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.
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Barrington Books
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