A viking-themed book? Bet that I was screaming weeks before its release date already. Why then did it take me so long to pick it up then?

Since I binge-watched the show Vikings and spend hours researching about their history, traditions and norse mythology, I became obsessed with it. Not joking. Norse Mythology and everything vikings have become my go-to topic and I can‘t believe I didn‘t discover this part of history and culture sooner (well I could blame my fantastic school education for that. Why haven‘t we ever discussed vikings?). It was naturally for me to pick up this book and read it. But one reason why it took me almost a year to actually read it was the fact of this being a standalone novel. Don‘t take me wrong. I enjoy them, and it would be much smarter for a busy person like me to pick up more standalones, but I can‘t help my series-loving-self.

However, now I did pick it up and have read it, and enjoyed it a lot. It‘s a quick read you can easily manage in a day or two. Nothing too heavy, but still of some quality. What was bothering me though was one thing, and that thing was the problem throughout the whole book: the pace!

So we get thrown into a battle, hear foreign words of a language we can‘t google-translate in a second, need to try and understand what is Aska and what is Riki? Okay no big deal. It builds up a tension and you don‘t want to stop. The opposite is the case, you have to keep reading to know. Before we even have the chance to blink, we get thrown into a new battle, and yet again ask ourselves WHAT?. Still no big deal for me. Not at all. The beginning was fastpaced in a way that made you keep reading, not wanting to stop, craving for knowledge of this world. But then the pace slowed. Still reasonable. The battles are over, the pace is being adapted to the storyline. Now it‘s about the main character Eelyn adjusting to a improbable situation, and we finally get to know things. But as soon as the book hits the first half, we get thrown into a storyline which’s pace is quicker than the battle; one thing happens, then then the other.

And that‘s how from only one problem, we get two: we lose the emotional aspect.

While in the beginning, you clearly feel pain, betrayal, anger, sadness and so much more. The pace takes that away in the second half. I really felt with Eelyn. As much as I knew she was wrong, I still couldn‘t deny her feeling were right. For an author to achieve that is very admiring! But as the pace grew quicker and quicker, we lost that quality of the book. I knew people were tired but I didn‘t feel that they were. I knew people were mad, sad, betrayed, confused because I read the facts, not felt them. And this is when the so well done relationships between the characters became... flat. BUT I can‘t blame those aspects for what they have become because the blame clearly is on the pace!

Beside of that, this book brought so many aspects one can enjoy! Two clans driven by their worship for a different deity come together only to slaugther each other. Traditions that are so alike but so different. Clans that are wild, brutal, fearless while also being loyal, vulnerable and full emotions. You see? Lots of aspects to admire. And on top of that, we get a set of characters that we have to love. From their very first introduction. Brothers not by blood but bonded by past and understanding. Open-minded people and those who don‘t want to understand. So many facettes to discover on each pain. And just as I mentioned above, we were able to feel the emotion that came with each dialog, each event, each turn. And for that, I‘m applauding.

It was the relationships between the characters that have driven the story after a certain point and it was that what kept me turning one page after another until I was done. I loved them all, I wanted know everything about them and I felt with them. I understood them. I thought I was a part of them. And raise your glass of wine to Young for accomplishing that because that isn‘t easy but she did an amazing job!!!

And because we always have a need of adressing this specific matter, I will do so now: the romance. But due to details, I‘ll mark it as a spoiler.

It was clear from a very early beginning that Eelyn and Fiske are ending up together. Not that I wanted to complain. I was intrigued to see how these two souls will find their way to each other, and all there for it. And because hate-to-love is my mojo. And while I did enjoy some scenes I would have wished so badly for a better build up. I think Young would even be more than capable of building the perfect base for these two. It was the pace (yet again) that interfered with this. With so much going on, no time to sit and breathe, we got a romance after blinking two times when before that we just witness how they slowly gained some trust and respect for each other (and that took the first half of the book!). While I was happy for the lack of drama, I would have wished for more intimate scenes. And by intimate I mean more talking, more staring, more awkwardness, more shyness. Other than that I enjoyed these two. But I could have enjoyed it so much more. Especially because I love Fiske.

And now the last potential part of the story that couldn‘t be wholly developed due to the fast pace: the Herja. Who are they? What are they? We know we hate them. We want them dead. They are bad. But we do not know more.

And the battle against them was over. In a blink. In a second. 20 pages. That‘s it. No more drama.

ANYWAYS! I feel like the pace problem is the only problem I can find. Of course that results in some difficulties for other aspects but overall I did enjoy the story, did not want to put it down and be it predictable, I wanted to keep reading, and reading, and reading.

I think it‘s hard to write a Fantasy story in one book. And Adrienne Young did a great job doing so. If this storyline was turned into a series (a trilogy or duology even!), the problems would have been solved quickly because the pace wouldn‘t take on that speed it did.

Otherwise I can only tell everyone to go grab this book if they want a quick, enjoyable read full with amazing characters, emotions, and wintery vikings-elements to it.

3.75 stars (yes I can‘t decide between 3 and 4 stars!)