Burden to Bear

Spear of the Gods #1

by Gregory Amato

Telling the Norse myths is a lot easier than living them.

Ansgar isn't your typical viking: He tells stories of gods and heroes for a living.

When viking crews set out to do something insane, they want a chronicler who can spin the crazy into the heroic. Ansgar runs into one band of brothers intent on doing something truly stupid. They need a skilled storyteller, as their last five were all devoured, drowned, or hacked to death soon after joining. That new recruit has to be capable of surviving long enough to tell the tale, though.

Ansgar doesn't want some troll to rip his arms off. But damn, it's going to be a great story if he survives.

Burden to Bear is book one of Gregory Amato's Norse fantasy series Spear of the Gods, where the myths, magic, and monsters of the Viking Age are all real.

Genres: Fantasy

412 pages, Paperback

Published April 29, 2023

About the author

Gregory Amato made a career of selling his quill as a mercenary writer for many years. He wrote true and important things for newspapers, magazines, academia, and, for over a decade, intelligence analysis for the FBI.

Now, he writes fantasy stories based on the myths and sagas of the vikings. His fiction is often influenced by tales lost to time, usually full of high adventure, and always the sort that makes readers late to dinner.

Outside his time spent spinning yarns about vikings and wizards, he teaches Judo, brews beer, and plays DnD when he gets the chance.

Gregory lives happily with his family in the Pacific Northwest.

Sign up for updates, free fiction, and fascinating musings at AmatoAuthor.com!

Reviews

[Charlton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining from beginning to end. The fighting scenes were "A+". Ansgar starts in a predicament where he would rather join some ruffians that won't kill him instead of face those that will. And as the book goes on you find he really wants to prove his worth to his dad. There is quite a bit a use of magic.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun and funny Norse romp about Vikings, trolls, magic, berserkers, and a coming of age of sorts. A well written story that flowed nicely and always kept my interest and attention. I chuckled many times and even cracked up at other times. It’s a heroic tale, with honor and awkwardness and plenty of violence.

[Mel Lenore]

Just not the book for me. From what I read, I think the author set out to do a particular thing and did that well. I am not a huge slapstick humor fan, and this definitely felt that way in parts to me. I also dont love norse settings and big burley men, getting the gang together to go on an adventure. If that sounds like your thing, I say give this a go!

[Gregory Amato]

I won't be rating my own books, but I intend to use this space for updates:

19 November 2025: Have you been thinking about picking up the Burden to Bear e-book? It's on sale for a limited time. Click here to get your copy now!

4 April 2024: Interested in Burden to Bear signed hardbacks? Pre-order them with book two, Rune to Ruin, here: https://spear-of-the-gods-book-two.pl...

29 June 2023: Burden to Bear ebooks are distributed to Kickstarter backers. If you missed the Kickstarter, you can still preorder the ebook wherever ebooks are sold. Amazon does not allow preorders of indie print books (please give them feedback on that), but the print edition will be available after I distribute the Kickstarter copies, which should be soon.

1 March 2023: Burden to Bear will be published with my prequel novella, The Skald, on Kickstarter! Check out the Kickstarter pre-launch page and click "Notify me on launch" to stay updated.

11 December 2022: I forgot an update below regarding the second round of beta reads. Well, it's done. And so are my revisions after a final read. As of tonight, Burden to Bear is with the copy editor.

17 October 2022: Revisions based on beta reader feedback are done!

22 September 2022: The Beta read for Burden to Bear is done! Thanks to everyone who participated. Revisions begin today.

1 August 2022: The beta read for Burden to Bear is under way! This will go until 22 September. Cover art looks like it is delayed. Sorry about that!

1 December 2021: Beta signups are coming. The only barrier is my lack of experience with Crowd Signal and Book Funnel. There will be a smaller-scale beta signup for my novelette The Skald first, and if signups, distribution, and surveys go well, Burden to Bear will have beta signups immediately after.

