The Whale Road Chronicles
4 primary works • 5 total works
Book 1
Not everyone will survive, but who will conquer all in Odin's game?
AD 934. Eighteen years ago, a young woman fled her home to save the life of her unborn child. Now he is grown, a witch foretells that evil from her past is reaching out again to threaten her son.
Outlawed from his home in Iceland, Einar Unnsson is thrown on the mercy of his uncle, the infamous Jarl Thorfinn 'Skull Cleaver' of Orkney. Einar joins forces with a Norse-Irish princess and a company of wolfskin-clad warriors to play a deadly game for control of the Irish Sea, where warriors are the pawns of kings and jarls and the powerful are themselves mere game pieces on the tafl board of the gods.
Together they embark on a quest where Einar must fight unimaginable foes, forge new friendships, and discover what it truly means to be a warrior. As the clouds of war gather, betrayal follows betrayal and Einar realises the only person he can really trust is himself.
Reviews for Tim Hodkinson
'For fans of BERNARD CORNWELL, GEORGE R.R. MARTIN AND THEODORE BRUN' Historical Novel Society
'An excellently written page-turner, with a feel for the period which invites you into the era and keeps you there' Historical Writers Association
'A gripping action adventure like the sagas of old; and once finished, you just want to go back and read it all over again' Melisende's Library
Book 2
Einar Unnsson will be a great warrior, whether he wants it or not...
AD 935. Late Winter, City of Jorvik. Icelandic nobleman Einar Unnsson is destined to be a great Viking warrior. He has already defeated the men sent to kill him by his notorious father, the 'Skull Cleaver' Jarl Thorfinn of Orkney. He has a gift that makes him lethal in battle.
And he has cast it all off to become a bard.
Yet when Einar is attacked, it is not his poetry but the skilled archer and Norse-Irish princess Affreca who saves him. She'd assumed Einar had left to raise an army, challenge Thorfinn and seize Orkney. Now she knows the truth, she's determined to set him back onto his rightful path.
Einar soon finds himself entangled in Affreca's own mission. She's seeking the Raven Banner, a banner that legend has it is imbued with powerful magic: a gift from the Norse God Odin, which will make any army that marches behind it victorious in battle.
But many desire the Raven Banner. Soon, Einar has no choice but to face his fate and swing his sword once more...
Reviews for Tim Hodkinson
'A superb author of Dark Age fiction' Simon Turney
'An excellently written page-turner' Historical Writers Association
'A gripping action adventure like the sagas of old' Melisende's Library
'Fast-paced, detailed and brilliantly written' Historical Novel Society
Book 3
'Fast-paced, detailed and brilliantly written [for] fans of Bernard Cornwell, George R.R. Martin, and especially Theodore Brun' HISTORICAL NOVEL SOCIETY
When you can't protect everyone, who will you save?Iceland, AD 935
Einar Unnsson is destined to be great. When he fights, a frenzy comes upon him. It makes him lethal in battle - so lethal he just defeated the man his own father sent to kill him.
Now, with Einar exiled from his kingdom, his father turns his vengeance on Einar's mother - his escaped former bedslave. Yet Einar is in no position to protect her. He's made an enemy of the powerful King Eirik and must fight for his own life before he can save her.
Einar depends on the Wolf Coats, a band of fearsome, bloodthirsty warriors, but they're convinced the fates have cursed them. Will Einar's skill in battle be enough to save his mother? Or will the Wolf Coats' superstition destroy them all?
PRAISE FOR TIM HODKINSON:'A brilliantly written historical adventure which will appeal to fans of Bernard Cornwell, George R.R. Martin, and especially Theodore Brun' HISTORICAL NOVEL ASSOCIATION
'A gripping action adventure like the sagas of old; and once finished, you just want to go back and read it all over again' MELISENDE'S LIBRARY
'An excellently written page-turner, with a feel for the period which invites you into the era and keeps you there' HISTORICAL WRITERS ASSOCIATION
READERS LOVE THE WOLF HUNT:'Fantastically written! This book will have you hooked from the very first page! ... 5 stars all the way, buy it, read it, love it, recommend it!' Paula Cwikla, Netgalley Reviewer
'Hodkinson weaves his spell so intricately that you are drawn in before you know it - and pages and hours have passed in no time at all ... This is a series worth investing in!' Melisende d'Outremer, Netgalley Reviewer
'This is right down my street! I loved it, what a tale, excellent character depth, brilliantly written and full of action, what more could I want. Excellent work Tim!' Stephen Walker, Netgalley Reviewer
Book 4
AD 936
The great warrior, Einar Unnsson, wants revenge. His mother's assassin has stolen her severed head and Einar is hungry for his blood. Only one thing holds him back. He is a newly sworn in Wolf Coat, and must accompany them on their latest quest.
The Wolf Coats are a band of fearsome bloodthirsty warriors, who roam the seas, killing any enemies who get in their way. Now they're determined to destroy their mortal enemy, King Eirik, who has captured the throne of Norway.
Yet, for Einar, the urge to return to Iceland is growing every day. Only there, in his homeland, can he avenge his mother and salve his grief. But what Einar doesn't know is that this is where an old enemy lurks, and his thirst for vengeance equals Einar's...
Read Tim Hodkinson's newest epic Viking adventure.
REVIEWERS ON TIM HODKINSON:
'A brilliantly written historical adventure which will appeal to fans of Bernard Cornwell, George R.R. Martin, and especially Theodore Brun' Historical Novel Society
'A gripping action adventure like the sagas of old; and once finished, you just want to go back and read it all over again' Melisende's Library
'An excellently written page-turner, with a feel for the period which invites you into the era and keeps you there' Historical Writers Association
Einar and the Wolf Coats undertake a dangerous mission to war-torn Northern France in this thrilling Viking adventure from Tim Hodkinson.
936 AD. Brittany is torn apart by war. Many nobles have sought refuge in King Aethelstan's England, including Louis, prospective king of Francia. Einar and the Wolf Coats, disillusioned by events in Norway, are also at Aethelstan's court.
When Louis decides to take up his throne, Aethelstan sees a way to make a crucial ally: a powerful noble whose support Louis needs. And Aethelstan has just the men he needs to carry his message... and undertake a secret mission.
The Wolf Coats' quest is fraught with danger and foreboding, for the world is changing. Pagan kings clash with Christians, Vikings assail Francia, and Einar and his crewmates risk death at the centre of the storm.
Reviewers on Tim Hodkinson:'Will appeal to fans of Bernard Cornwell, George R.R. Martin, and especially Theodore Brun' Historical Novel Society
'A gripping action adventure like the sagas of old' Melisende's Library
'An excellently written page-turner' Historical Writers Association