Elin Gregory

Saturday again so time for my recommendation. This is part of the SSnS blog hop – click on the graphic to go the list of other participating authors and their exciting snippets.

Last week’s recommendation was for Finders Keepers, a contemporary romance with some archaeology, action and adventure from Chris Quinton – yummy! This week I’m heading way back into history when the things we dig up and cherish now were made and casually used as every day items.

Brothers of the Wild North Sea by Harper Fox

Set in the 8th century on the North Sea between Northumbria and Denmark it tells the tale of conflict between Saxons and the Danish vikingr, represented by Caius, son of a Romano-British warlord and a warrior in his own right but now a monk in the community of Fara on an island off the coast of Northumberland, and Fenris, son of Sigurd, leader of a viking clan desperate to discover a great treasure.

There is a delicious detail and lyricism in Harper Fox’s prose that brought the time and the landscape alive. That alone would have entertained me, but there’s also comedy – Caius has a lovely dry wit – a superb depiction of the difference in mind sets between the more reflective Caius and the death or glory Fenris, various alarms and excursions, very real danger, grief and passion. As usual, highly recommended.