Synopsis:
Two Warriors. Two Kings. One bridge.
Some men hold secrets that are far darker than war.
An old oath obligates Ulf Bodvarsson to join King Harald Hardrada’s army of Norsemen, seeking to assert his claim to the English crown. Yet near Stamford Bridge, enemies await, seeking to fulfill their own oaths of blood. The struggle that awaits them all will decide who rules and who dies.
Review:
Bridge of Kings asks the question: what if Viking berserkers actually had divinely granted abilities and didn’t just go blood-mad in battle, but became something more, something…inhuman?
Set in 1066, just prior to William the Conqueror’s invasion of England, the story introduces us to Ulf Bodvarsson, a Norse warrior freshly arrived in England and joining the forces of Harald Hardrada in their recent conquest of English territory.
Only no sooner has his feet touched down on English soil, an enemy army arrives to counterattack, with forces enough to vastly outnumber the Norse.
Ulf has just one choice: he must hold the lone bridge across the river to buy his comrades time to form battle lines and meet the enemy. Even knowing that to do so, he will face the English army—and their archers—alone.
But for a Norse warrior, what could be better than a glorious death in battle? Ulf is ready to go to Valhalla with his brothers and join lost friends in eternal celebration, and he wants nothing more than to embrace his death with bared teeth and swinging axe.
What follows is a true bloody, brutal, and action-packed battle scene. I am and will always be a sucker for a good “desperate last stand” and the “one man against an army trope”. Especially when that one man is a berserker who fights with more than just mortal weapons.
Though this is merely a novella introducing us to the characters, premise, and world of the forthcoming Oaths of Blood saga, it does a great job of preparing us for what to expect: a whole lot of military action, interesting and compelling characters, and magical conspiracies woven throughout every corner of medieval Europe and beyond.
There were a few flaws with the story—some character moments felt a bit rushed, there wasn’t a great deal of character development, and the battle scenes weren’t quite as impactful as I’d have liked—but it did a wonderful job of piquing my interest in what this author has to offer.
A solid debut that promises great things to come!
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