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The Saxon Warrior #6
Death of a Kingdom
💥The thrilling conclusion in Peter Gibbons's epic action-packed Saxon Warrior series ⚔️ Perfect for the fans of Simon Scarrow, Conn Iggulden, and David Gemmell 🗡️ Beornoth’s last stand against the tide of history and crushing Viking invasion.
1004 AD
The fate of a fractured and embattled nation hangs by a thread. Eadric Streona grows in power, controlling an even-weaker King Aethelred the Unready. No man dares to stand to oppose him.
King Sweyn Forkbeard of Norway has unleashed his fearless Viking warlord Thorkell the Tall upon England’s shores with his eye firmly on the weakened Saxon throne. Can the Vikings unite to conquer the English and claim the crown?
Lord Beornoth, the Viking-killer lives on, beset by the ravages of age and tortured by his past, At the Kings bequest he is plunged into the brutal twilight of Saxon rule, where loyalty, courage, and sacrifice are tested on blood-soaked fields.
Armies clash and the throne of England becomes the ultimate prize. In the face of a Viking invasion, Beornoth faces his greatest battle in this unflinching fight through the last days of Saxon England.
Will Beornoth’s courage be enough to defy the storm or will the death of a kingdom be written in the blood of its bravest defenders?
If you enjoyed the BBC’s King & Conqueror and Bernard Cornwell's The Last Kingdom you'll love Beornoth’s epic Saxon Warrior adventure.
1004 AD
The fate of a fractured and embattled nation hangs by a thread. Eadric Streona grows in power, controlling an even-weaker King Aethelred the Unready. No man dares to stand to oppose him.
King Sweyn Forkbeard of Norway has unleashed his fearless Viking warlord Thorkell the Tall upon England’s shores with his eye firmly on the weakened Saxon throne. Can the Vikings unite to conquer the English and claim the crown?
Lord Beornoth, the Viking-killer lives on, beset by the ravages of age and tortured by his past, At the Kings bequest he is plunged into the brutal twilight of Saxon rule, where loyalty, courage, and sacrifice are tested on blood-soaked fields.
Armies clash and the throne of England becomes the ultimate prize. In the face of a Viking invasion, Beornoth faces his greatest battle in this unflinching fight through the last days of Saxon England.
Will Beornoth’s courage be enough to defy the storm or will the death of a kingdom be written in the blood of its bravest defenders?
If you enjoyed the BBC’s King & Conqueror and Bernard Cornwell's The Last Kingdom you'll love Beornoth’s epic Saxon Warrior adventure.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
338 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 4, 2026
165 people are currently reading
20 people want to read
About the author
Peter Gibbons
42 books284 followersI am an author based in Kildare in Ireland, with a passion for Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction, and of course writing! My books include the Viking Blood and Blade Saga and the Saxon Warrior Series. You can visit my own website at www.petermgibbons.com or find me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Peter-Gibbon...
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
February 18, 2026
Death of a Kingdom is a fitting—and powerful—end to the series.
As the title hints, this is not a story that ends in triumph and celebration. It ends the only way it honestly could.
Across the series we’ve followed Beornoth from battle to battle, a Saxon warrior in early medieval Britain fighting Viking incursions and building a reputation for honor, loyalty, and terrifying skill in the shield wall. He has always been defined by his strength and his presence in the front ranks.
What makes this final book so different—and so special—is that we spend it with Beornoth as an old man.
He is sick. He is tired. The Vikings keep coming. The world he has fought his entire life to defend is fraying. And he no longer has the strength to stand at the front of the shield wall the way he once did.
Instead of swinging a sword, he must use his voice. He tries to convince his king to resist paying off the Vikings and to fight instead. The pace here is slower than previous entries, but deliberately so. You live with Beornoth in his frustration and quiet despair as he wrestles with the hardest battle of all: how to remain useful when you can no longer rely on strength.
There is more political maneuvering in this book. Factions circle the king. Counsel is given. Loyalties strain. And all of it builds toward betrayal and one final battle for the Saxon kingdom.
Peter Gibbons truly shines in shield wall combat. He places you shoulder to shoulder with the men as they push, strain, and die. He does not soften the brutality. Yet even with all we’ve seen in this series, the final battle is something different.
