The Half-Drowned King cover art

The Half-Drowned King

 Preview
LIMITED TIME OFFER

3 Months Free + £10 Audible voucher

£5.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Get this deal
Offer ends on 5 July 2026 at 11:59 BST.
More purchase options

The Half-Drowned King

By: Linnea Hartsuyker
Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
Get this deal

£5.99/mo after 3 months. Offer ends on 5 July 2026 at 11:59 BST. Cancel monthly.

Buy Now for £15.11

Buy Now for £15.11

'Lovers of epic rejoice!...A vivid and gripping read' Madeline Miller, author of the Orange Prize Winner 2012 for The Song of Achilles

'Linnea Hartsuyker brings myth and legend roaring to life in this superbly good page-turning saga of Viking-era Norway' Paula McClain, bestselling author of The Paris Wife and Circling the Sun

Since the death of Ragnvald Eysteinsson's father in battle, he has worked hard to protect his sister Svanhild and planned to inherit his family's land when he comes of age. But when the captain of his ship tries to kill him on the way home from a raiding excursion, he must confront his stepfather's betrayal, and find a way to protect his birthright. It is no easy feat in Viking-Age Norway, where a hundred petty rulers kill over parcels of land, and a prophesied high king is rising.

But where Ragnvald is expected to bleed, and even die, for his honour, Svanhild is simply expected to marry well. It's not a fate she relishes, and when the chance to leave her stepfather's cruelty comes at the hand of her brother's arch-rival, Svanhild is forced to make the ultimate choice: family or freedom.

Drawing from the Icelandic Sagas, The Half-Drowned King takes inspiration from the true story of Ragnvald of Maer, the right hand man of King Harald Fairhair, first king of all Norway, and his sister, Svanhild, as she tries to find freedom in a society where the higher her brother rises, the greater her worth as a political pawn.©2017 Linnea Hartsuyker Ancient Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Royalty Viking
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1

Critic reviews

An unusual Viking saga. Most such fiction is written by men and tells largely of blood-soaked battles, the lopping off of limbs and disembowellings. Hartsuyker's book has its share of violent action as it relates the story of its hero Ragnvald Eysteinsson, who survives a near-drowning by his enemies to hitch his fortunes to the rising star of Harald Fairhair, a teenage warrior and would-be king of all Norway in the ninth century. It also has several strands of narrative - mostly focused on Ragnvald's sister Svanhild as she strives to assert herself in a male dominated world - that are less predictable. This is a novel that creates a more nuanced and richer portrait of Viking society, with its complex web of rituals, laws and debts of honour, than the genre usually provides
Suspenseful, intriguing, gripping!... Treachery and astonishment and surprise are always right around the corner...As with all great historical fiction, there are strong similarities to actual events. Good research is very important to a believable historical novel. This book has it. If you enjoy Bernard Cornwell, do not pass this book by. It is well worth the read!
Ms Hartsuyker captures the sense of saga times and saga heroes:violent but litigious, treacherous but honorable, impetuous but crafty...Like Game of Thrones, only more unscrupulous
Game of Thrones will be back on our screens by the time this epic Viking saga comes out, and it's a safe literary bet for those of us who enjoy a bit of Westeros action. Ragnvald Eysteinsson is betrayed by his avaricious stepfather, and in trying to gain back his rightful inheritance, he pledges his sword to a young warrior plotting to become the king. If you like your heroes noble and your struggles for power bloody, this one's for you
A terrific historical epic...Posing thoughtful questions about the nature of honor and heroism, and devoting significant attention to women's lives, the novel takes a fresh approach to the Viking adventure genre. The multifaceted characters are believable products of their era yet relatable to modern readers; the rugged beauty of Norway's farmlands and coastal landscapes likewise comes alive. The language is clear and eloquent, and the action scenes will have the blood humming in your veins. This is how tales from the old sagas should be told
A spellbinding evocation of a long-lost world of magic and blood feuds, populated by characters riddled with doubt and human failing beneath their epic exteriors
All stars
Most relevant
A gripping adventure which whips you away into an immersive Viking world. A fascinating insight into the brutal era of the Vikings with a great fictional cast and plot.

Excellent story and narration

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The first book of Linnea Hartsuyker’s Norway trilogy begins as it means to go on. There is a real depth of knowledge that shines through from start to finish but there is also a curious balancing act in that major, exciting events seem to be given the same depth and treatment as the more mundane ones. The opening for example is an exciting oar race followed by a key act of betrayal and yet you could almost blink and miss the key moment.

The story focuses on the dual story of a brother and sister forging separate paths for themselves in a beautifully detailed Norse realisation. Hartsuyker brings out the casual violence and hardness of this civilisation, the often strange sense of honour and curious legal and religious practices. She describes good action and an epic cast of characters strides through her tale.

Lots of authors have done all this of course but where Hartsuyker is a little different is that she also follows the lot of a number of female characters without immediately turning them into warriors of Freya or similar. Here there is a different kind of bravery, honour and resilience and to my mind the biggest success of the book was in bringing this out. The precarious and often very tough nature of their lives is as big a part of the book as the battles and the strife between kings and their men.

Mr Keeble is well suited to this kind of book and does a fine job but I don’t think the overall package is perfect. I have seen it compared to Game of Thrones by quite a number of other reviewers which I think is a little dubious, not quite comparing apples with apples. Certainly it’s not as bright or fast-moving as that or say other recent Viking sagas such as those by Giles Kristian. It doesn’t hit you with such vivid action as those with a lot of the key moments described in a relatively dispassionate manner.

In all I think if you really do want those kind of fast-paced stories this may not satisfy, it has plenty of action but Hartsuyker is clearly patient and wants to convey a lot more than that. She has certainly done enough to entice me into following the complete trilogy as it unfolds.

Patience is a Viking.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This is a rare gem of a historical novel, both action packed and showing the society as a whole. I enjoyed it immensely and thought the switching of narrative between brother and sister was done well and allowed for different viewpoints of the culture.

But Audible, the sequel has been published for months. Please make it available!

A fully rounded historical novel

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Loved it but glad I didn't have that life of violence and subservience of women.

Thoroughly enjoyable.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.