“Power is a fickle thing – hard to get and slippery to hold onto.”A fantasy novel done right should read like Hall of Bones. This Viking-inspired tale is the first part in The Brotherhood of the Eagle series and a promising start to what I speculate from reading Hall of Bones, a fantastic and gripping new saga on the book horizon for all those Viking fans. Partly a coming-of-age story at first which gains political momentum with growing intrigue, branching over different clans and their histories, and a dark, ancient evil that resides within, this novel brims and oozes with all that good stuff you want to sink your reading eyes into.The land of Laskar in Northern Valistria is divided by the great Redfars Sea, flanked by peninsulas on either side. The one on the left houses five clans, and the other, opposite the Sea, houses two. This tale is told from the perspective of the Raevesburg Clan’s family who lives about midway high on the left peninsula by a great inlet, and way north of the Vorund Clan, their greatest rivals for some time. Rothgar, the main protagonist and pov, also the younger son of the Clan Chief, is to be groomed to support his older brother Jorik to lead the Kingdom one day after their father’s demise. Without a mother, and a little sister Nuna to look after, their growing years are sped up by defined roles and the two brothers could not be more different. A natural in the art of sword fighting and trained for combat, Jorik has a strong physique and a headstrong mind. Always in his shadow, good-natured Rothgar, rather slim and frail, is looking forward to the day he is allowed to train with swords like his brother. While Jorik is encroaching adulthood by age 15, Rothgar only 10 is still a child when their fateful tale is told."The idea that one day I might be jarl of Ulfkell’s Keep in Finnvidor’s place, serving my brother as chief, was hard to imagine. Our father seemed so strong, he would surely live for many long years and his people loved him. No one would dare challenge him by calling a clan moot, I reasoned. No one less could ever take his place. “ I still prefer the sword to the slate, Etta. Darri never sings great ballads about the men who know all their letters.”Rothgar receives his education from the town's elder and chief counselor Etta, an old and wise crone who has been in Ulfkell’s Keep for generations. Her tales are filled with stories of a time the gods warred with one another and the world of Amuran collapsed into the Fallen Age. At times mocked by the boys and doubted to be of sound mind, she knows that Rothgar is destined for greatness, even if he can’t wait for the day to become more like his brother and father.While minor unsettlement in the surrounding areas is kept at bay, sudden raids propel a succession of events for the Raevesburg Clan that may grant Jorik and Rothgar’s wishes sooner than later. As one clan feels betrayed after a lost challenge, the brothers are thrust into adulthood and action they thought they were well prepared for.Battered, new alliances need to be sought out and forged and Nuna, their sister, becomes a bargaining chip to seal the deal. With encouragement and guidance by Etta, they are prepared to give their sister’s hand away in marriage to strengthen and validate a truce with The Norlhast Clan against a growing force. While more raids are happening around Laskar, Aldrakir chief of the Vorund Clan, aka Kinslayer becomes the all-powerful enemy force of not only The Raevesburg Clan, raiding and killing wide and far but amounts an army by playing dirty, backstabbing games against all Clans. Quickly, it will become the biggest threat to the Raevesburg Clan and their newly formed alliance.“Now, though, the sacrifices made begin to show their worth. Peace in the north, and war against our foes in the south. This may yet to be your brother’s greatest legacy in his short reign as chief.”“I said, you have a knack of choosing powerful enemies. Tyfingr Blackeyes, Gautarr Falrufson, and now Nereth, not to mention all those in Raevesburg, Kalamar, and Norlhast who think of you as a turncoat for brokering Nuna’s marriage to Karas. No mean feat during your scant sixteen years.”Rothgar begins to have visions and frightening episodes in his dreams of the spirits of the old. At times directly targeted at him, dark threats begin to play tricks and games of intimidation. He also connects with individuals known and unknown to him in a way of them telling him stories of what has happened to them. Weaving his visions and delirious passages make for great transitions and ad some lore to his pov.In a final feat of tragedy, Rothgar has to prove not only to himself but to those around him that he believes in his abilities and has what it takes to make decisions albeit not with the sword. As the threat of the dark forces close in on him and a handful of people, he gives in to the moment without a promise of tomorrow, which only the next tale can tell us.***First, I fell in love with the characters, and when the story began to take off, I fell for Hardie’s ability to write intriguing plot twists that wove unceasingly through the fabric of his tale, while maintaining a balance of compassion and pause against the racing action sequences most gripping.Rothgar, Nuna, and Etta were my favorites right from the beginning. I sort of have a weakness for li’l old ladies, though Etta was sweet at times, she was mainly tough as nails. Rothgar is the big-hearted brother to Jorik’s driven personality. I found his relationship with little Nuna most endearing. As the story went on and Nuna became of marriageable age, (which was just as in history very young) she was already carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders with grace and understanding.Hall of Bones doesn’t start off with fantastic elements right away, but they enter slowly before midway through the book and their effects become larger and larger over time. The story begins with setting up the main characters, the brothers are still young, and gives the reader a sense of the current alliances of the clans and some of the politics. The sequence of events start small and gain momentum over just a few years. The things happening in Ulfkell’s Keep allow the characters to grow and the reader to get to know them. There are pitfalls and trials the brothers go through, yet there’s always uncertainty that accompanies where this story goes.I enjoyed the moments of downtime with a pause to ponder as well as the foolish parts and troubles the brothers caused. Not everything was always harmonious, yet much thought was given to family ties and the main character’s reasonings and contemplation.The action scenes quickly became a favorite of mine. Swift and detailed, they were descriptive for easy visualization and felt real. A few occasions were quick and brutal for the perfect shock and awe moments, as opposed to the humiliating ones, equally swift, but just as in real life…seem to last forever.There was a moment/turn of events, that changed EVERYTHING in the novel. I loved the unpredictability of the story and the mix of so many different components. From there, in stark contrast to Ulfkell’s Keep, it continued in a remote mountain range, battling elements, making new friendships, enduring hardships, changing the tune of the tale completely.There were some amazing quotes and passages, showing off Hardie’s writing abilities. I love descriptive writing and though there wasn’t as much of it right at the beginning, it caught up with the rest later and was very well done.This book is one of my favorites read this year. I love Norse-inspired novels, and this one really surprised me. It felt epic, like a saga, and it became easy to invest in. I cannot wait to read the next book in the series. Hall of Bones established the setting, the characters, and the unsettling evil that lives within. It didn't exactly end in a sense of a cliffhanger, but the groundwork to build upon and the tension left craving for more, are a perfect springboard for this tale to continue.A must-read!Enjoy!