Press

What the critics say

'A gripping story of horrific proportions from a prize-winning author.'
- Publishing News

. . .this is more than a vivid story, full of passion, intrigue and terrifying violence. It is also beautifully wrought.
- Glasglow Herald

'Based on the same Nordic saga as the award-winning BLOODTIDE, this is another riveting story.'
- The Bookseller

Burgess's great triumph is not so much in inventing new stories as in finding fresh ways of retelling the ones that are themselves in danger of falling into extinction.
- Guardian

Dark and tragic as it frequently is, nevertheless pulses with the intensity of lives richly lived and experiences richly recaptured.
- Irish Times

Powerfully imagined, eloquently told, this is a well-crafted mix of myth, magic, real science fiction and human emotion.
- Carousel

Burgess' imagination is amazing - he takes you to the brink every time.
- The Bookseller

In Burgess's hands, fantasy is far from fanciful. He's updated the legends with relish, creating a world thick with invention and contemporary resonance.
- Manchester Evening News

Bloodtide was good. This is better. It's the best thing I've read by Melvin Burgess. . . This is a novel that matches the power of its ancient inspiration and remakes it for another time.
- Books for Keeps

A gripping story of horrific proportions.
- www.amazon.co.uk

Mature readers will find this highly original and bold work to be gripping, well written, enthralling, cautionary and unflinching.'
- Inis

Brilliantly written and, at just a little over 300 pages brilliantly edited - one of the very best books of the year.'
- Achuka Children's Books

The story abounds with treachery, evil and violence. It reveals the best and the worst in human beings but is also the stuff of nightmares. . . will appeal to anyone who enjoys a good story told by a gifted writer.'
- bbc reviews

A gritty and gripping urban fantasy.'
- New Books

Compelling story . . . It is full of gods, dragons, kings and murder.
- www.newsandstar.co.uk

good imagery, fast paced action, and interesting description.
- Scottish Sunday Herald

Mature readers will find this highly original and bold work to be gripping, well written, enthralling, cautionary and unflinching.
- INIS

Teenage boys with strong stomachs should enjoy it.
- Independent on Sunday

Scandinavian saga and futuristic fantasy combine in a frightening, explicit novel of scientific 'progress' and human vulnerability.
- Irish Times

Burgess mediates modern angst, rage and violence through the mirror of the Nodic Volsunga saga
- Irish Sunday Independent

Burgess mixes myth, magic and science fiction in this powerfully imagined tale of love and destruction, reincarnation and revenge.
- Irish News

Burgess draws on the brilliant but neglected Volsunga Saga, giving it a contemporary relevance..unforgettable characters and the power of his storytelling make this a winner.
- Glasgow Herald

a thrillingly readable and evocative narrative
- Daily Telegraph

Told in a direct fashion which pulls you in, daring you not to finish the page and turn over to find what happens next.
- School Librarian