''The Whale Road'' is the

first novel A debut novel is the first novel a novelist publishes. Debut novels are often the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to pu ...

of the four-part ''Oathsworn'' series by

Scottish Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: *Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland *Scottish English *Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...

writer of

historical fiction Historical fiction is a literary genre in which the plot takes place in a setting related to the past events, but is fictional. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to other ty ...

, Robert Low, released on 1 August 2007 through

Harper Harper may refer to: Names * Harper (name), a surname and given name Places ;in Canada * Harper Islands, Nunavut *Harper, Prince Edward Island ;In the United States *Harper, former name of Costa Mesa, California in Orange County * Harper, Il ...

. The début novel was well received.

Plot

Orm Rurikson joins the crew of a

Viking Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...

longship Longships were a type of specialised Scandinavian warships that have a long history in Scandinavia, with their existence being archaeologically proven and documented from at least the fourth century BC. Originally invented and used by the Nors ...

, whilst still a child. The novel follows the "Oathsworn", the brotherhood who crew the boat, as they hunt for relics, including the secret burial horde of

Attila the Hun Attila (, ; ), frequently called Attila the Hun, was the ruler of the Huns from 434 until his death in March 453. He was also the leader of a tribal empire consisting of Huns, Ostrogoths, Alans, and Bulgars, among others, in Central and Ea ...

, their journeys taking them through a treacherous maritime area known as "The Whale Road".

Reception

The novel was well received by reviewers and fellow novelists alike. New Zealand newspaper ''

The Southland Times ''The Southland Times'' is the regional daily paper for Southland, including Invercargill, and neighbouring parts of Otago, in New Zealand. It is now owned by media business Stuff Ltd, formerly the New Zealand division of Fairfax Media. History ...

'', stated that "Low has transported you on to a raiding ship and you almost feel like you are there. The sense of realism is engaging." although did comment that the book is, with regard to the novels graphic fight scenes, "Not one for the light-hearted.". Nilya Carrato writing for

Library Journal ''Library Journal'' is an American trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey. It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional prac ...

also praised the novel, stating "this rollicking adventure has a cinematic feel that draws readers into the world of Orm and the Oathsworn and keeps them hooked.". Fellow author of historical fiction

Angus Donald Angus Donald (born 1965 in China) is a British writer of historical fiction. As of 2020, he has released ten novels and three novellas that loosely follow the story of Alan-a-Dale. Biography Donald's parents being British diplomats, much of h ...

was particularly effusive in his praise. He comments that it's a "fabulous, gritty saga" and that "I’m absolutely gripped. It’s violent, authentic and very exciting". Donald also praises Low's "authorial courage", referring to the deaths of two of the "best characters" early on in the course of the novel. Bill Ward, writing for ''Black Gate'', did find that the novel "is, at times, somewhat vague in setting a scene or explaining the relationship of one of the numerous players to the somewhat convoluted plot", however follows that by stating that these are "minor and infrequent hitches on what is a fantastic ride through the world of 965 AD.". Ward also praised Low's level of detail in the novel and the successful evocation of life in the Dark Ages.

References

External links

* Debut novels {{DEFAULTSORT:Whale Road 2007 British novels Novels set in the Viking Age Scottish historical novels Novels by Robert Low 2007 debut novels HarperCollins books