The Last Kingdom

Uhtred is born a Saxon and raised among Danes, leaving him with loyalties that rarely fit neatly into somebody else's campaign. The Last Kingdom uses that divided position to tell an energetic story of warfare and the struggle to build a kingdom.

Alexander Dreymon gives Uhtred the confidence to charge into trouble and enough stubbornness to make it believable that he repeatedly finds it. The battles matter because promises, friendships and competing claims have usually made the situation difficult before anyone draws a sword.

Adapted from Bernard Cornwell's novels, this is historical adventure rather than a literal account of the period. The film Seven Kings Must Die follows the television series and belongs after it, not in the middle of a first watch. Vikings offers a related setting, with a different family and perspective at its centre.