
Emperor’s Axe
The Last Viking, Book 3
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $18.54
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Sean Barrett
-
By:
-
JC Duncan
About this listen
The latest instalment in JC Duncan's action-packed Last Viking series
The greatest threat to the empire is not a foreign army, but the thirst for power at all costs.
1038 AD, Constantinople
Harald Sigurdsson has risen through bravery and glory in battle to become the commander of the legendary Varangian guard, the oath-sworn protector of the Roman throne in Constantinople; The wielder of the emperor’s axe.
With the estranged Emperor and Empress consumed in a deadly palace war for sole control of the empire, Harald must somehow keep the peace. In a city where everything is taken by subterfuge, violence and deceit, what must an honourable man do to protect the empire from both its enemies and itself?
Harald might be forced to choose between his life and his oaths, to take a side or become an enemy of all, and watch, outcast, as the empire crumbles.
Harald is a master of war, but victory in battle will no longer be enough.
The explosive next chapter in the extraordinary tale of Harald Hardrada
©2024 JC Duncan (P)2024 Boldwood BooksListeners also enjoyed...
-
Warrior Prince
- The Last Viking, Book 1
- By: JC Duncan
- Narrated by: Saul Reichlin
- Length: 11 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Exiled from Norway, Harald Sigurdsson, brother to murdered King Olaf, must battle mercilessly for survival in the lands of the Kievan Rus. His brother’s legacy gifts him a warband of hardened warriors and entry to the court of Prince Yaroslav the Wise. By his wits, sword and skill in battle, Harald must learn not just to survive but to triumph. He fights for glory, for fame, and to regain his family’s battle-stolen throne. But his greatest challenge may not come from battlefield foes but from those who stand by his side.
-
-
I love it
- By Dennis wilson on 03-27-25
By: JC Duncan
-
Forged by Iron
- Olaf's Saga, Book 1
- By: Eric Schumacher
- Narrated by: Gildart Jackson
- Length: 9 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Norway, AD 958. The Northern realm is once again at war. The exiled sons of Erik Bloodaxe have returned with the help of the Danes and have slain King Hakon. They now come for Hakon's heir, Jarl Trygvi. Trygvi's wife, Astrid, and young son, Olaf, flee their home with the aid of their household warriors. Pursued by the Bloodaxe brood, the family escapes east, through the dark, forested land of the Swedes and across the treacherous East Sea.
-
-
Phenomenal narration!
- By kristi kamm on 04-02-25
By: Eric Schumacher
-
Warrior and Protector
- The Saxon Warrior, Book 1
- By: Peter Gibbons
- Narrated by: Sean Barrett
- Length: 8 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
989 AD. Alfred the Great’s dream of a united England has been forged by his daughter Aethelfaed and grandson, King Aethelstan. The Vikings have been expelled from York following the death of Erik Bloodaxe, and for two generations there has been peace between Saxon and Dane. A new Viking warlord Olaf Tryggvason seeks revenge for Bloodaxe's death and the slaughter that followed, and has set his sights on a fresh assault on England’s shores. With Skarde Wartooth they set sail for Saxon lands, hungry for glory, conquest and vengeance.
-
-
it was ok, the story was a little short
- By Cody on 04-15-25
By: Peter Gibbons
-
Sword for Hire
- Border Knight, Book 1
- By: Griff Hosker
- Narrated by: Marston York
- Length: 9 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When his father is killed at Arsuf protecting King Richard, Thomas is knighted. His hopes of inheriting his family's manor are dashed when Prince John takes power in his brother's absence. With a handful of men, Sir Thomas is forced to travel to Sweden where he joins the Jarl Birger Brosa fighting the Estonians, Karelians and Slavs. Fighting in the harsh environment of a Baltic winter makes Sir Thomas and his men stronger. There he learns of further treachery and dishonour among Bishops, Kings and Princes who value thrones more than men.
-
-
That was pretty ok!
- By Anonymous User on 12-03-24
By: Griff Hosker
-
The Serpent Sword
- The Bernicia Chronicles, Book 1
- By: Matthew Harffy
- Narrated by: Barnaby Edwards
- Length: 12 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Beobrand is compelled by his brother's almost-certain murder to embark on a quest for revenge in the war-ravaged kingdoms of Northumbria. The land is rife with danger, as warlords vie for supremacy and dominion. In the battles for control of the region, new oaths are made and broken, and loyalties are tested to the limits. With no patronage and no experience, Beobrand must form his own allegiances and learn to fight with sword and shield. Relentless in pursuit of his enemies, he faces challenges which transform him from a boy to a man.
