Faith of their Fathers: A Saga of Iceland
by Samuel M. SargeantPublished by: Neem Tree Press on July 11, 2024
Genres: Adult, Historical, Mystery
Pages: 352
Format: eBook
Source: Publisher
Rating:
A gripping and taut historical thriller set in Medieval Iceland—written by a PhD scholar of Medieval Old Norse-Icelandic sagas.
False God.
At the dawn of the 11th Century in a small Icelandic settlement, these words, daubed in blood, herald the arrival of a killer. Soon, a spate of murders threatens the fragile peace between pagans and a growing Christian minority. Arinbjorn, a young pagan farmer resolves to track down the killer before the community is permanently torn apart. His investigations draw in Freya, an isolated housewife whose secrets could either condemn or free her. Meanwhile in Norway, King Olaf Tryggvason has his own designs upon Iceland and its people. War is rife in Scandinavia, and a Christian Iceland would bolster his control over the region.
Only one thing is certain: these murders will change Icelandic society forever.
Content Tags:
Perfect for readers who want:
- A look into medieval Icelandic culture
- A thoughtful look at religious colonization and its effects
- Murder mystery in a unique setting
- Strong women held back by society
- The tipping point of a society on the verge of change
I received a copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
The minute I read the summary of this book, I knew I was going to pick it up! First, despite being a sucker for Norse mythology, I realized that I haven’t actually read a whole lot of books centered on Icelandic culture. Clearly, I’m missing out. Second, the idea of an Icelandic murder mystery? Absolutely sold me. There was no way I could resist!
Faith of Their Fathers is an Medieval Icelandic murder mystery, during a time that was religiously charged, full of characters doing their best in unforgiving circumstances.
Faith of Their Fathers is a slow burn type of a book, the sort that forces you to sit in the frigid atmosphere and experience it with the characters. It’s an interesting blend of murder mystery and slice of life. While compelling, the mystery is solved maybe midway, and it’s fairly easy to guess if you’re paying attention. Where the book really shines is in its descriptions and atmosphere, the way it drags the reader into the fray and transports them back to Medieval Iceland.
The story is told in multiple perspectives, all slightly different, but all just as foolish as the next. Then again, humans, after all, are messy, emotional creatures, and Sargeant strikes at the heart of that in so many different ways.
Much of the story follows young Arinbjorn, who’s perhaps a bit headstrong and impulsive. Thankfully, he’s tempered by his much wiser friend Sigvaldi, who’s often pulled into his schemes. Arinbjorn is a great leading character, because he’s the quintessential noble character . . . to a fault. Literally. There are many times Arinbjorn is asked to alter his course—and, I would argue, several times when he definitely should—but he’s so caught up in honor and doing what he believes is right that he can’t give up his quest, to the point of obsession. Still, it’s hard not to root for someone who is so aggressively trying to do what’s right.
In stark juxtaposition to this is King Olaf, who does sort of just whatever he wants. You know, like a king. Olaf is unforgiving and brutal. In his quest to spread Christianity, he takes a “the ends justify the means” approach to get things done. Which is a convenient way to justify whatever atrocity you want in the name of God, as it turns out. And oh, there are atrocities. There are definitely moments that made me want to throttle King Olaf myself. While certainly not a sympathetic character, he’s an interesting character all the same.
“I always try to bring you honour, father.”
Thorleikr’s smile faltered.
“It is not my fault the sheep fell down the ravine,” Arinbjorn protested, “and I brought them back so that we could at least use them.”
“It is not the sheep of which I speak. Racing across the valleys? You could have been killed for your recklessness.”
Arinbjorn turned to Sigvaldi, his friend standing a police distance behind him.
“You told him?” He could not hide the anger in his voice.
Thorleikr struck his son about the head. The act was fast, belying his old frame, and his thick meaty fist was like a hammer striking upon the exact spot he had struck his head in the ravine earlier. “Sigvaldi told me nothing. One of the thralls watched you galloping upriver.”
At the heart of this story is the struggle against divisiveness, the way beliefs (whether Christian or Norse) have the power to divide people and the ways in which that division pulls society apart.
At this point in time, Iceland is still mostly pagan, following the Norse gods, but Christianity is just beginning to get a foothold. And it isn’t pretty. Some would do anything in order to further their cause. That becomes all the more evident when Christians turn up murdered, with “False God” written in their blood at the scene. Murders are tense enough, but murders with a seemingly religious motive? Definitely creates a rift between the two groups.
One thing I really appreciated about this narrative is the fact that there isn’t a clear good vs. bad narrative between the two factions. It’s much more complicated than that. Obviously, there are good guys and bad guys in both camps, and each has their moment. The focus is less on who’s right and wrong and more on how to overcome the obvious differences. That’s certainly not an easy thing.
While this book is certainly focused a lot on men and their wars and struggles, I would be remiss in not mentioning the strong, capable women struggling alongside them.
The struggles are different, of course, but no less important. Freya, for example, is an extremely strong, capable woman who, despite everything against her, has made a comfortable life running her husband’s farm. A husband whom is often absent, who has no real interest in her. But Freya’s options are limited, especially without any rights or guarantees as a woman.
Bera was one of my favorite characters. She shucked convention and rejected the idea of being handed over to be married. Instead, she’s made a living from studying herbs and remedies and healing others. She has a sharp tongue, but a kind heart, and she’s a joy every time she pops up.
“What do you know about dreams?”
“That, if they affect you, they mean something, and, if they don’t, then you probably ate some bad cheese.”
Freya frowned in confusion before bursting out laughing. A proper laugh, this time—one that echoed out across the lake. Bera joined in.
“Bad cheese?”
“You’d be surprised.”
About Samuel M. Sargeant
Samuel Sargeant is a Lecturer in the English Literature and Creative Writing department at the Open University. He studied at Cardiff University as part of his doctoral degree programme where his PhD thesis focused upon the structure of Medieval Old Norse-Icelandic sagas. He is currently researching the samtíðarsögur (contemporary sagas) and how their narrative structures compare to the other saga genres. He is viewing these broadly historiographical texts as acts of creative writing and using them in the development of his novels set within this period.
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Thank you for introducing me to another book set in Iceland. This one sounds so interesting; I wonder how it will compare to other Icelandic books I’ve read.
Pam @ Read! Bake! Create!
I’ve never heard of this before now, but it sounds amazing. It’s going on my tbr right now!
I read Faith of their Fathers by Samuel M Sargeant and it’s the best book I’ve read for a long time.