Death's Commander

In Death’s Commander, the fifth and final book in a series of historical novels based on the life of Harald Sigurdsson (1015–1066), known as Harald Hardrada, we find Harald as the ruler of Norway, and he has a lofty goal: In a daring maneuver, he attempts to recreate the old North Sea Empire, with Norway, Denmark, and England united under one king. When the English king, Edward the Confessor, died on January 5th 1066, it kicked off a merciless struggle for the most important throne in Northern Europe. Harald, too, joined the running to become king of England. The flimsiness of his claim to the throne did not stop the feared commander from setting out across The North Sea with the largest fleet that had ever sailed from Norway. His bold attempt was close to succeeding, but Harald was lured into a trap. When Harald fell in the Battle of Stamford Bridge, it marked the end of the Viking Age.

In his series The Last Viking King, about Harald Hardrada, Jan Ove Ekeberg weaves together historical and fictional characters and events into a dramatic and colorful portrait of Norway’s last Viking king and the times he lived in. The books are widely acclaimed by critics, and the series have sold appr. 100 000 copies so far.
The series contain the following volumes: Apprentice of war (2017), Devil’s Horseman (2018), Imperial Mercenary (2019), Enemy of Peace (2020) and Death’s Commander (2021).