The Vacant Throne

Aglirta is known as the Kingless Land. Once prosperous and peaceful, it has fallen into lawlessness, studded with feuding baronies engaged in a constant state of war . . . but the land is kingless no more. The legendary Sleeping King has been reawakened by the efforts of the valiant Band of Four: -Hawkril, a bold and brave warrior gifted with great strength and fortitude -Craer, the crafty and clever thief -Sarasper, the learned and wise healer -Lady Embra Silvertree, the mystical Lady of Jewels, a powerful sorceress With the aid of the Dwaerindim Stones, the King's curse has been lifted . . . but it will take more than the Dwaerindim to restore him to the long vacant throne of the land. Ambitious and devious barons are ready to challenge him for the throne, while dark, inhuman forces wait for the chance to bring Aglirta under its evil shadow. The Band of Four must quest for a powerful secret that will restore the kingdom to its former glory. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Aglirta is known as the Kingless Land. Once prosperous and peaceful, it has fallen into lawlessness, studded with feuding baronies engaged in a constant state of war . . . but the land is kingless no more. The legendary Sleeping King has been reawakened by the efforts of the valiant Band of Four: -Hawkril, a bold and brave warrior gifted with great strength and fortitude -Craer, the crafty and clever thief -Sarasper, the learned and wise healer -Lady Embra Silvertree, the mystical Lady of Jewels, a powerful sorceress With the aid of the Dwaerindim Stones, the King's curse has been lifted . . . but it will take more than the Dwaerindim to restore him to the long vacant throne of the land. Ambitious and devious barons are ready to challenge him for the throne, while dark, inhuman forces wait for the chance to bring Aglirta under its evil shadow. The Band of Four must quest for a powerful secret that will restore the kingdom to its former glory.

The city of Amenkor has stood for well over a thousand years as a premier trading center. Ruled by the Mistress of the Skewed Throne, Amenkor has weathered attacks by invaders and the madness, drought, famine, and disease brought by the mysterious White Fire. But now―betrayed from within and barely surviving a devastating attack by the mysterious Chorl―Amenkor reels on the brink of ruin. In Amenkor's time of greatest need, Varis―raised in the slums of the city, and trained not only to survive but to kill at need―has unwillingly become the ruler of the city―the new Mistress of the Skewed Throne. Untrained, unpreparedm and not certain who she can trust, Varis takes the Throne at one of the most perilous points in Amenkor's long history, and is forced to draw on all of Amenkor's limited resources, both ordinary and magical, when the Chorl invade. And perhaps the price Varis pays is too high, as the very heart and soul of Amenkor's power―the Skewed Throne―is destroyed duing the final deserate confrontation with the invaders. Now, with the threat of the CHorl's return still hanging over them, Varis has no choice but to turn to Amenkor's sometime ally, the city of Venitte, home to the only other throne that is a repository of magical power. Yet Varis and the people of Amenkor are not the only ones looking toward Venitte. The Chorl invaders are on the march, and whether Venitte will fare any better against the Chorl than Amenkor remains to be seen.

The new novel in Bernard Cornwell's number one bestselling series The Warrior Chronicles, on the making of England and the fate of his great hero, Uhtred of Bebbanburg. 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...

The eighth installment of Bernard Cornwell’s New York Times bestselling series chronicling the epic saga of the making of England, “like Game of Thrones, but real” (The Observer, London)—the basis for The Last Kingdom, the hit television series. Britain, early tenth century AD: a time of change. There are new raids by the Vikings from Ireland and turmoil among the Saxons over the leadership of Mercia. A younger generation is taking over. Æthelred, the ruler of Mercia, is dying, leaving no legitimate heir. The West Saxons want their king, but Uhtred has long supported Æthelflaed, sister to King Edward of Wessex and widow of Æthelred. Widely loved and respected, Æthelflaed has all the makings of a leader—but could Saxon warriors ever accept a woman as their ruler? The stage is set for rivals to fight for the empty throne.