16 October 2021: Much improved on the website. Now with email list signup form! Edits based on Alpha reads are finished, and I've also been editing a short story written as a prequel to the series. Beta reader signups coming soon.

28 September 2021: Broke one chapter into two and had quite the time rewriting this part, but it is done. Also, https://www.amatoauthor.com/ now has actual content.

8 August 2021: Alpha reader 2 finished. Based on the feedback, I am confident this is now content-complete. Time to make a few tweaks for clarity and get the text a little cleaner, and then it will be ready for Beta readers.

March-April 2021: I've paused the reading here for a deep dive chapter 1. Sent the new copy once I was finally satisfied with the intro to the book.

15 February 2021: Distributed to Alpha reader 2.

2 February 2021: Alpha reader 1 is done. On to edits and a few additions.

15 December 2020: After writing and editing that turned into a lot of rewriting, it is time for distribution to alpha readers!

[Already Overbooked · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listen to a story all about how my life got twisted upside down

[Scott Mist · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who has read a lot of fantasy...and studied Norse mythology and runes, if not academically then as a pretty serious amateur.... I can be pretty hard to please. So it's a delight to come across an adventure like this that is that rare blend of entertaining fantasy (at times laugh out loud funny) and story solidly-grounded in the Norse world. Expect deadly and alluring glamours, evil queens, a cantankerous sorcerer, violence-prone Vikings, ribald poetry, and a wonderfully satisfying climactic battle scene. No spoilers but the ending scratches an itch that builds all through the young protagonist's flailing and impetuous decisions in the early pages of the novel. As in any coming of age story, it takes a while for Ansgar the Skald to find his footing. Hang with him while he flounders. You will be glad you did.

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was a strong start to the Spear of the Gods series, it felt like it was meant to be in this time-period. I was hooked from the first page and thought it worked with the period. Gregory Amato has a great writing style and left me wanting to read more in this series.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[C.K. Sorens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Burden to Bear was well crafted, well written, and highly entertaining!

[Andrew Hale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Monsters and heroes: we're all monsters but we're not all heroes

Short Review:
The story is written well with a great look into Norse magic and some mythology in respect to the pantheons. The action is chaotic and fluid, like a two-sided rune, that you simply don't know what's going to happen next, like were-bears and bloody badgers, or the spear of the gods being a riddle while the "spear" of a man only riddles itself. The violence is satisfying, not for an abusive sort, but in righteous discernment against the perversions of humanity. Ansgar as a were-bear, Fanya with her spear, Haldor Skullsplitter, Kraki the Ancient, Inga the Brew-Maiden/Shield-maiden, Gudbrand, and the king's champions, Styrgrim ('Grim) the naked Bear and more set the atmosphere for envisioning an intense anime, or well-made rich live-action, but more so, an anticipation of the series and short stories. Though I don't relate to the feelings of some characters' comments on men and women, the characters themselves are enthralling all around. With the author's words outside of the story, on not giving us a seemingly never-ending fantasy series, I find him very relatable in this regard, and his introspective points throughout to be one of the highlights of getting into this series.

Longer Review:
Page-turner. Everybody loves a good story and often you'll learn that the truth isn't as entertaining as an embellishment. Or sometimes, the truth is too unbelievable but equally juicy. Partner that with a young buck that seems to speak before he thinks, antagonizing on one side and gaining favor on the other, like the duality of a rune. You could Will a cow to fall from the sky but your Intellect knows that's more symbolic than Intentional Reality. If anyone asks me for a book recommendation (they won't because I'm too busy reading to have acquaintances), I can easily offer the Spear of Gods series, 'Stein odds and all, without suffering a blemish on my dependability for good reading ... but even if they do hate it, that's their burden to bear, bare bones and beavers aside. This isn't a preface to "now I've got some criticisms to share". If anything sounds critical from this point forward, don't take it as serious on my part, but do take the praise as sincere. I think the humor is akin to what I'd want to write and I think a Humor raven would make an inspiring shoulder companion during the process. I'm not an author though, I just play one on TV. Well, maybe in a video game on TV. No, nevermind, it was just a guy with a knife. In a videogame. Anyway, I wouldn't own a raven, cause the raven wouldn't let me.

