What do you know about Norse Mythology? Most people would have heard of Odin/The Alfather, Thor, Loki (thanks Avengers!). If you are like me, you’ve also heard of berserkers, dwarves (hewn from stone - who in this case also turn back to stone if caught in sunlight), the Valkyrie, the Other Gods that live in Valhalla. However, there are also Jotun ( which I think are similar to frost giants, but they can change size), alvanar (which are like wood sprites) and Rune-mistresses who can use the runes to see the future.

I like the way the author deftly folds the Norse mythology into Viking history and the fictional story of Einer and Hilda. This fascinating debut (can’t believe this is a debut - impressive in its scale) weaves several strands of stories into one cohesive piece. It is about so much more than Einer and Hilda though they are central pieces. Einer is a chieftain’s son who is an immense fighter. He grew up in Ash-Hill with Hilda whose father doesn’t want her to be a shield maiden (female warrior). During one of the summers when the warriors are off raiding, Christians from the Southernd lands come to Ash-hill and slaughter all the wives, children and farmers left behind. This sets off a chain of events and adventures that change the lives of Hilda and Einer. A recurring theme is that the 9 worlds are held together by the runes, which are disappearing as more and more people turn away from the old gods and take up Christianity.

This book is really dense - it took me 3 days to read it and I read fast. However I found myself really fascinated by the different strands of the story and the world building. This is part 1 of a trilogy s9 annoyingly there are a lot of loose threads and the ending left me a little ... dumbfounded. Take from that what you will. Nevertheless it is a very interesting book that has expanded my knowledge of Viking/Norse Mythology and I would recommend it if you are interested in that genre. 3.8/5 stars for me.

4.5 stars

This book is long - like really long and it felt really long and that's something I struggled with - but it was also the kind of book where as soon as I finished I IMMEDIATELY messaged the one other person I knew who'd read it to discuss.

700 pages of action and heart and revenge and gods and magic and mythology. This is the epic Viking story I have always wanted. And it's a big old series, which I'm definitely going to be invested in as I now have to wait an entire year for the next book (it's fine - by which I mean it's not but what else can I do?).

Hilda, Einer, and Siv/Tyra serve as the backbone of this story, showing us really how humans and immortals interact in Norse mythology while also telling a desperate story as each seeks retribution for the wrongs enacted on their village by Christian southerners trying to take over and smash the wills of the warriors in the north. But what's worse than the pain of all of their non-warriors being slaughtered? Their gods are losing potency and the worlds are plunging headfirst towards Ragnarok (aka the apocalypse).

Hilda is a badass. Trained to be a warrior and then not allowed to fight - until the secret invasion of the North while the warriors are away. She ends up saddled with a great burden and goes through it. Her story was honestly more than a little heartbreaking. And Einer, with the gods' blessing, becoming a strong leader, even as he loses everything. And Siv and Tyra off on their own fighting for the big picture.

Alas, the digital copy I had was riddled with typos, which hindered my reading experience slightly, though I know those will be gone by publication.

Basically - I'm ordering my copy now and you should too.

Fans of Norse mythology and epic tales would absolutely be enthralled by this book.

First off, I'll admit it took me a moment to actually pick the book up. The first chapters are a slow start, specially with such a hefty tome of a story. 700 pages.. whew. So there were moments where I was getting disheartened as I started and was worried It wouldn't pick up. Thankfully I was proven wrong, as the plot grabbed you quickly and I found myself in so many battles and what you'd come to expect from a Viking story.

I also might have struggled at first when it came to finding parts of the characters I loved, but the plot and the writing and immersion drew me in faster than I expected. As a fan of Norse mythology and history, I was completely entranced when rituals or small miniscule details were brought in and described so fully. It made the part of me who loves detail so excited.

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed this story when I got into it. There are a few different story lines, so getting into the different characters and setting is a bit difficult at first, but it really picks up from there.
This is a great book if you're missing engaging with Viking culture from TV shows or video games. I can't wait for the next book as this one does end on quite the cliff hanger.

