Blurb
In the wild lands of Norway, Hunlaf must quell a violent revolt in Matthew Harffy’s new historical adventure.
Northumbria, AD 794. Those who rule the seas, rule the land. None know the truth of this more than the Vikings. To compete with the seafaring raiders, the king of Northumbria orders the construction of his own longships under the command of oath-sworn Norseman, Runolf.
When the Vikings attack again, the king sends cleric turned warrior, Hunlaf, on a mission to persuade the king of Rogaland into an alliance. But Hunlaf and Runolf have other plans; kin to seek out, old scores to settle, and a heretical tome to find in the wild lands of the Norse.
Their voyage takes them into the centre of a violent uprising. A slave has broken free of his captors and, with religious fervour, is leading his fanatical followers on a rampage – burning all in his path. Hunlaf must brave the Norse wilderness, and overcome deadly foes, to stop this madman. Can he prevent a night of flames and slaughter?
My Review
Our protagonist Hunlaf, cleric turned warrior turned monk, is writing the story of his life. This episode takes us on a bloody adventure whose initial purpose was to open up trade between the Norse and the Northumbrians. The real purpose, of course, was something else. Hunlaf is determined to find his missing cousin, abducted by the Vikings—a seemingly impossible task considering she may not even be alive. This venture leads him and his shipload of companions into a pursuit of a fanatical sect of murderers who carry fire and torture in their psychotic goal to impose their ghastly vision on every soul they encounter:
I realised with a hideous sinking in my stomach that the bird was not resting upon any tree, but rather the charred remains of a man or woman that had been somehow held upright against a stake. The body was misshapen and twisted, unlike any form of human flesh and bone. The ground around the shrunken and wizened corpse was blackened and covered in ash. As my eyes became accustomed to what they saw, I made out the curve of the skull, the head a cadaverous, skinless husk now.
This hopeless assignment is imposed on Hunlaf and party in exchange for the Norwegian king’s agreement to open up trade. The odds are totally against them, but our protagonists are bold and fearless—at least for the most part. How can one maintain a brave face against such insanity? I have to say, this book was very, very dark. There was little let-up from the misfortunes and calamities that our heroes met along the way. As ever, the prose was quite readable and the action nonstop. It helped me forget I was on the treadmill (I save my most exciting books for this regimen). However, I didn’t particularly enjoy it. Once I read in the Author’s notes that Harffy was inspired by Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness” I understood my discomfort; I don’t like Conrad! On the other hand, we get a good introduction to the ship-building of the period, which I really appreciated, and a very exciting Viking raid. It’s a book well-worth reading, though not for the faint-hearted.
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Night-Flames-Time-Swords/dp/1801102295
Connect with Matthew on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MatthewHarffy
