For the Want of Silver

I must say, this is a very enjoyable historical novel from the pen of Michael E. Wills. It's the story of Ulf of Borresta, a Viking or, as the author refers to him, a Norseman. Born to the north of Stockholm - I lived in Uppsala for many years, so I know it well - it follows him from his life in poverty as a boy, to attacking the English and gathering, as the title suggests, a LOT of silver.

There were many elements to this novel I enjoyed. Firstly, although it's set a long, LONG time ago, the author never falls into the trap of overly describing the setting. Yes, it's there; yes, it's important, but it's 'part' of the story, the author resisting the urge to info dump his historical knowledge. As a result of this, the pacing is excellent with plenty happening all the time. Secondly, the author is good at developing his characters using speech. In many ways, I think speech is the best way of getting to know a character; thankfully, the author seems to agree with me! Thirdly, Mr. Wills seems to understand how important it is to 'show' and not 'tell'; for me, this shows a maturity to his writing which helped to immerse me in the novel.

All in all, this is a wonderful book. Not only will you get to know Ulf (and Erik, his best pal) very, very well, but you'll also get lost in the adventure the two boys (later, men) have. Although it is a little graphic in parts, it's never overly so, and the ending is strong, the author successfully bringing Ulf's story to a satisfying end. To sum up, I'm happy to recommend this novel to anybody who enjoys well-plotted historical novels with strong characterisation.

Enjoy!

A 'Wishing Shelf' Book Review