This is a good book. Poul anderson ventures into family life in the tenth century with the story of Gunhild Ozurrsson, who was wife to Eric Bloodaxe, who was for a short time king of Norway, and then a sub-king in York, and always a major player in Scandinavian power politics. It is a well researched book and fully engages the reader in the intricacies of Norse life. Anderson manages to give an engrossing tale a narrative treatment that is modelled on the style of a Norse Saga and works it well. Set aside a couple of evenings for this book, but you will get a better view of Norse life than you thought it might be. You will also engage with that very moody but competent poet, Egil Skallagrimsson. ( )

The central character is a fictionalized version of Gunnhild, wife of Eirik (Eric) Bloodaxe, son of Harald Fairhair and his successor as king of Norway. Were it not for the fact that she and others are shown as successfully practising shamanic magic, the book would read essentially as a spiced-up historical novel set in 10th-century Scandinavia. Anderson is very well versed in the history and literature of the Age of the Vikings, and gives highly plausible images of his historical figures, of whom Eirik Bloodaxe and King Harald Bluetooth of Denmark are perhaps the best known. Aethelstan of England and his successors also play minor roles as the action moves at times to the British Isles, from Orkney and Caithness as far south as Viking York, which Eirik briefly ruled.

Occasionally the heart sinks, as the author, after the model of the sagas, heads off into a piece of genealogical scene-setting full of unpronounceable names. ("Long before this, one Ulf, son of Bjalfi, dwelt in Sygnafylki in Norway, not far from the Sognefjord..."). But after a few short chapters I was quite into the story, even though Gunnhild, openly acknowledged as a "Lady Macbeth" figure, becomes a less than wholly sympathetic character as she machinates to maintain her husband's grip on Norway and his sons' inheritance, her semi-sorcerous power-wielding ultimately becoming self-defeating.

The book is not a very easy read, as the language is often formal and archaic, rather reminiscent of Victorian translations of the sagas, though not quite as impenetrable as William Morris in full flow. The author also includes his own modern English take on Norse poetry, which works surprisingly well. Anderson is probably less accurate than Tolkien in its imitation of the alliterative forms, and necessarily eschews the opaque kennings of the original forms, but still, it is strong alliterative verse with gold and iron in its bone and sinews, and adds to the atmosphere.

Anderson is steeped in Scandinavian lore, and it shows in this book. Its popularity among readers who might like it is probably adversely affected by its having been written by an author best known in other genres (hard SF and heroic fantasy). If you have had any joy from reading translations of the Norse sagas (which Anderson clearly has), or are prepared to tackle non-fantasy historical novels on the scale of, say, Sigrid Undset's "Kristin Lavransdatter", then this book may appeal. If you are just an SF or fantasy fan, then you would probably do best to stay away.

MB 6-xi-2010, rev. 17-i-2011 ( )

Based on a few creative interpretations of Norse sagas, Poul Anderson describes the life of Gunnhild. Gunnhild comes across as a villaness rather than a protagonist in the story. ( )