Althingi: The Crescent & the Northern Star
Set in the same historical universe as the card game Althingi: One Will Rise, the anthology Althingi: The Crescent and the Northern Star explores the fascinating connections between Vikings and Muslims at the height of the Viking Age. Co-edited by Joshua Gillingham and Muhammad Aurangzeb Ahmad (A Mosque Among the Stars, Islamicates), this groundbreaking collection of fourteen cross-cultural stories was funded in May 2021 through Kickstarter by two hundred and fifty five backers. |
Featuring stories from best-selling authors of mythic and historical fiction including Linnea Hartsuyker (The Golden Wolf Saga), Sami Shah (I, Migrant), Genevieve Gornichec (The Witch's Heart), Siobhan Clark (Children of Midgard), and many more!
Praise for Althingi: The Crescent & the Northern Star - Selected as a 'Project We Love' by Kickstarter
"Well, some stories made me cry my eyes out (including one that waited until the last paragraph before punching me in the feels), some – laugh out loud (don't read Genevieve Gornichec's story on a treadmill). One of them is structured like a "proper" Icelandic saga, which blew me away – talk about craft. Gods make unexpected appearances (of course Loki's going to, um, let's say confuse someone) forcing the characters to face the possibility that maybe their beliefs are wrong and the other side is right… or… how about neither – or both?"
- Bjørn Larssen, author of the Norse epic Children
"An exquisitely collated book that pulled me from my dreary English armchair to far off lands of harsh ice, arid sands and open seas. The lesser visited historical interactions between the Norse and the Muslim World is imagined fantastically through diverse voices, with a real appreciation for the cultures of both the Norse and Muslim peoples. I loved it."
- Alex, Spells & Spaceships Book Blog
"Well worth a read for any historical fiction readers, any lovers of Vikings or The Last Kingdom, and anyone on the lookout for a handful of new authors to go and fill your baskets with their books!"
- Edward Gwynne, The Brothers Gwynne
"Althingi takes you on a motley journey from the shores of Iceland to the Black Sea and through the perfumed streets of Baghdad. A talented lineup of historical fiction writers bring to life the lesser-known friendships between the medieval East and West."
- Bethany van Sterling, author of A Man of the Wolves
"I love history, so when I was approached to read the ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of an anthology of historical fiction about the interaction of Viking voyagers with Islamic emissaries in the 10th century, I had to say yes. I mean, who doesn’t love Vikings mixing it up with the dynamic and powerful Islamic kingdoms of that time period?"
- Madeleine Holly-Rosing, Boston Metaphysical Society & Fanbase