A FLAME IN THE NORTH is a Viking inspired epic fantasy. With immersive world building and interesting characters, I found myself really enjoying this one. Despite the many Vikings terms, this book is very easy to read and feel immersed into.

Like the tv show VIKINGS? This one is for you.

Like a fantasy book that’s easy to throw yourself into? This one is for you.

thank you netgalley and Orbit Books for an eArc in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a sucker for a viking fantasy and I think this one was a very promising story. The battle scenes were pretty well done to me. However, I think the pacing was just a little off for me and that it could do with a glossary. Overall not bad, but just needed some more "extras" and an adjusting on pace.

I would like to thank Orbit and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Romance fans, you may be disappointed with this one. I haven't seen much romance happening within this book, not even kissing. I would, however, pair Solveig and Aeredh together. They seem to have great chemistry.

This book could definitely use a glossary of the viking terms that were used throughout the story. While I understood some words, such as "Volva" (a magician), and "Seidhr" (magic), others were quite difficult to pay attention to. Also, while this book labels elemental magic as fire, air, water, and the like, I was disappointed that fire was mainly the only elemental magic used. I would've loved to see different kinds of elemental magic used, hopefully in the second book of this series.

Solveig and Arn have a very tight friendship, which is something that I admired in this story. I also loved Solveig's connection with animals, particularly with her horse Farsight. In fact, I found Solveig to be a very likeable character, as she's very curious and is not likely to take any nonsense from anyone.

All in all, I do like this book. I'm not very in love with it, but I still like it. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for offering me this book in exchange for an honest review.

I struggled with this book. To start, the writing is not particularly accessible, and the content is confusing. The world building is immense, but that is not shown to the reader. There are so many gods, powers, creatures, and roles in the society Saintcrow has built, but for the most part, it's on the reader to figure out what they are and what purpose they serve.

As far as plot, you can sum this book up easily by saying, "the characters left the city, they ran into trouble on the road and finally took refuge in a different city. When they left that city, they ran into trouble on the road, and took refuge in the next city. In that city, they were attacked, so they fled to the next city, but ran into trouble on the road. In one final journey, they fled that city, ran into trouble on the road, and found refuge in a different city." You can certainly make the argument that I'm being reductive, but as I was reading I kept saying, "ugh not again" so it doesn't feel reductive to me.

Additionally, the main character is incredibly passive. For 75% of the book, she simply does as she is told, and observes, despite seeming to have incredible power. We don't see very much of that, we only hear about how others treat her as though she has power. Her shield maiden, also is claimed to be an incredible fighter, but she doesn't seem to show that, instead we're just told that people are impressed by her or should be afraid of her.

That all being said, I really enjoyed the last 25% of the book, and I'm curious to see where the next book takes this story. Until I read the rest of it however, I'm going to recommend that if you're going to read it (or are reading this review as you're struggling to read it, as I did with many reviews) you can pretty safely read until they leave Sol's city, and then skip ahead to about the 75% mark. You won't miss much, and you'll get to the interesting part.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this.
I really enjoyed A Flame in the North and am looking forward to the next installment in this series. I do admit that I found the beginning somewhat slow, and thought of giving up. However, I am glad I stuck with it because it really started to pick up 1/4 of the way in and I did not want to put this down after that. I do agree with other reviewers that it has a Tolkienesque quality about it. This is definitely for readers of high fantasy and I feel some understanding of Norse mythology is necessary to fully enjoy this book and it is a heavy read. . Definitely 4 stars from me.

This book was NOTHING like I was expecting. It reads like a retelling of an epic Nordic saga, and yet it’s a work of original fiction. I honestly found myself enamored with it by the end. 💙

The book follows the volva, Solveig, and her shieldmaid, Arneoir, as they venture into a land believed to be myth. It’s filled with Norse mythology references throughout the story while at the same time providing a plot that leaves the reader second-guessing themselves for what they think they know. 😮

The writing style reminds me heavily of epics where there’s it’s a stop-fight-stop-fight kind of plot. This will definitely not be for those who want non-stop action or an easy quest read. But if you don’t mind this kind of plot set up, you’re definitely in for a treat! The battle sequences had some gore here and there, but the character interactions were fantastic as you never really get a sense of what their motivations are at the same time as Solveig. The journey itself makes Solveig and Arneior slowly start trusting the men they are with, and the begrudging respect won in the end for them is honestly rather sweet.🛡️

