By Published Apr 17, 2026, 6:31 PM EDT TJ Mills is an editor on ScreenRant's Comic team, where she combines her lifelong passion for DC with her analytical background as a former Intelligence Analyst. Since joining ScreenRant in 2026, she has specialized in covering major DC storylines, character evolutions, and industry developments. follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap
, the man behind the now-legendary franchise, which was inspired by his A Song of Ice and Fire books, will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the greatest fantasy writers of the century, and perhaps of all time. Yet even legendary writers are fans at heart, and Martin is no exception. Like any reader, he has his own favorite stories and series that inspire him. As it turns out, one of Martin’s favorite book series also went on to inspire one of Netflix’s best and most acclaimed shows.
If you’re a die-hard George R. R. Martin fan, then you likely follow his “Not a Blog,” where the author shares his personal thoughts, writing updates, reviews of movies and books, and other miscellaneous commentary. Back in 2026, Martin published a post titled “,” where he shared some of his favorite books and authors of all time.
It was in this post that Martin revealed his love for author Bernard Cornwell, describing him as “one of the writers who never fails to grab me by the throat.” Martin remarked that he has long loved Cornwell’s Sharpe books, several of his stand-alone novels, his Thomas of Hookton series, and his Arthurian trilogy. However, he noted that his favorite of Cornwell’s works is the long-running historical fiction series The Saxon Stories, the books that inspired Netflix’s hit series The Last Kingdom.
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The God of Death is the only god that matters — and you answer him with “Not today.” NEXT → QUESTION 4 / 8BEYOND THE WALL 04 “Every flight begins with a click belowfallleapstepdream.” — Three-Eyed Raven fall leap step dream ✓ Correct! The Three-Eyed Raven speaks this cryptic line to Bran, who fell from a tower and lost the use of his legs — only to gain the ability to see through time. His fall was the beginning of his flight. ✗ Not quite. The answer is “fall.” The Three-Eyed Raven’s paradoxical wisdom: the boy who was pushed from a window had to fall before he could learn to fly through visions. NEXT → QUESTION 5 / 8THE IMP 05 “A mind needs books as a sword needs a click belowwhetstonesheathforgeedge.” — Tyrion Lannister whetstone sheath forge edge ✓ Correct! Tyrion defends his love of reading to Jon Snow with this perfect analogy. A blade needs sharpening, and so does the mind. It’s one of the first moments we see Tyrion’s wisdom beneath the wine. ✗ Not quite. The answer is “whetstone.” Tyrion’s defense of reading to Jon Snow — comparing books to the tool that keeps a sword sharp — perfectly captures the Imp’s belief that knowledge is the truest weapon. NEXT → QUESTION 6 / 8STARKS 06 “The click belowNorthPackCrownBlood remembers.” — Various Northern Lords North Pack Crown Blood ✓ Correct! This fierce declaration of loyalty became the Stark rallying cry. Spoken by various Northern lords, it’s a reminder that the people of the North have long memories and longer grudges. ✗ Not quite. The answer is “North.” ‘The North remembers’ became a rallying cry for Stark loyalists — a warning to the Boltons, Freys, and anyone else who betrayed House Stark that their reckoning was coming. NEXT → QUESTION 7 / 8SCHEMERS 07 “The storms come and go, the waves crash overhead, the big fish eat the little fish, and I keep on click belowpaddlingswimmingwatchingrowing.” — Varys paddling swimming watching rowing ✓ Correct! 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George R.R. Martin's Favorite Book Series Inspired Netflix's The Last Kingdom
The Last Kingdom (2004) is the First Book in Bernard Cornwell's "Saxon Stories" Series
After naming as one of his favorite series of all time, George R. R. Martin further elaborated, offering some insight into what exactly made the series such a favorite for him. He remarked that “no one writes better historical fiction than Bernard Cornwell,” and that the Saxon series in particular brought to life a part of British history that Martin admitted he “knew almost nothing about.”
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He went on to commend the battle scenes in the books, explaining how Cornwell brings “battles to life like no one else, whether he is writing about the shield walls of the Dark Ages or the musketry of the Napoleonic Era.” However, Martin did have one complaint about his favorite series, particularly War Lord, the 13th and final novel in Bernard Cornwell’s Saxon series.
Martin said, “It reads as if it is the last Uhtred. We have been following him since childhood, but he is very old now, and on his third king, and the epilogue definitely gives the impression that his tale is at an end. If so… well, he had a great run, but I will miss him.” Most people will probably be able to relate to Martin about this feeling, as most of us have likely had a series we love come to an end before we were ready for it to.
The Relationship Between Bernard Cornwell's Saxon Series and Netflix's The Last Kingdom
2026's War Lord is the 13th and Last Novel in the Saxon Stories Series by Bernard Cornwell
is one of Netflix’s biggest and most successful hits, yet even some die-hard fans of the show may not know it was based on a historical book series by Bernard Cornwell. In fact, the show gets its name from the first novel in the Saxon series, The Last Kingdom, which was published back in 2004.
The book series comprises 13 novels and follows the life of Uhtred of Bebbanburg, a Saxon noble raised by Vikings during the 9th-century conflicts between Saxons and Danes. Each season of the Netflix show adapts multiple novels, with Season 1 based on The Last Kingdom and The Pale Horseman, Season 2 on The Lords of the North and Sword Song, Season 3 on The Burning Land and Death of Kings, Season 4 on The Pagan Lord and The Empty Throne, and Season 5 on Warriors of the Storm and The Flame Bearer.
The Saxon story continued in , Netflix’s 2026 film that wraps up the saga by drawing from the later novels in the series. As one can see, Cornwell told a truly fantastic and engaging story with his Saxon series, which ran for 13 books and eventually became a TV series, a movie, and more. So if you haven’t checked out George R. R. Martin’s favorite series and the inspiration behind Netflix’s The Last Kingdom, then you should truly consider it.
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