A Game of Vikings: A Review of The Half-Drowned King

The Half-Drowned King (2016)
Written by: Linnea Hartsuyker
Genre: fantasy
Pages: 431 (Hardcover)
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair review.

Why I chose it: It happened this way: a friend of mine on twitter alerted me that Linnea Hartsuyker was offering free copies of this book and the sequel to reviewers, so I took her up on the offer. Norse mythology isn’t normally my cup of tea, I’m not sure if I’d have picked it up otherwise.

The premise: An exhilarating saga of the Vikings that conjures a brutal, superstitious, and thrilling ninth-century world and the birth of a kingdom—the debut installment in a historical literary trilogy that combines the bold imagination and sweeping narrative power of Game of Thrones, Vikings, and Outlander.

Centuries ago, in a blood-soaked land ruled by legendary gods and warring men, a prophecy foretold of a high king who would come to reign over all of the north. . . .

Ragnvald Eysteinsson, the son and grandson of kings, grew up believing that he would one day take his dead father’s place as chief of his family’s lands. But, sailing home from a raiding trip to Ireland, the young warrior is betrayed and left for dead by men in the pay of his greedy stepfather, Olaf. Rescued by a fisherman, Ragnvald is determined to have revenge for his stepfather’s betrayal, claim his birthright and the woman he loves, and rescue his beloved sister Svanhild. Opportunity may lie with Harald of Vestfold, the strong young Norse warrior rumored to be the prophesied king. Ragnvald pledges his sword to King Harald, a choice that will hold enormous consequence in the years to come.

While Ragnvald’s duty is to fight—and even die—for his honor, Svanhild must make an advantageous marriage, though her adventurous spirit yearns to see the world. Her stepfather, Olaf, has arranged a husband for her—a hard old man she neither loves nor desires. When the chance to escape Olaf’s cruelty comes at the hands of her brother’s arch rival, the shrewd young woman is forced to make a heartbreaking choice: family or freedom.

Set in a mystical and violent world defined by honor, loyalty, deceit, passion, and courage, The Half-Drowned King is an electrifying adventure that breathtakingly illuminates the Viking world and the birth of Scandinavia.

This review is spoiler free.

Discussion: I liked this book. I liked this book a lot. Which surprised me, as it isn’t anything I’d normally have picked up to read. Norse mythology isn’t really my bag, and this book falls heavily into the low fantasy rankings. As is mentioned in the notes at the end of the novel, the book uses Heimskringla, a written account of the oral history of the founding of Norway, as written by an Icelandic historian name Snori Sturluson, as a jumping off point and fills in gaps of that narrative. (So much so that if you want to avoid spoilers for the future installments in this planned trilogy, you might want to stay off the wikipedia article for Heimskringla.)

This is ninth century Norway. People die. People die in super gross ways. I don’t really understand the laws of the land. There’s a speaking stick at trials? Which reminded me of the cheer stick in Bring It On. No one dropped it though. A man is only as good and honorable as his ability to fight to protect what he owns and loves, and any loss of that ability means he might as well die. It’s a harsh world, but it’s written with so much depth and compassion and interest that I couldn’t help but be riveted. (Listen, if Game of Thrones had been written like this, I’d probably actually like it.)

The amount of research that went into this novel is incredible, but at no point did I feel that any of it was ill used or overly expository. Instead, it added a richness and a depth to the prose that provided a fully immersive story. I didn’t just read about this world, I felt like I experienced it.

A lot of that was due as well to the fully drawn out characters, who felt like flesh and bone people I traveled this world with. Svanhild is a runaway favorite, with her determination to not be left behind, to get what she wants, to have the making of her own story. Her emotional journey, to me, had the most payoff of anyone’s in the novel, and I really enjoyed seeing where her determination took her. And I’m really excited to see where she goes in the next installment.

Ragnvald carried more of the book and I found him just as compelling a character, but not quite as relatable. Vengeance burns in his heart for much of the book, putting him directly in the path of kings wanting to unite all of Norway under one rule. It was fascinating to see where his honor and sense of pride got him, and how other people responded to him, but I also feel like, if this book did have a weakness, that he only struck the one note in the book. I’m interested to see how he develops in future installments.

In conclusion: I really enjoyed this, I’m glad I reached out to the author on twitter, and I’m excited to begin the next installment. If you’ve watched and liked Vikings and want to read it in book form, this is right up your alley.