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    The Empty Throne
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    The Empty Throne
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    The Empty Throne
    Audiobook11 hours

    The Empty Throne

    Written by Bernard Cornwell

    Narrated by Matt Bates

    4/5

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    Unavailable in your country

    Unavailable in your country

    About this audiobook

    *A brand new companion to the Last Kingdom series, Uhtred’s Feast, is available to pre-order now*

    The eighth book in the epic and bestselling series that has gripped millions.

    A hero will be forged from this broken land.

    As seen on Netflix and BBC around the world.

    In the battle for power, there can be only one ruler.

    England is fractured, torn apart more by internal fighting than the threat of Viking invasion. The ruler of Mercia is dying, leaving no legitimate heir. His wife is a formidable fighter and great leader, but no woman has ever ruled over an English kingdom. And she is without her strongest warrior and champion, Uhtred of Bebbanburg. So the scene is set for an explosive battle between elders and warriors for an empty throne.

    The vacant throne leaves a dangerous opportunity for the rival West Saxons to seize Mercia. But Edward of Wessex is distracted by the succession of his own throne, with two heirs claiming the right to be West Saxon king. And while the kingdoms are in disarray, the Vikings, this time coming from the west, will go on the rampage once more.

    The very future of England hangs in the balance. A hero is needed, a hero who can destroy the threat to Mercia, a hero who will ultimately decide the fate of a nation…

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateOct 23, 2014
    ISBN9780007567041
    Unavailable
    The Empty Throne
    Author

    Bernard Cornwell

    BERNARD CORNWELL is the author of over fifty novels, including the acclaimed New York Times bestselling Saxon Tales, which serve as the basis for the hit Netflix series The Last Kingdom. He lives with his wife on Cape Cod and in Charleston, South Carolina.

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    Reviews for The Empty Throne