-
-
Amazing story, needs a warning in the description.
- By Lisa Schilling on 04-12-17
By: Matthew Harffy
-
Excalibur
- The Arthurian Chronicles, Book 1
- By: Peter Gibbons
- Narrated by: Sean Barrett
- Length: 10 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A country left in ruins after the fall of the Roman Empire is plundered and broken. Saxon hordes have invaded and conquered the East coast of Britain in a blood-soaked Great War which tore the old kingdoms apart. From Bernicia to Kent, land and kingdoms are now under Saxon rule. But these new conquerors want more…Britain's remaining kingdoms are jaded by the constant threat of war, their Kings old, alliances fickle and frayed. It seems Britain must fall enslaved to the brutal and marauding conquerors from across the sea.
-
-
Well that was a nice surprise!!
- By Justin Stuelke on 07-25-24
By: Peter Gibbons
-
Warrior Prince
- The Last Viking, Book 1
- By: JC Duncan
- Narrated by: Saul Reichlin
- Length: 11 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Exiled from Norway, Harald Sigurdsson, brother to murdered King Olaf, must battle mercilessly for survival in the lands of the Kievan Rus. His brother’s legacy gifts him a warband of hardened warriors and entry to the court of Prince Yaroslav the Wise. By his wits, sword and skill in battle, Harald must learn not just to survive but to triumph. He fights for glory, for fame, and to regain his family’s battle-stolen throne. But his greatest challenge may not come from battlefield foes but from those who stand by his side.
-
-
I love it
- By Dennis wilson on 03-27-25
By: JC Duncan
-
Forged by Iron
- Olaf's Saga, Book 1
- By: Eric Schumacher
- Narrated by: Gildart Jackson
- Length: 9 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Norway, AD 958. The Northern realm is once again at war. The exiled sons of Erik Bloodaxe have returned with the help of the Danes and have slain King Hakon. They now come for Hakon's heir, Jarl Trygvi. Trygvi's wife, Astrid, and young son, Olaf, flee their home with the aid of their household warriors. Pursued by the Bloodaxe brood, the family escapes east, through the dark, forested land of the Swedes and across the treacherous East Sea.
-
-
Phenomenal narration!
- By kristi kamm on 04-02-25
By: Eric Schumacher
-
Warrior and Protector
- The Saxon Warrior, Book 1
- By: Peter Gibbons
- Narrated by: Sean Barrett
- Length: 8 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
989 AD. Alfred the Great’s dream of a united England has been forged by his daughter Aethelfaed and grandson, King Aethelstan. The Vikings have been expelled from York following the death of Erik Bloodaxe, and for two generations there has been peace between Saxon and Dane. A new Viking warlord Olaf Tryggvason seeks revenge for Bloodaxe's death and the slaughter that followed, and has set his sights on a fresh assault on England’s shores. With Skarde Wartooth they set sail for Saxon lands, hungry for glory, conquest and vengeance.
-
-
it was ok, the story was a little short
- By Cody on 04-15-25
By: Peter Gibbons
-
Sword for Hire
- Border Knight, Book 1
- By: Griff Hosker
- Narrated by: Marston York
- Length: 9 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When his father is killed at Arsuf protecting King Richard, Thomas is knighted. His hopes of inheriting his family's manor are dashed when Prince John takes power in his brother's absence. With a handful of men, Sir Thomas is forced to travel to Sweden where he joins the Jarl Birger Brosa fighting the Estonians, Karelians and Slavs. Fighting in the harsh environment of a Baltic winter makes Sir Thomas and his men stronger. There he learns of further treachery and dishonour among Bishops, Kings and Princes who value thrones more than men.
-
-
That was pretty ok!
- By Anonymous User on 12-03-24
By: Griff Hosker
-
The Serpent Sword
- The Bernicia Chronicles, Book 1
- By: Matthew Harffy
- Narrated by: Barnaby Edwards
- Length: 12 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Beobrand is compelled by his brother's almost-certain murder to embark on a quest for revenge in the war-ravaged kingdoms of Northumbria. The land is rife with danger, as warlords vie for supremacy and dominion. In the battles for control of the region, new oaths are made and broken, and loyalties are tested to the limits. With no patronage and no experience, Beobrand must form his own allegiances and learn to fight with sword and shield. Relentless in pursuit of his enemies, he faces challenges which transform him from a boy to a man.
-
-
Amazing story, needs a warning in the description.
