“The sons of Cnute are dead men.” The dying words of his brother’s assailant travel across the North Sea to the English Midlands.Harald, the king’s second son, receives the warning while rebuilding a hall where he hopes to farm and lead a peaceful life with Selia, his Frisian wife. But as the hall nears completion, they learn the family who lived there before them all perished in a single night … single night of bloodshed. Could the grounds be cursed?
Now the threat of unknown enemies casts a long shadow. Should they distrust the brooding Saxon neighbor or the two weapon-bearers they hired for protection? Should they suspect either of the two women they have taken on with the other hirelings? Only their Jewish warrior friend, Ravya ben Naaman, seems to be the only one above suspicion.
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The story of Harald continued. I enjoyed the love between Harald and Selia as well as the strength they draw from each other. There was plenty of violence, death, treachery, friendship, love, redemption. My emotions were up and down along with the telling. A little too much description at times, but a story worth reading.
I received a copy of this story through Goddess Fish Promotions, and this is my unsolicited review.
Once again, Garth Pettersen has wowed me. I somehow missed the second book in the series (though I have already bought it and can hardly wait to dive into it), but I still enjoyed this book just as much as I did the first book.
Harald and Selia are now married and taking up residence in Mercia– far from the king’s court and, they hope, from the various intrigues and machinations that thrive in political turmoil. Unfortunately for them (and fortunately for us) things do not go as smoothly as they would like.
Once again, I love the characters – especially Harald, Selia, Ravya, and Erral. They are wonderfully complex and multi-dimensional. It’s interesting to see how they overcome their pasts and strive to become the people they want to be.
It’s obvious the author has done his research, and I really appreciate all the small things he does to flavor the story, the small tidbits of the daily life of the period and the scattering of foreign words (clearly explained by the context of the sentence).
The story is fast-paced with enough twists and turns to hold the reader’s attention. Wonderful job, Mr. Pettersen! I can hardly wait to read further adventures in The Atheling Chronicles.
This book transported me on an exciting Viking adventure!!
This book is filled with mystery, suspense, intrigue, and is enriched with interesting historical content!!
One of the best features of this book is the significant amount of accurate, intriguing Viking era time-period detail that the author weaved into this book. It is clear the author is well-versed in the culture, customs, and traditions that he was able to provide such cohesive knowledge and references in his writing.
I really liked that the author used real-life characters and events in the book to help set the tone and create an even stronger and more realistic ambience. He did admit that as this book is fiction, there are some changes such as the ages of the characters and some creative writing that helped strengthen the story line. Regardless, this book is a true essence of a Viking story!
I enjoyed the way the author provided both entertaining and educational material into the story line. This truly helped enhance and bring the story to life!
Plus, I actually learned quite a bit while reading this book. One thing that I found interesting was about the term “wegeld.” It is defined as the price that a killer pays the victim’s family in order to prevent a blood feud. And this was even an actual law on the books with the price being determined by rank! This made me think of life insurance appraisers, like when a plane crashes and the airline must pay out a certain amount of money to the victims depending on an algorithm that determines a person’s remaining life value. It seems some laws from back then or some form of them are still employed even today!
It’s amazing how certain words, sayings, and even laws from the eleventh century have still continued on, been interrupted and re-constructed, and have inspired further development.
There are many characters (and with complicated names) thrown at you at the beginning of the book and it’s somewhat difficult to determine who to pay attention to and remember all their details. However, it isn’t long before the book mellows out enough that you’re able to catch up and realize what you need to know.
This book had many, dark, violent, fighting, action scenes that tended to be more on the graphic side. Although, that was mostly due to the Viking time-period era and their way of life. I honestly did tend to glance over a few of these scenes due to the roughness. However, I enjoyed the suspense waiting to see what was going to happen next and trying to find out who wanted to hurt Harald.
I enjoyed the mystery, suspense aspect of the story line as I was anxious to know who betrayed Harald and who was still loyal to him. It is fascinating how power, titles, and money played such a large part in their society and is still something ever so present today – even after so many years – people are still fighting over power, titles, and money. Is anything truly ever learned from history if we keep repeating the same mistakes?
I really liked all the additions to the book besides the story. This book included an introduction from the author that explained the historical composition, how he developed the story, and some of his research methods and findings.
Furthermore, at the beginning of this book is a list of characters names, their title, and a brief description. This is truly essential and a huge benefit for readers who easily forget things (like me lol!!!) or get overwhelmed with books that are character heavy. Being able to quickly turn back to reference the characters or find out their relation to the story or their relation to other characters, etc. was a huge relief to be able to quickly find these answers and not feel so lost or confused and then be able to instantly go back to where you left off and continue reading.
I absolutely loved and truly appreciated the glossary section at the beginning of this book! As someone not as familiar with the Viking era this section truly came in handy and was vitally used.
This book also included a map showcasing the eleventh century Anglo-Saxon land. There are many places visited in this book and it was nice seeing some of them displayed on the map as I am not very familiar with the area, so it helped seeing the real distance between locations, etc.
There are many, many words and character names that seemed strange and/or hard to pronounce. One letter that was often used was “Æ” which was not something I was very familiar with. Again, I appreciate the authenticity of this book, but as someone who isn’t very familiar with old English names and terms, they all seemed to blur together a bit. I ended up making my own nicknames for the characters to help stay in the story.
There are some predictable scenes. However, there are still a few very unexpected twists and turns that you won’t see coming!
