Smile of the Wolf

A SUNDAY TIMES HISTORICAL NOVEL OF THE YEAR. Tenth-century Iceland. In the midwinter darkness, on the lifeless black soils of a newly settled land, two friends kill a man. Kjaran, an itinerant storyteller, and Gunnar, a once-feared warrior, must make a choice: conceal the deed or confess to it and pay the blood price to the dead man''s brothers. For the right reasons, they make the wrong choice. Kjaran and Gunnar''s fateful decision will leave them fighting for their lives, fighting to retain their humanity as Iceland''s unyielding code of honour ignites a remorseless blood feud that will consume all it touches. ''Smile of the Wolf bares its fangs from the first page. Like a medieval tapestry, the storytelling is rich with imagery. Readers will be lured spellbound into this lyrical and evocative Icelandic saga. It deserves huge success'' DAVID GILMAN.