Wulfric is the son of the village's First Warrior, and in the northern societal structure that makes his father the leader of the village. Might makes right in the north, but Wulfric's father is still an honorable leader, in addition to being a fierce warrior. Everyone expects Wulfric to be much the same; however, that is not the case. Wulfric is overweight and rather timid, and he finds himself bullied by the sons of merchants, who have little standing in the village. The entire situation disgusts his father, who can't understand why Wulfric doesn't stick up for himself. Then one day the bullies choose to pick on Adalhaid, who Wulfric has had a crush on for his entire life, and he finally chooses to fight back. Of course, he goes too far, and that single act sets off a coming of age story that doesn't resolve itself until the very end of the trilogy. So is this a worthy take on the all too familiar coming of age trope or is this a series you should pass on?

My vote is the former, but I could understand why this series would not be for everyone. First off, I do like the setting a lot, it's a viking-esque society that is struggling to maintain its traditions in the face of growing encroachment from the south. There are magical elements mixed in as well that give the series an excellent fantasy vibe, although it does get a little dark at times. I think Wulfric is well written, even if he isn't the deepest of thinkers, and his relationship with Adalhaid adds the right level of tension to a lot of the plot points. There is nothing overly new here, but what is here is done well enough. Wulfric's tale is being narrated by one the characters in the story, which is a mechanism I never like, but eventually events catch up and the conclusion resolves itself in the present. So while this will never go down in the pantheon of fantasy series as a must read, it is a good enough distraction for when you are in the mood for some norse adjacent fantasy.

The series is 3 books long, and the audio version of the trilogy can be picked up as a boxed set. It is narrated by Steven Pacey, one of the best in the business, so that makes listening an excellent option.