The Polaris Whisper

Several lives intertwine across 40 years in Gregory’s debut historical fantasy. In 800 C.E., Viking raider Hakon decides to scour the world of Christians. In 801, Brothers Tomas and Damian of the Irish monastery at Ceanannus Mor meet a dwarf named Cado, through whom they discover a powerful object within ancient Newgrange. In 830, a young man named Vidar undertakes a quest on Cado’s behalf to find the now-hidden object. And in 840, Vidar’s son Niclaus undergoes the harrowing Trial of Endurance that could make him a leader in his community—if he didn’t have a greater destiny awaiting him when these threads come together. All the characters face various perils in the harsh northern elements, and are sometimes pitted against one another in the novel’s non-linear narrative. The light prose recalls Dan Brown condensed for younger readers. The few fantastical elements remain mostly in the background, but readers interested in adventure—particularly survival—and early medieval history will enjoy these stories and the gradual increase of the connections among them. Agent: Tim Bates, Pollinger Ltd. (Sept.)