- By Lisa Schilling on 04-12-17
By: Matthew Harffy
-
Excalibur
- The Arthurian Chronicles, Book 1
- By: Peter Gibbons
- Narrated by: Sean Barrett
- Length: 10 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A country left in ruins after the fall of the Roman Empire is plundered and broken. Saxon hordes have invaded and conquered the East coast of Britain in a blood-soaked Great War which tore the old kingdoms apart. From Bernicia to Kent, land and kingdoms are now under Saxon rule. But these new conquerors want more…Britain's remaining kingdoms are jaded by the constant threat of war, their Kings old, alliances fickle and frayed. It seems Britain must fall enslaved to the brutal and marauding conquerors from across the sea.
-
-
Well that was a nice surprise!!
- By Justin Stuelke on 07-25-24
By: Peter Gibbons
-
Son of Mercia
- Eagle of Mercia Chronicles, Book 1
- By: MJ Porter
- Narrated by: Sean Barrett
- Length: 9 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Tamworth, Mercia AD 825. The once-mighty kingdom of Mercia is in perilous danger. Their king, Beornwulf, lies dead, and years of bitter in-fighting between the nobles and cross-border wars have left Mercia exposed to her enemies. King Ecgberht of Wessex senses now is the time for his warriors to strike and exact his long-awaited bloody revenge on Mercia. King Wiglaf has claimed his right to rule Mercia, but can he unite a disparate kingdom against the might of Wessex who are braying for blood and land?
By: MJ Porter
-
The Buccaneer Coast
- Blood, Steel, and Empire, Book 1
- By: James L. Nelson
- Narrated by: Jason Keller
- Length: 16 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
More than one hundred years after Columbus blundered onto Hispaniola, the West Indies are held in Spain's iron fist, and no threat to that absolute rule is tolerated. But such total control cannot last, and one threat will emerge as the most dangerous of all: the buccaneers. Camped on the shore of Hispaniola, these half-wild men eke out a living hunting the island's feral livestock. Among them, Jean-Baptiste LeBoeuf lives out his exile, content that no one in the hunters' camp is curious about his past. But when a hurricane sweeps through the Caribbean, it upends their rough existence.
-
-
Excellent storytelling!
- By Shawn S. on 03-26-25
By: James L. Nelson
-
The Dragon Sword
- Danelaw Saga, Book 1
- By: Griff Hosker
- Narrated by: Marston York
- Length: 9 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This story is set at the end of the 10th century and charts the journey of a young warrior, whose father, Bersi, is killed during a raid on Wessex. Sven Bersisson has to grow up quickly and to follow in his father’s footsteps. Sweyn Skull Taker, his uncle, becomes his foster father and they raid Wessex and Frankia, where the young warrior becomes a man. King Sweyn Forkbeard, the king of Denmark, uses their clan to help in his dream of defeating the Norwegians and then taking the throne of England.
-
-
This is “good” Griff Hosker.
- By trevor on 07-19-21
By: Griff Hosker
-
Odin's Betrayal
- Charlemagne's Cross, Book 1
- By: Donovan Cook
- Narrated by: Sean Barrett
- Length: 9 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Francia AD 853. After a failed Viking raid on the Frankish coast over 20 years ago, Jarl Sven the Boar is forced to leave his only son, Torkel, as a hostage and warned never to raid Francia again or his son will die. In Hügelburg, a small town in East Francia, Torkel and his 9-year-old son Charles are ambushed at home. Before dying, Torkel thrusts a package into young Charles’s hands and tells him to flee Francia for Denmark in search of his grandfather Sven the Boar’s protection.
-
-
Great story and even better performance
- By Dr. Mike Maroon on 10-09-23
By: Donovan Cook
-
Odin's Game
- The Whale Road Chronicles, Book 1
- By: Tim Hodkinson
- Narrated by: Rycharde Everley
- Length: 13 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
AD 916. In the Orkney Isles, a young woman flees her home to save the life of her unborn child. Eighteen years later, a witch foretells that evil from her past is reaching out again to threaten her son. Outlawed from his home in Iceland, Einar Unnsson is thrown on the mercy of his Uncle, the infamous Jarl Thorfinn 'Skull Cleaver' of Orkney. He joins forces with a Norse-Irish princess and a company of wolfskin-clad warriors to become a player in a deadly game for control of the Irish sea.
-
-
Enjoyed this story
- By Robert Greenleaf on 09-14-23
By: Tim Hodkinson
-
Blood on the Crown
- Struggle for the Crown, Book 1
- By: Griff Hosker
- Narrated by: Marston York
- Length: 10 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Will, son of Harry, is about to join one of the freebooting mercenaries who serve the Black Prince in Gascony and Spain. Soldiers of fortune, they fight for pay and for loot. Circumstances mean that he comes to the attention of the heir to the English throne, Prince Edward, and is chosen as the bodyguard for his sons, Edward and Richard. When the Black Prince dies before his father and his elder brother, Edward, also dies, a young Richard of Bordeaux becomes heir to the throne, and Will has a greater responsibility than he expected.
