There's something about historical fiction and fantasy which go hand-in-hand. Take The Last Kingdom, a series of excellent novels by Bernard Cornwell. These books feature epic medieval battles, political scheming, a cast of memorable characters, and yes, even a healthy dose of magic. Fantasy series like George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire have drawn on the same well of history as The Last Kingdom, but spun things even farther into the fantastical and imaginative.
The BBC and Netflix adapted The Last Kingdom into an excellent television series which ran for five seasons and a movie. They told the tale of a warlord named Uhtred of Bebbanburg, who fought to reclaim his ancestral home during the height of the Viking invasions into England in the 9th and 10th century. It was a rock solid series, and I still miss watching Uhtred and his allies on the screen year after year.
Since both The Last Kingdom books and television show are over, you may be in need of some new stories to scratch that historical fiction or fantasy itch. Here are four book series which are very much worth checking out that have some elements in common with Cornwell's saga.
1. Gael Song by Shauna Lawless
Gael Song is a historical fantasy series by Shauna Lawless which is steeped in Irish mythology and history. If you liked the time period of The Last Kingdom, these books take place right around the same era. But there's far more magic, drawn from folklore and legend.
Gael Song primarily follows two women who have an immense impact on the direction of history: Gormflaith, the ambitious young widow of the Viking King of Dublin and a member of a magical group called the Fomarians; and Fódla, a healer of the Tuatha Dé Danann who must journey out into the world to manipulate events to the liking of her magical kin. Lawless weaves their stories together with a number of real-world historical touchstones, making this mythic tale feel as real as any history book.
The third and final book in the trilogy, The Land of the Living and the Dead, came out late last year, so you can read this entire series from start to finish right now.
2. The Bloodsworn by John Gwynne
John Gwynne is one of the current masters of epic fantasy. His latest series, The Bloodsworn, is a Viking fantasy that pays painstaking attention to the little details, making it a step above many other books that draw from that same plentiful well. When Gwynne rights about the fury and the terror of the shield-wall, you can almost feel the pounding of axes against shields and the mud slipping beneath warriors' boots.
The Bloodsworn is a fantastical take on the Norse endtime myth of Ragnarök, set in a secondary world fantasy. Don't expect historical references in this one, but the cultural references more than make up for it. The story follows several different warriors who are drawn into a titanic battle where long-dead gods return to shatter the earth, and folkloric creatures roam the frozen forests.
As with Gael Song, The Bloodsworn is a completed trilogy. If you like it, Gwynne also has several other series which might be of interest as well, like The Faithful and the Fallen.
3. The Empire of the Wolf by Richard Swan
The Empire of the Wolf by Richard Swan is another secondary world fantasy, but its tone and flavor are the sort that I would absolutely expect to resonate with many Last Kingdom fans. It's set in a dark European medieval fantasy-style world where Justices travel the land, enforcing the laws of the Sovan Empire. These Justices are one part detective, one part lawyer, one part executioner, and one part necromancer. It makes for an interesting and unique sort of spin on the typical medieval fantasy.
The main trilogy follows Justice Konrad Vonvault and his apprentice Helena, who are drawn into a vast conspiracy which threatens to tear down the empire and unleash terrifying demonic forces. The books have the feel of epic fantasy mystery novels, peeling back layers as Helena and Vonvault seek the truth of things. Like The Last Kingdom, these books stick close to their charismatic and interesting protagonists. By the last page, you'll wish you had more time with Vonvault, Helena, and all the rest.
The Empire of the Wolf trilogy is complete as of this writing, but Swan is currently hard at work expanding the world with a sequel series set in a Napoleonic war-style era, titled The Great Silence.
The First Law by Joe Abercrombie
The last entry on our list is a classic of the grimdark fantasy genre; if you've ever read it, you're welcome. The First Law by Joe Abercrombie is a dark fantasy story with an even darker sense of humor, which is subversive and fun and intense as hell by turns. It begins as many such stories do: with a wizard who enlists someone to go on a quest they don't particularly want to go on. Except unlike Gandalf, this wizard is a self-serving and scheming man who can't be trusted, and instead of friendly Hobbits, he's roping in the most violent and feared warlord in the North who's just trying to get a fresh start to do his dirty work. Throw in an utterly spoiled nobleman and a crippled torturer with a blacker sense of humor than Tyrion Lannister, and you've got the recipe for a thoroughly engrossing story.
To-date, there are three trilogies set in The First Law world, so this is a series you can spend a lot of time with. The original trilogy is a dark medieval fantasy; the second is a series of standalone novels each set in a different region with different characters; and the third, The Age of Madness, brings the First Law world into an industrial revolution. And if you like all that and still want more, Abercrombie's latest book The Devils is the start of a whole new series set in an alternate Europe, where a young pope enlists a squad of monsters to secure the line of succession for a neighboring nation.
The Last Kingdom may be over, but there are plenty of other books out there that fans of the series would enjoy! Are there others that you've found which scratch that itch? Let us know in the comments! One can never have too many book recs.
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