God's Hammer (Paperback)

Schumacher leverages inter-kingdom political conflict to describe the ecology of life at the time. Society seems to be in a constant struggle against external forces, for example, when during one scene, Hakon and his English handlers feed off pure adrenaline on a wild hunt, only to return home-exhausted-to the threat of a foreign invader moving into their kingdom. The ensuing call to arms in the kingdom and march to meet the invader paints a fierce picture of the landscape and people of medieval England.

While the violent demeanor of medieval Northern European life should come as no surprise to any history buff, life in Hakon's world is not all blood and guts. Some elements play off Hakon's moral conscience and serve to elevate the novel to a higher level, like the rapt enthusiasm for depraved revelry Hakon encounters but cannot accept among his people, or the inherent pureness of Hakon's love interest, which only he can see.

Other scenes show the limitations imposed by land and nature. When internal strife falls over the land after the vicious Erik Bloodaxe had gained control of the throne, bands of his subjects conspire to challenge the ruthless king, but are met with the physical challenges of land and sea travel. A seafaring journey to consolidate their opposition turns into a battle at sea, and another group's trek to support the opposition in battle gives a strong sense of the immense effort required to travel short distances.

Time and place take on new meaning in God's Hammer: sped up by the immediacy of life under constant and grave threat; slowed down by the limitations of travel and the forces of nature. But it is ultimately Hakon's pilgrimage through time and space that is the lens by which we see the medieval world of Northern Europe. The beauty of God's Hammer is that it seamlessly weaves the historical details with Hakon's personal story.

What a thrill.

This book is well written, easy to read, easy to follow and completely engrossing.

A definte must read for anyone searching for some historical answers or just looking for some fantasy in a far away land.

Schumacher leverages inter-kingdom political conflict to describe the ecology of life at the time. Society seems to be in a constant struggle against external forces, for example, when during one scene, Hakon and his English handlers feed off pure adrenaline on a wild hunt, only to return home-exhausted-to the threat of a foreign invader moving into their kingdom. The ensuing call to arms in the kingdom and march to meet the invader paints a fierce picture of the landscape and people of medieval England.

While the violent demeanor of medieval Northern European life should come as no surprise to any history buff, life in Hakon's world is not all blood and guts. Some elements play off Hakon's moral conscience and serve to elevate the novel to a higher level, like the rapt enthusiasm for depraved revelry Hakon encounters but cannot accept among his people, or the inherent pureness of Hakon's love interest, which only he can see.

Other scenes show the limitations imposed by land and nature. When internal strife falls over the land after the vicious Erik Bloodaxe had gained control of the throne, bands of his subjects conspire to challenge the ruthless king, but are met with the physical challenges of land and sea travel. A seafaring journey to consolidate their opposition turns into a battle at sea, and another group's trek to support the opposition in battle gives a strong sense of the immense effort required to travel short distances.

Time and place take on new meaning in God's Hammer: sped up by the immediacy of life under constant and grave threat; slowed down by the limitations of travel and the forces of nature. But it is ultimately Hakon's pilgrimage through time and space that is the lens by which we see the medieval world of Northern Europe. The beauty of God's Hammer is that it seamlessly weaves the historical details with Hakon's personal story.