"Action and romance in a Norse-Irish tale"
Reviewed by Clare O'Beara
Posted July 26, 2013
Romance Historical
This recreation of the Viking era in Ireland shows life
from the point of view of the invader and the raided.
Caragh and her family are enduring a drought which has seen
the end of their stores of food, and a Viking ship is
spotted approaching the headland on which the ring fort
sits. The elderly are told to run and hide and the rest
take up any weapons they can find. Norseman Styr and his
wife Elena however don't intend raiding, but settling. He's
left the northlands with some trusted friends to avoid a
leadership conflict and green Eire, where many of his
people already live, beckons. TO SIN WITH A VIKING shows the inevitable conflict as the
weaponed, mailed Northmen land and the terrified villagers
defend their homes. Styr is felled by a blow from Caragh
and taken captive, while the girl's brother Brendan grabs
Elena and drags her off to lure the other Norse after him.
Next day Styr finds himself tightly shackled to a post but
Caragh tends his wounds and shares what potage she has,
reluctant to do further harm. Her father was a blacksmith
and those shackles are strong. Styr needs to find his wife,
and Caragh needs to prevent him killing her brother. But
first, both of them need food. The strange allegiance that arises sees Styr helping Caragh
catch large fish - he is at home on the sea, while she is
afraid of boats and deep water. Styr and Caragh come to
trust each other, and Styr's arranged marriage to a good
woman has been childless, a source of sadness to both
partners. They sail to the large port of Dubh Linn, with
dozens of Norse ships and mingled peoples at the market.
This seems a likely place to hunt for fugitives, but Caragh
starts to hope that Styr won't find his wife.... I liked the contrast between the countryside and the
bustling city, with longhouses and thralls in the Viking
quarter and spices, silks and ivory for sale. At that time
slavery was a part of many economies and the Norse depended
on it. Other details include the bronze weather vane on the
Norse ship - a beautiful specimen was unearthed in recent
years. The adult romance is the better for not knowing how
the issue of the Norseman's wife will be resolved, and it
packs a powerful punch at the end. Michelle Willingham has
written other Norse-Irish tales such as Warriors in
Winter and TO SIN WITH A VIKING is a fine read with a good
deal of action.
SUMMARY
PLAYING WITH FIRE! Caragh Ó Brannon defended herself bravely when the enemy
landed-only, now she finds herself alone with one very angry
Viking.... Styr Hardrata sailed to Ireland intending to trade, never
expecting to find himself held captive in chains by a
beautiful Irish maiden. The fiercely handsome warrior both terrifies and allures
Caragh, but he is forbidden territory. He is the enemy...and
he is married. Yet Styr harbors a secret that just might set
them both free.... Forbidden Vikings Resist them if you can!
ExcerptIreland, 875 A.D.The tribe was slowly starving to death. Caragh Ó Brannon stared at the grain sack, which was nearly
empty. One handful of oats remained, hardly enough for
anyone. She closed her eyes, wondering what to do. Her older
brothers, Terence and Ronan had left a fortnight ago, to
trade for more food. She’d given them a golden brooch that
had belonged to their mother, hoping someone would trade
sheep or cows for it. But this famine was widespread, making
anyone reluctant to give up their animals. “Is there anything to eat, Caragh?” her younger brother
Brendan asked. At seventeen, his appetite was three times
her own, and she’d done her best to keep him from growing
hungry. But it was now evident that they would run out of
food sooner than she’d thought. Instead of answering, she showed him what was left. He
sobered, his thin face hollow from lack of food. “We haven’t
caught any fish, either. I’ll try again this morning.” “I can make a pottage that we can eat later,” she offered.
“I’ll go and look for wild onions or carrots.” Though she
tried to interject a note of hope, both of them knew that
the forests and fields had been stripped long ago. There was
nothing left, except the dry summer grasses. Brendan reached out and touched her shoulder. “Our brothers
will come back. And when they do, we’ll have plenty to eat.” In his face, she saw the need to believe it, and she braved
a smile she didn’t feel. “I hope so.” After he went outside with his fishing net, Caragh stared
back at the empty hut. Both of their parents had died last
winter. Her father had gone out to try and catch fish, and
he’d drowned. Her mother had grieved deeply for him, never
recovering from the loss. She’d given her own portion of
food to Brendan, lying that she’d already eaten. When they’d
discovered the truth, it was too late to prevent her death. So many had succumbed to starvation, and it bled Caragh’s
conscience to know that both of her parents had died, trying
to feed their children.
Hot tears rose up as she stared at her father’s forge. He’d
been a blacksmith, and she was accustomed to hearing the
ring of his hammer, watching the bright glow of hot metal as
he shaped it into tools. Her heart was as heavy as the
anvil, knowing she would never hear his broad laugh again. Though his boat remained, she didn’t have the courage to
face the larger waves. Her brothers knew how to sail, but
none of them had ventured out again. It was as if evil
spirits lingered, cursing the broken vessel that had
returned without their father. She wished they could leave Gall Tír. This desolate land had
nothing left. But they lacked the supplies to travel very
far on foot. They should have gone last summer, after the
crops had failed to flourish. At least then, they would have
had enough to survive the journey. Even if they traveled by
sea, they had not enough food to sustain them beyond a day. The hand of Death was stretched out over everyone, and
Caragh had felt her own weakness changing her. She could
hardly walk for long distances without growing faint, and
the smallest tasks were overwhelming. Her body had grown so
thin, her léine hung upon her, and she could see the thin
bones of her knees and wrists. But she wasn’t ready to give up. Like all of them, she was
fighting to live.
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