I chose to read this book due to a general interest in Scotland, Vikings, and Norse mythology. When I saw that it was the second in the series, I went back and picked up the first to get the full experience of what these books had to offer (I'm nothing if not thorough). The first book was an interesting look at the day-to-day life of people living in an Orkney village circa 1140. Although I didn't love every scene (the more realistic village scenes were much better than the fantasy cave scene, IMO), I thought the book was interesting and was curious to see what happened next.

This book, unfortunately, just didn't hold up for me. Perhaps it was a mistake to read the books back-to-back as it made for a really long adventure with these characters, but I just didn't like the second book as well as the first. It was difficult to follow along in the adventure as the place names were all unrecognizable to me (yes, there was a translation page, but it disrupted the reading to reference it repeatedly). The sea setting was less compelling to me overall and I was longing for them to just reach any destination so that we could move the story along a little bit. I liked the balance between following the action with Skarfr and Hlif and checking back to Inge and Thorbjorn back in Orkney, but just got tired of reading the book well before I finished the story.

It's apparent that the author is well-read and researched everything thoroughly before writing this series. The author's note was comprehensive and the story was clearly realistic (the fantasy aspects in this one were more to my liking than in book 1, actually). I think that the books would be improved with more streamlined titles-- the series name "The Troubadours" didn't seem quite fitting to me as it has a lighter and more musical feeling (at least, to me) than the books do. "Among Sea Wolves" is nice, but the subtitle of "1150: The Whale Road" was a bit much-- same for book 1's "The Ring Breaker" compared to its subtitle "1139 Orkneyjahr." It's just a little bit too much to have 5 titles/subtitles to refer to 2 books. I feel like the subtitles could have just been thrown into the author's note. And I guess that was my issue with the whole book. It was just a little wordy and structured without having enough compelling scenes and situations.

Am I glad I read this? Yes. Am I relieved that it's over and I can read something else now? Also Yes. I'm giving this 3 stars, although 2.5 would be more honest.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free copy of this book in return for my review.

Among sea wolves by Jean Gill.
The midwinter dragon book 2.
Warrior-poet Skarfr embarks on a death-defying pilgrimage with his ruler, Jarl Rognvald, from the wind-whipped shores of Orkney to the Holy Land. He is one of the few men trusted by the Jarl, whether facing sea-monsters or murder. Fifteen ships sail on the ‘whale road’ in the pilgrims’ fleet. The only woman among the ‘sea wolves’, Hlif is respected as much for her practical skills as for her mystical gifts. Yet beneath her indomitable façade lies a secret – she is handfasted to Skarfr, their love forbidden by the Jarl’s decree. As tensions rise, Skarfr is torn between fealty to his Jarl and devotion to Hlif. One oath must be broken but which one? How can he steer a course between loyalty and love without losing his honour?
I really did enjoy this book. I love the cover. Different. I did like how Gill changed their names and places to modern equivalent. The writing is unique. I liked the family tree aswell. I did like the story as it carried on from book 1. I liked the little pictures at the start of each chapter. I did like Skarfr and Hlif. I do hope there is more to come as I feel there is. 4*.

I’m in the minority and just couldn’t get into this. The character POVs shifted too frequently, and the short chapters were hard enough without that due to all of the long names the author throws at you without any context. Would not recommend this if you haven’t read the first book.

A very entertaining story of the continuing Viking saga of Skarfr and Hlif. They sail off with nine ships on a Crusade to Jerusalem, and have amazing adventures along the way, including meeting Saracens in Spain. Treachery, betrayal, love, honor, loyalty--all are themes that make this a fantastic Viking epic saga.

Highly recommended!

Among Sea Wolves carries on the story of Skarfr and Hlif, the young Viking couple having to keep their forbidden relationship a secret as they travel with Jarl Rognvald of Orkney on pilgrimage to Jerusalem. At the same time we follow what's happening to the leaders of Orkney left behind to battle for power, and those of their servants, Fergus and Brigid, who we met in the first book.

I really enjoyed the first book of the series and this follows on beautifully. If you have any interest in Viking history, these books are a really immersive experience. The author's research has obviously been meticulous as she doesn't just tell the story of the characters, but manages to place it all in the mindset of the time and people. Some of the Vikings, such as Rognvald, are converting to Christianity, others maintain the older beliefs, and it's interesting to see how these influence and contradict each other. Similarly in this book the pilgrimage takes us on the voyage to places like Narbonne and Sicily, vastly different to Orkney and a real shock to the Vikings to see such vast differences in culture, architecture and behvaiour. The characters are all well drawn and their behaviour makes sense, especially as we are given so much context of their belief system. Skarfr, the main character, is a skald, a poet and teller of sagas, and this series is really the saga of his own life that he yearns for throughout.

The book ends in a whole new situation and I can't wait to see where we go next!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

Among Sea Wolves by Jean Gill

Warrior-poet Skarfr embarks on a death-defying pilgrimage with his ruler, Jarl Rognvald, from the wind-whipped shores of Orkney to the Holy Land. He is one of the few men trusted by the Jarl, whether facing sea-monsters or murder.

Fifteen ships sail on the ‘whale road’ in the pilgrims’ fleet. The only woman among the ‘sea wolves’, Hlif is respected as much for her practical skills as for her mystical gifts. Yet beneath her indomitable façade lies a secret – she is handfasted to Skarfr, their love forbidden by the Jarl’s decree.

A wonderful saga and a great plot , I love hearing about the character Hilf a woman in a mainly man's world.
This would make a great film / series .

This saga is a glorious tale for lovers of Norse history and lore. I was absolutely captivated from page one due to the exemplary attention to detail, the writing style and the immersive narrative

You will feel as if you are embarking on a voyage, learning about navigation methods and life on board a longboat, right down to the smallest details, including skincare. The level of research is astounding and the attention to detail is a joy to behold. These small details add an enriching layer to an already fully immersive saga

The interplay between Hlif and Skarfr is both inspiring and breathtaking, let alone Fergus' quest to be reunited with his lost love. The various relationships and politics are as tumultuous as the seas they traverse and so elegantly woven as to be easy to follow

A key element in this tale, is that it is told in the same style as Norse communities would share their sagas through prose and song and as such, having a warrior poet as an MMC and the well-chosen quotes in the epigraphs were an elegant and fitting detail, a really nice touch

Among Sea Wolves is a fantastic read for fans of Bernard Cornwell, Norse Lore, Viking Saga's and Voyages you can really get your teeth into. Fantastic!

I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily

This is one of the books I find it hard to write a review about since there were probably equally amounts of parts I really enjoyed and the ones I disliked. The characters were likeable but not outstanding to me, so was the writing.

I really liked this. It had an interesting storyline and was very realistic in time and place, descriptive atmosphere and characters that were lifelike and interesting
This was a lot of fun

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc