Book Review: God’s Hammer by Eric Schumacher

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Book Review, Eric Schumacher, God's Hammer, Hakon's Saga, Historical Fiction, Medieval

Title: God’s Hammer (Book 1 in Hakon’s Saga)

Author: Eric Schumacher

Independently Published in 2005

352 Pages (Paperback)

Blurb: History and legend combine in the gripping tale of Hakon Haraldsson, a Christian boy who once fought for the High Seat of a Viking realm.

It is 935 A.D. and the North is in turmoil. King Harald Fairhair has died, leaving the High Seat of the realm to his murderous son, Erik Bloodaxe. To solidify his claim, Erik ruthlessly disposes of all claimants to his throne, save one: his youngest brother Hakon.

Erik’s surviving enemies send a ship to Wessex, where the Christian King Athelstan is raising Hakon. Unable to avoid his fate, he returns to the Viking North to face his brother and claim his birthright, only to discover that victory will demand sacrifices beyond his wildest nightmares.

I was swept up in the action and enthralled by the descriptions of Hakon’s struggle. -Roundtable Reviews-
I highly recommend this historical fiction novel, both for its entertaining story and historical information. -Historical Fiction Review-

My Take: This book gripped me from the first chapters and never let me go. The further I got into the book, the harder it became to put down at the end of a lunch break or when it was time for bed. The appeal in the book was more than the excellent immersion into medieval England, Viking culture, and the conflict of a Christian King ruling over a pagan group of people. The storytelling and character development were excellent, making me care about Hakon and those he came to care about along the way.

The historical expertise of Mr. Schumacher is on full display throughout the entire story. He manages to make the period of history come alive, complete with the conflict that surfaced as Christianity and Paganism clashed. Hakon himself is an outcast everywhere he goes: his story begins as a Pagan child coming to serve under a Christian king. When Hakon’s father dies, he returns to his homeland as a Christian leading Pagans. And this is where the greatest conflict arises, and is handled quite well along the way. By the end of the book, there isn’t some magical conversion of the entire country, so there is promise for continued tension in the sequel.

Overall this was one of my favorite reads of the year. It has great historical immersion, an engaging plot, internal and external conflict on multiple levels, and complex characters. What more could you ask for from a book? I’m very much looking forward to reading the next book in the series to see what happens in the aftermath of God’s Hammer.

 

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Book Review: Oswiu: King of Kings by Edoardo Albert

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Book Review, Britain, Christian, Edoardo Albert, Historical Fiction, Kregel Publications, Lion Fiction, Northumbrian Throne series, Oswiu, Oswiu: King of Kings, Penda

Title: Oswiu: King of Kings (Book#3 of the Northumbrian Throne series)

Author: Edoardo Albert

Published By: Lion Fiction (1/27/2017)

Pages: 560 (Paperback)

Blurb: In the third entry chronicling the rise of Christian kings in Britain, Oswald dies and the great pagan king Penda becomes overlord in his place. To stand against the increasingly powerful Penda, Oswiu, king of Bernicia, tries to unite the smaller neighboring kingdoms by marrying a daughter of Deira. But the struggle for power leads Oswiu to order the assassination of the king of Deira. He wins the throne but loses the approval of the people. In atonement, he establishes a monastery at the site of the slaying.

What will happen when Oswiu and High King Penda at last meet in battle? Though the kingdom may become politically one, both the Celtic and Roman strands of Christian faith vie for supremacy, mirroring the king’s own struggle for power.

My Take: What a thrilling book this one was. This was one of my first forays into historical fiction, and this proved to be an exciting and enjoyable experience. Even without reading the previous books, I never felt like I was missing something. There are certainly references to certain battles and events, but it never made me feel like I lacked an important piece of information in order to better understand things. And perhaps that is one of the benefits of historical fiction, because you can get at least some sense of the events before and during the book prior to ever picking up the book itself.

The tension on display between the Old Gods and the New God is fantastic. Even though much of the country had, by this time, converted to following Christianity (influenced by the decisions of their kings, as also displayed well in here), there were still strong pockets of those who clung to the Norse-like gods of their ancestors. Penda was one of the major figures of that time who stuck with the old gods, and his presence as the antagonist in this book helped to strike that conflict. This is certainly one of the best undertones in the book. Also on display is the great position and influence that bishops held among the more fervent Christian kings, and the tension that could arise between two Christian kings who were at odds with each other. It all plays into a wonderful dynamic.

Yet at the forefront is Oswiu, a king who must emerge from the long shadow cast by his older brother. The opening chapters revolve around this emergence in quite the exciting way that opens up new conflicts and tensions that remain unresolved until far into the book. The subtitle of the book promises that he will become the King of Kings, a bold promise. Yet for the entirety of the book, there is another character who is the King of Kings: Penda. Even among the squabbles of the minor kings and lords in the land, the tension and conflict between these two remains at the forefront and eventually comes to a head in a manner that will leave the reader satisfied.

Overall this was a wonderful book to read and I look forward to jumping back and getting into the first two in the series. It has made me a series of not only Eduardo’s writing, but of the historical fiction genre in general. If you are an old hand at reading fantasy, like me, you may enjoy a dive into this book. If you enjoy the time period, historical fiction, or even if you want to read about some of the early Christian kings, this is definitely a book I would recommend.

I received a copy of this book from Kregel Publications in exchange for an honest review.