Odin's Shadow

Sons of Odin Book 1

Romance - Historical
338 Pages
Reviewed on 01/14/2016
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    Book Review

Reviewed by Ray Simmons for Readers' Favorite

Odin's Shadow by Erin S. Riley is Book 1 in the Sons of Odin series. It is a great blend of history and romance. It leans more heavily on the romance side, but history is not forgotten or neglected. It is a love story between a captured Irish girl who becomes the wife of a Norse chieftain. There is enough tension about how their love will work out to keep you reading until the end. I have always been a fan of Viking culture and this is a pretty good look at it up close and personal. The scenes of rape, pillage, and conquest ring true. The plight of women is looked at in a way that fits in with the tale, and how the slaves and captured women fitted into Viking society was woven artfully into the story.

I liked the protagonist, Selia, a small but very intelligent girl who is taken by the huge Viking chief, Alric Ragnarson. A great part of the romantic tension in Odin's Shadow is due to the fact that Alric is a Berserker - one who can't control himself when he is filled with battle rage. He has already done some terrible things by the time he meets Selia and his father did much worse before him so everyone is always careful around him and always watching for the next fit of rage. Erin S. Riley does a good job of showing both sides of Alric, the loving husband and the mad Berserker. All in all, this is a balanced and well written story that will satisfy readers who love romance and history.