If you want a book that wraps you up completely in the story, enfolds you into the world of the characters, and has you teetering on the edge of your seat at several points, then you need this one. Right now. "Northern Wrath" has amazing imagery and depth, and it reads as easily as saying yes to another cup of tea thanks to the brilliant writing... It's a trilogy, so 2 more books to come. Excuse me while I celebrate!

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

My thanks go to Solaris and NetGalley for providing me with the eBook version of this novel in return for an honest review.

A promising opening book in The Hanged God Trilogy utilises a good amount of Norse lore in its storytelling, and the multiple protagonists as narrators is an interesting technique, but more time could have been dedicated to the main narrative instead of its many side stories.

Northern Wrath is the first book in The Hanged God Trilogy and, when compared to other series in this genre that I have read, the build-up to the event that sparks off the narrative is remarkably small. The destruction of Ash-hill, the home of the majority of the protagonists, occurs very close to the start of what is a long book, meaning readers are thrown into what is a fairly ambitious narrative, combining events in Norse mythology simultaneously alongside the plight of those forced to flee when the southerners attack. The central focus, of these individuals seeking bloody revenge on those who destroyed their home and killed their families, may be deceptively simple yet could have been effective, had there not been one too many subplots taking focus away from this. When the climax to this revenge plot takes place, as a reader I don’t feel completely invested in it, as it feels like not enough time has been given to this.

This book employs the multiple narrators trope made most famous in recent years by the Games of Thrones series. I can recall at least eight characters who narrate chapters, and the way they are developed is a mixed bag. By far the most successfully created character is Hilda, a young woman who shows massive strength and determination in the face of adversity, not just in the form of the southerners but also a demon who has forced its way into her body. Even though there are protagonists aplenty, Hilda’s effectiveness as a character and the time focused on her means she stands out as the true main character in this series potentially. Siv is another interesting character, starting the book as the chief’s wife but holding a secret regarding her heritage. It is fair to say that the female protagonists are written with more emotional depth and a sense of intrigue when next to their male counterparts; for the most part, the latter come off as dull and aggressive. For any future instalments in this series, I recommend cutting down the number of characters who act as the audience’s surrogate, to those that provide an insightful and unique perspective.

The ambition of this author can also be seen in the way in which various elements of Norse mythology integrates within the story itself, rather than just settling with a singular element, such as a particular god or realm. The appearance of the majority of these, including Odin, Loki and Muspelheim, acted as more of an intriguing insight into what may be coming in the future of the series, especially where the title of the trilogy is The Hanged God. Many questions look set to be answered about what the developments in the various realms mean for the survivors of Ash-hill. Even references and appearances of other individuals, rituals and objects come as welcome additions that flesh out the world that the author is creating and making the book more interesting to read, as many may not be known by readers who have a casual knowledge of Norse mythology. Even though the multitude of these does contribute to the high number of pages, these instances are more enjoyable to read compared to dull monologues of characters that don’t really contribute much to the wider story.


Northern Wrath took a few months to get through and, though there were some interesting characters and a great use of Norse mythology and lore that directly impacts on the narrative, I am not convinced that every single subplot included added anything to the book, especially with its long length. Nonetheless, it is a good start to this book series and I would be interested in reading sequels, but more focus on the central story would keep my attention better.

Vikings have their ways and their beliefs. But many are moving away from the Gods and the belief in the runes.
We follow Hilda and her village of Ash Hill. Love, death, hope, despair, dwarfs, giants and the Gods. What more could we ask for, a great read.

Nothern wrath is an impressive book with its beautiful dark norse mythology! Everything was unexpected and the writing style was a easy to follow and unique. Told in a number of perspectives, it should have been confusing but it is not. It clearly is a part of a bigger pattern and makes me really excited for another book in the trilogy! All the love to this book

Everything a good Viking-based story should be. This was phenomenal and I could not put it down. Holy crap!

