Please note A Sacred Storm is a direct sequel to A Mighty Dawn. Consider this your one and only spoiler warning. If you haven’t read the first book you may wish to turn back now… Still here? Ok, onwards…
Forged in fire. Bound by honour. Haunted by loss.
8th Century Sweden: Erlan Aurvandil, a Viking outlander, has pledged his sword to Sviggar Ivarsson, King of the Sveärs, and sworn enemy of the Danish king Harald Wartooth. But Wartooth, hungry for power, is stirring violence in the borderlands. As the fires of this ancient feud are reignited Erlan is bound by honour and oath to stand with King Sviggar.
But, unbeknownst to the old King his daughter, Princess Lilla, has fallen under Erlan’s spell. As the armies gather Erlan and Lilla must choose between their duty to Sviggar and their love for each other.
Blooded young, betrayed often, Erlan is no stranger to battle. And hidden in the shadows, there are always those determined to bring about the maelstrom of war…
By the end of A Mighty Dawn, it appeared that Erlan Aurvandil had finally found a place he could potentially settle down and call home. Sadly, the peace he discovered has been short lived. Sinister forces mass against our hero, and he finds himself slap bang in the middle of a power struggle. Erlan wants nothing more than to be left alone but events always seem to spiral out of his control, and he gets caught up in one plot or another. The thing I find most fascinating about Erlan is the inner battle he is constantly fighting. There is a darkness that threatens to consume him again and again. Sometimes Erlan holds his anger in check, but in other cases he gives it free reign. It almost feels like there are two different beings inhabiting a single body.
The villains in this novel are a loathsome pair. King Sviggar’s wife, Saldas, is a genuinely nasty piece of work, and his son, Sigurd, is no better. Sviggar is a firm but fair king. He is an old man who dreams only of peace and prosperity. Sadly, his young wife and son are far greedier, they want much more. Sigurd views his father’s throne hungrily while Sadas has even darker goals in mind. This couple view Erlan as a threat, and are determined to take him out of the picture as soon as they can. Saldas is particularly vicious, conniving and self-absorbed. She is consumed by her base urges and will do whatever she wants, whenever she wants. She views everyone with a singular distain. Pity the poor fool that stands in her way. I always feel an author has succeeded when they make me love to hate characters. Saldas and Sigurd most definitely fall into this category.
The other character the really stands out is Kai Askarrson. Still as irreverent as he was in book one, there is also additional depth to this young man. An event occurs late in the novel that forces Kai down a very specific path. His transformation from that point onwards is handled brilliantly. He becomes so much more than just Erlan’s servant.
As Sigurd and Saldas continue to manipulate everyone, events build towards a massive encounter between opposing armies. The wily old Danish ruler, King Harald Wartooth, has decided he wants King Sviggar’s lands. The two long term adversaries finally dispense with any attempt at diplomacy, war is the only way forward.
The set-up for the battle is well handled, but the moment where all Hel finally breaks loose is superb. Brun does an expert job of capturing the frenetic chaos of the battlefield. Every sword stroke and arrow volley leap off the page. Hordes of beserkers rage uncontrollably while champions from both sides seek one another out so they can battle to the death. Scenes unfold with a cinematic flair, I would love to see this on the big screen. It is one of the things I like most about Theodore Brun’s work is that it’s wonderfully evocative. Erlan, of course, is knee deep in blood and gore. A lot of which he is responsible for himself. It isn’t just our protagonist we follow however. The action follows multiple viewpoints, and this allows the reader to get a holistic view of everything going on. With such a huge sweeping scale, epic seems the only appropriate description for this event.
As with its predecessor, there are elements in the narrative that I think could be viewed in a couple of different ways. Brun leaves certain things purposefully ambiguous. Are the ancient Nordic gods directly involved, or can events me explained by something far more prosaic and down to earth? I like this approach, though I can appreciate it may upset some purists. Is this historical fiction or is a historical fantasy? For me I think that is the whole point. Our ancient myths and legends more than likely contain some seeds of truth but also plenty of tall tales. This author’s writing keeps that suggestion firmly in mind.
I really enjoyed A Mighty Dawn and A Sacred Storm continues Erlan’s journey perfectly. If you are looking for an engrossing read with plenty of action, well defined characters and a captivating plot I can heartily recommend this series. My only word of advice is that you make sure to read book one first.
Danheim are a Nordic folk/Viking inspired project from the Copenhagen-based Danish producer called Mike Olsen. Danheim’s music is often composed with ideas and stories based on the darker side of the Viking period, inspired or consisting of Nordic Mythology, old Danish folklore and a vivid imagination. I’ve been listening to the albums Fridr and Herja whilst devouring A Sacred Storm and they are an ideal musical accompaniment.
A Sacred Storm is published by Corvus and is available now. Highly recommended.
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