Another Kindle First book that I got. This historical nordic fantasy brings us into the life of Sigrid Tostedotter, daughter of Skagul Toste who is the chieftain of a nordic clan called Scylfing. At the start of the book, she’s a young woman with a deep faith in the Nordic gods who has her first periods and foresees a change in her life.

In parallel to her story, we meet Sweyn, a Jómsvíking adopted by Parna who is their chieftain. The Jómsvíkings are mercenary soldiers known for their strength and combat abilities. Sweyn is sixteen years old which, at that time, means a young man ready for battle. We discover early on that Sweyn’s real father is Harald Bluetooth, kind of Denmark.

As we follow how the stories of Sigrid and Sweyn intertwine, we learn about the old Nordic religion, its gods and rituals. Both of them being sworn to the old religion are at odds with Harald’s imposed following of Christianity with the only God and a worship of the cross. Religion and politics mix together with battles, rapes, murders and betrayal in chapters that some times are captivating and some times very tiring and long.

The book has enough in it to have kept me reading even if, in the middle, it got me a bit tired. Both the sex (rape or not) and the violent scenes are not widely described so even if the reader understands fully what is going on (or has happened), there isn’t much dwelling or details about it. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it as it doesn’t fit my idea of an entertaining book and more of a very dry and unenthusiastic and unromantic view of that time and the lives people had then. A certain flare of Game of Thrones without as carefully designed characters and complex views of their minds.