This was an absolutely wonderful conclusion to the Golden Wolf trilogy. I love the way the author brought the siblings stories together & thought that it was really well done throughout the entire series. I'm looking forward to whatever she writes next! Her research on this series was impeccable & her writing was swift and concise while still being descriptive.

I really enjoyed this book and it felt like a satisfying end to the series for me. I love the tangled relationships and changing winds of fortune portrayed here. There were also surprising moments and shows of strength. For anyone that likes historical fiction, this will be an enjoyable read.

The Golden Wolf is the final in the three-part "Half-Drowned King" series. I came upon the first, The Half-Drowned King, by chance in 2017, and have anxiously awaited each installment since.

The Golden Wolf was no exception. The book begins with a killing on a ship (not so unusual in these Viking tales) and the act haunts the characters in ways large and small through the rest of the book.

This last tale of the series finds the central characters of The Half-Drowned King and The Sea Queen nearing the end of their lives, and I'm not ashamed to admit that I found it hard to say goodbye to these flawed, deeply-human individuals.

While there is a family tree of sorts at the beginning of the book, those who haven't read the rest of the series may find this book a bit frustrating to follow. I recommend starting at The Half-Drowned King, which will make you also want to read The Sea Queen, before you come to The Golden Wolf.

I am....so conflicted. This was a superb novel. It was well done and I loved reading it. But I did not like some pretty big things.

Writing: ★★★★★
Worldbuilding: ★★★★★
Historical accuracy and flair: ★★★★★
Satisfying character arcs: ★★

The Golden Wolf begins roughly 15 years after the events of The Sea Queen. Harald has been king for over a decade—doing a very Harald move and letting Svanhild and Ragnvald rule while he beds his latest wife—and Ragnvald is king of Norway in all but name. Harald's numerous sons are all vying for power and suspicious of Ragnvald's influence, and Ragnvald is finding himself at the helm of a country covered in the golden wolf's wolfish children. Svanhild Sea Queen has been ruling the seas in Solvi's absence and Harald's inattention. The siblings are content.

But then, their children get in their way.

One of the most interesting aspects of The Golden Wolf was its focus on inter-generational expectations. By having POVs of Ragnvald, Svanhild, Hilda, and Solvi—and then also POVs of their children Freydis, Rolli, Einar, and others—what was always a semi-familial epic origin story becomes a much more intimate portrait of families in flux. How does Ragnvald's stubborn expectations of his sons influence their lives? What becomes of Solvi and Svanhild's daughter, who was forgotten by her mother and unknown to her father?

I had to continually remind myself that this series is based on actual Norse history and epics. Because of that, certain realities were fated for our characters, regardless of narrative flow or feeling. So that means that some of these characters—who we have rooted for, cried over, and cheered on valiantly—well, they get dealt a bad hand.

I was so upset by some of the character arcs in this novel. I don't think that certain fates were deserved, and I still think Harald was a terrible king. It's hard to reconcile what I wanted to happen with what actually happens, but this is probably because I am a fantasy reader who wandered into this historical epic by chance. Agh. I wanted more, but I loved it anyway.

Thank you very much to Harper Collins Publishers for an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

A thrilling conclusion to one of my favorite series, The Golden Wolf completes the story of Ragnvald the Wise and his sister Svanhild Sea Queen, as well as the fates of their respective children. Set almost 20 years after the events of the second novel, this novel vacillated between heart-pounding action as the war for the consolidation of Norway finally comes to a head with King Harald's ambitions, while also focusing on the tragedies and triumphs of the characters we have spent three books with. As always, the author's introspection into the various lives of the women of ancient Norway is beautifully and poetically written while still maintaining historically accuracy. I hung onto every word about carding sheep's wool and the various laws surrounding a woman's autonomy. However, like with the previous two books, I had a difficult time relating to Ragnvald and his loyalty towards King Harald - especially with events that happen in this novel - but that did not take away my enjoyment of the novel as a whole!

A special thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is the third in a series. I loved the first one and the second was ok but this one I just couldn't get into. Too many characters and I got frustrating trying to keep them straight. It was also frustrating to try to pronounce them. It felt clunky to run across a name that I had to stop and try to sound it out. The story line is good and complex. I wish it had spent more time with the main character of the first book.

Reading this book transported me to ninth-century Norway, bundled in a warm hall at winter, and listening to the storytellers recount their lives, history, and culture. The Golden Wolf is the stunning climax to the three-part saga that Linnea Hartsuyker has so thoroughly researched and expertly developed. The Golden Wolf is absolutely my favorite of the three books because the character development that has been building throughout the other two novels concludes in an extremely satisfying way. This book is for those who enjoyed Beowulf for the epic Norse storytelling, for those who enjoy Game of Thrones due to the intriguing political drama, and those who enjoy historical fiction due to the expertly developed narrative that is perfectly integrated with historic and cultural values.

Well I think it would have been easier if I read the first two books first. There were so many people that I should have known before in the story. It made it hard to figure out until I knew who was who in the story. I'd say it took until probably 20 % until I had a fairly good grasp. We have the main characters in Einar as the jarl of Orkney, Gyda as Einar's first love, Sigurd as his uncle, Ragnvald as his father, Ivar as his brother and Ragnvald's heir, Rolli was also his brother who ended up as the great-great-great-grandfather of William the Conqueror, who invaded England in 1066. Most of this was found in researching the Viking age in Norway but she also used her own judgement in other's not in any records. This part of the story kept my interest going. We also have the High King Harald, his sons Halfdan and Gudrod, many more not named. Freydis, Einar's wife, and Svanhild her mother, and Solvi's her father. These people were in this tale quite a bit. It revolves around Einar and Ivar, Einar was at the rutter and Ivar was at the far end of the ship when they were boarded by the enemy and Ivar was killed, Einar was ordered to protect him and he killed his killer, not to Ragnvald's liking for he wanted Ivar as heir. Everything revolves around this. The story has many changes and Ragnvald's dogmatic stubbornness which is his death. I liked the story once I knew the people and gave it 4 star's.