Hi all, I’m back again. I’m part of the book tour for Odin’s Betrayal by Donovan Cook. Thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources and Boldwood Books for the gifted copy of the book to write my honest review.
Two kingdoms destined for war, one boy caught in the eye of the storm…
Francia AD853
After a failed Viking raid on the Frankish coast over 20-years-ago, Jarl Sven the Boar is forced to leave his only son, Torkel, as a hostage and warned never to raid Francia again or his son will die.
In Hügelburg, a small town in East Francia, Torkel and his 9-year-old son Charles are ambushed at home.
Before dying, Torkel thrusts a package into young Charles’s hands and tells him to flee Francia for Denmark in search of his grandfather Sven the Boar’s protection.
But the man Charles eventually finds is not who he expects, and Charles must put his fate in the hands of a man betrayed by Odin.
Together they must uncover the significance of the package and why the Kings of Francia want Charles dead.
Donovan Cook is an author I haven’t heard of before. Odins Betrayal changed all that. I am so happy when I get to read books that fulfil my interest in mythology and history. This is one of those books.
It was an exciting tale that transported me back to AD583 in Francia. I was there, with nine year old Charles. A boy who had been entrusted a package from his father, Torkel. He has to make the journey to Denmark, to Jarl Sven the Boar. A man who is his grandfather, but also a total stranger who is a different nationality. There is also the factor of Sven believing in the Norse Gods and Charles growing up within christianity. When he finally arrives in Denmark, he is taken to his grandfather by the shieldmaiden Thora. She is the one who acts as a buffer between the two. Charles is so young and scared of his grandfather. Sven is an old man, and ever since he lost his son to Francia, he has changed from the man he was. Now he is a drunk who just believes the God’s have tricked him. Especially as Charles is a born and bred Christian, too.
I really got behind Charles on his journey with his secet package. I was so intrigued to find out what it was all about. There are all the hallmarks of the time within the story. The battles are not necessarily as brutal as I have read in other books, but they are there. There is plenty of betrayal along the way, too.
Everything I needed in a historical fiction novel was present in Odin’s Betrayal. It’s the beginning of a new series that I’m looking forward to see where it goes. I can’t wait for the next book!
Purchase Link – https://amzn.to/3k4cGsh
Author Bio
Donovan Cook is the author of the well-received Ormstunga Saga series which combines fast-paced narrative with meticulously researched history of the Viking world, and is inspired by his interest in Norse Mythology. He lives in Lancashire and his first title in a new series for Boldwood will be published in Spring 2023.
Social Media Links
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DonovanCookAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DonovanCook20
Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/donovan-cook
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