Whether you found Uhtred through the Netflix show or picked up the novels first, it’s simple to follow The Last Kingdom books in order. Bernard Cornwell’s series is best read in publication order, and for the main novels, that also matches the story order.
The series is also known as The Saxon Stories, and some editions use names like Saxon Tales, Saxon Chronicles, or The Warrior Chronicles. They’re all talking about the same Uhtred of Bebbanburg series.
Below, I’ve listed the main novels first, then Uhtred’s Feast and its three short stories, the TV adaptation, and how this series fits into Bernard Cornwell’s larger bibliography.
Jump to:
- The Last Kingdom Reading Order
- Uhtred’s Feast and Short Stories
- The Last Kingdom TV Series and Movie
- What Is The Last Kingdom About?
- Bernard Cornwell and the Saxon Stories
The Last Kingdom Reading Order
For the main novels, read The Last Kingdom series in the order below. You don’t need a separate chronological list because the books move forward in the same order they were published.
- The Last Kingdom (2005)
- The Pale Horseman (2006)
- The Lords of the North (2007)
- Sword Song (2008)
- The Burning Land (2010)
- Death of Kings (2012)
- The Pagan Lord (2014)
- The Empty Throne (2015)
- Warriors of the Storm (2016)
- The Flame Bearer (2016)
- War of the Wolf (2018)
- Sword of Kings (2019)
- War Lord (2020)
Uhtred’s Feast and Short Stories
Uhtred’s Feast belongs with the series, but it is not a main novel. It’s a companion book by Bernard Cornwell and Suzanne Pollak, with historical background, Anglo-Saxon-inspired recipes, and three Uhtred short stories.
The three short stories are “The First Victory,” “The Gift of God,” and “The Last Shield Wall.” They show Uhtred at different points in his life, so I’d read them after the main novels unless you already know the series well.
The Last Kingdom TV Series and Movie
The Last Kingdom also became a TV series starring Alexander Dreymon as Uhtred. The show adapts the books broadly, but it changes characters, compresses events, and does not replace the novel order.
The TV series ran for five seasons, and The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die followed as a 2023 movie conclusion. Netflix lists the movie as based on books, but if you want Cornwell’s version of Uhtred’s life, stick with the novel order first.
The main thing to know is that the show and books are not a one-to-one match. The TV series is a good companion, but the novels give you the full arc of Uhtred, Alfred’s dream of England, and the long fight for Bebbanburg.
What Is The Last Kingdom About?
The Last Kingdom follows Uhtred of Bebbanburg, the son of a Saxon nobleman in Northumbria. After his father is killed, Uhtred is captured by Danes and raised in their world. That leaves him caught between two identities: Saxon by birth, Danish by upbringing.
The books take place during the ninth and tenth centuries, when Alfred the Great and his descendants are fighting to build a united England. Uhtred is often pulled into that dream, even when he would rather chase his own goal: taking back Bebbanburg.
That tension is what makes the series work so well. Uhtred is loyal, stubborn, violent, funny, and hard to control. He is not always on the side he wants to be on, but he is almost always at the center of the fight.
Bernard Cornwell and the Saxon Stories
Bernard Cornwell’s official site describes this series as The Last Kingdom series and explains that The Saxon Stories tell the story of Alfred the Great and his descendants through Uhtred’s eyes.
That naming can get confusing because readers may see the same books labeled as The Last Kingdom, The Saxon Stories, Saxon Tales, or The Warrior Chronicles. For reading purposes, don’t worry about the label. Start with The Last Kingdom and follow the list above.
For more of Cornwell’s historical fiction, I’d go to Sharpe after this series if you want more military action, or The Warlord Chronicles if you want another early-Britain story with a more Arthurian feel.
Looking for similar books in order?
If you want more authors and reading-order guides like this one, start with my Books in Order index.