Best historical fiction book of 2023 - Bjørn Larssen, blogger at Queen's Book Asylum⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'So good I read it twice,' Lesley Walters, goodreadsShortlisted for the 2022 Selfies Award and the 2022 Chaucer Award; Quarter-Finalist in The Booklife Prize.Loyalty has a price the children pay In the twilight of the old gods, when the last Vikings rule the seas, two cursed orphans meet on an Orkney beach and their fates collide.Stripped of honour, facing bleak loneliness ahead, Skarfr and Hlif forge an unbreakable bond as they come of age in the savage Viking culture of blood debts and vengeance. To be accepted as adults, Skarfr must prove himself a warrior and Hlif must learn to use women's weapons. Can they clear their names and choose their destiny? Or are they doomed by their fathers' acts? The award-winning author of The Troubadours Quartet returns to the 12th century, with skalds instead of troubadours and Viking warriors instead of crusaders. Get ready for authentic medieval adventures steeped in poetry, politics and passion. Perfect for fans of Bernard Cornwell Matthew Harffy and Madeline Miller.⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'A skilfully written, beautifully researched coming-of-age story set in Viking Orkney.' Lexie Conyngham, the Orkneyinga Murders series'Reads from start to finish like a saga straight from a skald's mouth.' B.A. Morton, The Favour Bank⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'All the hallmarks of a Jean Gill novel - political intrigue, action and adventure, and a love story fraught with difficulties!' Jane Davis, Small Eden