Book Review: 'Forged by Iron' by Eric Schumacher

Eric Schumacher presents the harrowing flight of young Olaf Tryggvason from the vengeful sons of Erik Bloodaxe in spectacular close-up detail through the eyes of young Torgil. Caught up in the deceptive schemes of Erik Bloodaxe’s sons, the two boys follow Torgil’s father, Torolv Loosebeard, as they flee to safety along with Queen Astrid, Olaf’s mother, and her retinue.
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"Eric Schumacher presents the harrowing flight of young Olaf Tryggvason from the vengeful sons of
​Erik Bloodaxe in spectacular close-up detail through the eyes of young Torgil." 
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Author Eric Schumacher

​The narrative carries the reader across Norway, into Sweden, and through the Estlands as the fleeing party seeks safety with their kin in Holmgard, land of the Rus. Along the way Olaf and Torgil must grow into warriors as they suffer a brutal life undercover as thralls, a progression which Schumacher presents in grueling detail. In this, he has captured two equally vivid sides of Viking life, the valorous battles fought with bright shining steel and the stinking cesspit of the slave trading markets. He masterfully navigates the Norse customs of high-raftered halls while also illustrating the heart-breaking injustice of slavery. 
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"In this, he has captured two equally vivid sides of Viking life, the valorous battles fought with
bright shining steel and the stinking cesspit of the slave trading markets."
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Schumacher shines particularly bright while narrating battles at sea. These conflicts, fought in close quarters and on choppy waters on the far-famed Viking longships, were a defining feature of life in the East Sea in the time of Olaf Tryggvason. Through his retelling the reader feels as if they are aboard the ship in the thick of battle alongside Olaf and Torgil as they dodge deadly arrows and thrust their sharpened seaxes.
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"...the reader feels as if they are aboard the ship in the thick of battle..."
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​Schumacher also infuses his deep knowledge of Viking history into the narrative with details such as how to make Scandanavian dishes like skyr and the finer points of spear-fishing in the river. Further, he gives a nod to some recent archeological discoveries, including evidence of the Viking’s more industrial pursuits such as the production of tar and the extraction of iron. Yet in all his descriptions there is no sense of encyclopedic exposition; rather, these savory details flow through the narrative naturally. 
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"Schumacher also infuses his deep knowledge of Viking history into the narrative with details such as
​how to make Scandanavian dishes like skyr and the finer points of spear-fishing in the river."
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​Any complaints I had were small. Queen Astrid, though stoic, seemed to me to lack both the tenacity and cunning required of Viking queens of the age, particularly in the first section of the novel. Second, though the narrative follows an epic and heart-breaking arc, I felt at times the need for a bit more comic relief between the heavy subjects of the book such as the abuse of slaves and the death of parents. That being said, neither of these issues prevented me from thoroughly enjoying the book.
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I highly recommend Schumacher’s Forged by Iron for anyone who has an interest in Viking history, particularly if they enjoyed The Long Ships (Frans G. Bengtsson) or The Half-Drowned King (Linnea Hartsuyker). Forged by Iron can be found on Eric Schumacher’s website and will be available as of April 15th, 2020. 
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To find out more about Eric's books visit his website and follow him on Twitter.