Svanhild likes the feel of the steering oar, the feel of the water. Her son Eystein has six summers and is a tall frail boy. Unlike his parents, he has no love of the sea. He hates the sea and the cold, longs to live on the land. The fleet is headed for Iceland where they will shelter for winter, and Svanhild has secret hopes that it will stay a bit longer so that Eystein can grow stronger. Ragnvald Eysteinsson is tired of fighting King Harald’s battles. He thought that becoming King of Sogn would let him stay home, would give him peace and contentment. But he was wrong, so very wrong. This second book in the series begins six years after the end of The Half-Drowned King and continues the stories of the siblings Svanhild and Ragnvald. The descriptions of Iceland and Norway are vivid, and the characters are sometimes flawed, sometimes not very likable, often brutal, but always very real. The story is based on the Saga of Harold Harfagr and incorporates historical events in the founding of Norway. I enjoyed it so very much and am impatiently awaiting the third book.

eGalley review                                                                Publication date 8.14.18