Each member of the group kind of does their own thing, as far as that they are free men that de facto leaders Haldor and Kraki don't Lord over, yet they all are bound together by an oath of brotherhood. Haldor the Skullsplitter, the most relatable for me in action, is a powerful presence, even shocking you with his voice though he does not speak often, and for me, an echo of a more civilized Conan though not softened in such a decree, with both having a disgust for human sacrifice. Kraki the Ancient is old but menacing, also relatable in action and practicality and even emotion, hateful of thralldom, a wild animal ready to rip any warrior apart, or die trying, and as close to a berserkr without being one, since eleven more Kraki would not work well together, nor would the world survive it. The "monster all other monsters fear". Ansgar the Skald is young, willing, and green, kind of like Frodo in The Hobbit and very much giving us our vehicle of a coming-of-age tale that is not for children, though I gladly pass this series on to my sons. Huld, with a similarity to the no-nonsense persona of Kraki and Huldor, is a little more outlandish but no less cheerable as an older woman who can take on a couple of young studs to no enjoyment but her own (and the reader's). I digress though, as this story is more nuanced for the characterization and not as black-and-white as I just went into. The fact is that this tale has many men and women to be enthralled with and to follow, to mourn and/or cheer, and a few to anticipate their demise. Many, maybe all, of the Brotherhood are more confident and dependable than other crews, with a number of them resembling a heroic figure that villains shouldn't mess with, and most as accepting of a sister among their sword brethren even when she barks orders at them. One of my favorite portions involved a group of berserker champions and one Sea Squirrel rep named Magnus: a Pay-Per-View I'd actually pay to view. Ansgar is a type of foil to this, more so as he is our vehicle of adventure, uncertain of his worth in such an environment, and not at all braggadocios. The bravado isn't obnoxious, as is portrayed in many modern stories, but is actually admirable, contrasting the false bravery of opponents in other parts of the tale who end up learning a hard lesson. If anything, you gotta respect that whether the reader is of the Brotherhood, calling for a poem of legendary valor, or like Queen Alfhild, demanding to be entertained to a fault, Gregory Amato, like Ansgar, doesn't give us what we want, he gives us what it is, and in a better way than we would have guessed. Throw the protection of comfort to the wind and go where others would not. But be comfortable while you read this.

Trollsbane short
The Skald short
The Sorcerer's Reward short
Burden to Bear novel
Rune to Ruin novel
Fallen to Fury novel
The Once and Future Sword short

[Jenny O · Rating 4 out of 5]

Met the author at a Grimoire Exhibition and he made a good enough impression with his humor, intelligence, and knowledge of Norse mythology that I took a chance and bought both of his then-available books. As I walked away I told him he'd better have written something good enough to make me not regret it.

Readers, he did.

I enjoyed the hell out of Burden to Bear, especially the first half; there's a self-aware humor to the asides that puts me in mind of some of Heinlein's best. Things get a bit muddled through the 3/4 mark, but the climax was very satisfying, and paid off a language-joke I suspected but wasn't sure of.

(The talking ravens are definitely my favorite bit- very Pratchett-flavored- and I'm hoping to meet more in the next entry.)

[Kristoffer Sorensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Burden to Bear is a phenomenal Viking fantasy that stands apart for its authenticity. The depth of research shows through in every detail, from the language and landscape to the cultural nuance. Having grown up in Scandinavia, I deeply appreciate the care Gregory Amato took to blend myth and history into something that feels both true and epic. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.

[Ant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Burden to Bear is a fun, enjoyable venture through the beginnings of a Viking tale, interwoven with some magic and humour.

There is a Pratchett-type feel to the first half of this book; but I found this to be funnier than Pratchett, perhaps because I always feel that Pratchett's humour tends to be a bit snarky, whereas Amato tends to favour the double-entendre (which appeals to the 12 year old boy in me).

