From Publishers Weekly
British journalist Low's debut novel is a rousing, sprawling saga of Viking warriors and the quest for hidden treasure. The adventure begins in A.D. 965, when 15-year-old Orm Rurikssonaka Orm the Bear Slayerjoins the Oathsworn, a band of raiders that includes his father, Rurik, and is led by the ruthless Einar the Black. After hearing a tale about a mountain of silver that once belonged to Attila the Hun, the band sets out to find it, accompanied by a madwoman who claims to know the treasure's location. The daunting journey becomes more treacherous as competitors also race for the prize. Bluetooth, the King of the Danes and the Norwegians, covets the treasure for himself, and an unscrupulous Catholic monk joins the chase, not for the silver but for the Spear of Destinythe spear that pierced Christ's side on the cross and was later forged into Attila's sword. Low mixes history, archeology, mythology and nonstop, often-sanguinary action into a fast-moving adventure tale. (Aug.)
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Review
'A company of warriors, desperate battles, an enthralling read' BERNARD CORNWELL'A fantastic book, one of the best I have read for years. There's a wonderful earthiness to proceedings and he creates a tangible sense of being there. There's a sturdy, lyrical and epic quality about the writing which makes it feel like the kind of saga a Viking would recount in his old age.'SIMON SCARROWA stirring Viking series of blockbuster battles and religious intrigue.Publishing NewsAll the right ingredients are firmly in place...above all there is the storyline itself; told in an earthy, rough-and-ready stylewhich perfectly compliments this saga for the 21st Century.Yorkshire Evening PostA fascinating read The Glasgow HeraldThe Hangman humour of the band of sworn brothers gives Lows epic but brutal tale real humanity and the detail of 10th century life is wonderfully vivd. The action is fast and furious...shockingly believably so. Lows debut novel hits the mark with maximum impact.Bridlington Today