A Song of Steel

by J. C. Duncan Book 1 in the The Light of the North Saga series.

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4.5(1,732)

In an alternate 1116, centuries of Viking raiding have led Christian Europe to launch a crusade against the pagan kingdoms of the north. Ordulf, a young German swordsmith, is torn from his former life and carried into the invasion, while rival Norse rulers confront the need to unite against a common enemy. The opening novel follows the first clash between crusaders and Northmen and the forging of a weapon that may shape the fate of Scandinavia.

The alternate history treats Christianisation as a military as well as religious process. Northern rulers who would normally compete for land and reputation are forced to consider whether survival requires cooperation, while Ordulf’s craft gives him importance beyond ordinary rank. The forged weapon becomes a symbol of the wider question of whether Scandinavia can resist cultural as well as territorial conquest.