Beowulf: Sword of Woden Series by C.R. May

Geatland in the first decades of the sixth century was an island of peace amidst the upheaval which marked the death throes of the Roman Empire in the West. Under the benevolent rule of King Hrethel and his sons the King’s grandchild, Beowulf, the only child of his daughter, is carefully groomed by the family in the skills and duties of the warrior elite. As Beowulf reaches adulthood a death suddenly tears the family apart... moreGeatland in the first decades of the sixth century was an island of peace amidst the upheaval which marked the death throes of the Roman Empire in the West. Under the benevolent rule of King Hrethel and his sons the King’s grandchild, Beowulf, the only child of his daughter, is carefully groomed by the family in the skills and duties of the warrior elite. As Beowulf reaches adulthood a death suddenly tears the family apart. Torn between family loyalties and the freshly sworn demands of his warrior code, Beowulf must choose between those he loves and his personal ambition as the dynasty begins to tear itself apart. Sensing weakness the Geats most feared enemy appears on their northern border and Beowulf must fight his first desperate battle to save the Kingdom…. Skilfully interwoven into the fabric of the old English poem we know as ‘Beowulf’ lies the tale of a great but ultimately doomed people, the Geats. It is a tale of decay and renewal as the old order is swept away and the new nations of Europe struggle to emerge from the ensuing chaos in an age when it was common for Kings to die in battle. Beowulf, Sorrow Hill, is the first in a series of novels which seek to unravel the threads contained within the original poem by recounting the full life story of Beowulf and his family. less

Geatland – Late Summer 517 AD Fresh from the desperate defence of the Northern borders of the Kingdom, Beowulf is appointed by King Hythcyn to lead the greatest ship army in the history of his people, carrying fire and sword to the ‘Black Heart’ of their enemies. But all is not as it seems. Hythcyn’s actions have thrust a flaming brand into the delicate balance of power in the Scandinavian lands, setting a series of events in motion which quickly spiral out of control... moreGeatland – Late Summer 517 AD Fresh from the desperate defence of the Northern borders of the Kingdom, Beowulf is appointed by King Hythcyn to lead the greatest ship army in the history of his people, carrying fire and sword to the ‘Black Heart’ of their enemies. But all is not as it seems. Hythcyn’s actions have thrust a flaming brand into the delicate balance of power in the Scandinavian lands, setting a series of events in motion which quickly spiral out of control. As Beowulf begins to understand that the Allfather is carefully grooming him to confront the Grendel, a mysterious affliction begins to cast its long dark shadow across his soul, causing him to fear for his sanity. In an enthralling tale of brutal battles, love and betrayal, Beowulf and his closest kin are swept up by the storm and scattered to the winds. From the mountainous rollers of the North Atlantic to the frozen forests of Swede Land and the bloody temple at Uppsala, Beowulf and his fellow exiles, the Wraeccan, gather their strength and prepare to confront King Hythcyn in the final battle for Geatland. PRAISE FOR BOOK ONE ‘SWORD OF WODEN-SORROW HILL’ …a great start to a very promising series. …fast paced and exciting… …the style of prose used by C.R.May is so much better than normal debut novels. His story is well paced and wonderfully descriptive but most of all he knows how to tell a damn good yarn. …one of the best battle sequences I have had the pleasure of reading for some time. Definitely recommended. The characters became real, multi-faceted people, always the mark of a good writer. less

As the cataclysmic events unfold at Ravenswood, Beowulf is left fighting his own very personal war against the forces of Hel. Finally cured with the help of the wizard Asgrim, Beowulf and the men of his comitatus gather their forces and travel to Heorot to finally confront the monster, Grendel... moreAs the cataclysmic events unfold at Ravenswood, Beowulf is left fighting his own very personal war against the forces of Hel. Finally cured with the help of the wizard Asgrim, Beowulf and the men of his comitatus gather their forces and travel to Heorot to finally confront the monster, Grendel. In a journey which sweeps across the north, from the depths of the great Swedish forests and the marshes of Frisland to the gentle hills surrounding Sutton Hoo, Beowulf finally discovers that killing Grendel was not his sternest test after all. Woden has one more, even more powerful fiend to confront as the Gods vie for ascendancy over middle earth. Sword of Woden, Monsters, is the conclusion of a trilogy of novels which seek to tell the early life story of Beowulf and his clan, the Swertings. less

Frisland Summer 523AD An immense ship army under the command of Hygelac, King of Geatland has fallen on the northern provinces of the Frisian Kingdom. Rushing to defend his land the armies of the young inexperienced King Ida are defeated piecemeal as the invaders sweep through the length and breadth of the country at will... moreFrisland Summer 523AD An immense ship army under the command of Hygelac, King of Geatland has fallen on the northern provinces of the Frisian Kingdom. Rushing to defend his land the armies of the young inexperienced King Ida are defeated piecemeal as the invaders sweep through the length and breadth of the country at will. Moving south the Geats raid deeply into the lands of the Salian Francs, carrying sword and spear to the regions of the Hetware and Cherusci as the Christian giant in the south slumbers on. But appearances can deceive. As the long days of midsummer slowly fade and the Geats prepare to sail away back to their northern fastness the Francs and Frisians move to crush their tormentors. Into this whirlwind the paths of three heroes converge until they meet on the bloody battlefield before the town of Dorestada. Only the gods can know which, if any, will survive the clash. Dayraven-Hygelac's Raid is a final novella in the Sword of Woden series dealing with the early life story of Beowulf and his clan. less