Review: A time-twisting thriller that is one of a kind
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 12 14, 2012
Northman is an excellent novel by an indie author.  J.D. Hughes twists time and history into a page-turner that is one of a kind.Academically brilliant, but haunted by the memories of her dead lover, Kate Elliot struggles to find the joy in her chosen career. An archaeologist, she is assisting Dr. Weatherall at a dig near Repton, England.  An unexploded bomb left over from WWII has exploded and opened up the barrow of a Viking warrior, Thorkild, exposing his bones and that of an infant.The night she finds the infant's skull, strange things begin to happen to Kate, and somehow she finds herself running though the archaeological dig, pursued by the malevolent spirit of the Viking who is determined to possess her. Rescued by Michael McLaren, a B-Movie director, Kate is troubled by several terrible events which all have a common thread - the Northman, Thorkild. Soon others are trapped in the same web of terror and together they are thrust back 1200 years to face the Northman.Life and death, death and rebirth combined with an amulet that won't stay put and a Norse god with an agenda make this book a thriller that is completely addicting from page one.  Visual, and violent, sexually explicit and definitely not for the faint of heart, Hughes's characters draw you in, even Thorkild is fascinating, albeit in the same way a live grenade is fascinating. You can't look away, and you have no idea where the next plot twist will take you.  I absolutely love the originality and the way Hughes combines Norse Mythology and archaeology to weave one of the best books of the year.I gladly give this book five stars!