Thunder God

"'The action sweeps across oceans and continents... As with all Watkins' work, the writing is terse and physical, the themes big and resonant.' Tatler; 'A Viking Odyssey... Thunder God vividly charts the voyages of Hakon, a fisherman's son who is struck by lightning, kidnapped by raiders, taken to Miklagard (Constantinople), where he becomes part of the Emperor's personal guard, caught up in a raid on the Welsh coast, storm-driven across the Atlantic...' The Times; 'The rich physical descriptions are matched by an equally sure understanding of the ways of religious belief... This unusual, fluent novel suggests that Watkins remains a force to be reckoned with.' Sunday Telegraph; 'A thundering good read... Watkins is a master of suspense, and his action sequences have a visceral power' Sunday Times"

A gripping, acclaimed action-packed Viking epic. Set in the 10th century, when Viking raids were at their peak, Paul Watkins spins a tale that covers three continents. After centuries of ranging unchecked across the northern world, the fortunes of the Vikings have begun to turn. In this time of violent change, a young man, struck by lightning, is believed to be marked by the gods as a keeper of the Norse religion's greatest secret. To save the Norse faith and himself, he embarks upon a journey that takes him far beyond the boundaries of the known world, where he must confront not only his own gods but the gods of a people yet more savage. 'Few contemporary novelists have the ability to grab readers by the throat with such intense story-telling power and not release them until the final page has been turned.' Sunday Times