What Bernard Cornwell’s books tell us about The Last Kingdom season 5

The Flame Bearer

The second half of the season will begin with Uhtred once again failing to recapture Bebbanburg, and now there is another threat to his ancestral home: the Scots, who have been only glimpsed before. Events in the latter part of the season will potentially introduce the Scottish King Constantine II, who intends to claim Bebbanburg while his cousin waits out the siege. However, this section of the book isn’t essential, and having seen a Scottish raid already, it may well be excised.

Uhtred’s son-in-law Sigtryggr, now King of Northumbria as intended, also needs help from invading West Saxons seeking to end the truce with Mercia and Aethelflaed.

Aethelhelm is still plotting and intends to launch a false-flag attack against King Edward and blame Sigtryggr, creating a pretext for war between Wessex, Mercia and Northumbria. Such a war would allow Edward to create the united Christian kingdom that was Alfred’s dream. It would also give Aethelhelm, Edward’s father-in-law, even more power, particularly when his grandson Aelfweard becomes ruler of all England.

However, before that can happen, Edward’s first-born son Aethelstan has to die, continuing a storyline that began in season 4. Aethelhelm conspires to have Aethelstan lead Edward’s men into an ambush, but Edward sends his trusted warrior Brunulf instead. Realizing the truth, Uhtred rescues Brunulf and his men and interrupts Edward’s court to expose Aethelhelm. If Aethelhelm succeeds in killing Aelswith, the revelation that his mother has been murdered could make these scenes all the more powerful for Edward.

In what is likely to be one of the most emotional scenes of the entire series, Aethelflaed reveals to Uhtred that she’s dying and can no longer protect Aethelstan from Aethelhelm. But Aethelflaed’s actual death doesn’t take place until the beginning of the next book, “War of the Wolf.” This book won’t be adapted until the forthcoming The Last Kingdom movie, Seven Kings Must Die. However, since it takes place right at the start of that book, Aethelflaed’s death may be moved to the end of season 5.

Needing to take urgent action, Uhtred takes Aethelstan as a hostage for his own protection and reaffirms the treaty. That taken care of, Uhtred is free to once again turn his attentions toward Bebbanburg and set up what will be a thrilling final few episodes. Creating a ruse of his own, Uhtred pretends that he intends to leave the kingdom to sail to Frisia, now part of Germany and Holland. However, his mood turns downcast when he realizes that the ships being stocked with provisions in Grimesbi (Grimsby) are Aethelhelm’s, meaning men and supplies will reach Bebbanburg before he can.

However, fate has one final throw of the runes, and a joint Viking and Scottish attack on Grimesbi leaves Aethelhelm’s ships burned, allowing Uhtred to sail north with his own vessels, which he pretends are part of Aethelhelm’s fleet. Aethelhelm himself is in pursuit, however, and as Uhtred enters the gates of Bebbanburg, all the pieces are in place for one final big battle, with Uhtred, of course, defeating both Aethelhelm and his cousin and taking back his beloved home.

Ending the series here makes sense, as Uhtred’s overriding quest to regain his home is finally complete. However, this isn’t the end of the tale, as Bernard Cornwall wrote three more books in the Saxon Series series: War of the Wolf, Sword of Kings and War Lord. These three novels will make up the narrative of the concluding movie Seven Kings Must Die.

The plot of War of the Wolf centers around the fallout from Aethelflaed’s death, with Edward seizing on the moment to attempt a total takeover of Mercia. Uhtred refuses to bend the knee to the ailing Edward and soon forces are plotting on all sides over who will succeed him, with Mercia in open revolt. How much of this will be set up in season 5 is unknown, but the final three novels, like those preceding them, are hugely eventful and will be difficult to condense into a single special.

Season 5 has the potential to be the defining season of The Last Kingdom, finishing storylines that have been building over several seasons as Uhtred finally achieves the destiny he set out to fulfill so long ago. However, how much of the books will make it into the show can’t be told, and the fate of characters not featured on the page could still go either way.

The Last Kingdom Season 5 will air on Netflix sometime this year.

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