Viking voices - Vincent Atherton

It is the 10th century. Amleth is a warrior serving the Hiberno-Norse king Ragnald. He and his clever wife Aud are violently thrown out of Dublin, along with the rest of their group, when the Irish tribes they are enslaving revolt against them. The king and his men swear to return and regain their city, after wandering the Irish Sea and encountering enemies in Anglesey, the Isle of Man and Scotland. Amidst their adventures they fight battles and gather treasures, forming alliances and even making friends along the way. Amleth becomes indispensible to the increasingly aggressive and brutal Ragnald, his cunning and his blacksmith skills enabling him to produce his own glittering and beautiful sword. Eventually they all get rich and live happily ever after, except for those that die. Viking Voices is a historic novel that explains how the Cuerdale Hoard, the largest treasure ever found in Western Europe, came to be buried in the bank of the Ribble and why it was left there to be found centuries later. Vincent Atherton also looks at the relationship between a warrior and his wife against the turbulent background of friction between England and Ireland in the 10th century. With fictional characters who experience true historical events, this is an insightful and enjoyable read for any fans of historical fiction, particularly the Viking era.