The Whale Road, by Robert Low

July 14, 2009 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: book review, historical fiction, Robert Low 

The Whale Road is the first volume in a series of historical fiction novels by Robert Low entitled The Oathsworn. Low is a The Whale road, by Robert Low British journalist, and this is his debut book. It is a book about Vikings on a quest for a hidden treasure.

The adventure begins in A.D. 965, when 15-year-old Orm Ruriksson—aka Orm the Bear Slayer—joins the Oathsworn. They are a band of raiders, sailing a Viking ship called the Fjord Elk, which includes his father, Rurik, and is led by the ruthless Einar the Black. After hearing a tale about a mountain of silver that once belonged to Attila the Hun, the band sets out to find it, accompanied by a madwoman who claims to know the treasure’s location. The young Orm must improve his skills and become a real warrior quickly is he is to survive.

The Oathsworn, like other Vikings, fight hard, drink hard, and always defend their own. But it quickly turns out that they are not alone in seeking the treasure. Their foremost competitor is Bluetooth, the King of the Danes and the Norwegians, who wants the treasure for himself.

This is also a time of changing loyalties for the Vikings – the old Norse Gods are on their way out and the followers of the mysterious “White Christ” are gaining power across Europe. With the religious dimension added, the rivalries among bands of raiders are now stronger than ever.

The action in The Whale Road takes place all over Europe, from Norway to Scotland through the Baltic and on to Istanbul. And Robert Low mixes history, archeology andmythology into this fast-moving adventure tale. The weakness of the book, to my mind, is that the characters are a little flat, and perhaps also that it is a little too slow at times. Apart from that, it is very good — the author is very knowledgeable and has developed a good plot and is a good writer, and the book has lots of exciting fighting scenes. It is a debut book that holds promise for the forthcoming books in the series. The Whale Road is a very interesting historical fiction book, full of action and adventure.

Praise for The Whale Road:

“A company of warriors, desperate battles, an enthralling read.”
—Bernard Cornwell

“A stirring Viking series of blockbuster battles and religious intrigue.”
—Publishing News

“Action-packed and evocative.”
—Herald (Glasgow)

Links to books by Robert Low at amazon US, amazon UK, and amazon CAN. Link to more historical fiction about the Vikings.

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