The Empty Throne vs The Flame Bearer: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Succession, Vikings, Kings and rulers, History, Fiction
The Empty Throne
"Britain, early tenth century AD: a time of change. There are new raids by the Vikings from Ireland, and turmoil among the Saxons over the leadership of Mercia. A younger generation is taking over. Æthelred, the ruler…
vs
The Flame Bearer
With Britain in an uneasy state of peace, Uhtred of Bebbanburg at last has the chance to take back the home his traitorous uncle stole from him so many years ago -- and which his scheming cousin still occupies. But he…
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- The Flame Bearer has the widest readership — 25082 ratings behind its score.
- The Flame Bearer runs the darker storyline; The Empty Throne stays the lighter read.
How to choose
Scores by source
| The Empty Throne | The Flame Bearer | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | — | 4.4 (25082) |
| Hardcover | 4.3 (81) | 4.2 (69) |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (616) | 4.5 (738) |
Reception
| The Empty Throne | The Flame Bearer | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 616 | 25082 |
| Editions | 16 | 12 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | — | 13246 |
| Pages | 320 | 304 |