Thank you to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was excited to learn that Steve Berry's next book is about King Ludwig II. I lived in Germany for 3 years(My dad was in the U.S. Army.) and have visited King Ludwig II's castles. While I was reading I was able to visualize what was happening.

Luke Daniels asked Cotton Malone to be his backup on a mission. It was supposed to be a quick one-time task. Cotton is helping the CIA to retrieve an historical book and a document dating back to King Ludwig's day. They are not the only ones looking and Malone is once again caught up in a race to find the book and document first.

The Last Kingdom is action and history packed and I was on the edge of my seat from start to finish.

Steve Berry is one of my favorite authors. I love his use of history and how he is able to blend fact and fiction together.

In the 17th Cotton Malone thriller, we go to Germany for a hundred year old Bavarian puzzle revolving around Mad King Ludwig. There are so many players involved that it is hard to keep everyone straight. That is part of the story, because alliances keep shifting. Clever and intriguing.

I have loved every Steve Berry book since reading "The Amber Room" in 2003 but this one felt a little off to me. I have always enjoyed the way he weaves little known historical events into his thrillers but the historical events
in this one seemed to take precedent over the plot and slowed down the pace considerably. I found myself losing interest about halfway through and even though I finished the book, I wasn't on the edge of my seat to see what happened. Recommended

Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an advanced reader copy.

I will read any book Steve Berry writes. I have followed Cotton Malone throughout and I loved this one much the same. I love the way Berry writes and the historical components to his writing.

In The Last Kingdom, the 17th outing of Cotton Malone, we find him working with the CIA to retrieve an historical book and a document dating back to King Ludwig’s day. But they’re not the only ones looking, and Malone is once again caught up in a breakneck-paced race to find them first.

Secret codes and puzzles bring history to life, bridging past to present, and fiction from fact, as only Berry can. His storytelling assumes the reader is intelligent enough to appreciate the endnotes provided to identify one from the other. And this latest in the Cotton Malone series does not disappoint.

Always ready to settle in for a great read, I am never disappointed by Berry’s Cotton Malone.

Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for providing a free ARC. This review is provided voluntarily.

Cotton Malone is one of my favorite operatives in the Spy genre. He is smart and quick on his feet - which has kept him alive several times.
Luke Daniels asked Cotton for backup on a mission. It was supposed to be a quick one-time task. After all, Cotton is retired and persona non grata with the current U.S. president. But things don’t work out that way. Luckily, Cotton has Luke’s back. But will Luke realize he needs to have Cotton’s back?
King Lugwig II was tired of being King of Bavaria and sent a trusted archivist to find one for him. In present day Bavaria, there are several interested parties looking for the deed to The Last Kingdom.
I enjoy how Steve Berry combines fact and fiction.

The Last Kingdom is another great read by Steve Berry. I like how the author takes one fact from history and weaves an entire story from that. There are always people trying to steal some secrets or artifacts. There are always a few twists and turns with the mysteries to be solved and unexpected results to each new uncovered fact. I find myself being brought on a journey where the truth and fiction are so well woven that I am captivated.

The book begins with a scene of Luke Daniels shooting Cotton Malone. Luckily we soon found out that this was part of a larger plan. Cotton Malone is a retired agent. He has started a new life as a bookstore owner, but has been drawn in to help Luke cement his infiltration of a shadow group. The crux of the issue is King Ludwig of Bavaria supposedly entered into an agreement in a 19th century document about the ownership of Hawaii. Now the US, Germany and China are all in the mix trying to find the proof that will explode the world as it is!

Each of Steve Berry’s books contain an element of history that can change the world if it is made public. I think that makes the books more exciting. Cotton Malone is one cool customer under fire and I love how he works out so many mysteries. I did miss his particular friend Cassopedia in this book, but loved having Luke play a big role. The Last Kingdom is the seventeenth book in the Cotton Malone series.

Steve Berry is one of my favorite authors and Cotton Malone is one of my favorite characters, so of course I couldn't wait to dive into The Last Kingdom.

The Last Kingdom is action packed and kept me turning pages at record pace. I really liked how this novel balanced both Cotton Malone and Luke Daniels, making both of their plot lines equally compelling. As always, Steve Berry does an excellent job of incorporating interesting historical fact with fiction. All of his novels are so well researched and written that you feel like you are racing through the castles right alongside Cotton and Luke. A very unique multi-layered plot with interesting places and characters, this novel is a must read.

I could not put this book down! Loved every minute.

