About the Book
Not everyone will survive, but who will conquer all in Odin’s game?
AD 915. In the Orkney Isles, a young woman flees her home to save the life of her unborn child. Eighteen years later, a witch foretells that evil from her past is reaching out again to threaten her son.
Outlawed from his home in Iceland, Einar Unnsson is thrown on the mercy of his uncle, the infamous Jarl Thorfinn ‘Skull Cleaver’ of Orkney, who wants nothing to do with him. With few other options, Einar joins a band of wolfskin-clad warriors, becoming a player in a deadly game for control of the Irish sea.
Together they embark on a quest where Einar must fight unimaginable foes, forge new friendships, and discover what it truly means to be a warrior. But as the clouds of war gather, betrayal follows betrayal and Einar soon realises the only person he can really trust is himself. . .
Format: Paperback (496 pages) Publisher: Head of Zeus
Publication date: 2nd September 2021 Genre: Historical Fiction
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My Review
Odin’s Game is the first in the author’s The Whale Road Chronicles series. I’ve actually read several other books in the series (The Serpent King #4, Eye of the Raven #7 and the final book The Blazing Sea #8) but, as if often the case with me, not in the right order or from the very beginning. I’d been looking for a book to match the final category for the What’s In A Name? Challenge hosted by Andrea at Carolina Book Nook – a book with a deity in the title – and was delighted to come across Odin’s Game in my TBR pile.
I wondered if going back to the first book in the series would work given I’ve read later books but in fact I really enjoyed getting to know the young Einar and finding out where his journey began. Yes, there’s no sense of jeopardy as far as Einar is concerned but the same cannot be said for other characters.
When we first meet eighteen-year-old Einar he doesn’t possess any skills with a weapon and seems consumed by doubts and fears. His mother Unn’s past is shrouded in mystery, including the identity of Einar’s father. The fact Einar’s surname is derived from his mother’s name rather than his father’s as would usually be the case, plus his mother’s Christian faith, sets them apart from the rest of the community who worship other gods.
During the Icelandic equivalent of an ice hockey game, we get the first glimpse of the sudden outbursts of rage that will overwhelm Einar from time to time. Although not the trance-like fury of a ‘berserker’, these intense periods of ferocity contribute to him becoming a formidable warrior in later years. Unfortunately, on this first occasion, his momentary lapse in control results in him being adjudged an outlaw, effectively banishing him from Iceland.
From a fairly slow start because of the necessary scene setting, the pace really picks up and then it’s action all the way. Einar finds himself embroiled in the machinations of the rulers of Norway and Ireland, none of whom have any qualms about breaking alliances or turning on those to whom they pledged allegiance. Not even connections through kinship or marriage are sacred.
There are full-on action scenes in which the Wolf Coats prove just what a ferocious and seemingly invincible fighting force they are, leaving a trail of bloody remains in their wake. Einar does his share of the blood-letting too with his newly acquired skill with sword and axe, including a memorable one-on-one battle. And then it’s back to Iceland to save a life and enact revenge. ‘The game is set and we have to play to the end.’
The book is packed with detail about every aspect of life in the period, really helping to bring the story alive and a testament to the depth of the author’s research.
If you’re a fan of Viking age historical fiction where the action comes thick and fast, I can recommend this series.
In three words: Gripping, dramatic, authentic
Try something similar: The Serpent Sword by Matthew Harffy
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. Apart from Old Norse sagas, Tim’s more recent writing heroes include Ben Kane, Giles Kristian, Bernard Cornwell, George R. R. Martin and Lee Child. After several years living in New Hampshire, USA, Tim has returned to Northern Ireland, where he lives with his wife and children.
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