The Hammer and the Cross

In this rich and exciting alternate history, a Science Fiction Hall of Famer “evokes the spirit and atmosphere of the so-called Dark Ages” ( Publishers Weekly ). 865 A.D. Warring kings rule over the British Isles, but the Church rules over the kings, threatening all who oppose them with damnation. Only the dreaded Vikings of Scandinavia do not fear the priests. Shef, the bastard son of a Norse raider and a captive English lady, is torn by divided loyalties and driven by strange visions that seem