The adventures of Uhtred son of Uhtred continued on Netflix just last month with the fourth season of The Last Kingdom, our favorite medieval historical drama. The Last Kingdom (hopefully) has many years ahead of it, but the books on which it’s based — Bernard Cornwell’s The Saxon Stories — are set to come to an end this fall with the release of War Lord, the 13th entry.
Ahead of the Kindle release on October 15 (hardcover on November 24), you can now read the first chapter from War Lord here, although be warned that SPOILERS are contained within.
As usual for Cornwell’s novels, the table is set quickly, as Uhtred receives a message informing him that King Athelstan has arrived in Uhtred’s home country of Northumbria. Athelstan had sworn an oath not to invade while Uhtred still lived, leaving Uhtred furious. Here’s a sample:
"And it was an old friend who came from the sunlight into the dusty shadows of Bebbanburg’s great hall. It was Father Oda, now bishop of Rammesburi, who walked tall and elegant, his long black robe hemmed with dark red cloth. He was escorted by a pair of West Saxon warriors who politely gave my steward their swords before following Oda towards me.‘Anyone would think,’ the bishop said as he came closer, ‘that you were a king!’‘He is,’ Benedetta insisted.‘And anyone would think,’ I said, ‘that you were a bishop.’He smiled. ‘By the grace of God, Lord Uhtred, I am.’‘By the grace of Æthelstan,’ I said, then stood and greeted him with an embrace. ‘Do I congratulate you?’‘If you like. I think I am the first Dane to be a bishop in Englaland.’‘Is that what you call it now?’‘It’s easier than saying I am the first Danish bishop in Wessex, Mercia and East Anglia.’ He bowed to Benedetta. ‘It is good to see you again, my lady.’‘And to see you, my lord bishop.’‘Ah! So rumour is wrong! Courtesy does live in Bebbanburg!’ He grinned at me, pleased with his jest and I smiled back. Oda, Bishop of Rammesburi! The only surprising thing about that appointment was that Oda was a Dane, son of pagan immigrants who had invaded East Anglia in the service of Ubba, whom I had killed. Now a Danish son of pagan parents was a bishop in Saxon Englaland. Not that he did not deserve it. Oda was a subtle, clever man who, as far as I knew, was as honest as the day is long.There was a pause because Finan had seen Oda arrive and now came to greet him. Oda had been with us when we defended Lundene’s Crepelgate, a fight that had put Æthelstan on the throne. I might be no Christian and no lover of Christianity, but it is hard to dislike a man who has shared a desperate battle at your side. ‘Ah, wine!’ Oda greeted a servant, then turned to Benedetta, ‘no doubt blessed by the Italian sun?’‘More likely pissed in by Frankish peasants,’ I said.‘His charms don’t grow less, do they, my lady?’ Oda said, sitting. Then he looked at me and touched the heavy gold cross hanging at his breast. ‘I bring news, Lord Uhtred.’ His tone was suddenly wary.‘I supposed as much.’‘Which you won’t like.’ Oda kept his eyes on me.‘Which I won’t like,’ I echoed, and waited.‘King Æthelstan,’ he said calmly, still looking at me, ‘is in Northumbria. He entered Eoferwic three days ago.’ He paused, as if expecting me to protest, but I said nothing. ‘And King Guthfrith,’ Oda went on, ‘misunderstood our coming and has fled.’‘Misunderstood,’ I said.‘Indeed.’‘And he fled from you and Æthelstan? Just the two of you?’‘Of course not,’ Oda said, still calm. ‘We were escorted by over two thousand men.’I am old, I was tired, I had fought enough, I wanted to stay at Bebbanburg, I wanted to hear the long sea break on the beach and the wind sigh around the hall’s gable. I knew I had few years left, but the gods had been kind. My son was a man and would inherit wide lands, I could still ride and hunt, and I had Benedetta. True she had a temper like a weasel on heat, but she was loving and loyal, had a brightness that lit Bebbanburg’s grey skies and I loved her.‘Two thousand men,’ I said flatly, ‘yet still he needs me?’‘He requests your help, lord, yes.’‘He can’t manage the invasion on his own?’ I was getting angrier.‘It’s not an invasion, lord,’ Oda said calmly, ‘just a royal visitation. A courtesy between kings.’He could call it what he liked, but it was still an invasion.And I was angry."
And it goes from there. At one point, Uhtred clocks a horse in the face. Welcome to medieval England.
Of course, Cornwell’s books have a way of twisting in unexpected directions. Uhtred is mad at the king right now, but Athelstan insists that his visit his peaceful. Will they fight? Team up? It’s hard to say.
Athelstan was actually introduced in The Last Kingdom season 4, although there he is young boy, years away from becoming England’s first king. At the moment, Uhtred is still dealing with Edward, Athelstan’s father.
Each season of The Last Kingdom has covered two of Cornwell’s novels, theoretically giving Netflix at least two more seasons to adapt. Whether they choose to fold the thirteenth novel into a season alongside books eleven and twelve or give it its own season remains to be seen, as does official word that a fifth season is going to happen at all. Either way, given Cornwell’s track record, we have no doubt that War Lord will bring Uhtred’s adventures to a rousing end.
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