Becky Bookworm Book Review: The Last Berserker (Fire Born Volume 1) by Angus Donald

 

The greatest warriors are forged in the flames

771AD, Northern Europe

Two pagan warriors

Bjarki Bloodhand and Tor Hildarsdottir are journeying south into Saxony. Their destination is the Irminsul, the One Tree that links the Nine Worlds of the Middle-Realm. In this most holy place, they hope to learn how to summon their animal spirits so they can enter the ranks of the legendary the elite frenzied fighters of the North.

One Christian king

Karolus, newly crowned King of the Franks, has a thorn in his the warlike Saxon tribes on his northern borders who shun the teachings of Jesus Christ, blasphemously continuing to worship to their pagan gods.

An epic battle for the soul of the north

The West’s greatest warlord vows to stamp out his neighbours’ superstitions and bright the light of the True Faith to the Northmen – at the point of a sword. It will fall to Bjarki, Tor and the men and women of Saxony to resist him in a struggle for the fate of all Europe.

The Last Berserker by Angus Donald

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a superb historical fiction adventure of two unlikely youths who through fate and a series of unfortunate events, find themselves caught between the clashing forces of the Frankish Emperor Charlemagne and the Scandinavian Kings and Lords of the North along their northern border.

It is a great exploration not just of the clash of cultures but also of faiths.
There is a lovely weave of family, friends, foes, enemies, traitors and faithful, brave hearts and cowards, across all spans of the nations involved from royalty to dukes to clergy and priests, traders and common folk.

The main protagonist Bjarki is a remarkable gentle soul who through circumstances beyond his control or knowledge becomes imbued with the rage of a Berserker, the Fire Born of the title. Alongside him is a more thorny and openly aggresive lass called Tor who is fiercely determined to also join the elite ranks of this secretive society of warriors.

The reclusive society of deep pagan lore and worship Angus Donald has established for would-be Beserkers to seek initiation and rank is rich, detailed and feels justifiable with ease in the culture and religion of the Northern people.

Each has their own tragic history scarred by violence close to home, either directly towards them or indirectly. So it is very strongly poetic that they have to master violence in order to survive among not just their own folk of the North and the natural dangers from wild beasts to weather, but also when they end up by sad circumstance in the centre of the hive of activity in the Frankish captial.

The range of cast, of characters, of motives, of plot twists, secrets reveals, oaths betrayed or made is many and it really helps maintain a strong momentum of pace and drama throughout the book. The chapters are short and punchy, with undefyable cliffhangers at the end of every one. It made it a really easy but motivating read as I became quickly attached to these two characters especially of course and kept hoping for them to overcome many of the challenges and dangers they faced together.

I am for one very pleased that there are another 8 books that follow the adventures of Bjarki Bloodhand.

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