This book could have been better if it weren't for the constant repetition. It's a huge pet peeve of mine. Most of the writing was decent but I couldn't get past that issue. I do think that with more editing, there may be a good book here. I was very intrigued by the plot and characters in this novel. Many of the the ways Norse Mythology was presented here was done quite well. The pacing is very slow which made for a boring read at times.

For those of you that follow my blog and seen my recent ‘Book Cover Wednesdy’ post you will know just how much I love the cover of Northern Wrath and how i quickly checked out the synopsis and knew instantly that I needed to get my hands on a copy of this debut by Thilde Kold Holdt.

The cover is an attention hog and I could not take my eyes off it and still struggle now. It begs to be placed front and centre er on your bookshelf. The colours, the axe, the flames burning bright as they wrap around the axe. Gimme, gimme, gimme!

I love daring hero, battle filled, sea faring Viking stories as much as the next fantasy lover and Northern Wrath gives you all that plus some with its fantastically bloody and mythic filled pages. Thilde has done a great job of infusing a little education of Viking beliefs and ways of life throughout the book and I love that we can get a little education along with our entertainment. It’s a two for one that you don’t want to miss out on.

Now, my review is not all good and I did have a few things that marred my experience while reading Northern Wrath. The first of which is that I had to restart this book after I stopped reading the first time round. I thought I might have been in the wrong mind to enjoy the book to its fullest but I wasn’t. The main problem I had was that the start was really slow and for a 700 page commitment ahead of me I needed to be grab from the go. I feel a lot of readers will be on the same page as me here (pun totally intended 😅). Anyway, I put the book aside for a little and then came back to it with fresh eyes and a clear mind. I was rewarded for my perseverance with a huge story setting battle that screamed all things Viking from the glory of standing shoulder to shoulder with a fellow battle hardened warrior of the shield wall to the skull splitting axes that send the enemy fleeing.

My second issue was that the shifts in POV were a little distracting and confusing at times. These shifts often happen mid-battle and left me a little dazed at times. Maybe this was a clever tactic of the author to immerse us in the fog of war but I don’t think that is the case here and if it is then high five to Thilde on that one.

Okay, so some people enjoy plenty of POV changes and don’t mind a slower pace but for me Vikings should be fast and vicious they should leave me exhausted and struggling with whiplash from the constant brawl to brawl nature that we have come to know. Again, this is just my opinion and others will love the pace.

Thilde Kold Holdt does a fantastic job when it comes to bringing the battles to life within the book. We are thrown right alongside our protagonists in the midst of battle and Thilde does not hold back with the gory descriptions. I like that a lot.

As you guys know I am a huge fan of good world building and again Northern Wrath ticks all the right boxes here. We get a lot of travelling done within this epic and not all on the world of the living we also get to see a good chuck of the underworlds. Thilde Kold Holdt does a amazing job of bringing to life the battle fields, the dark caves, the villages and towns. I often found myself dreaming of these lands when I was going about my day.

To sum up on Northern Wrath... If you love Vikings, if you love great world building and you love a good amount of gore then you will love Northern Wrath and I will recommend you pick up a copy of delve into its rich content. However if you find an abundance of POV switches or a slower pace a little off putting then I would recommend giving the 700 page epic that is Northern Wrath a miss.

A promising start to a trilogy by a debut author that has me slightly underwhelmed but also shouting from the rooftops.

Firstly, I want to say thank you to Rebellion Publishing and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book both physical, and EARC. I am so grateful for this opportunity.

The thing that drew me in about this book is the cover, I saw it floating around instagram and realised that I needed to read it. I was so pleased when I got approved to received a copy. This book is a chunk, and as an adult fantasy can be quite overwhelming. But please dont let that put you off, I feel like this book is actually quite easy to read considering. One criticism that I do have is that there are lots of different character perspectives so it can get confusing at times. All of these different characters are all on different parts of the same journey and I did find myself having to reread parts in order to understand. As you got further into the book you found that more characters were introduced and they were difficult to get your head around. I had to make notes for this book in the end just so I could refer back to them when I wanted to know who was who. Another issue I had in relation to this was that I struggled to build a connection to most of the characters just due to the sheer amount of them.

