King of the North

This is the fourth volume in my Viking Fire Born series, featuring the heroes Bjarki Bloodhand and Tor Hildarsdottir. It will be published in September 2023 and follows on from The Loki Sword

A clash of crowns pits brother against sister in the battle for ultimate power

Spring, AD777

Sigurd Hring, new King of the Svear, is summoning all the greatest warriors of the North to his banner, promising them riches and glory. He invites Bjarki Bloodhand, the famous berserkr who can summon the fury of a wild bear in battle, to swear an oath of fealty to him. But Bjarki has already sailed away to rescue a beautiful Saxon princess.

Tor Hildarsdottir, sister of Bjarki, now oath-bound to a powerful Svearland jarl, finds herself unwillingly enrolled in Sigurd’s mighty army. When Sigurd Hring arrogantly rejects the overlordship of Siegfried, King of the Dane-Mark, red war is inevitable.

The two sides agree to meet on the field of honour at Norrkoping on the Svealand border. But Bjarki has sworn an oath to Siegfried and joined his Danish host, while Tor must fight for her lord and homeland. So the siblings will face each other over the shield-rims in a battle to end all battles to decide who shall be… King of the North.

The epic fourth novel in the Fire Born saga, perfect for fans of Bernard Cornwell, Giles Kristian, and Matthew Harffy.

Praise for the Last Berserker (Fire Born 1)

‘Donald has taken the legendary berserkers, those frothing-at-the-mouth shield-biters, and made them human, which once again proves that Donald is a writer not only at the top of his game, but of the game … It is a wonderful, rich and violent brew. I welcome Angus Donald to the shield wall of Viking fiction like a thirsty man welcomes a mead-brother to the feast … A tale worthy of the skalds’ Giles Kristian, author of the Raven series

‘With The Last Berserker, Donald has given us the first cut of some serious Dark Age beef. By turns heart-racing, intriguing, and touching, this is not a book for the faint-hearted – I can’t wait for more’ Theodore Brun, author of A Burning Sea

‘The Last Berserker strikes with the thundering power of Thor’s hammer… rich with the earthy depth, historical detail, intrigue, violence and adventure that we expect from Donald. But it is Bjarki and Tor that make The Last Berserker stand out… Donald’s masterful creations will live on in the imagination long after the final page’ Matthew Harffy, author of the Bernicia Chronicles