Published 3rd March 2022 by Aries, Head of Zeus.
From the cover of the book:
A wild land. A lethal fanatic. A violent revolt.Northumbria, AD 794. Those who rule the seas, rule the land. None know the truth of this more than the Vikings. To compete with the seafaring raiders, the king of Northumbria orders the construction of his own longships under the command of oath-sworn Norseman, Runolf.
When the Vikings attack again, the king sends cleric turned warrior, Hunlaf, on a mission to persuade the king of Rogaland into an alliance. But Hunlaf and Runolf have other plans; kin to seek out, old scores to settle, and a heretical tome to find in the wild lands of the Norse.
Their voyage takes them into the centre of a violent uprising. A slave has broken free of his captors and, with religious fervour, is leading his fanatical followers on a rampage – burning all in his path. Hunlaf must brave the Norse wilderness, and overcome deadly foes, to stop this madman. Can he prevent a night of flames and slaughter?
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AD: 794. Welcome to the next instalment of cleric-turned-warrior Hunlaf's memoir. This sequel to the cracking A Time for Swords follows closely on from the success of Hunlaf and his companions to save Werceworthe from the marauding Vikings, but the threat of attack for the coastal communities of Northumbria remains high, and Hunlaf and oath-sworn Norseman Runolf have unfinished business that calls them to the wild Norse lands across the sea - Runolf to hold his wife to account for her betrayal with his own brother Skorri, and Hunlaf to rescue his cousin Aelfwyn from her fate as a Viking thrall and to track down the mysterious book called The Treasure of Life.
Now they need transport, and master-shipbuilder Runolf promises a ship the like of which they have never seen. The next part of their quest gets underway once they have secured the funds to build this sea-going marvel from King Aethelred himself, although their negotiations bring with them the added requirement to take along the King's man Lord Mancas on their journey to establish a peace treaty with the Vikings - nothing like adding to their already substantial burden.
After much trial and tribulation, and a little serendipitous push from the hand of fate, Runolf's ship Brymsteda is ready to sail. The crew is made of companions old and new and this will be a new adventure for them all. Their journey is perilous, with many hazards to overcome, but these are nothing compared to what faces them when they reach Runolf's homeland. An escaped thrall is rampaging through these lands gathering a hoard of murderous religious fanatics who call him Ljósberari, the Lightbringer, and there are rumours of terrible slaughter in his wake - it is a name Hunlaf has heard before, in the pages of the book he seeks. What darkness awaits them in these wild Norse lands?
The first book in this series, A Time for Swords, introduced some wonderful characters in Hunlaf, Runolf and their companions, binding them together through adversity against the Viking raiders, and then promising an intriguing adventure to come in the pages of this second book. Knowing this starts with established characters and an impending journey means this volume of the series has a different feel right from the off. Here you are aware that you are embarking on a quest of epic proportions with old friends, and Harffy not only fulfils this brief in spades, but he surpasses every expectation by taking you on a gripping adventure that encompasses the very best of immersive historical fiction, weaving in threads of mystery, fantasy and bloody horror along the way.
The story is more or less split into parts of a saga, which works beautifully in this setting. There are many trials to be undergone in the course of their quest, and each one calls on the members of our fellowship to use their various skills to propel the story onwards - a ship must somehow be built; a suitable gang of compatriots must be gathered together; a dangerous sea journey must be undertaken; and the perils of the Norse wilds must be overcome; not to mention that both Hunlaf and Runolf have personal business of their own to take care of. I love how Harffy threads the various stages of the adventure together, leading you onwards to what always promised to be difficult tasks and then throwing in a darkly delicious curve ball that channels Joseph Conrad's The Heart of Darkness in all its macabre glory. No spoilers from me dear reader, but I cannot remember the last time I was so terrified reading a work of historical fiction - the way Harffy builds suspense, ramping up to a tense and heart-in-the-mouth climax is impressive in the extreme. Would all our heroes survive? I was genuinely frightened for them all!
But of course, this is not just all about blood, guts and the clash of iron, even those these parts are hugely entertaining. Many of the players in this saga undergo some interesting character development this time around. Hunlaf in particular is forced to confront exactly what it means to be a warrior; to find a way to reconcile love and loss with a sense of purpose; and to look at people in a different way. Runolf too shows his hidden depths, and he is not the only one. This brings a real poignancy to the story, and really tugs on the old heart strings - tears were shed...
Oh, and there are maps, dear readers... maps!!!
In what I now recognise to be classic Harffy style, there is a seductive pull into the next book in the series that suggests many more adventures for Hunlaf await - this time in much warmer waters. I cannot wait!
About the author:
Matthew has worked in the IT industry, where he spent all day writing and editing, just not the words that most interested him. Prior to that he worked in Spain as an English teacher and translator. Matthew lives in Wiltshire, England, with his wife and their two daughters.
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