The first 100 pages of this book was full of action, I found it very easy to get into and just really struggled to put it down. I wanted more and more. After the first 100 pages this lulled but that is definitely to be expected in this kind of book. I did find that throughout the middle I skim read certain parts because I just wanted to get back to the action. I found that I was really intrigued by the Darkness chapters and Hildas chapters. I was least interested by Buntruggs chapters and found a lot of those I did skim read.

The characters in this book are fab, Thilde Holdt has a really amazing way of building a character that the reader can connect with. The character that I felt the most attached to was Tyra, as soon as I met her I knew I was going to love her. She was such a strong love character and I just knew that I would not allow the author to do anything to harm this wonderful character. I also loved Hilda and Einer. Separately and a pair. They made me feel so warm inside, but also broke my heart .. we won't go into that one though. There were so many other characters, too many to discuss, but the ones I have discussed are the ones that really stuck out to me.

Overall, I did enjoy this book, Northern Wrath does not feel like a debut novel. I will definitely be continuing with the series as I feel that it will get better with each one. I recommend that you read this book, I can't wait to hear what you all think!

Wow, wow, wow! This book was such a fantastic read and the book I've been looking for, for so long!

I am a huge fan of Norse history and Mythology, so when I saw this book, I just had to read it! The author does a truly fantastic job of portraying life as a Viking and the belief system of the Norse people.

The story starts by introducing us to a few of the main characters and then takes off when their village is attacked, leaving only a few survivors. The village warriors come home to find their village destroyed and begin to plot their revenge.

This book is written from multiple perspectives, which I am a huge fan of! The characters set off on different journeys, creating multiple plotlines, and it was so well written! Sometimes having so many characters can make the reader confused, but this book wasn't confusing like that at all, it was so well done and hard to put down! Each character is relatable. I really enjoyed Hilda's character throughout.

Throughout the book we find that the barriers between the human world and the gods are weakening and their is a great war to come. Both Hilda and Einer are to play a part in it. At the end, many storylines remain open, so we know that a second book is to come, and I am so here for it!

This book was fast-paced, well written and grabs your attention from the start! Highly recommend this book and author! Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC copy in exchange for my honest review!

#Netgalley #Northernwrath

A promising and ambitious debut.

This book grabbed my attention completely when I saw the gorgeous cover art by Larry Rostant and I immediately added it to my tbr. For all I know it could have been about A lost tribe of Norse gummi bears coming back to claim The Lost City of Marshmallow as it was just one of those covers where you don’t really need to ask questions. Stunning in its simplicity and allure.I confess though, I was no less eager upon reading the blurb about vikings, gods and battles and could not resist requesting an ARC of this epic norse fantasy.

Northern Wrath is the first book in The Hanged God trilogy by Thilde Kold Holdt and the blurb gives a good hint at what to expect of this tale. A dead man walking between worlds, norse gods, mythology, giants, magic and batttlllesssss! HELL YES. The main catalyst for the events in this story is an attack by a Christian army on a small Norse village. Most of the warriors of the village are away at the time of the attack, and as such the village is pretty much completely wiped out. When they return and witness the scene of the massacre their honor compels them to seek vengeance. There is of course much more to the story, but I will leave it to readers to discover for themselves.

Sadly, I did not enjoy this as much as I thought I would, and that was mainly due to one issue: characterization. There are multiple characters featured as viewpoints in Northern Wrath, and I found myself unable to care much about any of them. As a result, I had to put the story down and pick it up again at various intervals, killing even more of my enjoyment. Why did I not DNF and move onto another book you ask? The plot was interesting enough and I wanted to see where it was all going! Unfortunately though, no matter how much I wanted to, I could not get invested in the characters. The only other issues I had was that the book felt a little overlong and pacing suffered a bit as a result, but these were minor.

