This companion book, 'Inside the World of The Last Kingdom', to Uhtred of Bebbanburg's exploits, serves up an explanation of how the author came to write these works; historical backgrounds to the era; sixty intriguing recipes of Anglo-Saxon edibles; and 3 short stories (The First Victory, The Gift of God and The Last Shield Wall).

Cornwell tells us of his own personal connection to Bebbanburg through his natural father that resulted in his telling of the story of the long and brutal creation of England. Fans will devour Uhtred's Feast, and long for seconds.

True confessions time: I am a diehard Uhtred fan. No doubt this news will surprise my family and anyone who has read my novels. In fact, it rather surprises me. I write historical fiction about family life, focused on how women of all ages managed to create satisfying lives in situations set up to thwart their doing that very thing. Romance, yes. Politics, definitely. But man-to-man warfare, complete with shield walls and short swords? No.

That’s also the kind of fiction I prefer to read. A pagan warrior hero who fights with abandon and has a string of wives and mistresses is not, most people would say, likely to appeal to me. Yet there is something about Uhtred, as the numerous fans of the The Last Kingdom series (novels and Netflix) can attest. Apparently his creator can’t let go of Uhtred either, because that series was supposed to have ended a couple of years ago, yet here he is again.

What most people don’t know about me is that, in addition to writing historical novels, I have an academic career focused on studying domestic life in the medieval and early modern periods. That background makes “Uhtred’s Feast” the perfect Uhtred novel for me. Yes, there are a few tales featuring Uhtred himself, but most of the book is a study of Saxon home life: what people ate, wore, and did with their time. It even includes recipes, together with an introductory essay on the historical background of the series and how Cornwell came to write it.

If you are a historical reenactor, take it from me that many of these recipes survived for centuries. The book is an invaluable resource, not just for Saxon England but for medieval Europe as a whole. It’s also a gem for novelists, who struggle to discover just these kinds of details about daily life.

So if you’ve ever experienced the urge to braise rabbits in ale, smoke a pig’s head, or ferment some turnips, this book will show you how. Vegetarians can enjoy pease pudding or learn to bake their own bread. And if you know the story of King Alfred burning the cakes, here’s your best chance to find out what those cakes looked and tasted like.

I will be covering this book on my blog (link below) in October–November 2023.

Uhtred's Feast was a fun look into the real world of Bernard Cornwell's popular protagonist, Uhtred of Bebbanburg. The audience who can appreciate this book is likely to be a fairly small niche of Last Kingdom fans who are also interested in learning about 11th century recipes and foods. That said, even if you aren't going to make any of the recipes in this book, there's quite a bit of historical information throughout the book as well that fans of Uhtred son of Uhtred will enjoy reading.

An advanced copy of this book was generously provided to me via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.