A Flame in the North

By: Lilith Saintcrow

Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld

From New York Times bestselling author Lilith Saintcrow comes a thrilling Norse-inspired epic fantasy about ancient myth and magical destiny.

The Black Land is a myth: Centuries have passed since that Great Enemy was slain. Yet old fears linger, and on the longest night of the year, people in the South still light ritual bonfires to banish the dark.

In her village, this duty falls to Solveig, a girl favored by the gods with powerful fire magic. But when her brother kills a Northern lord’s son during the ritual, it is Sol who faces punishment, by being weregild—part hostage, part guest—in the North for a year and a day.

As she journeys to her captivity, Sol starts to realize that the Black Land is no myth. The forests teem with foul beasts. Her travel companions are not what they seem, and their plans for her magic are shrouded in secrecy.

With only her loyal shieldmaiden and her own wits to rely upon, Sol must learn to master her powers and wrest control of her fate. For the Black Land’s army stirs, ready to cover the world in darkness—unless Sol can find the courage to stop it.

Critic reviews

Praise for Lilith Saintcrow:

"Saintcrow's rough, rawboned prose paints a world not on the edge, but already over it, revealing an alternate history of America that is achingly relevant to the America in which we live. Simply put, Saintcrow doesn't f*** around." —Chuck Wendig, author of Wanderers on Afterwar

"Incredibly timely, well written and important.... A testament to Saintcrow's skill." —Los Angeles Times on Afterwar

"A true faery story, creepy and heroic by turns. Love and hope and a touch of Midsummer Night's Dream. I could not put it down." —Patricia Briggs, author of the Mercy Thompson series on Trailer Park Fae

"Painfully honest, beautifully strange, and absolutely worth your time. Lilith Saintcrow is at the top of her game. Don't miss this." —Seanan McGuire, author of the Wayward Children series on Trailer Park Fae

amazing

Great world building. it is an adventure saga, not a romance. hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Endless, bleak, and annoyingly cryptic

From the summary and first few hours, I was cautiously optimistic that this would be a Viking fantasy action adventure along the lines of The 13th Warrior. But five hours in and it was endless traveling by Sol and her shield-maiden Arn, as 1-year indentured “guests” of a band of warriors so forgettable that I’ve already forgotten their names. Was this a post-apocalypse earth or an alternate earth? Why all the traveling? Why choose a narrator who’s got only 1 voice for women and 1 voice for men? Why didn’t anyone bother to explain why they needed Sol in the days and weeks that this group travelled, fought, and bonded together?

If you like moody stories that favor long journeys over action or characters with personality, then by all means, get this book. I found the scraps of action, forgettable characters, and utter lack of humor or energy to be extremely unsatisfying. 15 hours later and I couldn’t explain the hows and whys if my life depended upon it.

Wonderful story!

It took a minute to get into the rhythm of Sol's speech, and googling terms I wasn't familiar with, but absolutely love the story! Would it be possible for maybe a glossary of terms and their meanings?