Vikings with visions of Ragnarok is never good. Especially if said visions take place during a nightmarish “Hel”-scape ala ‘Groundhog Day’. Thus is Ragnar’s plight, and I found it absolutely engrossing, and not just because I’m a sucker for character suffering (I swear I’m not a monster—ok, maybe I am). Lucky for me (and you), this book has plenty of character suffering, but all in the best ways possible, which made me exceptionally happy.
‘Northern Wrath’ filled a spot in my soul that needed a gritty Norse inspired fantasy. The gods are real and danger lurks in the shadows. I kept creeping closer to the edge of my seat with every twist and turn of the plot. The multiple POVs made me race through the pages faster. I loved how beautifully the individual storylines intersected. All the characters had clear voices, especially Einer, Siv, Ragnar, and Hilda (OMG Hilde! Now there’s a woman who grabs life by the throat).
I truly felt for the characters, and even more, I could sense their surroundings due to the strength of the writing.
Vikings with Axes to Grind
I could feel the sting of the snow on my bare knuckles, and smell the tang of blood during the battles. OH! The battles…I tip my hat to you, Thilde. They were fantastic! When writing battle scenes, it’s easy to get lost in the repetitive nature of blow by blow fighting. How many times can you describe stabbing a man? Yeah, trust me, it’s not easy…But Thilde brought it and kept the fight sequences fresh and exciting, and actually quite moving.
That brings me into the writing as a whole. Wonderful. I found it all exceptionally tight, tight, tight. There is a clarity to the prose that is both minimalistic yet vivid. It was an absolute joy to read. And even though this is a brick of a book (700 pages woah!), I didn’t even notice due to the superb craft, the tangle of plot threads, and characters that refuse to stay beaten down.
I highly recommend ‘Northern Wrath’ for anyone on the hunt for a grimdark, Norse fantasy. It’s time to get your Ragnarok on!
I look very much forward to ‘Shackled Fates’, book 2 in the ‘Hanged God’ trilogy.
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