Another reviewer mentioned that it reads like a Lord of the Rings book and I couldn’t agree more. From dwarves to elf-like beings, I honestly expected a wizard to pop out of no where (a magical being did pop up, but not in a good way). But much like Tolkien’s writing, this book is rather heavy handed in some cases when it comes to describing things in great detail or spoken dialog. . . That and it is a very slow kind of build-up. Either way, this should definitely be on any Tolkien fan’s radar! ⚔️

All in all, I had a wonderful time reading this over the last 5 days, and am rather sad to be leaving these characters and this world. Super stoked to see where the second book takes them (sadly) next year! 🥲

Big thank you goes out to Orbit Books and NetGalley for accepting my request in exchange for an honest review, and to the author for writing an INCREDIBLE Nordic saga-like fantasy! ✨

Publication date: February 13!

Overall: 4.75/5 ⭐️

Solveig is an elemental witch from the south. When her brother kills a northern man she is sent North as weregild. But as her and her sheildmaiden travel farther north they start to realize things are amiss. Who are these men and what do they really want from her? Are the myths she's been told actually not myths at all? Will they survive the journey they have set upon?

I was captured by this story and am so sad that I will have to wait so long for the rest of it.

It did take me a little bit to adjust to the writing and language but once I did I felt like I was Solveig's grandchild learning of amazing adventures and the history of the world.

4 stars - I did feel like I was confused about how the magic worked and feel like there is something missing there. I likely would not read this again but will recommend to fellow high fantasy lovers.

A Nordic quest of witch, warriors, fae, and shapeshifters. An epic fantasy tale of Solveig and her shield maiden after they are taken as from their home village to help save the world from a looming evil, only referred to as the Enemy. The story is filled with battles and vivid scenes from their travel through the freezing North. Along the way they meet many fascinating characters who fill stories from the past and hints at the future. My only real complaint is that Sol sometimes seems a little whiny and is much weaker than I usually prefer my heroines. Her shield maid Arn is a little flat, with only vague backstory. However, I’m really looking forward to reading more of the story since the quest is still ongoing when the book ends.

While the synopsis checks all of my interest boxes, I unfortunately couldn’t get into this book. The pacing was uneven and the text was dense. There was no real urgency to the story, even during the battle scenes or when the main character, Solveig, discovered something important.

Though written in the style of older epic fantasies, the inner dialogue was meandering and repetitive. There was too much telling instead of showing.

I did like the Lord of the Rings and Norse mythology influences. I also liked a lot of the characters, especially Aeredh and Arneior. The magic system is interesting but the reader is left just as clueless as Solveig.

While I’m not sure if I’ll continue the series, this made a for a good winter read.

I received this copy from Orbit Books and NetGalley for an honest review.

Solveig ignites the North in Saintcrow's thrilling fantasy. Magic crackles, danger lurks, and a looming darkness calls for a fiery heroine. World-building chills, characters grip, and this epic adventure leaves you yearning for the next book. A must-read for fans of fierce women and Norse-infused tales.

My Rating: 2/5

The premise is interesting and has really strong potential for anyone who is super into and has an understanding of Vikings and their culture. However, that's also what I struggled with through the reading. The writing felt very stilted and heavy, bogged down more with terminology I didn't really ever get. It's also a book that is plot-heavy and not so character-driven--not usually my type of book.

Overall, just wastn't my type of book, unfortunately. However, if you love and are familiar with all things Vikings (I thought I was more familiar than I ended up being), or love a plot-driven novel this book could very much be the book for you!

Thank you, NetGalley for the eARC!

First--absolutely love this cover.

Overall, enjoyed this read. It would be hard not to like Solveig and her shieldmaiden Arn, strong female characters who act with moral authority, politeness, and bravery, even as they are taken far from their own known world. The intertwining of the story with Norse mythology is superb; this is common ground for many fantasy readers but feels fresh. And the cold is its own character here; this is a trick great writers achieve, and Saintcrow does it well (perhaps aided by my reading during winter, too!). My main complaint here is the pace....I knew right away that this book would not conclude in a satisfactory manner in book 1, and it was frustrating. I wanted Solveig to evolve perhaps a little faster, the plot to progress a little more quickly, and the romance to be more overt, too. But overall, would definitely recommend.

