“I closed my eyes and prayed that I had not stumbled upon the opening verse of a song that would end the world.”

Alex S Bradshaw is an author I’ve been meaning to read for ages and I’m pleased I’ve now rectified that at long last. His standalone novel Trollgrave is inspired by the Norse myths and did really well in the 10^th Self-Published Fantasy Blog Off Competition, reaching the Semi-Finals. That’s no great surprise, since Trollgrave is an excellent book and I had a lot of fun reading this.

The novel has a great opening, infused with a strong sense of place. This is a world of mysterious magic where the gods are real and runes confer great magic upon those who understand their true power. The plot unfurls in a slow, unhurried manner. Consequently, some might find this book a bit of a slow burn, although Bradshaw increasingly mixes up the character study elements with various action scenes as the story progresses. Overall this is mature fantasy for grown-ups, Bradshaw carefully building a creeping, inevitable sense of dread as the tale unfolds.

The story centres on the God-Speaker Alvir Einarsson and Sigrun, Alvir’s estranged half-sister. Alvir helped deliver Sigrun when he was young but his step-mother died whilst giving birth. As a consequence Alvir blamed himself and in the face of his father’s wrath he left his childhood home, becoming a travelling healer. As a God-Speaker Alvir is welcomed in the towns and villages he visits but he is only ever passing through, never staying long enough to put down roots and make friendships.

When one of the sacred godstones which protects his people from evil is discovered to have been broken, Alvir finds himself on a quest which reunites him with his sister in the town of Vidsetr. Together with a group of brave companions they journey into the forbidding Forest of Broken Trolls to try and find the missing God-Speaker of Vidsetr, Ulfrun, whom Alvir hopes can shed some light on the meaning behind the shattered godstone.

There are times in this story when Alvir is really annoying and I wanted to reach into the pages and shake him. Alvir’s single minded focus on the meaning behind events in the woods and the source of the magic affecting the godstone often puts his companions at risk. Alvir’s become far too used to living on his own and doing exactly what he wants. He is also prejudiced against beings known as ‘Windborn’, two of whom accompany Alvir and Sigrun on their mission. The Windborn are resurrected spirits, granted magical powers by the ancient enemies of the gods. They represent the opposing side to the magic of the gods utilised by Alvir and thus he views them with great suspicion.

I liked how Bradshaw went with this creative choice, which makes the tale more interesting and gives Alvir much greater depth. As he uncovers the truth behind the mystery which lies at the heart of the forest, Alvir also learns much more about himself and I really enjoyed the development of his character throughout the story. Alvir’s journey went in a completely different direction to the one I was expecting and his personal growth is adroitly handled and very believable.

The forest is like another character, full of wonder, mystery and menace. The magic of the gods entwines with nature in this place, although it soon becomes clear something else is at work. This is a claustrophobic, intense tale at times, mirroring the older, darker, deeper parts of the forest. The various forms of magic and their uses throughout this tale are another standout aspect of Trollgrave, where Bradshaw is ceaselessly inventive and creative. 

Towards the end the action really ramps up with various battles against a variety of enemies, who range from the mundane to the truly extraordinary and terrifying. As a result it does all get rather frantic in the final quarter. I was a little frustrated that whilst we slowly got to know all the members of Alvir’s party at the start of their quest in the increasingly frenetic conclusion we lose sight of a number of them and don’t learn their eventual fate. I suppose that element is realistic, capturing the chaos and confusion that is inevitably part of any conflict. It also highlights how invested I was in the overall story that I cared so much!
Whilst there were some points of detail I would have liked answering with more certainty, this is clearly a work of exceptional imagination told with great skill. Bradshaw has a poetic, descriptive writing style and there’s a rich sense of history to this novel, deftly blending Nordic myth with fantasy. The setting is amazing but the characters are the ones who really bring it to life. The sense of found family, both by blood and the bonds forged through friendship and adversity, is the beating heart of this novel. Overall, I really enjoyed Trollgrave and would thoroughly recommend this book if you enjoy Norse myth and dark fantasy with real depth to its characters, setting and magic.