Beornoth has always possessed that edge in combat—a near-berserker intensity that could overwhelm his enemies. But here he begins the fight restrained, limited by age and failing health. As the battle rages, he relives the wars of his life in flashes—pain, loss, blood, loyalty. And then there is a moment where he gives everything. One final, primal unleashing. Not youthful fury, but accumulated memory and will poured into a single act.
I love stories about aged warriors fighting for their place in a world that is moving beyond them. Gibbons handles this perfectly, paralleling Beornoth’s decline with the uncertainty of Saxon Britain itself. Both are struggling to endure. Both are facing change that cannot be stopped.
This is not a happy ending and there is no sunsets but the ending is honest and pure like the first snows of winter that mark the end of a year and promise a new beginning but just not yet.
I received a copy of the book from NetGalley.com and the Publisher for an honest review.
As the title hints, this is not a story that ends in triumph and celebration. It ends the only way it honestly could.
Across the series we’ve followed Beornoth from battle to battle, a Saxon warrior in early medieval Britain fighting Viking incursions and building a reputation for honor, loyalty, and terrifying skill in the shield wall. He has always been defined by his strength and his presence in the front ranks.
What makes this final book so different—and so special—is that we spend it with Beornoth as an old man.
He is sick. He is tired. The Vikings keep coming. The world he has fought his entire life to defend is fraying. And he no longer has the strength to stand at the front of the shield wall the way he once did.
Instead of swinging a sword, he must use his voice. He tries to convince his king to resist paying off the Vikings and to fight instead. The pace here is slower than previous entries, but deliberately so. You live with Beornoth in his frustration and quiet despair as he wrestles with the hardest battle of all: how to remain useful when you can no longer rely on strength.
There is more political maneuvering in this book. Factions circle the king. Counsel is given. Loyalties strain. And all of it builds toward betrayal and one final battle for the Saxon kingdom.
Peter Gibbons truly shines in shield wall combat. He places you shoulder to shoulder with the men as they push, strain, and die. He does not soften the brutality. Yet even with all we’ve seen in this series, the final battle is something different.
Beornoth has always possessed that edge in combat—a near-berserker intensity that could overwhelm his enemies. But here he begins the fight restrained, limited by age and failing health. As the battle rages, he relives the wars of his life in flashes—pain, loss, blood, loyalty. And then there is a moment where he gives everything. One final, primal unleashing. Not youthful fury, but accumulated memory and will poured into a single act.
I love stories about aged warriors fighting for their place in a world that is moving beyond them. Gibbons handles this perfectly, paralleling Beornoth’s decline with the uncertainty of Saxon Britain itself. Both are struggling to endure. Both are facing change that cannot be stopped.
This is not a happy ending and there is no sunsets but the ending is honest and pure like the first snows of winter that mark the end of a year and promise a new beginning but just not yet.
I received a copy of the book from NetGalley.com and the Publisher for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Finale to the Saxon Warrior Series. This is a hard hitting, raw ending to the Bristish history with the Saxons fighting the Vikings for control of the isles. Beornoth is getting older and finding the fighting harder and harder. Can he help to protect the kingdom with the help of his friends or will his aged and broken body fail him. The characters are so well written that you find yourself hoping the traitorous people get dealt with and the hero's are victorious. The fighting is vicious as it would have been at that time, but it does not distract from the story. It is sad to say goodbye to Beornoth and everyone else, but it is a perfect ending to the saga.
With thanks to the author, Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book
With thanks to the author, Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book
February 8, 2026
Famed Saxon warrior Beornoth is feeling his age but the politics and war that surround him will not let him rest. King Aethelred is weak and poorly advised by Eadric Streona, his son Edmund too young to lead. As the Viking hoards menace the country, Streona advises appeasement and vast amounts of silver are raised but it is never enough. Now Sweyn Forkbeard has his sights set on ruling the country and Beornoth is forced into the shieldwall again.
Gibbons has written a great series of books about the turbulent reign of Aethelred. Following on from the Battle of Maldon he has charted the history of the country through the heroic figure of Beornoth. As ever the historical fact is spot on and the battle scenes are written with relish.
Gibbons has written a great series of books about the turbulent reign of Aethelred. Following on from the Battle of Maldon he has charted the history of the country through the heroic figure of Beornoth. As ever the historical fact is spot on and the battle scenes are written with relish.
February 20, 2026
One of the Best!
The Saxon Warrior series is truly one of the greatest series of books I’ve read in my life, and Beornoth is in the pantheon of all-time great warrior heroes. I discovered Peter Gibbons through his Viking Blood and Blade series (which is also incredible), and these books have been a goldmine of reading enjoyment for me. This is the final book in the Saxon Warrior series, and it is a fitting ending to Beornoth’s incredible journey as the scourge of the Vikings. I can’t say enough about the writing of Peter Gibbons or the greatness of this series of books. Simply one of the all-time best.
The Saxon Warrior series is truly one of the greatest series of books I’ve read in my life, and Beornoth is in the pantheon of all-time great warrior heroes. I discovered Peter Gibbons through his Viking Blood and Blade series (which is also incredible), and these books have been a goldmine of reading enjoyment for me. This is the final book in the Saxon Warrior series, and it is a fitting ending to Beornoth’s incredible journey as the scourge of the Vikings. I can’t say enough about the writing of Peter Gibbons or the greatness of this series of books. Simply one of the all-time best.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A very dramatic and action packed end to this amazing Saxon series! The conclusion is very satisfying and the actual historical parts follow very closely to written history. The characters are written with a depth that it feels like you're looking into the souls of these people during the Saxon vs. Viking wars. Having DNA from both sides I found the story gripping to the very end! Highly Recommended!
This is my honest review after reading an ARC from Netgalley and Boldwood Books.
This is my honest review after reading an ARC from Netgalley and Boldwood Books.
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January 18, 2026I have read Peter Gibbons books before and I know that he explains his people as he winds his way around each of his tails. The leaders in his story are real and his persons of interest or ones we have empathy with are Beornoth, Gis, and Wigs. His tail of all the fighting was real and had happened but Beornoth and his crew were made up. I like his history lessons very much as reading about the Vikings. They were real.
January 6, 2026
At long last beornoth can rest (albeit in peace) I have really enjoyed this series of books, especially as I live close to some of the major battle sites and visit Maldon often, as always the story is one of betrayal and violence, how Britain eventually built an empire having started with such parasitic individuals is beyond me
February 10, 2026
A fitting end to a great tale.
A great story of a man with a broken life, who moved through his complicated life with honor when so many around him did not. It also was an enlightening glance at a less chronicled part of English history.
Definitely for those who love history, a good fight and a story of heroes and villains.
A great story of a man with a broken life, who moved through his complicated life with honor when so many around him did not. It also was an enlightening glance at a less chronicled part of English history.
Definitely for those who love history, a good fight and a story of heroes and villains.
February 18, 2026
I've read this whole 6 book series and I think the last 100 pages of this book was the hardest to read. Saying goodbye to a character that was like English hero at the time even though his character is fictional is still hard to swallow. And reading the afterward true section, I had no idea the English lost the whole island and it became king under viking rule.
February 8, 2026
An amazing conclusion to what has been an epic series. I adored the characters, and the fighting was extremely detailed but took nothing away from the actual storyline. I can't wait to see what more this author is going to come up with.
February 10, 2026
It so saddens me to end this wonderful series. Peter Gibbons is a master of the best warrior reads. What will he do next? His characters come to life in such a magnificent way.
Cant wait to get the 4th Arthur book.
Cant wait to get the 4th Arthur book.
February 15, 2026
Great ending to an excellent series
Beornoth never lets you down. Yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy ýyyýyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy yyyyyyyyy yyyyyyyyyyy yyyyyyyyyyyyyyy yyy yyy yyy yyyyyyyyyy yyyyyyy yyyyyy yyy yy
Beornoth never lets you down. Yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy ýyyýyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy yyyyyyyyy yyyyyyyyyyy yyyyyyyyyyyyyyy yyy yyy yyy yyyyyyyyyy yyyyyyy yyyyyy yyy yy
February 16, 2026
Good read fascinating period of English History
Good read based on actual events and real people. Fascinating period. Shame it’s the last in the series. Peter Gibbons is an excellent writer.
Good read based on actual events and real people. Fascinating period. Shame it’s the last in the series. Peter Gibbons is an excellent writer.
February 12, 2026
A good story with interesting likable characters, a bit sad but enjoyable. Sad no more stories with this central character.
February 15, 2026
Easy 5 star rating to the final book of this series. Tremendous read of historical fiction. Don’t just read the last book in the series…enjoy them all. Well done!
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews