This novel was entertaining g but it was hard to get through. I probably wont be recommending this novel to anyone because the plot inched along and the payout wasn't big enough for the effort it takes to read it

Odin’s Game by Tim Hodkinson is a wonderful, involved story, weaving a tale from the icy chill of Iceland to the dramatic landscape of Ireland, with a sojourn on the Orkneys in between. It tells the story of a young man’s journey to become a warrior, whilst uncovering the secrets of his parentage. It is not a straight forward journey. Fraught with danger, and the clash of two worlds and two religions, the Christian and the Norse gods, young Einar must fight for survival.

The characters are believable and wholly original. The reader is drawn into their troubles and finds themselves cheering on the ragtag crew that the hero, Einar, has found himself attached to. These are violent times, with war and intrigue being practically the norm. Betrayal is only ever just around the corner and it is a testament to the strength of the story in the the novel that the reader never quite knows from where the betrayal will come – nor from where the hero, Einar, will get his strength and support. Einar has to face a steep learning curve if he is to survive and prosper.

The little details demonstrate the extent to which the author has obviously researched the history and customs of the Norsemen. Weapons and fighting techniques are as accurate as any I have read; as are the finer details of clothing, customs and the relationships between the Norwegians, Irish and the Icelanders. The result for the reader is a total immersion into the unfolding story. The landscape is just as absorbing as the characters in the novel. You can practically feel the cold seeping into your bones in Iceland; or the damp, harsh conditions of Ireland.

This is a thoroughly enjoyable story that will draw the reader in from the opening pages. One of the most unpredictable stories I have read in recent times, it will keep you on your toes, wondering what will happen next and whether any will get out alive. The tension is palpable!

If you enjoy a good, original story, full of action and intrigue, and a bag full of tension – this is the book for you!

Odin’s Game is a thoroughly enjoyable adventure, twisting and turning in unexpected ways as the story unfolds. And, like all good stories, the ending does not exactly turn out as the reader would guess, leaving you wanting more. I sincerely hope that this is the beginning of a wonderful series of adventures fro Einar and his companions. It was a delight to read every page.

A lot of people will tell you that I love historical fiction. I must admit this one is a first for me. I’ve never read anything from the Viking era. But the blurb had me hooked. How could I not read it after that?

The story is centred around Einar’s mysterious coming into the world and the life he currently leads. He was banished from his homeland of Iceland and went to Orkney to find his family and father. I love Einar’s adventures and his search for his own identity.

This book has very well developed characters that are extremely interesting, but it has twists and turns that will leave you wondering, how the hell did that happen?

I am very much looking forward to the next instalment and adventures of Einar. Could this be a film series in the making?

This tale follows Einar whose mother fled her past many years ago. Life seems settled but after a disagreement Einar must leave his home behind or risk death! Unn, his mother, feels there is little choice but send him to the home of his uncle, known as Skull Cleaver.

Einar sets out to prove his worth but ends up in over his head, captured and held hostage..what price will his uncle pay to see him free?

The relationship between Jarl Thorfinn ‘Skull Cleaver’ and Einar is wonderful to see unfold with quite a few twists along the way..the past won’t stay buried for long.

Along the way we meet the Wolf Coats..Fierce warriors who utterly engrossed me..the dark humour they have made it such fun to read.

The plot was well planned out and paced perfectly to keep on the edge of my seat..there’s no time to be bored.. you just get sucked into this one so easily.

A word to describe this tale is deception.. nothing is what it seems…backstabbing and plotting are high on everyone’s agenda..who can you trust.

What I really enjoyed was that on the whole this is a dark and gritty tale of deceit with war brewing but you can see some moments where the author really had some fun.

Odin’s Game ticks the boxes for me, plot is fantastic and when you add in the very likeable characters you’ve got a hit!

Tim Hodkinson has written an epic tale and I can’t wait to see where this goes..that ending has me itching for more! The scene has been set.. an earth shattering saga in the making!

BLURB

AD 915.

In the Orkney Isles, a young woman flees her home to save the life of her unborn child. Eighteen years later, 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. He joins forces with a Norse-Irish princess and a company of wolfskin-clad warriors to become a player in 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.

Not everyone will survive, but who will conquer all in Odin's game?

REVIEW

Whenever I read or hear the name Odin, I almost inevitably am drawn back to a scene in the Tony Curtis/Kirk Douglas movie, The Vikings. Tony Curtis is tied to a pole anchored in a tide pool awaiting death by drowning, while an old woman (a volva) is praying in anguished cries, "ODIN", seeking the god's intervention. (Spoiler alert - Tony survives). In Odin's Game, the god does not directly intercede, but he plays an integral part in the lives of those who are gifted by him. Einar is one of those upon whom Odin has bestowed his gifts. Odin's Game is a wonderfully crafted tale of discovery, not only of Einar's shrouded in mystery lineage, but also finding out who he was in the eyes of men and gods, and who he was meant to be. 

Any tale that wants to set the hook and reel me in has to have characters who are not only well developed, and interesting, but they also have to get me emotionally involved. The author has created a bevy of well developed, interesting characters to help, or hinder, Einar on his travels, some of who produced, in me, positive vibes, some of who I loathed from the start. The story, while in the main is Einar's search for identity, has some surprises along the way; twists and turns in the plot line giving the reader moments to pause and exclaim, "I didn't see that coming", or "I knew he was up to no good.' Odin's Game is an entertaining voyage along the Whale Road, and I for one am looking forward to more of Einar. 5 Stars

The author had me at the description. This book grabbed my attention from the very first words and did not let go. The story is easy to get involved in and bonds quickly form with the characters as you watch them develop and grow. I have recently, as of the past year and a half, become interested and started reading books based in the Viking era. This was a thrilling adventure that will most likely find itself on my favorite reads shelf. A full and more thorough review will be posted on my blog by 5/17/19 if not earlier.

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I was immediately drawn to the first two words - Orkney 931. Finally some new historical fiction set in the 10th century, and littered with actual historical characters that were, themselves, larger than life. In the Scandinavian world, this was a period rife with political turmoil, with, at times, murderous power struggles between nations and families; it was an age of exploration and settlement as the Scandinavian world spreads out over northern Europe - to Greenland, Iceland, Scotland, Kiev; it was an age where old Gods were being replaced by one God, though in some instances it was hardly a smooth and voluntary process.

This was a world I was familiar with, having read many of the Scandinavian Sagas - a must if you are looking to delve deeper into this era. The tale that Hodkinson weaves in the Skaldic tradition is a page-turner - a gripping action adventure like the sagas of old; and once finished, you just want to go back and read it all over again.

Odin's Game by Tim Hodkinson begins with great promise. I hope, mirroring the writing style of the sagas, the story is simply told, occasionally a little monotonous, and yet, it's Viking Age Iceland - the promise is there, all the time, expectant that finally there is a novel about the Icelandic way of life.
Unfortunately, the novel moves away from Iceland quite quickly, and in doing so, becomes a more challenging read. The characters are two dimensional, there is some jarringly 'modern' dialogue in there, as well as some that is stilted, and yet all mixed with what must be a great deal of research and commitment to telling a story in a 'different way' to much that is written about the Viking Age - journeying to Orkney and Ireland along the way, if as so often happens, staying with the Pagan/Christian storyline.
Einar, the main character, is never fully formed enough to elicit a great deal of sympathy from the reader, and his 'talents' appearing from nowhere (apart from his ability to tell a good story which he has been trained to do) are supposed to be gifts from Odin, but are, again, not fully explored enough to make the novel feel 'well-rounded and finished.'
There is a huge amount of promise contained in this novel, but it slips away, never quite grasping the storyline firmly enough, and the ending is both rushed, and ultimately, unfulfilling. A true shame. Such an engaging idea, but a struggle to read. In the end, I willed myself to the end in the hope the ending would be as good as the beginning, only to be disappointed. The three stars is for the promise of what could be a great novel.

Great book! It's a fast paced book by Hodikson and I hope there is a sequel. I liked the plot and all the well developed characters.