The Viking’s Sacrifice

A Saxon noblewoman and a wronged Viking find unexpected passion in this low-key historical romance from Knight (Ilfayne’s Bane). Meeting first as youths during a raid on her village, Wilda and Einar re-encounter each other years later when she is captured and taken as a thrall of Einar’s estranged brother, Sigdir. Treated with contempt by his fellows, Einar stays docile and silent only because Sigdir threatens their younger siblings, but Einar’s growing love for the courageous Wilda—and his fear that she might reveal the secret that will bring down a curse upon them all—eventually stirs him to action. Their quietly engaging love story is neatly interwoven with the tale of Einar’s quest for social redemption and a well-researched, evenhanded portrayal of clashing cultures in ninth-century England and Norway, and will please readers who enjoy history at least as much as romance. (Jan.)