The Half-Drowned King

The Half-Drowned King by Linnea Hartsuyker, 431 pages

In the 9th Century C.E., Norway had not yet been united under a single ruler and instead was a land of many, many kings with many alliances and blood feuds between them. Hartsuyker's novel takes us into this almost magical land of fjords and Vikings, gods and warriors, telling of the days leading up to the reign of King Harald, the young gods-blessed man who would eventually unify the country. This novel focuses on Ragnvald, a young man who survives an assassination attempt by his stepfather; Solvi, the sea raider whose father contracted him to commit the murder; and Ragnvald's sister, Svanhild, whose wanderlust and beauty immediately captivate Solvi, much to Ragnvald's chagrin.

As the storyline weaves among these three main characters, it also spends plenty of time in battle, in feasts, and in the mundane (and somewhat scary) spheres inhabited by women. I found this a fascinating tale, richly told. It makes me want to go to Norway and see this wild land myself, though while I plan this dream journey, I'll have to satisfy myself with reading Hartsuyker's sequel, The Sea Queen, which came out last year.

Odd and the Frost Giant

Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman, 117 pages.
Odd, a twelve-year-old in the land of the Norse,ends up living with his new step-father and step-siblings after his father dies on a Viking raid and his mother remarries. He's unhappy at home, and has left himself lame after an accident with his father's axe. When he runs away from home and ends up befriending several Norse gods, who are in need of some assistance, his luck, and his life changes.

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The Domesday Book

The Domesday Book (No, Not That One) by Howard of Warwick 300 pp.

To say this is a loose version of the aftermath of the 1066 Battle of Hastings is being generous. William, Duke of Normandy just might have won a major battle if he can only find the body of King Harold, who may or may not have been shot through the eye with an arrow. He has been given a body with an arrow in its eye but it is not the King. He sends a small band of men on a secret mission to find the King under the guise of taking a survey of England. To say they are inept is being generous. Add in a few Monty Pythonesque vikings, miscellaneous Saxons and some pretty useless horses and you have the makings of a medieval mess...er comedy. Includes some laugh-out-loud moments and a quite a bit of silliness. Fans of "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" will enjoy this one. This is part of a series of medieval satires available on Kindle.

The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell

The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell, historical fiction, 333 pages.
This is the first book in Cornwell's "Saxon" series. The book takes place in the late 800s as the raiders from the north are slowly taking control of great swathes of what will someday be England. Uhtred, son of Lord Uhtred of Bebbanburg, lives in the kingdom of Northumbria. When the Danes (Cornwell points out that these folks were not called vikings, that viking was something they did, but it is late and I am tired and I will probably still call them Vikings) come and his father is killed in battle, young Uhtred is taken captive and raised by Earl Ragnar the Fearless. Uhtred adjusts well, and learns to love his Viking family. As the wars continue across the land, and after Ragnar is betrayed, Uhtred finds himself having to decide at whose side he will stand in the coming battles. Cornwell always does a good job with his characters and with his settings. The books ring true. I look forward to reading the rest of this series.

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