Blog Tour: Odin’s Betrayal by Donovan Cook

Genre: Historical fiction
Publisher: Boldwood Books
Pub date: 11 April 2023

Two kingdoms destined for war, one boy caught in the eye of the storm…

Francia AD853
After a failed Viking raid on the Frankish coast over 20-years-ago, Jarl Sven the Boar is forced to leave his only son, Torkel, as a hostage and warned never to raid Francia again or his son will die.

In Hügelburg, a small town in East Francia, Torkel and his 9-year-old son Charles are ambushed at home.

Before dying, Torkel thrusts a package into young Charles’s hands and tells him to flee Francia for Denmark in search of his grandfather Sven the Boar’s protection.

But the man Charles eventually finds is not who he expects, and Charles must put his fate in the hands of a man betrayed by Odin.

Together they must uncover the significance of the package and why the Kings of Francia want Charles dead.

We begin the story with Sven forced to leave his son Torkel on the shores of Francia, and he vows to return.

In the future, we meet a grown Torkel and his son Charles. Charles, unfortunately, has found himself the target of bullies, sadly due to his Dane heritage. Torkel is now a renowned warrior but remains wary of those around them. When Torkel is attacked, Charles has no choice but to run.

A large part of the story is his journey to Denmark. Along the way, he faces danger from men as well as beasts but trusts his new friend to help him reach his destination.

Meanwhile, we are introduced to Sven. He is no longer the renowned warrior he once was, but not all have given up him.
Something shifts in Sven when he meets his grandson, and he will do anything to protect him. The pair face threats together with a couple of old and new friends. One of which is Thora, a shieldmaiden and the daughter of a warrior well known to Sven. But who can they trust, and why is Charles in so much danger?

This is the first book of Cook’s I’ve read, and I was engrossed.
The characters, especially Sven, develop very well through the story. I really enjoyed how his story is told through flashbacks and his memories.
Thora is a brilliant character, bringing humour and an alternative viewpoint to the story.
I did find Charles a little annoying at times, but I’m looking forward to seeing how he matures in the next book.

This is fast paced and I read it in two sittings, I just had to know what was going to happen although I had to put it down a couple of times for a breather, because I almost didn’t want to know! There are some brilliant fighting scenes and a bit of gore, you can almost hear the weapons clash.
If a book can make me hold my breath, laugh, and almost cry, then I’ve definitely enjoyed it.

There are a lot of twists and turns, and just when you think the group is safe, another threat appears.

I can’t wait to read more about Sven and Thora and hope to see characters like Rollo and Oda develop in the next book.

Donovan Cook is the author of the well-received Ormstunga Saga series which combines fast-paced
narrative with meticulously researched history of the Viking world, and is inspired by his interest in
Norse Mythology. He lives in Lancashire, and his first title in a new series for Boldwood will be
published in Spring 2023.