I received this book courtesy of the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I received a free advanced copy of “ The Last Kingdom” by Steve Berry through Net Galley to read and review.
This is #17 in the long running series of historically based thrillers featuring Cotton Malone. The books as I understand it, are historical mysteries of thrillers. They are about historical events and people mixed in with current events start an adventure where almost anything is possible.
In this case, the book is about the “ Mad King” Ludwig of Bavaria who died about 1886, just as Bismarck United the German states . Bavaria was included, something Ludwig highly resented. For him Bavaria was too important in itself to be associated with new German upstarts. In his later years , Ludwig became reclusive and started building his fantastic castles o; the Rhine, all decorated as would his idol, Louis of France . Ludwig had a plan to become an independent king in his own private world.
So switch to now. Mather is on the trail of an organization who want to capture the Bavarian crown and do what Ludwig could not do. The book begins with a set piece where two agents of the secret organization stage a theft of something secret hidden in Ludwig’s desk. The thieves flee, followed by Cotton. Their accomplice has a boat read to take them away. It is not a spoiler to say that this is all a set up: the accomplice is Luke Daniels, Cotton’s subordinate.
There follow a chase, plenty of danger, escapes , gunfight, fist fights , as the investigation into a secret society that wants to take over Germany and maybe the world. Chapters of the present are interspersed with historical ones as the author explains the basis for his story. The reader learns a lot of mittle European history as the book goes along in It’s travelogue sort of way.
It is all good fun,. Cotton and his lackey Luke are the usual super hero type of secret agent and do the usual slam bang fun that keeps this moving in an entertaining way
Summing up: well written and pleasant novel, breezy and fun.

The latest Cotton Malone novel. Berry doing what he does best here: elevating a quirky historical tidbit into a spy thriller. The history was interesting, but the thriller not so thrilling.

Bavaria’s King Ludwig, deposed in the late 1800s, then drowning under suspicious circumstances just days later, spent the last years of his reign in a worldwide search for a new kingdom – separate from Bavaria – where he could rule as he wished. Now, Cotton Malone and his protégé, Luke Daniels, race against a growing number of adversaries, all searching to prove – or disprove – that Ludwig accomplished his goal.

I have enjoyed this series, and the stand-alone books by this author, since I first read The Amber Room many years ago, and I’m always filled with anticipation when a new book comes out. Fortunately, I have yet to be disappointed by one of Cotton’s adventures, and this book was no exception.

Other than the core of primary characters, there aren’t many recurring characters, but the core group is enough to carry the story. As we read the book, we’re introduced to many other characters, of course, but we have to keep reading to figure out if those characters are friend or foe. Being told from several different viewpoints makes the story more exciting too.

It didn’t take long to determine who the bad guys were in this book. From there, it was simply a matter of following along to see who would figure things out and reach the goal first. Several events along the way surprised me, and made me wonder if I truly had figured out who was on which side of this story.

As always, I learned a lot while reading this book, which is part of the appeal of this series. This is one of the few series where I always make time to read the author’s notes at the end of the book, as they give even more history and explain what (and who) was real and what was created to make a better story. I can’t wait to read Mr. Berry’s next book!

First off, thank you to Steve Berry and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a Kindle ARC of this book.

This is number 17 in the Cotton Malone series which I love! The series has covered so much history that I didn't know about especially European history. The setting this time was Bavaria which I know nothing about which was a great way to get me to learn about this area of Germany.

My only issue was that there were so many characters to keep track of in this novel. Typically, there are not that many characters which created many different storylines which were very confusing at times. There are a couple of new characters that I really liked in this book and I hope that they show up again in the series!

4.0 stars

RECOMMEND, but your really need to read the previous sixteen books!!!

Steve Berry has uncovered another quirk of history and turned it into an enjoyable thriller. Who knew that King Ludwig II of Bavaria could have done something that would affect the US standing on the international stage? Cotton Malone and Luke Daniels are on the case.
Enjoy.

The Last Kingdom
by Steve Berry

If you are a fan of Mr. Berry, you have most likely read any number of books about a government agent named Harold Earle "Cotton" Malone. Malone went from being a navy attorney to being recruited as an operative by Stephanie Nelle for the Magellan Billet, under the Department of Justice. After years of this work, Malone decided to walk away – he quit the Billet, moved to Denmark and became the proprietor of a antiquarian book shop.

However, Malone does not really get entirely away. He finds himself drawn back in to various operations. This book is the 17th in the Cotton Malone series by Mr. Berry.

"The Last Kingdom" contains all the tried and true aspects of previous books. Malone agrees as a favor to his young friend Luke Daniels to help him out with just a minimum involvement in an operation in Bavaria. As always, things don't go as planned. Everyone - from the President of the United States to a high level Chinese official to two long dead Kings of Bavaria and one long dead king of Hawaii - gets involved in this one. There are many "good guys" and various "bad guys" – and of course some who are both. Betrayals abound and unexpected turns of fate appear as in most Cotton Malone books.

Although the pattern is formulaic, I confess to being once again drawn in by Mr. Berry's clever plotting. This one is as good as any of its predecessors. I look forward to the next one.

Another great Cotton Malone book. Cotton is one of my favorite characters, and I am very fond of the other recurring characters. I love the settings in this, and the history lessons. I am always stopping to look up locations on a map, or read information online to find out more while I am reading this series. I cannot wait for the next book in this series!