This book is Book Three of The Atheling Book Series. This book can absolutely be read as a standalone. However, it seems there are many character and story line overlaps. As you can see, this is the only book I’ve read in this series and I didn’t get confused or lost. However, I personally would think it would make more sense and have a stronger impact on the understanding of this book series, if you started with book one first.
Also, please note there are some very detailed, graphic, violent scenes and adult rated language that may not be appropriate for all readers.
All in all, there were just a few hang-ups for me, but overall, I still enjoyed reading this book and would still recommend it! I think all historical fiction, Vikings fans will like this book too! So, add it to your TBR List and get to reading – you won’t be disappointed!
**Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book and have voluntarily provided an honest, and unbiased review in accordance with FTC regulations.**
A grand story
Pettersen pens a grand story in The Cold Hearth. I have read stories from this author before, and I really enjoyed it, so even though I have no expectations when I read a story, I wasn’t disappointed. The story is filled with curses, secrets, and shadows that are affecting the desire of a life in peace. The characters were intense and fit this story. I really enjoyed Harald’s relationships, and his determination. The story brings in the believable, even if almost impossible. A very well-written story, and I enjoyed it. Yes, a definite enjoyable journey. This story brings the reader into the middle of the secrets and lingering history of death as it affects Harald and his wife. It’s a great story to follow and try to figure out what will happen next. The story brings in not only the curse but the culture and beliefs of the characters, as they try to figure who to trust, and who not to. I look forward to reading more by this author. This book is a definite recommendation by Amy’s Bookshelf Reviews.
Garth Pettersen has once again written a fascinating read in his third installment from his The Atheling Chronicles series, The Cold Hearth. I have enjoyed this series and this one is probably my favorite book to date. I am becoming a huge fan of the early English historical fiction and I have Mr Pettersen for that.
I am giving The Cold Hearth five plus stars. I highly recommend it to those who enjoy ancient English history.
I have received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.
The Cold Hearth by Garth Pettersen
The Atheling Chronicles #3
This princely tale set in the early eleventh century continues the tale of Harald Harefoot, the son of Cnute, as he and his wife Selia settle into their new home in Mercia…a place that they believe will provide them the future they both richly want and deserve. The story has assassins, brothers and stepbrothers that do not trust one another, a throne up for grabs and plenty of people thriving for power willing to spend money to remove those standing in their way.
What I liked:
* Harald: a good man that rules with fairness, loves his wife truly and wants the best for those in his care.
* Selia: a good woman who sincerely loves her husband, has empathy, strength and wisdom that complements that of Harald’s.
* Ravya: able to kill or heal – whichever is needed. A stalwart friend and one who can also woo a maiden
* Erral: a better man than his father – loved his wife and loves his children. He wants to do what is right and is given the opportunity to do so
* The convoluted history of Cnute’s family
* The sussing out of the assassins and how they get their just desserts
* The look into what life might have been like long ago
* The well-crafted plot and story telling that made me feel it took place long ago but also told in a way that makes it relevant today
* The romances…there were more than one
* The glossary of terms and character list
* Everything really…except…
What I did not like:
* The assassins and those willing to pay them
* The fact that the sons of kings felt they should kill relatives to assume the throne
* Knowing that the lifespan of people living in this time period was not long
Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more in the series? Yes
Thank you to the author for the ARC – This is my honest review.
5 Stars
BLURB
“The sons of Cnute are dead men.” The dying words of his brother’s assailant travel across the North Sea to the English Midlands.
Harald, the king’s second son, receives the warning while rebuilding a hall where he hopes to farm and lead a peaceful life with Selia, his Frisian wife. But as the hall nears completion, they learn the family who lived there before them all perished in a single night of bloodshed. Could the grounds be cursed?
Now the threat of unknown enemies casts a long shadow. Should they distrust the brooding Saxon neighbor or the two weapon-bearers they hired for protection? Should they suspect either of the two women they have taken on with the other hirelings? Only their Jewish warrior friend, Ravya ben Naaman, seems to be the only one above suspicion.
REVIEW
It’s not easy being the son of the King. While you might have started a new peaceful existence, and are the sort who gets along with the common folk, your family is another matter. Ever present in just about any monarchy is the issue of succession, and Harald Harefoot and his brothers aren’t the only contenders. The Cold Hearth is an engaging tale of an unsettled period in English history….the House of Wessex seeks to regain the throne from the House of Cnute, and one way to make that happen is to eliminate the Danish contenders to the throne. Wonderfully crafted characters fill the pages of this multi-threaded story; plot lines with twists and turns that leave the reader gasping at the turn of events. I was drawn into the emotional turmoil and stress resulting not only of the planned removal of Harald, but also from a brutal event in the past that threatens the tranquility of Harald’s friends and family. So, while Harald may have wanted a peaceful existence away from the turmoil, that isn’t what he gets in this rousing tale. Now I’m only guessing, but methinks that the turmoil will continue in the next episode of The Atheling Chronicles. 5
“The Cold Hearth” is cleverly written with Old English blended into the story giving it a feel of true authenticity for the time period in which it is written. Characters, both men and women are bold. Author’s notes in the beginning are enlightening; they reveal much about the historical characters. The Glossary is helpful and much appreciated, especially because it is located in the front, before the story even begins. Twists and deception will keep the reader guessing who is loyal to Harald and who will betray him. Descriptions abound and one can easily imagine the character’s appearances, as well as see the dilapidated property that Harald plans to develop. This is a beautiful installment to the Atheling Chronicles