The Empty Throne

The Empty Throne
Bernard Cornwell

The eighth novel in Bernard Cornwell’s epic and bestselling series on the making of England and the fate of his great hero, Uhtred of Bebbanburg.BBC2’s major Autumn 2015 TV show THE LAST KINGDOM is based on the first two books in the series.In the battle for power, there can be only one ruler.The ruler of Mercia is dying, leaving no apparent heir. His wife is a born leader, but no woman has ever ruled over an English kingdom. And she is without her greatest warrior and champion, Uhtred of Bebbanburg.An empty throne leaves the kingdom exposed to rival West Saxons and to the Vikings, who are on a bloody rampage once more.A hero is needed, a hero who has been in battle all his life, who can destroy the double threat to Mercia. A hero who will ultimately decide the fate of a nation…

THE EMPTY THRONE

BERNARD CORNWELL

Copyright (#u20105e23-f583-5f41-b5f3-618cd7586f36)

Published by HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

www.harpercollins.co.uk (http://www.harpercollins.co.uk)

First published by HarperCollinsPublishers 2014

Copyright © Bernard Cornwell 2014

Map © John Gilkes 2014

Cover layout design © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2015

Cover photographs © Alex Telfer/Gallery Stock (landscape); Brendan Donnelly/Alamy (male figure); Henry Steadman (male head); Shutterstock.com (http://www.Shutterstock.com) (clouds).

Bernard Cornwell asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it while at times based on historical figures, are the work of the author’s imagination.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

Source ISBN: 9780007504190

Ebook Edition © 2015 ISBN: 9780007504183

Version: 2018-09-24

Dedication (#u20105e23-f583-5f41-b5f3-618cd7586f36)

THE EMPTY THRONE

is for Peggy Davis

Contents

Cover (#u99484f85-3e34-5369-9aec-64b622f2aab0)

Title Page (#u6462f99b-2ce5-56d2-95fa-73bfa281780b)

Copyright

Dedication

Map (#u7846d482-171d-5711-8528-62653c6c95db)

Place names

Prologue

Part One: THE DYING LORD

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Part Two: THE LADY OF MERCIA

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Part Three: THE GOD OF WAR

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Historical Note

About the Author (#litres_trial_promo)

Also by Bernard Cornwell (#litres_trial_promo)