The Viking’s Witch
By Kelli Wilkins
ISBN#: 781605423852
Author’s Website: http://kelliwilkinsauthor.blogspot.com/

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Lee

Synopsis:

Scotland, 803 A.D.: About to be burned at the stake by her fellow villagers, Odaria does what any betrayed witch facing certain death would do. She calls down a curse. Within seconds, rampaging Norsemen raid the village, capturing everyone except her.

But her reprieve is short-lived, and Odaria lands in the clutches of the Norse leader Rothgar. Can she remain true to herself and fight her growing attraction to this domineering man, or will she fall under his influence and be used for his ambitions? (Goodreads)

Review:

Odaria is about to be burned at the stake by her enraged Pict village, incited to overlook all of the good magic she has done for them by the evil words of the village leader, Brennan. So naturally, she does what anyone endowed with supernatural powers would do when trapped in a near death situation: she calls down a curse upon the village. However, even Odaria is surprised when that curse takes the form of a ship of Viking raiders, led by the noble Rothgar. Rothgar is a powerful landowner and warrior, sent by his uncle the king to find his missing cousin and heir to the throne, Orvind.

Orvind’s ship is believed to have been wrecked on the shores of Odaria’s isle. The question is, is Orvind alive or dead? And where is he? Rothgar hopes to use Odaria’s magical powers to his advantage and have her help him find Orvind. However, things are much more complicated than that. Odaria is a spirited, stubborn, and voluptuous raven-haired beauty; Rothgar is a brash, bold Viking warrior who sees himself as a ruler of all—including his women. What follows is a rather predictable romance that somehow manages to fill nearly 300 pages.

Now, there are a lot of good things about The Viking’s Witch. The setting of Scotland during the dark ages creates a delightfully misty and mysterious atmosphere for the romance to unfold. The villain of the piece, Brennan, spits out insults so full of bile and horror that the reader will enjoy his capture by the Vikings and his inevitable torture as Rothgar attempts anything in order to find his beloved cousin. The character of Nordskog, a Viking berserker feared by everyone including Rothgar, is compelling and interesting. Wilkins’ writing is incredibly detailed and paints a nice portrait of a time period very far removed from our present day.

What the novel lacks is a lead couple for the reader to care about. Odaria herself, despite her magical abilities and sassy attitude, is a less than exciting heroine, and Rothgar, while impossibly attractive, is rather bland. Their romance contains a few smoking-hot love scenes that will keep the reader compelled to turn the page; however, when Odaria and Rothgar aren’t in bed together, they’re dull enough to make the reader want to skip to every sex scene in the novel instead. The various subplots that lead to them falling in love, then growing angry at each other, then realizing how they truly feel conquers all, are less than engaging.

The Viking’s Witch is a great book to pick up for a quick steamy beach read. Just don’t expect much more from it than that.