I love historical-fantasy blends (no surprises), and the promise of a realistic depiction of the dark ages caught my attention.

What to expect

A novella based on Anglo-Saxon England in the 9th century. A village in Sussex is facing a Danish raid, with the chief and warriors away and his daughter ruling in his stead. With the aid of the forest witch, she rallies the young and old to fight back in their own way.

What I liked

I loved the attention to historical detail, in the sense of depicting what the world (with a touch of magic) would have looked like to the Saxons. When writing historical fiction, including historical fantasy, I always find it fascinating when the author gets into the mind set of the locals. Visser does an amazing job, and one feels like a local of the time period.

What to be aware of

Perforce from the scope of a novella, this isn’t a deep tale of character development. It’s a retelling of a Sussex legend, half-way to a bard’s tale at the alehouse.

Summary

Highly recommended quick read for those who love deep, historical richness of the dark ages in their fantasy. I am certainly looking forward to more Wyrd Woode novels.

Get your copy, and have some fun 🙂