All is not negative though. As I mentioned, there is much to love plot wise, and it’s evident Thilde Kold Holdt can really write, making Northern Wrath a fantastic effort for a debut. The worldbuilding was top notch, with the author’s love for norse culture, mythology and history evident on every page and weaved throughout the story with a deft hand. The author shows us another side to being a Viking, that war and conquest are not the beginning and ending of the story, but that Vikings were just people with traditions and values and hopes and dreams. Do not despair though, fights were brutal, vivid and plentiful; the story never skimped on this aspect and even included a siege. Those looking for action won’t be disappointed.

Likely many readers will adore this book, and I may still pick up the sequel to this one, called Shackled Fates. There’s heaps of promise here despite my indifference towards the characters, and even if I don’t carry on with The Hanged God trilogy, I will be watching what the author comes up with after this. I may have heard she has plans for a book called The Bone Snatcher which will be an epic fantasy set in 7th century Korea. Um, where do we pre-order?

This is the viking book I have been waiting for! Its full of everything, epic battles, the Norse Gods, raids, families and friendships and fight for your beliefs in abundance!
This is a multi POV and I feel this really helps take this book to the next level as everyone is on their own path but they all are aiming for the glory of Valhalla and saving the Nine Worlds of Yggdrasil.
I urge everyone to pick this up if you need a epic fantasy!

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. This was a very big book with 700+ pages. But this was an excellent book if you know about Norse Mythology and have interest in the same.

The Village of Ash Hill, is attacked by Southerners (Christians), the villagers put up good fight but they die and village is destroyed completely. Warriors return home to see the village in ruination. Only Hilda, Siv and Tyra remain alive and they leave the place in different directions with the same goal to save the nine worlds and keep the old ways alive.

The writing style of this book was refreshing, vivid and you could easily picture every setting that the author tried to put in those pages. It was the one of those books for me where the story runs in front of me like scenes rather than text. The characters like Hilda, Einer had so much depth and wonderfulness. Especially Hilda's character was breath of fresh air, the growth can be felt throughout the books, till the last freaking page. How she is hesitant of her own powers in beginning and then starts to trust the powers and herself more and more.

"Her eyes were open, they were. Hilda felt them with her fingers, poked her eyeballs. But she couldn't see. Could only feel the heat from the furnace on her skin, and hear the loud crackle of the fire demons, laughing at her.

I haven't read any new books with such a descriptive writing style that it took me to the time, when I read LOTR, not lot of things were left for imagination everything was laid out on the page quite beautifully. To make you understand attaching something from chapters titled Darkness

The irony dwelled on him and he had to restrain himself from laughing. The madness swelled up inside him. He was a fool, a true fool, walking bling through the dark, wanting to laugh at himself and his situation, despite the fact that he knew it would get him killed. He was a coward who deserved this sentence the gods had given him.

Before this book, I had not read much on Norse Mythology and Vikings (except that Vikings were tall, sexy and hot!!!) But after this I will definitely research more on this particular mythos cause it was such action packed world.

The cons for lot of people out there might be that there are lot of povs throughout the book, with multiple layered plot lines, and lot of descriptiveness of scenes and the battles. If reading about violence of war makes you squeamish you shouldn't read this book. But if you are interested in mythology, magic, wars, and some freaking good adult fantasy ready this great book. I cannot praise the writing style enough it seems like that.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An epic fantasy that exudes magic and Viking history, Northern Wrath is the perfect read for anyone looking to lose themselves in a world where myths come to life and characters are forced to sacrifice everything in order to save their way of life in what starts as a revenge mission only to evolve into a high stakes war for the survival of their people.

