God’s Hammer
It is 935 A.D. and the North is in
turmoil. The Norse king, Harald Fairhair, has died, leaving the High Seat of
the realm to his murderous son, Erik Bloodaxe. To solidify his rule, Erik
ruthlessly kills all claimants to his throne, save one: his teenage brother
Hakon, who is being raised in the Christian courts of Engla-lond. Summoned by
the enemies of Erik, young Hakon returns to the Viking North to face his
brother and claim his birthright, only to learn that victory will demand
sacrifices beyond his wildest nightmares.
What did I make of the book?
Eric Schumacher has created the most evocative tale in his
stunning novel — God's Hammer.
Set in 935 AD, God's Hammer tells the story of Hakon
Haraldsson (Haakon the Good), from the moment he arrived at King Athelstan of
England's Kingdom as a young boy, to the harrowing battle with his eldest brother, Eric
Bloodaxe.
This book completely drew me in. The research that has gone
into God's Hammer has to be commended, and it is incredibly rich in historical
detail. It was as if I was looking through a window into the past as I read the
pages of this remarkable story.
Hakon's portrayal is both realistic and believable. Schumacher
has obviously researched the life of Hakon in great detail, and this certainly
came through in the writing. Schumacher brought Hakon back to life. Well Done!
There are a lot of interesting characters that you meet in
this book, and Schumacher has given them all the same attention as Hakon — they
are all well-fleshed, and they just work. Everything fits, so well. This book
was so refreshing and so realistic, it was an absolute joy to read.
I thought the story itself was gripping and very fast in the
telling. It is not an effort to read this book at all. I made a mistake of not
giving myself enough time to read it in one sitting because God's Hammer deserves
that much attention. It is definitely a sit down and finish book.
I Highly Recommend.
Links for Purchase
About the author
I grew up in modern Los Angeles but
I've had a lifelong love affair with Dark Age Europe. It is a love affair that
began as a child, and has persisted through my almost forty years of studying,
researching and writing about the subject.
While I've written a number of articles about technology and travel, God's Hammer is my first novel. The novel tells the true story of King Hakon Haraldsson's bitter fight against his ruthless brother Erik for the Norwegian throne.
I now live in Santa Barbara, a small beach town about 100 miles north of Los Angeles with his family, and split time between writing and managing my own communications agency, Neology.
While I've written a number of articles about technology and travel, God's Hammer is my first novel. The novel tells the true story of King Hakon Haraldsson's bitter fight against his ruthless brother Erik for the Norwegian throne.
I now live in Santa Barbara, a small beach town about 100 miles north of Los Angeles with his family, and split time between writing and managing my own communications agency, Neology.
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