Thank you NetGalley for a pre-release of Steve Berry’s The Last Kindgom.

Wow, Steve Berry has hit another home run! The Last Kingdom is action (and history) packed from the very first pages. I was on the edge of my seat from start to finish. I really liked the continued evolvement of Luke in this series, and his growing partnership with Cotton. I highly, highly recommend this book. Can’t wait for the next book in the series!

The Last Kingdom has a solid share of surprises, a myriad of mysterious moments, and a heaping of historical happenstance.Better than anyone writing today, Steve Berry manages to create an amalgamation of the authentic and absurd. His ability to connect and create seemingly random events of the past into a pulse pounding treasure hunt continues to entertain this long time fan.

Cotton Malone has managed to find himself roped into another adventure, this time at the behest of Luke Daniels, his protégé. Luke has gone undercover in a group seeking Bavarian independence from Germany. While on its face it seems a far-fetched idea, the strange events surrounding the deposition of King Ludwig II of Bavaria in 1886 manages to bring in a wide variety of present day global powers into the mix. The Mad King’s descendants may finally complete what he set in motion all those years ago and create… The Last Kingdom.

After a year without Cotton Malone, it is great to have the iconic character back in action. Like so many of the books in this series, sorting fact from fiction is half the fun and the other half is enjoying the highly entertaining writing and plot. Unlike some of his previous books, Berry really focuses hard on a singular geographic location and takes a deep dive into the fairytale castles of Bavaria. If you’ve been to the area, then you know how amazing the structures and estates are. If you haven’t, definitely put this on your “bucket” list to check out when you can.

This is not the most action packed stories Berry has written, but the intrigue and mystery more than make up for any lack of bullets flying. As always, highly recommend this for anyone who loves a good treasure hunt.

The Last Kingdom is the 17th installment in the Cotton Malone series, and finds Malone involved in a search for a document which deeds the Hawaiian Islands to Germany, one of the final acts of King Ludwig II of Bavaria. Several other entities are also on the hunt, including a German cult, Chinese intelligence agents, and a rogue group of ex-CIA agents, adding to the chaos and amping up the danger. Malone is back in familiar territory, deciphering codes, solving puzzles and fighting the bad guys, aided by his protege, Luke Daniels. As always, author Steve Berry gives the reader a subtle history lesson, woven seamlessly into the plot, and Malone gets some unanticipated help from an unlikely source. One of my favorite series, there’s no letdown in this adventure, and fans will love it. I received an arc of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

In 1886, Bavaria’s King Ludwig the 2nd mysteriously dies. History makes him out to be a “madman”, but it also shows that he had searched worldwide for a new kingdom away from Bavaria. However, no one knows if he succeeded.

In the present day, Cotton Malone has been called to assist his friend Luke Daniels, who has infiltrated a group in Bavaria intent on establishing Bavarian independence from Germany. According to this group there is a deed that proves Ludwig found his “last kingdom” and everyone from the United States to China wants that deed found.

I have read and own every Steve Berry book, as he is one of my favorite authors. I always love his use of history and how he manages to blend the fact and fiction together.

Since I started from the beginning with Cotton Malone, I have to say that his development as well as the joining of new characters is the reason why this series continues to do well. While Cassiopeia Vitt doesn’t make an appearance in this novel, Luke Daniels does. Normally around book 15 through 20, I feel that the characters are stuck on a loop. Same reactions to scenarios, same characters that they call. In this novel, we are given two familiar characters who follow different paths to the same conclusion. It's a wonderful blend of espionage spy work and a historical treasure scavenger hunt.

I won’t lie of one teeny tiny problem. Because the setting is about Bavaria and their historical monarchy, those characters tended to get confusing. Especially when there are three Ludwigs that are mentioned. However, this is a small issue and as long as you flip back occasionally to remind your brain of who is who, then you will be just fine.

I am excited for Steve Berry’s next book, The 9th Man, as it is set to follow Luke Daniels. Though I can’t help but wonder if this will mean Cotton will be retiring soon.

Overall, I rate this novel 5 out of 5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for the gift of an advanced copy. You'll find my honest review below.

If you've followed me for a while, you know that the Cotton Malone series is one of my long time favorites. You'll also know that installment #16, The Kaiser's Web, earned a mediocre rating from me - mostly because at the end, Cotton Malone did something completely out of character in my opinion.

Last year, we received a Steve Berry novel that wasn't in the Cotton Malone series and it was fantastic.

This year, we get installment #17, The Last Kingdom. Cotton's story takes him to Germany again, like in book 16, but this one was back to form.

The Last Kingdom had twists, turns, betrayals, revelations, and the introduction of a character that I think will end up being the in the upcoming Luke Daniels spinoff with our favorite Frat Boy.

All in all, a fun romp through Bavaria. Can't wait for more Cotton (and honestly anything else from Steve Berry as well).

Four stars, definitely recommended (but read the rest of the series first!).