Set in the age when Norse culture and values are forced to deal with the ever-expanding presence of Christianity in Scandinavia, the inhabitants of Ash-Hill find themselves having to face the increasing weakening of the connection with their gods and ancient customs. On their tragic journey to save the last remnants of the ways of old, they each have first to come to terms with their own identity and all that it entails.

The multiple POVs writing style gives a 360 degrees perspective on events, eventually blending together in an action-packed story that weaves magic and fierce sword/axe fighting together beautifully. The unquestionable protagonists, Einar and Hilda, form a very dynamic duo, interweaving their own personal ambitions and dreams with the struggle that comes with being destined for each other but not willing to give up their strive for a life of battle and glory all the same.

In the background, a man who walks the afterlife in search of peace, a giant who reluctantly discards her carefully crafted human identity to make one last stand to save a world of gods and magic runes and a demon of fire hell bent on destruction who is unleashed upon the world of men, frame the story and add an enchanting new depth to this ill-fated endeavour to save a dying lifestyle.

What unites all these compelling characters in their separate paths marked by blood and revenge, is the incredible humanity of them all, no matter how often they come into contact with the other worlds and the creatures that inhabit them, they still fall to their own individual flaws, making them extremely relatable.

The worldbuilding is impeccable too, as it’s presented in a way that’s entirely approachable even to someone who is not all that familiar with Norse myths and legends. Thilde Kold Holdt has a way of easing the reader into the story without having to rely on heavy infodumps (which would make it less appealing for those who are already well acquainted with the culture), yet still making it perfectly understandable and easy to follow, regardless of the numerous characters and creatures that get introduced.

The writing is beautiful and engaging, it really doesn’t feel like a debut and it perfectly complements the subject matter, full of unexpected twists and dark turns that will keep you constantly on your toes, it certainly had me hooked from start to finish!

Speaking of, the ending really sneaked up on me, this book was definitely one that I did not want to put down and the string of cliff-hangers at the end makes me all the more eager to get my hands on the next instalment.

I would highly recommend to fans of Vikings (TV show) and Game of Thrones too, as it exquisitely displays the union between epic fights and the dark and tragic realisation that an entire era is coming to an end.

I was really intrigued by the premise of this book as I'd never read a Norse-centred fantasy. I was glad I'd read Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman in preparation as I think I got a lot more out of those references for having that prior context. However, apart from the god related things in this book it didn't fully work for me

I never felt connected to the characters, nor did I particularly care what happened to them. I'm also not a fan of battle scenes and there were quite a few of them in here, which almost always just bore me

My favourite parts were the chapters set in the Darkness which were like little snippets or vignettes between the action. I liked seeing the gods at play in these sections, especially with the knowledge of my prior reading, and found their actions much more interesting than those playing out in Midgard

I also really liked Hilda as a protagonist. It was cool following a female warrior who was trying to prove herself and save her people. It also helped that she had a snow fox companion, known as a fylgja

I read this 600 page book pretty quickly and I think that was due to the writing. For an epic fantasy the writing is super simple and easy to breeze through. I never felt like I was slogging through dense, complex prose...just a slightly repetitive, predictable story

2.75/5 stars Unfortunately, this book missed the mark. There just wasn't any end goal. It's 700 pages and there doesn't feel like the characters are working towards something. The climax should have been the battle starting around the 400 page mark because that would have made slight sense as the goal. Overall it was way too long. I only liked the POV of one character, and the others I just didn't care about. Where the characters end up in places doesn't make sense. After a battle our main character somehow gets so far away she doesn't realize there are survivors. Then she goes on this journey that just doesn't make sense. Then, when she finally ends up where she wants, she leaves when she doesn't get her way. Way too long, and too much filler for not enough plot/character development.

It was a little bit bland for me. The style is very poor, and even on an ARC I found it extremly repetitive and unoriginal. The plot is very simple and too obvious, and it turnes out boring because of the writing style. Sadly I did not enjoy this reading, I think it's a more YA oriented book with very infantile characters.