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  • Sword of Kings

  • The Last Kingdom Series, Book 12
  • Written by: Bernard Cornwell
  • Narrated by: Matt Bates
  • Length: 13 hrs and 18 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (126 ratings)

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Sword of Kings

Written by: Bernard Cornwell
Narrated by: Matt Bates
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Publisher's Summary

England is in turmoil as Vikings and Saxons battle for territory. Rumours build about the fatal sickness of the King, and the country awaits an heir.

A violent clash at sea forces the warrior lord Uhtred to lead his men from his Northumbrian fortress to London and plunge into the eye of the storm. For two kings claim the empty throne and a new kingdom cannot be born without bloodshed.

Uhtred’s sword will leave one king dead and the other victorious. But sometimes it is hard to know the will of the gods....

©2019 Bernard Cornwell (P)2019 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

What the critics say

"Nobody in the world does this better than Cornwell." (Lee Child)

What listeners say about Sword of Kings

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always a great read/listen

love the narrator, cornwells detail is always fascinating and in depth. however, confused on how old uthtred is at this point. can't wait for the last book!

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Entertaining

Classic Cornwell! If you've listened to this book, you likely know what I'm referring to.

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just wow.

Totally obsessed with the story. And I'm in complete awe over Matt Bates. My mind is totally blown at how he can do the character's voices... they truly sound like different people. His ability is of course limited with the female characters lol, but every single one is believable and well captured. I was especially impressed with the voice he gave the young teen boy. I thought it was a different narrator for a minute.
And the story is just... wow... I can't say enough about it.

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Another great listen!

Another terrific story about the birth of England. Matt Bates is one of my favourite readers. Like all the previous books this one does not disappoint. I believe there will be one more and I will be watching for it.

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    2 out of 5 stars
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Jonathan Keeble is far better.

Gave it a try .. but Matt Bates just can't compare to Keeble who had the right gravitas and voice for Uhthred. Very disappointing performance. Bates' various impressions just don't suit the characters at all and the story suffers as a result.

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