foundation for this plot with events and characters from earlier books. Familiar villains, like Haesten the Dane, are back, as are allies, including Father Willibald, Father Beocca, Steapa, and Finan. And like many of Cornwell’s novels, this one builds towards a climactic battle with the Danes over the fate of Wessex. Cornwell writes medieval battle scenes better than any author I have read, and the several in this novel are the highlights of the story.

A great read for anyone interested in the time when English identity was forming and the Saxons had to fight with the Danes for England. Just the right mix of battle, fighting, and intrigue.