I was a big fan of this authors Dante Valentine series, so I was super excited to get a chance to read a Viking fantasy written by her. Unfortunately, I found it very pretty disappointing and DNF after 125 pages.

The problem for me wasn't in the plot, it was its execution. The writing is, difficult. The words she chooses to use are heavy and don't flow together very well. More often than not the point of a sentence gets lost in its structure.

The world building is lacking and full explanations are rarely, if ever, given. Instead she chooses to sprinkle history or meaning sporadically through out the text. For example, within the first 100 pages Odynn is mentioned several times in reference to the Allmother versus the traditional Allfather, but no further explanation is given. Your left wondering if the religion in this book is based on classic Norse mythology or her own twist on it.

I really wanted to like this book and really liked the protagonist Solveig. Her shieldmaiden however, was fairly one dimensional. Overall for me this was a let down and I did not enjoy reading. It probably goes without saying that I will not be continuing the series.

Thank you Netgalley and Orbit books for this free copy in exchange for this honest review.

Viking + magic = yes! Sign me up! However, this book failed to deliver for me.

The premise was intriguing and sounded like exactly what I was in the mood to read, however the tone and syntax of the writing didn't match what I'd expect from a viking story...it read too pretentious, convoluted, and educated. I had to abandon it at 15% because I just don't find myself caring about Solveig and what happens to her.

Pacing is slow and even from the beginning, we're plopped into preparation for some ritual where the importance is unclear and there are so many characters introduced without any information as to their importance. It was a large mental load on top of terminology that wasn't explained. I think if the phrasing and prose were easier to understand and pace moved a bit faster, I could have stuck with it, but it's not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Stunning, stunning, stunning. Book 2 can't come soon enough! Winter 2025 seems so far away but I know it'll be worth it. The writing is dense, rich, superb, and reminds me of both the Hobbit and the Witcher. Go into this knowing its very similar to the Hobbit; the culture, language, and descriptions are so well rounded and in depth.
Just a few nit picky things. I think "wrongness" is overused when describing the lich (in Edge of Foolhardy). "Thing hanging from above" in regard to the stone wall, I just had a hard time picturing it after the description of how fine tuned the leaves were (in Morn in Nithraen). I'm sorry if this sounds dumb, but the coral in her hair? I was trying to picture how she would self-braid that into her hair after having combed it out (in A Promise so Often). I'd also have adored a map and a few genealogies to keep the characters straight. Other than this, kudos to this author; they went above and beyond in writing this fantastic tale.

3.5 stars.
While I did really like this book, it was hard to get through at times. The writing was really heavy handed, and the pacing was slow.
Overall, a very interesting premise. It’s going to be a long wait for the next book of the series.

A Flame In The North is the definition of high fantasy but probably not for everyone. It is definitely not a casual read, and honestly, I probably missed a few pieces of the story. I will be rereading this book for sure. This book takes a lot of inspiration from Norse Folklore, and it's quite clear that the author did their research. Instead of portraying the norse inspired characters as war crazed and brutal (though not wholly pacifistic), the characters were honor bound and noble, which I found refreshing. Overall, this was a great adventure, and I'm excited to see where it goes in book 2.

I had to DNF this quickly. I could not get into it with the writing choices. This prose was not for me.

Awesome epic fantasy! I loved how descriptive and unusual this story was. Full of such horrid creatures and horrible journeys. There must be another book as so much is unresolved.

In this epic fantasy start to a Viking inspired saga we follow Solveig who is an elementalist being able to call forth fire from nothing. A rather rare ability among her people, she has her shieldmaiden always by her to protect her. At the new year feast where multiple villages come together, her battle mad brother accidentally kills someone. Being the Eldest Daughter Solveig is to be weregild for a year and day to the people her family wronged. Having to leave home with only her shieldmaiden and new mysterious people can be quite a trial. Slowly she finds out the myths of old are maybe not myths after all. I rather enjoyed this tale a bit. I found the writing to be really different than what I’m used to even with reading high fantasy. It took me a minute to get used to, but fell into it eventually. I felt this did slow the story down quite a bit for me. The action scenes were something that strung me along. I enjoyed the fact that Solveig couldn’t use weapons, but had to use her magic to strengthen the allies around her. These are some tropes I noticed throughout the book:
Reluctant hero✨
A long journey✨
Mythical creatures ✨
A great evil ✨