I’m reviewing Woden’s Spear by Donovan Cook #blogtour #newrelease #historicalfiction

Here’s the blurb

Banished by those he loved; how far would he go for redemption?

449AD Old Saxony

Octa, the son of a mighty Saxon warlord, stands in the shield wall for the first time, eager to make a name for himself. But instead of the promised battle glory, fear overpowers him and he flees the battle, causing the death of his cousin and bringing shame to his family.

Disowned by his father, and hunted by his own people, Octa is spurred on by his mother’s vision for his future, a promise of greatness to come.

A chance encounter with a wiry traveller offers Octa a chance of redemption with a quest to retrieve a sacred weapon. To do this, Octa must travel to Britannia, a nation abandoned by the Roman Empire and unable to defend itself from its many enemies who smell weakness and riches.

Joining the famous warlords, Hengist and Horsa, Octa travels west to forge his future and redeem his past. He must succeed where others have failed. He must find the lost spear of Woden.

An epic adventure of turmoil, coming of age and survival set against a time when Britannia was on its knees and fighting for its very existence.
Perfect for the fans of Bernard Cornwell and Matthew Harffy.

Purchase Link

https://mybook.to/WodensSpear

My Review

Woden’s Spear is the first part of a new series by Donovan Cook. Starting in Saxony, our young would-be warrior embarks on a journey to rehabilitate his reputation alongside some well-known figures from the dawn of Saxon England.

Octa, our main character, is a young man far from being the warrior he wishes he were (and perhaps thinks he is). Indeed, he’s weak and ineffectual and very much enjoys life in the shadow of his more warrior-like father until he’s abruptly confronted with the truth about himself. Not that he immediately rises up to counter those truths; instead, he slinks away from all he’s ever known, feeling very sorry for himself, haunted by his failures.

But this changes when he meets first an old man who speaks to him of a quest, and then Hengist and Horsa, those very famous names associated with the beginning of Saxon England. He joins them in journeying to Brittania, encountering Vortigern along the way. But Octa has a very different motive behind his actions to that of Hengist and Horsa.

Octa is very much swept up in events outside his control as he pursues his quest with the aid of a native Briton and some Jutes who don’t much like him and, indeed, have a very different idea of his destiny.

This is a vivid portrayal of Britannia in the middle of the fifth century and is sure to delight readers of the genre as we follow Octa on his quest to rehabilitate himself with the aid of a god or two along the way.

Check out my reviews for Odin’s Betrayal, Loki’s Deceit, Thor’s Revenge and Valhalla’s Fury.

Meet the author

Donovan Cook is the author of the well-received Ormstunga Saga series and the Charlemagne’s Cross series, both of which combine fast-paced narrative with meticulously researched history of the Viking world and are inspired by his interest in Norse Mythology. Donovan was born in South Africa but raised in England.

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