    4/5

    237 ratings14 reviews

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    • 5/5
      the story is amazing. waiting the movie on Netflix. :)
    • 4/5
      Excellent read if you have followed Uhtred through the previous books. If you were desperate to find out what happened after the end of the previous book and Uhtred’s last battle then the start of the book will only keep you on edge. A few more fictional characters in this than historical but that does not detract, as you’re not reading a history book. The anti-Christian pagan dialogue in Uhtred‘s head was the only down side. He’s always had an anti church thing and for some good reasons but this book took it to another whole level and I kept skipping paragraphs of tedious anti christian / church rants. Ignoring that, great read.
    • 4/5
      Britain, early tenth century AD: a time of change. There are raids by the Vikings from Ireland, and turmoil among the Saxons over the leadership of Mercia. A younger generation is taking over. When Ethelred, the ruler of Mercia, dies, he leaves no heir. The West Saxons want their king, but Uhtred has long supported Ethelfraed, sister to King Edward of Wessex and widow of Ethelred.
    • 5/5
      Uhtred is deathly ill from the wounding he suffered in /The Pagan Lord/. Still, he is near the frontline defenses when political intrigue and assassination threaten Alfred’s dream of a united England. In this story, Mercia still fights to vanquish the pagans from its borders. Athelred, severely wounded in the same battle as Uhtred, succumbs to his injury. His seat in Mercia is in contention, as he has no male heir. Edward, as the king in Wessex, makes his next move to absorb Mercia. His greatest obstacle is his sister, the Lady Athelflaed. Uhtred’s sworn oath to her leads him to use his talents to place her in the throne. At the same time, he must fulfill his oath to protect Edward’s eldest son Athelstan. Another enjoyable voyage through medieval Britain as we watch the birth of England.
    • 5/5
      This starts off all about Uthred, but not our Uthred, Uthred's Uthred! Seriously, this Saxon habit of naming their first born son after themselves can get a bit confusing!So the story starts with Uthred Snr still recovering from the wound he took at the end of 'The Pagan Lord' and his son Uthred Jnr is leading his war band for the time being. From there on it is all about outwitting those who want to take the crown on Mercia and to make sure Aethelflaed rises to rule. Though for some reason, her personality has completely changed and she's a bit of a cow to be honest now!Uthred(Snr) also has to try and recover and that is going to involve a bit of an adventure, but luckily he has Finan, Uthred(Jnr), Sithric and Osferth(sometimes) to lend him a hand and sword.Also, do not worry, he's still sowing his oats so to speak, he might be Aethelflaed's bit on the side with his own woman - Sigunn, who doesn't really get a look in this time but he's got a new lover as well. This man really doesn't know the meaning of fidelity!The other focus is his relationship with his daughter Stiorra and I feel that it a theme that's going to run and run from now on.I've enjoyed all eight of the books so far but this one really flowed well and had Uthred back to his irascible best!
    • 4/5
      A fascinating read, just like all of Cornwell ' books. I am enjoying watching Uhtred's life journey.
    • 4/5
      The formation of England is coming to fruition in this tale that features a middle aged Uhtred, slowly recovering from a bad battle wound. His son, Uhtred, and his daughter play a big role in the story. It is almost as if the author is preparing to pass the torch to younger characters, but not quite ready just yet. Uhtred, despite being older and suffering a serious injury, still has some fight left in him.The main body of the plot involves some Game of Thrones style jockeying for the throne of Mircea, which currently resides with the dying Aethelred. There are several vying for the throne including his estranged wife, Aethelflaed, who is a part time lover to Uhtred, who he has pledged his loyalty to. Meanwhile, Aethelflaed’s brother, King Edward of Wessex, seeks to unite the kingdoms into one nation. Also, as part of the plot, Uhtred is trying to protect the life of Edward’s son, Aethelstan, as other factions plot to kill him so that he never inherits the throne.There is less battles in this novel than in some of the others in the series. Instead, there is more politics, backstabbing, jockeying for position, and intrigue. By and large, this works. I like a good fight scene as much as the next person, but political wrangling is also fun. Uhtred is a strong character, who as Aethelflaed eloquently states, is at his best when he is being disobedient, which he does frequently in this novel. He is a rebel and rule-breaker by nature. One thing that annoyed me—and it’s a small quibble—but many of the names were too much alike, and it got rather annoying after a while. Otherwise, this was a fun and enjoyable novel that I would recommend.Carl Alves – author of Two For Eternity
    • 4/5
      This is the eighth novel in the seemingly endless series about Uhtred of Bebbanburg, now given a new lease of life through the second TV series, which is well made and seems well cast to fit the characters from the novels. The seat of action this time is Mercia and the death of its ruler Ethelred, married to Ethelfleda, the famous and powerful Lady of the Mercians, and the late King Alfred's sister. Uhtred is a less all powerful character here due being wounded, and his namesake son comes more to the fore here. Beyond this, it's the usual mayhem and killing, but well written and with a few more minor characters entering the fray.
    • 3/5
      This eighth instalment of the Saxon Stories is set during AD 911. Uhtred, the main star of this and the previous books in the series, is in my opinion Bernard Cornwell’s best character creation. The author’s depictions of battle scenes are vivid and believable in all his works, but more so in the Saxon tales because Uhtred’s personality helps the reader – this one at least – to feel part of this charismatic warlord’s fights. That said, the amount of action is limited here compared to the earlier books, and this novel doesn’t move in the usual fast pace. That’s not to say it’s slow, but it’s mid-paced compared to the norm.What confrontation there is, be it physical or verbal, is expertly portrayed. The typical humour, especially Uhtred’s conversations with priests, is as entertaining as ever.In my view, what prevents Mr Cornwell from being an even better writer than he is already is, is his dialogue attribution. The actual dialogue is excellent, but for 90+ per cent of the time he interrupts the flow by needlessly reminding the reader who’s speaking, more often than not inserting this pointless information – pointless because it’s obvious who’s speaking – in the middle of sentences.Mr Cornwell maybe doesn’t realise that the strength of his characters make it clear to the reader who’s talking, just as he fails to grasp how irritating it is to have his believable dialogue swamped with superfluous attribution, which sometimes includes unnecessary adverbs.Below is a quote between Uhtred and a male character, which serves as an example of needless attribution, because with the exchange being held between the narrating character and a lesser character it’s plain who’s speaking:>‘And they took you to Tyddewi?’ I asked.He nodded. ‘I was just a child, lord,’ he said.‘Don’t tell me,’ I said, ‘there’s a dead saint there.’
    • 3/5
      A book more about politicial intrigue than military action. As such different from others in the series. Having read it again recently I found it slower paced than the rest of the series.
    • 5/5
      Once again Mr. Cornwell has out done himself, this is a damn good book.
    • 4/5
      Always an entertaining series - but The Empty Throne was missing some of the oomph that previous editions enjoyed. This work had plenty of ties to true history (the education of future kings of England), although plot moves a bit slower here. Still a solid addition to a fun series of historical fiction.
    • 4/5
      Bernard Cornwell brings history to life once again, makes me laugh, improves my abilities to curse, entertains us on a long car trip, and generally rocks. Another installment in this particular series. My only regret is that the audio doesn't include the afterward, as I actually know TWO people mentioned in it. I have great friends.
    • 5/5
      Bernard Cornwall has the ability to take a few snips of history and weave it into a skein to serve as the basis for great stories. His Saxon Tales are excellent and the Empty Throne is even a cut above the others.. He builds and peoples an ancient world that is feasible, interesting and fun to read about.. Uthred is a principled warrior with a mission to fulfill dead King Alfred's vision for a united Engaland.