Caught between a conniving fiancée and a fierce warrior who wants to settle a debt and restore his honor, Seraphina will have to decide where her love and loyalties lie.
It’s the eve of Seraphina Forthred’s wedding in Seletun, Britain, late 800 AD, and Einar, a Viking warrior, has been ordered to kill her by Cecil, her betrothed. But when Einar isn’t paid, he makes other plans—holding her hostage for the silver denied him.
Seraphina finds Einar, as willful as she is, and she’s thrown into a world that is savage in comparison to hers. When trying to escape, she learns that breaking a promise to a Viking could cost her life. Surviving the ordeal only toughens her resolve to be independent. Drawn into a war, Seraphina discovers her ability to be a warrior, and her heart must decide who she really is.
Professional Reviews
Kirkus Review - Norse Hearts
In this historical novel, set in the eighth century, a Viking mercenary kidnaps a wealthy woman for profit before they unexpectedly develop romantic feelings for each other.
Lord Cecil Allard hires Norseman Einar Herjolfsson to charge into his upcoming wedding ceremony and kill his fiancee. He pays the Viking half of his fee in advance and says that he can get the rest by stealing silver and gold from the cathedral. But when Einar and his men arrive at the ceremony, there are no riches to be found, so the Viking decides to take the bride, Seraphina, and two of her friends, Iohannes and Hadley, as captives for ransom or later sale. Seraphina turns out to be the daughter of a wealthy landowner with powerful political connections, which presents even greater opportunities for her captors. As a result, Einar must protect her from his cohorts, including his rapacious stepbrother, Gunnar, who bitterly feels that Einar’s introduction into the family by marriage has unjustly deprived him of his own “firstborn-son status.” To complicate matters further, Einar find himself “intrigued” by Seraphina’s combination of beauty and courage from the first moment that he sees her, and his feelings only deepen over time. Eventually, Seraphina begins to return Einar’s affections, and she turns against her fiance completely when she learns of his treacherous plan. Gabel (Making Friends, 2016, etc.) stirringly depicts the fragility of moral principles during a time of violent lawlessness. The attraction between Einar and Seraphina is jarringly implausible on its face, but this only makes it more impressive when the author makes it not only seem credible but also touching. Also, she powerfully contrasts Einar’s rough-hewn honor and Cecil’s “well-groomed sophistication,” as when the former remarks to Seraphina, “Has he proven himself in battle? Does he treat others fairly? Does he honor his word? I think not.” Overall, Gabel has constructed a work of historical fiction that’s both faithful to the period and dramatically captivating.
An affecting romance told with intelligence and nuance.
Clarion Review - Norse Hearts
The novel doesn’t gloss over the realities of Viking life but is careful to draw characters with shaded nuances.
Robynn Gabel’s bristling ninth-century romance Norse Hearts forges an unlikely match against the violence of the era.
When a mercenary Viking, Einar, is tasked with killing Seraphina, the Angles daughter of a landowner, he kidnaps her for ransom instead. Without realizing that her own fiancé, Cecil, ordered her murder—a fact Einar and readers know early on—Seraphina finds herself bound to the seafaring people she believes are heathens. A surprising, well-planned series of turns charts Seraphina’s transformation from a Ladye of Britain on the eve of her wedding to a Nóregr shieldmaiden embroiled in battle.
Tough as the premise seems, Seraphina’s kidnapping is framed as a turning point that even she regards as fortuitous.
The book subverts expectations on what is tragic and what is life affirming through the skillful unfolding of key
information. Einar’s tactical decision to renege on completing his mission by sparing Seraphina also stirs unexpected
complications. While there’s seldom doubt that the outspoken heroine will fall in love with her captor, and that she’ll face the truth about Cecil, there’s plentiful adventure to keep the plot intriguing.
Between Seraphina’s attempts to escape and Einar’s recaptures, tension morphs into genuine understanding. Light
comedy in their verbal sparring balances some of the harsher scenes. As Seraphina moves from fighting Einar to
seeing strength in his character, their relationship turns less circumstantial than fated.
Throughout, a complex thread details Einar’s longstanding difficulties with his stepbrother Gunnar, as well as political alliances among the Old Norse jarls. Seraphina finds herself witnessing a fascinating series of family grievances.
Brutality and betrayals underscore the darkness of the time, as do relationships formed through rape.
The novel doesn’t gloss over the realities of Viking life but is careful to draw characters with shaded nuances. Themes of loyalty, justice, community, honor, and forgiveness build toward an unusual portrait of acceptance that crosses religions and cultures.
Among the secondary characters, Dagfinn stands out as Einar’s guard and the ship’s favored wit. An empathetic
Angles-turned-Viking, he serves as the bridge between Seraphina and the others, becoming a trusted friend. Roald, Einar’s jarl also emerges as a man with varied experiences that are simultaneously repugnant and noble. Here, people are neither entirely good nor bad, but are rather the sum of their multiple choices.
With its strong lead and talent for plotting, this is a satisfying exploration of what happens when hard sacrifices wind into blessings. That Seraphina manages to change her homeland and outlook while still retaining the very traits that
make her survival possible—including a sometimes foolhardy, often brave defiance—is both dramatic and thoroughly earned.
Norse Hearts - Reader
I read your book, Norse Hearts. I've been trying to think of ways to express my thoughts. You have outdone yourself. The writing was outstanding. It kept me eager to read the next chapter. The events and happenings of the Vikings plus the love scenes, were fantastic. It told us all about the way they lived and died. Loved every chapter and the sayings at the beginning of each chapter. All I can really say is Great Job!
Available Now! Rated 5 ***** by readers and listeners.
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