The ninth century is coming to a close and England is at a major crossroads. King Alfred the Great is dying and England being unified is still a long-term goal. The only hope for a united England lies in the hands of his son and successor Edward. However, the road to the throne will be challenging as other Saxons and Viking warriors desire the throne. Only one man can help the young king, but which side will Uhtred of Bebbanburg choose? The fight for England’s future continues in book six of the Saxon Stories, “Death of Kings” by Bernard Cornwell.

We begin with Lord Uhtred as he works hard to maintain the lands he earned through fighting for Alfred. But let’s be honest, the quiet life is not for Uhtred of Bebbanburg. A horde of ruffians attack Uhtred at his home, which he can fend off, but he soon finds out that it was a Saxon lord who wishes for his death. At the same time, the dying King Alfred has sent a group to Uhtred to create an alliance with King Eohric to fend off the Danes who are beginning to amass armies against the Saxons.

However, Uhtred soon realizes that Eohric desires power over peace and aligns himself with Sigurd to kill Uhtred. While Uhtred is about to confront Sigurd, he is told about a woman named Aelfadell, who allegedly knows the future. She tells Uhtred of a prophecy that seven kings will die, the women he loves will die, the son of Alfred will not rule, and the Danes will rule all of England. Such a cheerful prophecy that will come into play later on.

As Uhtred deals with the aftermath of all of this, he finds out that Alfred is on death’s door and Edward, his son, and heir, is facing an affair scandal with a woman named Lady Ecgywynn and her children, all while he is betrothed to Aelflaed. With the death of King Alfred, Uhtred is free from his promises to the Saxon king and is given a choice. He can either swear loyalty to the young king and fight for the hope of a united England or he can put down Serpent-Breath and let Alfred’s dream die. I am not going to spoil what choice Uhtred made, but rest assured, his decision will change the course of history, at least this fictional version of Saxon England.

Overall, I found this an enjoyable middle book in a series. It is a solid setup book with a thrilling final battle which helps the readers to realize that the fight for England is not done and that there are many more adventures for Uhtred of Bebbanburg. If you have read the previous five novels in the Saxon Stories series, I would recommend you read, “Death of Kings” by Bernard Cornwell.