Reviewed by Mal
TITLE: The Strings of Destiny
SERIES: Vikings Bloodline Saga #2
AUTHOR: Sam Northman
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 352 Pages
RELEASE DATE: March 22, 2024
BLURB:
Destiny bound them. Death surrounds them.
Chaos reigns in the wake of the Vala of Asgard’s betrayal. Innocent descendants of the Bloodlines, once thought lost forever, have been brutally captured in the Soul Stone. Among them is Faron’s younger brother — the one he couldn’t save.
Now, tortured by this knowledge, Faron clings to sanity by a thread.
Forced into hiding, Emissary Kara is determined to end the Vala’s murderous schemes. To further her cause, she forms an unlikely alliance with The Angel of Death; so called for her cold-blooded assassinations. And it is her alone who can bring Markus back to Asgard…
With the shadows of his previous incarnation on his heels, Markus finds himself embroiled in an ancient feud — one that may strip him of all power. Meanwhile, amidst the black waves of the Arctic Ocean, Faron’s quest for the Soul Stone nears its end, one painful sacrifice at a time.
As their hearts dance perilously close to annihilation, can Markus and Faron lay past demons to rest for the sake of their future?
The battle for Ragnörak continues in The Strings of Destiny, the second volume in the Viking Bloodlines Saga.
REVIEW:
The book starts off with a fantastic reveal of what was just supposition in book 1, with a twist that hints at generations of cruelty and I was completely hooked, invested now in comeuppance and justice. What a wild adventure Sam Northman takes us on, this story moves at a fast clip and Faron and Markus have to adapt quickly as do their allies. There are also other factions working towards discovering the same secret but we don’t know whether that will be enough to stop the force of evil that’s been slowly building over centuries threatening the nine realms (can’t say who or what even if you’ve read book one – keeping this spoiler free) .
I loved how intrinsically connected Faron and Markus are now, very swoony, bringing a smile to my face that they have each other as they navigate their new (and old) reality, together even when apart, facing challenges head on. I loved the found family aspect in this book again as they fight to defeat evil and free innocents. It’s spectacular how the author keeps us guessing, the twists and reveals are truly gasp worthy and the backstories are intricate.
This book really kept me invested I could not put it down, this saga is truly epic, spellbinding storytelling, the language rich and divine.
The world building, the complex layered characters and multi POV, the action and adventure, the swoon, the emotions, the friendships, the family, the life and death and beyond situations – all of it will make this saga an iconic series and I can’t wait for the next one. Start with A Kingdom Of Dreams and go on this epic adventure, you won’t regret it.
RATING: 
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