VIKING The Plains of Althing

Book I of the Norse Adventure series: ICELAND 979 A.D.
A BRUTAL CHIEFTAIN. A GOOD SERVANT, BETRAYED.
A man and woman bound by love--and torn apart by a terrible secret.Kel Coesson hates his work as the steward of a cruel chieftain. If Kel leaves, the man will murder beautiful Aldís, the only woman Kel has ever loved...but staying is killing Kel. When the chieftain commits a loathsome crime, Kel snaps, starting down the treacherous path of treason. A powerful slave called 'the Black Mountain' becomes Kel's ally, teaching a mysterious 'third way', as an unseen force draws Aldís back to a place she vowed never to return. As strife grows in their troubled country, others watch: a travelling bishop determined to save the souls of Iceland's pagan people, and the furtive agent of a foreign jarl. Lust, loyalty and betrayal vie in a spectacular setting of lava flows, northern lights, plunging waterfalls, and pagan blood sacrifice. Themes include the challenge of corruption to the rule of law, the value of democracy, the power of personal character, anger and love, and the price of safety. Get The Plains of Althing to experience the intensity of Viking-era Iceland; Katie Aiken Ritter is a 2016 Alabama Writer's Conference Novel Award winner and at 2017 Pirate's Alley Faulker Society finalist."Excellent book. You won't want want to put it down!" "Five stars *****!!!" VIKING: The Plains of Althing is Book I of the Norse Adventure series. Readers who enjoyed Jean Auel's Clan of the Cave Bear, Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth, or the History Channel's iconic show Vikings may appreciate this first novel which sets up the prelude to an iconic Icelandic family saga that will span five books and explore themes such as the hero's journey, loyalty under duress, everyday life in medieval Scandinavia, slavery in European societies, the rule of law against creeping authoritarianism, the world's first democracy at Althing, pagan beliefs, conversion to Christianity, and strong female, Norse, enslaved and black protagonists, all amid Iceland's dramatic landscape in the land of fire and ice."Great summer reading and thrilling escapist fiction in a deeply-researched historical novel. Highly recommended."