Today is publication day for Woden’s Spear by Donovan Cook! What better way to celebrate than for me to kick off the blog tour!!!!

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.

Review

Octa is young and untested in war. He’s got a bit of swagger about him, especially when he’s given the chance to shine in the shield wall.

Fate has other things in store for Octa and after the death of his cousin, bringing shame on himself and his family he fleas to safety.

As Octa tries to escape his past an old man appears and offers a chance to redeem himself. Woden’s Spear was stolen, and the God wants it back… Could Octa be the one to help?

By chance Octa finds his way to Britannia where the spear is located but Octa doesn’t exactly know where to find it.. but he must if he’s to win back the favour of his family.

Along the way Octa is tested.. he truly believes he’s a coward, self-deprecating..but as the story progresses you see him slowly change as he meets new people along the way, see’s other perspectives.. was it really his fault what happened? Or was he pushed too soon?

We also learn that nothing happens by chance.. Octa was meant to be sent on this journey.. the Gods can be cruel and the decisions he makes could have major consequences… but the chance to get his hands on the spear is too hard not to take!

Historical Fiction is my bread and butter.. I love the genre and Woden’s Spear is a great addition… but it’s so much more than that…Dovovan Cook gives an extra dimension.. it’s the fantasy edge.

A lot of books touch on religions at the time and the turmoil caused but I loved that the author explored this in a different way and came up with a fascinating tale that included the will of the Gods… like the Gods were real and pulling the strings of men they use as puppets…

There’s still some great action scenes but I found myself really enjoying the adventure and didn’t miss the blood and gore.

I loved the character development arc of Octa too.. he grows throughout the tale but only with the help others.. and it’s those characters that really make things interesting. Badulf, Brigid and for me especially Reinald who I thought was the one who finally got through to Octa and made he see things in a different light.

Towards the end we also see development of Octa’s family which I loved, Octa’s father for example is a proud warrior.. when pushed too far what will he do for his family?

I was invested already but when I got about 65% through I was devastated to even need a toilet break as things were starting to get really juicy and it was one of those reads when you really don’t know what will happen next!

A super fun and exhilarating read 5*

My thanks go to the author, Boldwood Books and Rachel’s Random Resources for having me on the tour

Purchase Link – https://mybook.to/WodensSpear

Why not follow the tour?

Author Bio –

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, where his fascination with Medieval History, especially the Vikings and Norse Mythology, took root. In his free time, Donovan loves to read, watch rugby, and go for walks with his wife and their French Bulldog, Joey.

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Twitter: @DonovanCook20

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