A Flame in the North
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4.3 • 12 Ratings
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
From New York Times bestselling author Lilith Saintcrow comes the first book in a thrilling Norse-inspired epic trilogy about ancient myth and magical destiny.
The Black Land is a myth: Centuries have passed since that Great Enemy was slain. Yet old fears linger, and on the longest night of the year, people in the South still light ritual bonfires to banish the dark.
In her village, this duty falls to Solveig, a girl favored by the gods with powerful fire magic. But when her brother kills a Northern lord’s son during the ritual, it is Sol who faces punishment, by being weregild—part hostage, part guest—in the North for a year and a day.
As she journeys to her captivity, Sol starts to realize that the Black Land is no myth. The forests teem with foul beasts. Her travel companions are not what they seem, and their plans for her magic are shrouded in secrecy.
With only her loyal shieldmaiden and her own wits to rely upon, Sol must learn to master her powers and wrest control of her fate. For the Black Land’s army stirs, ready to cover the world in darkness—unless Sol can find the courage to stop it.
The story continues in THE FALL OF WATERSTONE, available July 2024, and in the incredible conclusion DOOM OF THE ELDER, coming soon.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Saintcrow (the Dante Valentine series) launches the Black Land's Bane series with an intense and intricate epic steeped in the magic of Norse mythology. Eldest daughter Solveig has powers as both an elementalist and a "full-fledged volva," or seer. After her brother kills a man from the North, the other members of the man's party, Aeredh and Eol, are entitled to recompense—a life for a life. They request Solveig as a weregild, or hostage, beholden to them for a year and a day in order to repay the wrong. Solveig and Arneior, her sworn shieldmaid who is blessed by the Wingéd Ones, head north with Aeredh and Eol. As the path becomes more dangerous, the women discover that their captors have strange powers of their own; that the much-fabled Black Land, the home of a great evil, is real; and that an army is rising within, which only Solveig's powers may be able to stop from sweeping the land. Saintcrow vividly paints the protagonist's journey, combining heart-pounding action with dense and complex worldbuilding. Epic fantasy fans will be enthralled.
Customer Reviews
Meh
I was very disappointed. Characters are flat with no juice. I found I didn’t care what happened to them or how the book ended. I couldn’t even bring myself to like the characters. It read more like a documentary than a novel. No more for me.