(The Norsemen Saga Book 8)
“Summer comes to Ireland and an uneasy peace
holds at Loch Garman. The Northmen, eager to get to sea, work relentlessly on
their ships, with the aid of their unlikely allies, the Irish, who are just as
eager to see them go. But not everyone is willing to just let them sail away.
Certain that God demands the heathens be punished, the one-eyed
warrior-turned-monk Brother Bécc is determined that Thorgrim and his men will
not simply go free. And when another band of raiders arrives, Bécc finds the
excuse he needs to take action. Meanwhile, in the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of
Wessex, murder leads to a violent struggle for the seat of ealdorman, ruler of
the shire of Dorset. Desperate as each side is to tip the balance of power
their way, no one imagines that the upper hand might come from the direction
they least expect—from the sea.”
Yet again,
James Nelson has pulled another rabbit out of the hat – or Viking out of the
boat – and created an awesome story that
will keep you reading into the small hours. Mr Nelson’s experienced knowledge
of seamanship will have you reaching for a bucket if you are inclined to get
seasick, for his nautical descriptions are stunningly well written. His
characters, too, are all wonderful creations and very believable, as are the
situations they meet and the dilemmas they face.
This is a
stand-alone story, but I whole-heartedly suggest starting at the beginning of the
Saga to gain the full appreciation of the events and characters. Lovers of
nautical or Viking-based stories will not regret doing so!
Quite a few
long-running series start to flag a short way in, either foundering for lack of
a new plot or meeting the doldrums of repetitiveness – not so this Viking Saga.
In fact I would be so bold as to say it increases in excitement, interest and
sheer readability with each new novel that Mr Nelson writes. I hope there will
be more!
© Mary Turner
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