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| About The Book |
The gripping conclusion to an award-winning series. Don't just read Viking history - live it!
Praise for the series ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "A yarn fit for a Norse saga. Full of action, poetry and heart; a thrilling voyage through the vibrant world of the twelfth century." Matthew Harffy
Gifts from the gods come with a price. Warrior-poet Skarfr Kristinsson has crossed the world, facing exile and battles. Forgiven at last by his lord Jarl Rognvald, he is restored to honour but destiny is not done with him yet.
From the holy waters of the River Jordan to the gilded intrigues of Constantinople, Skarfr and his formidable trader-wife Hlif are drawn into a web of ambition, betrayal and vengeance. Hlif’s dangerous gift of dream-walking allows her to cross into the shadow world where the old gods still rule and where fate can be glimpsed, but never escaped.
While the pilgrim fleet is far from home, Orkney descends into chaos. Old grudges ignite, loyalties fracture, and blood is spilled, the 'raven wine' of sagas.
Epic, brutal and lyrical, With Raven Wine is the powerful conclusion to Jean Gill’s award-winning Midwinter Dragon series, a re-imagining of the Orkneyinga Saga, perfect for readers who love Madeline Miller, Bernard Cornwell and Matthew Harffy.
Praise for the series
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐"Made me want to read on... just one more chapter... and then another, and another. Late into the night!" B A Morton
1st prize winner of the Chaucer Awards
Shortlisted in the Selfies Award
EDITOR'S CHOICE - The Historical Novel Society
"Stunningly authentic." The Booklife Prize
Is there a difference between killing and murder?
This was as important a question in the 12th century as it is today,
particularly when referring to the actions of warriors (then) or soldiers
(now). Viking laws required paying compensation for causing a man’s death,
known as manbot, were meant to stop the
cycles of killing and vengeance which were otherwise prevalent. Whether the
laws were successful or not, rather depended on the individuals.
In With Raven Wine, the Viking warrior-poet Skarfr overhears a conversation between his adopted teenage son Sea-born and a seasoned fellow sailor, Jón Halt-foot, which leaves him worried that his son has a warrior’s skills without any compunction in using them.
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| read an excerpt |
Skarfr foresaw no
complications, until some instinct made him glance over the wales towards the
quayside, where he saw Sea-born with Jón Halt-foot. Deep in conversation, they
didn’t look towards the ship, so he paused, waiting for the opportunity to interrupt
and not seem like he was eavesdropping, which he couldn’t help. The familiar
voices carried easily to the moored ship, distinct from those of strangers
passing about their own business.
‘Why didn’t you kill him
for wounding you?’ Sea-born asked, adding, ‘I would have.’
Skarfr’s heart sank. It
was common knowledge that Jón’s limp was caused by Jarl Rognvald, years ago in
a feud they had put behind them. But they had
put it behind him so maybe Sea-born would gain from this exchange.
‘Well, now.’ Jón was in
expansive mood and he was always more tolerant of Sea-born than of Skarfr.
‘There’s killing and there’s murder. Killing must be done, but murder will get
you exiled or worse because it’s wrong. What happened between me and Rognvald
mixed up the two.’
So far, Jón was doing no
harm.
‘It started with too
much to drink, a stupid argument and murder. While Rognvald and me are sleeping
like innocent babes, his man murders my man. Rognvald wants to settle with
manbot, but coin is not enough to calm my man’s family, and so they kill the murderer.
As is their right! But now, Rognvald’s father, Koli, gets involved. Don’t mix
with him, he’s devious.’
This was all new to
Skarfr. All he knew of Koli was that he was overseeing the construction of St
Magnus Cathedral in Orkneyjar.
‘Koli plots to murder my
men for only taking rightful dues so I take a band of thirty to attack him. But
we’re outnumbered and we lose. I get wounded in my leg and we have to escape as
best we can. But I get my revenge for that too, on men he cares about.’
‘So you were winning?’
queried Sea-born.
‘Turn and turn about,
I’d say,’ replied Jón. ‘Koli and I are still alive but a good few men aren’t,
on both sides. And it was Rognvald’s men as started it. But kings and jarls
don’t care who started it. They just want an end to feuds, using laws and money.
And marriage. So the king or someone tells Koli to offer me his daughter for
wife. I say yes and swear loyalty to her brother, Rognvald, who turns out to be
the best leader I’ve known, nothing like his father.’
‘You could have had your
revenge on her instead, your wife, his sister.’
Skarfr’s blood ran cold
at Sea-born’s words. He remembered Thorbjorn marrying Inge, Sweyn’s sister, and
all the harm done by the rivalry between those two men.
Jón’s response was
sharp. ‘And her the sweetest woman a man could want? No, young Sea-born, a man
who mistreats his wife has no place in Valhalla — or in heaven.’
‘And a man who mistreats a child?’ asked Sea-born.
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| With Raven Wine is available from https://www.books2read.com/RavenWine |
About Jean Gill
Award-winning Welsh
author and photographer Jean Gill lives in Provence with the best scent-hound
in the world, a Nikon D750 and a man. Best known for writing epic medieval
adventures in The Troubadours and The Midwinter Dragon series, Jean has
published 27 multi-genre books since 1988, including the dog bestseller Someone
To Look Up To. Although she’s hung up her beekeeping gloves, she still cares
about her wild neighbours, which include boar, badgers, foxes and hares.
For many years, she
taught English, and was the first woman to be a secondary headteacher in the
Welsh county of Dyfed. She is mother or stepmother to five children so life was
hectic. With Scottish parents, Welsh and French residence and an English birthplace,
she can usually shout for the winning team in sporting events.
She loves to hear from
readers.
Contact via https://www.jeangill.com
Murder in Anglo-Saxon England: Justice, Wergild, Revenge by the historian Annie Whitehead is very readable background on the same theme, wergild being the Anglo-Saxon version of the Viking manbot.
