Lord of Slaughter

by M.D. Lachlan

Summary from GoodReads

The terrified citizens of Constantinople are plagued by mysterious sorcery. A boy had traded the lives of his family for power. A Christian scholar must track down the magic threatening his world. All paths lead to the squalid prison deep below the city, where a man who believes he is a wolf lies chained.

Thoughts on the Book

I forget now how I heard about Wolfsangel, but I gave it a chance.  I'm super picky about what I read or watch that is derived from Norse mythology because they typically get it wrong, and most people don't know about that mythology, so they start to act like they know all about it.  Don't believe me?  Thor.  Enough said.  Thor's essentially a nobody, he's a big strong idiot with a beautiful wife.  There's a reason why Loki is constantly picking on him, it's too darn easy!  Just because Thor is associated with thunder does not make him Zeus's equivalent.  Thor is to Hercules as Odin is to Zeus...except Odin is so much more badass than Zeus.  Go read the Poetic Edda, you'll see what I mean.  

Lachlan stayed true to the mythology, as well as to the history.  Wolfsangel is set in Scandinavian during the height of the Vikings.  Fenrir is set in France while it is being invaded by the Vikings.  Both books focus on the same story - Fenrir breaking from his chains to cause Ragnarok (seriously, read the Poetic Edda, it's straight from there).  I can only assume Lord of Slaughter will do the same, and I can't wait.  I'm really really curious to see how far around the world Lachlan will take us, how many attempts Fenrir makes to break free.  What will happen to the world when he does?

My Review

Yet another awesome installment of this series.  In each incarnation you learn a little bit more about the fight between Fenrir and the Gods.  More characters come into play and get intertwined with the god's death, and it looks like once they get involved they remain involved.

This story, like the two before it, is beautifully told.  I love the descriptions of Constantinople and the Greek mythology.  I especially love how Lachlan didn't associate Odin with Zeus, but instead associated him with Hectate.  While she is not the Greek equivalent of Odin she is one aspect of Odin, which is the aspect that this series seems to focus on.  

I wasn't really a fan of Loys, he was a monk that ran away from that life to marry Beatrice.  He was a scholar who enjoyed learning about pretty much everything.  Once he started having to deal with the Norse mythology he began getting exceptionally annoying.  He was dismissing what he learned because it wasn't Christian, he would be, at times, obstinate about everything until finally at the end when he was essentially clobbered over the head with proof of the Norse gods.  I know it's historically (and even presently) accurate for a lot of people of faith that refuse to believe anything other than their own teachings, but that doesn't mean I have to like those individuals or enjoy one of them as the main character.

I give this book a 9/10.  I found the main character hard to get behind, but everything else about the book I loved.  I highly recommend it (and the first two) to anyone who has the slightest interest in Norse mythology or epic battles that span space and time.  However, I have to warn anyone about to read this that's a super devout Christian, there are some things that could be seen as blasphemous or heresy or offensive.  But it is a story about Vikings set in early-Christian Europe, so it should be expected...