For fans of The Witcher and the novels of Joe Abercrombie and John Gwynne, comes a bloody Norse tale of grief, vengeance, fear, and fate from emerging SFF writer Michael Pogach.
It's 9th century Norway and Runr Njalson has been gifted supernatural warrior abilities as Odin's chosen Berserkr whose enemies and allies quake in fear as he approaches. But when the unbeatable champion cannot save his own daughter Yrsa during the rival Fenn clan's raid, his only choice is to seek vengeance to gain her entry into Valhalla.
As Runr grapples with the loss of his precious child, her ghost haunts him each night, and at the direction of a seeress's prophecy, Runr learns he must seek out a mysterious red temple to face his daughter's killer and save her soul from a fate with Hel. He abandons his cold North homeland on a hunt that spans the dark forests of the Slavs and the Rus to the fabled city of Constantinople, and along his journey, he throws in with a motley crew of Viking raiders. Captain Garmr's massive appearance fits the namesake of Hel's hound; the nervous merchant Erasmus from the Reigning City seems to have a few secrets of his own; the warrior Ingimar's quick temper is going to get them all in trouble; and his fierce shieldmaiden twin sister Ingirid may be the only one who can break through Runr's tough exterior.
With horrific visions of the dead plaguing Runr and the stress of prophecy making his Berserkr rage more volatile, hope wanes. And as his love grows for Ingirid, so does a path of dead enemies in his wake, leading Runr to face an impossible sacrifice.
Lift a horn of ale and taste sweat and blood in this rich and brutal dark Viking adventure.