-
-
Held my interest
- By Yvonne T, Griffin on 06-10-20
By: Griff Hosker
-
English Knight
- Anarchy, Book 1
- By: Griff Hosker
- Narrated by: Malk Williams
- Length: 8 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The throne of England is slipping from King Henry’s grasp. His only son has drowned in the English Channel, and the predators are gathering ready to devour both England and Normandy. When the last of King Harold’s housecarls returns to England to die, he brings with him a reluctant hero who will save the kingdom. Alfraed, son of Ridley, is the first of a new breed; he is an English knight.
-
-
INSTA-KNIGHT - JUST ADD CONFLICT
- By Craig on 04-14-22
By: Griff Hosker
-
Crécy: The Age of the Archer
- Sir John Hawkwood, Book 1
- By: Griff Hosker
- Narrated by: Marston York
- Length: 8 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A hero’s journey begins in an exhilarating new series by Griff Hosker. In 1335 the Black Death was just 13 years away from England, but there were other threats and dangers. Young John Hawkwood is forced to leave his home and seek a life in London. There he learns how to survive and, more importantly, how to fight. Leaving his life as an apprentice tailor he follows the army and King Edward to fight the Scots. He has a skill: he can not only use a bow, but he can use a sword and his mind.
-
-
If you like Bernard Cornwell
- By the don on 03-17-21
By: Griff Hosker
-
Hastings
- Conquest, Book 1
- By: Griff Hosker
- Narrated by: Sam Devereaux
- Length: 9 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The story of a young illegitimate son of a Norman noble and the daughter of an English housecarl. Forced to be little more than a servant Robert fitz Malet shows the world and his half brothers that he has qualities which mark him as different. When he meets the famous troubadour, Taillefer, he becomes one of the most skilled swordsmen in Duke William's army as they prepare to invade England and claim the crown promised to him by King Edward.
-
-
Short but we'll paced
- By Nick Mercier on 09-24-24
By: Griff Hosker
-
Viking Blood and Blade
- By: Peter Gibbons
- Narrated by: Nicholas Jordan
- Length: 9 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
AD 865. The fierce Vikings stormed onto Saxon soil hungry for spoils, conquest, and vengeance for the death of Ragnar Lothbrok. Hundr, a Northman with a dog's name...a crew of battle hardened warriors...and Ivar the Boneless. Amidst the invasion of Saxon England by the sons of Ragnar Lothbrok, Hundr joins a crew of Viking warriors under the command of Einar the Brawler. Hundr fights to forge a warriors reputation under the glare of Ivar and his equally fearsome brothers, but to do that he must battle the Saxons and treachery from within the Viking army itself...
-
-
Good book, horrible narrator
- By Matthew Beach on 11-23-21
By: Peter Gibbons
-
Caesar's Soldier: The Mark Antony Roman Adventure
- The Mark Antony Series - Book 1
- By: Alex Gough
- Narrated by: Andrew Wincott
- Length: 13 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Who was the man that would become Caesar's lieutenant, Brutus' rival, Cleopatra's lover, and Octavian's enemy? When his stepfather is executed for his involvement in the Catilinarian conspiracy, Mark Antony and his family are disgraced. His adolescence is marked by scandal and mischief, his love affairs are fleeting, and yet, his ambition is vast. Antony's path to prosperity leads him to an education in Athens, a campaign for a seat in the Senate, and a position of military command.
-
-
Excellent point of view from one of our favorite scoundrels in history.
- By Lord_SeaSmoke on 12-02-24
By: Alex Gough
-
King of Ithaca
- Adventures of Odysseus, Book 1
- By: Glyn Iliffe
- Narrated by: Steve Watts
- Length: 12 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Greece is in turmoil, divided by feuding kingdoms desiring wealth, power, and revenge. When young soldier Eperitus comes to the aid of a group of embattled warriors, little does he know he will join the charismatic Odysseus, Prince of Ithaca, on a legendary quest to save his homeland. Odysseus travels to Sparta to join the most famous heroes in paying suit to the sensuous Helen. Armed with nothing but his wits, he enters a treacherous world of warfare and politics to compete for the greatest prize in Greece.
-
-
Brilliant re-imagining of Odysseus before Troy
- By Gail N. on 09-21-19
By: Glyn Iliffe