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The Empty Throne

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4.6/5
Barnes & Noble

Series
  
The Saxon Stories

Pages
  
400 hardback edition

Author
  
Bernard Cornwell

Followed by
  
Warriors of the Storm

Country
  
United Kingdom

4.4/5
Goodreads

Language
  
English

Media type
  
Print

Originally published
  
23 October 2014

Preceded by
  
The Pagan Lord

Genre
  
Historical Fiction

The Empty Throne t3gstaticcomimagesqtbnANd9GcQwXAwzrmFuM185EA

ISBN
  
978-0-00-750416-9 (hardback edition)

Similar
  
Bernard Cornwell books, The Saxon Stories books, Historical Fiction books

Book trailer the empty throne by bernard cornwell


The Empty Throne is the eighth historical novel in The Saxon Stories series by Bernard Cornwell, first published in October 2014. It is set in 10th-century Mercia and Dyfed.

Contents

Plot summary

911: The forces of Wessex and Mercia have united against the Danes, but instability and the threat of Viking raids still hang heavy over Britain’s kingdoms. For Aethelred, Lord of the Mercians, is dying, leaving no heir and the stage is set for rivals to fight for the throne.

Uhtred of Bebbanburg, Mercia's greatest warrior, has always supported Athelflaed to be Mercia's next ruler, but will the aristocracy ever accept a woman as their leader? Aethelred's widow and sister to the king of Wessex is the candidate. As the Mercians squabble and the West Saxons try to annex their country, new enemies appear on the northern frontier. The Saxons desperately need strong leadership, but instead they are fighting each other to fill an empty throne. They threaten to undo the unity and strength that underlies Englaland.

Fictional

  • Uhtred - narrator, dispossessed Ealdorman of Bebbanburg
  • Uhtred - Son of Uhtred, narrator of prologue
  • Finan the Agile - Former Irish slave, and Uhtred's second-in-command
  • Osferth - King Alfred's illegitimate son, and one of Uhtred's most trusted followers
  • Stiorra - Uhtred's daughter
  • Eardwulf - Former commander of Æthelred, Lord of the Mercians
  • Eadith - Eardwulf's sister, and Æthelred's former lover

    • Historical

  • Æthelflæd - King Alfred's eldest daughter, Lady of the Mercians
  • King Edward - King Alfred's son and King of Wessex
  • Æthelstan - son of King Edward from his first wife, Ecgwynn
  • Sigtryggr - Danish jarl leading an invasion into Mercia
  • Æthelhelm - King Edward’s father-in-law, and the most powerful ealdorman in Wessex

    • Reviews

    One reviewer wrote of this installment, "copious bloodletting, ever-so-slightly anachronistic profanities, and intriguing political maneuvering", obviously liking what Cornwell has written as the latest in the Saxon Tales. "Cornwell’s action-sequences are pearls of pure adrenaline", amid well-constructed characters with the historical detail skillfully woven into the plot.

    Kirkus Reviews says, "the lusty, rollicking narrative is totally accessible and great good fun.".

    References

    The Empty Throne Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA