Publisher's Synopsis
WOLF OF CLONTARF IS "VIKINGS" MEETS "BRAVEHEART" AS A LEGENDARY IRISH WARRIOR AND YOUNG WOMAN SPY HELP THEIR KING DEFEAT HORDES OF VIKING INVADERS.
When Vikings invaders from across Europe storm into Ireland, her aging king, Brian Boru, must somehow protect his nation. Nordic sagas tell us an obscure and unlikely hero arises to save his people. Wolf the Quarrelsome leaps into history as a nightmare to the Norse and avenger for the Celts. This is Wolf's story spanning 15 years and leading up to an underrated and arguably most decisive battle of the Middle Ages. It is also the story of a young woman who develops a vast network of female spies and two young Irish men who lead medieval special operations forces.
The gargantuan figure stood erect to its full height and turned to face the two, its eyes burning, prognathous jaw grinning horribly. Despite the lack of armor, Thorbrand saw that the black lacquered and elegantly ornamented helmet of a Beserker chieftain adorned the head of the giant. The thing must have ripped off the visor because its terrible, scarred face was fully exposed.
"Ulf!...Fenrir!...Brian's Wolf from Hel!" cried Thorbrand to his dispirited comrade. "When we go now to Valhalla, our fathers' fathers will not disclaim us. Die now with pride and honor by my side!"
Praise for Thomas J. Howley's New Novel WOLF OF CLONTARF
"A little known but momentous medieval battle and the few years preceding it, along with memorable characters drawn from the Irish annals and Norse sagas will thrill avid fans of historical fiction."--Steven Pressfield, author of the national best seller Gates of Fire;" The Legend of Bagger Vance, "The Warrior Ethos;" and many other fiction and non-fiction books
"Vikings versus a medieval Terminator. Wolf of Clontarf echoes with the explosive clash of axes and swords interwoven with tales of first loves. Howley has delivered an epic of heroic combat, subtle romance and high adventure."--Mack Maloney, author of the Bestselling "Wingman" series and many others
"In the grand mythmaking tradition of Bernard Cornwell, here is a medieval epic of Irish Warriors and Viking raiders, filled with high adventure, bursting with characters, and bathed in the atmosphere of ancient Ireland. Thomas Howley delivers it all in first novel."--William Martin, New York Times Bestselling Author of Cape Cod and Bound for Gold
"The life of Ireland's most mysterious and badass warriors comes to life in white-knuckle details, as the Norse invaders of Ireland discover that the only thing bigger and more badass than a heavily-armed band of Viking berserkers is a man known only as Wolf the Quarrelsome."--Ben Thompson, Badass of the Week
"This is a work of grand historical fiction that weaves a tale full of characters, causes and plots that more than rivals Game of Thrones. And its backdrop is real - the chaotic and complex early medieval world locked in a clash of cultures and values. Flush with action and drama, it is ultimately the characters, both historic and fictitious, who determine the destiny of cultures which are at war but also inexorably entwined."--S.W. O'Connell, author of "The Patriot Spy" and "The Cavalier Spy"
