Book Review – Eye of the Raven by Tim Hodkinson @AriesFiction

About the Book

For the first time, Einar and the Wolf Coats find themselves divided, on opposing sides in a time of the Wolf Coats in Ireland, and Einar in the Saxon domains of England.

Einar leads a warband for King Aethelstan, but struggles to find acceptance as a Norseman in Saxon lands. Can he truly make common cause with the wily king of the English, if that means Vikings like himself are now his enemies? The rewards of alliance with Aethelstan could be all he desires… or a brutal death.

But other threats loom from the north and west. With war brewing and a great battle on the horizon, can Einar and his comrades reunite in time – or will a clash for the ages make their split a permanent one?

Format: Paperback (384 pages) Publisher: Head of Zeus
Publication date: 7th November 2024 Genre: Historical Fiction

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My Review

Eye of the Raven is the seventh book in The Whale Road Chronicles featuring Icelandic warrior, Einar Unnsson. (The ‘whale-road’ is a very old poetic term for the sea.) It would be possible to enjoy Eye of the Raven as a standalone but you’d be missing out on the previous history of the various characters. Having said that, I’ve only read one other book in the series, The Serpent King and enjoyed it without having read the three that preceded it.

It’s 937 AD and the country we now know as Britain is an amorphous entity made up of multiple fiefdoms ruled by self-styled kings or jarls (Norse or Danish chieftans) who have little love for one another. Treaties are made, and frequently broken. At this time, the majority of central and southern England is controlled by the Anglo-Saxon king, Aethelstan of Wessex, the grandson of Alfred the Great. A devout Christian, he is determined to bring all of England under his control and combat the threat from the Scots, the Welsh and whoever else fancies a piece of his kingdom.

From being a member of the band of warriors known as the Wolf Coats, Einar has become their sworn enemy as a result of his actions at the end of the last book. The Wolf Coats’ leader, Ulrich, has vowed to kill him for what he perceives as his betrayal of the oath Einar swore. And there’s one particular member of the Wolf Coats who is keen to see Einar dead for their own very personal reasons.

There’s a thread that runs through the book, that of identity. For example, in order to be accepted by the Anglo-Saxons, Einar has adopted the garb of a Saxon, shaved off his beard and been forced – outwardly at least – to abandon his Norse religious beliefs in favour of Christian teachings. Cultural identity is often blurred: some of those on opposing sides may share a common cultural ancestry, whilst some on the same side may speak different languages and worship different gods. In some cases it’s possible to be too Saxon to inspire loyalty, in others not Saxon enough.

The action comes thick and fast with the battle scenes described in visceral detail. ‘The air was thick with the acrid scent of sweat and fear, the metallic tang of blood, and the stench of opened guts and emptied bowels.‘ I liked the fact that although we get the cut and thrust of battle, we also get to see the preparation for conflict that individuals go through, from the practical to the emotional. And we get a sense of just what it takes to face an enemy where the chances are you’ll end up dead or maimed. Not to mention the psychological toll of so much killing.

The climax of the book is the Battle of Brunanburh, a truly bloody affair. (In fact, it’s often cited as one of the bloodiest battles ever held on British soil.) The run-up to the battle is a game of bluff and double-bluff, and it’s here we see that Aethelstan is the master of that game, always a few steps ahead of everyone else. A bit of luck helps as well.

‘The slaughter, the sorrow, the cowardice, the shame, the cruelty, the bravery, the deeds of great renown. All is beheld in the eye of the raven.’ Eye of the Raven will appeal to those who like their historical fiction fast-paced and with plenty of full-on action.

I received a review copy courtesy of Head of Zeus via NetGalley.

In three words: Authentic, action-packed, gripping
Try something similar: For Lord & Land by Matthew Harffy

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About the Author

Tim Hodkinson grew up in Northern Ireland where the rugged coast and call of the Atlantic ocean led to a lifelong fascination with Vikings and a degree in Medieval English and Old Norse Literature. Tim’s more recent writing heroes include Ben Kane, Giles Kristian, Bernard Cornwell, George R.R. Martin and Lee Child. After several years in the USA, Tim returned to Northern Ireland, where he lives with his wife and children. (Photo: Amazon author page)

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