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Title: The Half-Drowned King
Author: Linnea Hartsuyker
Publisher: Harper Paperbacks
Published Date: 26th June 2018
Page Count: 464
ISBN: 978-0062563705
Price: $15.99
Reviewer: Gwendoline SK Terry (12 November 2023)

Blurb

An exhilarating saga of the Vikings that conjures a brutal, superstitious, and thrilling ninth-century world and the birth of a kingdom—the debut installment in a historical literary trilogy that combines the bold imagination and sweeping narrative power of Game of Thrones, Vikings, and Outlander.

Centuries ago, in a blood-soaked land ruled by legendary gods and warring men, a prophecy foretold of a high king who would come to reign over all of the north. . . .

Ragnvald Eysteinsson, the son and grandson of kings, grew up believing that he would one day take his dead father’s place as chief of his family’s lands. But, sailing home from a raiding trip to Ireland, the young warrior is betrayed and left for dead by men in the pay of his greedy stepfather, Olaf. Rescued by a fisherman, Ragnvald is determined to have revenge for his stepfather’s betrayal, claim his birthright and the woman he loves, and rescue his beloved sister Svanhild. Opportunity may lie with Harald of Vestfold, the strong young Norse warrior rumored to be the prophesied king. Ragnvald pledges his sword to King Harald, a choice that will hold enormous consequence in the years to come.

While Ragnvald’s duty is to fight—and even die—for his honor, Svanhild must make an advantageous marriage, though her adventurous spirit yearns to see the world. Her stepfather, Olaf, has arranged a husband for her—a hard old man she neither loves nor desires. When the chance to escape Olaf’s cruelty comes at the hands of her brother’s arch rival, the shrewd young woman is forced to make a heartbreaking choice: family or freedom.

Set in a mystical and violent world defined by honor, loyalty, deceit, passion, and courage, The Half-Drowned King is an electrifying adventure that breathtakingly illuminates the Viking world and the birth of Scandinavia.

Review – may contain spoilers!

Extensively researched and brimming with rich detail, the Half-Drowned King is a magnificent tale based on the lives of Rognvald Eysteinsson and Harald Fairhair. Reading like the old Norse sagas this story is based on, Linnea Hartsuyker has a unique writing style that I thoroughly enjoyed, though it was a little stiff in places (just like the sagas). The cover of this novel is gorgeous, just like the other two in the trilogy; I absolutely adore the art style.

The story is divided between Ragnvald and his younger sister, Svanhild. Some parts of Ragnvald’s story dragged in places while Svanhild’s sections were consistently captivating.

Despite being determined to seize back the lands his stepfather stole from him, in the end, it wasn’t as difficult a feat as I expected it to be. Ragnvald didn’t have much to struggle against after he survived the attempt on his life, instead, he was caught between leaders, juggling them and keeping them from killing each other. When it came to actually helping Ragnvald get his lands back, the leaders both turned their backs on him. Regardless, he succeeded with relative ease, only the wonderful Oddi (and Heming, but eh, Oddi was the best) plus twenty other nameless warriors at his side. It seemed he didn’t need a mighty army after all.

Ragnvald also had somewhat of a personality change halfway through the book, going from headstrong to wise depending on what the situation desired. Similarly, Svanhild went from being eager to return to her brother, to suddenly obsessing over Solvi. She started off admirable and likeable, persevering with the hand she was dealt, managing through the patriarchal society she lives in. She had praiseworthy goals that are not unbelievable for the period the story is set, and I rooted for her every page she was on until she fell in love with Solvi.

I didn’t like that she fell in love with the man who tried to murder her brother in cold blood. Her intention was to help her brother at first, using her feminine wiles to ensnare Solvi, à la Vigdis with Olaf (and later Ragnvald). I understand that falling in love with Solvi was a plausible possibility, but she flat-out betrayed Ragnvald in favour of Solvi and abandoned her brother in the end even though that had been her driving cause. She literally could’ve brokered peace between them, but instead, she stomped her feet and demanded to be returned to Solvi. To be fair, realistically, Svanhild was just a sixteen-year-old girl, impressionable and unworldly; Solvi opened the world to her, gave her a taste of freedom, and offered her exactly what she wanted. I don’t think this should outweigh the fact he was her brother’s would-be killer, but I can sort of see why she would be swayed. I also don’t think she forgave what he did, but she certainly didn’t hold the grudge considering.

By the end, Solvi and Svanhild get to forge their own path together without the constraints of their families holding them back. A good ending, though I didn’t like Solvi enough to feel he deserved it, let alone with Svanhild at his side.

Thorvald and Einar’s respective deaths were both so tragic, that my heart broke for them.

Hartsuyker refreshingly maintains a 9th-century perspective in her 9th-century characters rather than injecting a 21st-century one into her heroes and heroine to make them more palatable by modern-day standards. Despite my nitpicking, this was truly a fantastic novel and I look forward to reading the other books in the series.