Welcome to today’s stop on the blog tour for Sword of the War God by Tim Hodkinson. My thanks to Andrew at Head of Zeus for inviting me to take part in the tour and for my review copy. Do check out the review by my tour buddy for today, Sue at Brown Flopsy’s Book Burrow.
About the Book
In a world of war and ruin, men and gods collide.
436 AD. The Burgundars are confident of destroying Rome’s legions. Their forces are strong and they have beaten the Romans in battle before. But they are annihilated, their king killed, his people scattered. Their fabled treasure is lost. For Rome has new allies: the Huns, whose taste for bloodshed knows no bounds.
Many years later, the Huns, led by the fearsome Attila, have become the deadliest enemies of Rome. Attila seeks the Burgundars’ treasure, for it includes the legendary Sword of the War God, said to make the bearer unbeatable.
No alliance can defeat Attila by conventional means. With Rome desperate for help, a one-eyed old warlord from distant lands and his strange band of warriors may have the answers… but oaths will be broken and the plains of Europe will run with blood before the end.
Format: Hardback (608 pages) Publisher: Head of Zeus
Publication date: 11th April 2024 Genre: Historical Fiction, Adventure
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My Review
In Sword of the War Gods, the author has taken the conflicts between the declining Roman Empire and its enemies and added a generous helping of Norse and Germanic mythology to create a thrilling historical adventure. Figures who have inspired authors and composers like Richard Wagner feature in the book: there are Swan Maidens, a mysterious one-eyed figure calling himself Wodnas and the women of the Valkyrjur known as ‘the Choosers of the Slain’ led by Brynhild.
To describe the book as action-packed is something of an understatement. Right from the outset, the reader is plunged into the bloody battle that results in the near annihilation of the Burgundars by the combined forces of the Roman army and their allies, the Huns. To be fair, it’s the Huns who are responsible for most of the destruction, using their deadly skills on horseback to launch wave after wave of attacks, killing without mercy. ‘The air was filled with a deafening cacophony of men and horses screaming, steel clashing on steel and the thudding of hooves. Arrow-riddled corpses and severed body parts lay all around.’
Hagan, son of the Burgundar King’s champion, is one of the few survivors of the battle, spared only by agreeing to join the Roman army, an army by this stage made up mostly of warriors from tribes the Romans have defeated. Fast forward six years and Hagan has gained much from his time in the army, honing his ability with sword and spear, experiencing first-hand the discipline needed in the shield wall and developing some impressive scouting skills. Yet a question mark remains over his parentage. Just what is the significance of the unusual amulet he retrieved from the dead body of his mother?
With Rome’s power on the wane, enter the infamous Attila the Hun whose hordes have been cutting a swathe through the former Empire and beyond. The cursory dispatch of his brother in order to become sole king of the Huns is just one indicator of the coldheartedness of a man described as ‘the Devil incarnate. Cruel, vicious, greedy. Utterly ruthless.’ Attila’s a man who has no compunction about having people die in the most horrific ways, his only grumble being when they make too much noise in the process.
There is a saying that ‘my enemy’s enemy is my friend’. For Rome, the only prospect of defeating the Huns seems to rest upon it convincing former enemies, such as the Visigoths, to join them in an alliance against the Huns. Hagan plays his part here, discovering in the process that he is not as alone in the world as he thought. He also acquires a delightfully singular and resourceful companion.
The climactic battle scene with which the book concludes immerses the reader in the sights and sounds of conflict. You can almost visualise it playing out in front of you as you watch from the sidelines. (You wouldn’t want to be any closer than that.) It’s bloody, it’s brutal but it’s utterly compelling.
Sword of the War God is a thrilling historical adventure peopled with memorable characters and woven through with myth and legend.
I highly recommend checking out Tim’s website where he’s been blogging about some of the key characters in the book, including their historical or legendary inspiration.
In three words: Action-packed, immersive, gripping
Try something similar: The Emperor’s Shield by Gordon Doherty
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.
Connect with Tim
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About the Book
About the Author
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