Much of the first half is the preparatory setup for the plot proper, and the humour helps to keep the pace moving along while we meet the primary characters.

Once we hit the major storyline, the book really comes alive as it gets down to it's core business. The flow and pacing of the story evolves and becomes much more akin to the style of Patrick Rothfuss.

This half of the book is beautifully written. Quiet moments feel peaceful and introspective, whilst action and battle scenes are full of tension and speed. Anyone who has read The Name of the Wind will feel at home here.

Many thanks to the author and VRO for the complimentary copy on which this review is based.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and I read through it very quickly. I love the pacing, humor, and action that all work together to keep the story moving. Most of all I appreciate the imagination and the care taken to craft a unique and expansive world that these characters live in. Although it's an easy reading adventure / coming of age story / comedy, it also brings in deeper themes like where one's source of value derives from.

So to me at least is something unique, and not another derivative fantasy story. The book ended with a lot of open threads, so I'm eagerly looking forward to the next one!

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent adventure with doses of good humor. A well written story that flowed nicely and always kept my interest and attention. I was fortunate to take part in the kickstarter to help fund this book and am truly grateful I did. While I’m looking forward to book two of the trilogy I’m also hoping for more than three books. If you like Norse fantasy, you will really enjoy this book.

[Rowdy Geirsson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Norse is strong in Burden to Bear—it’s a really fun fantasy novel and the first volume in a new trilogy that takes its inspiration from the whole “northern thing” theme. Unlike many of the other Norse fantasy novels that have been released in recent years, this one isn’t a super somber spiral down into the grim dark pit of despair, but rather more of a traditional action-adventure full of wisecracks and hijinks. The tone of the book is light and its protagonist reminded me of late 20th century humor-loving action-adventure heroes such as Guybrush Threepwood, William Shaw and Morgan Adams, and Rincewind the Wizard.

In essence, Burden to Bear is historical fantasy as it takes place at a point in time in Denmark’s (and Norway’s, to a lesser extent) distant past, but is grounded in the geographical realities of its setting. The world is fleshed out well and incorporates a sturdy foundation of Norse mythology into its Scandi-cosmos. The influence of Neil Price’s research is present, and hints of Beowulf, Hrolf Kraki, and Arrow Odd are all there as well.

As I already mentioned, the tone is generally light-hearted throughout (though there are, of course, some segments full of good, old-fashioned extreme medieval battle violence) with a fair amount of snark and a lot of humor. The chapter titled “Shitstorm” is the funniest thing I’ve read yet in a viking-related book. Burden to Bear is a blast and highly recommended, especially to readers who might be interested in a Norse fantasy that leans funny rather than heavy.

[Jess]

DNF'd at 85%

I first met Ansgar in Amato's novella, The Skald, and loved his character. He is capable but quick to flee from a fight. Following a skald in a Norse-inspired fantasy is also refreshing. I love reading about warriors but it's nice to have Ansgar where his main weapon is his wit. If that doesn't work, his next step will be looking for an exit.

The beginning and middle of this novel was hilarious. Thanks to Ansgar and the situations he finds himself in before and after joining the crew. Plus the side characters stand apart with their personalities.

The setting is incredibly fantastical. Trolls, witches, and talking ravens (my favorite) are all a part of life.

I also enjoyed the plot and it's unpredictable. There were so many absurd moments where I truly didn't know what would happen next. At first, this made it a fun read but by the time I reached the 80% mark, I realized I lost the plot. Another challenge I had with this book was the rune-based magic system. For some reason, I could not understand it. Whenever I tried to, I noticed I quickly became bored.

Overall, this is a hilarious and unpredictable Norse-inspired fantasy novel. Some of the humor is crude and may not work for everyone. I did find it a fun read but the latter half lost my interest. It is well-written and I believe Amato was able to tie humor with viking adventure in this first book. I recommend checking this out even though it didn't work for me.

[Liam · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun and funny Norse romp about Vikings, trolls, magic, berserkers, and a coming of age of sorts. This is not YA at all, it’s more a historical fantasy sword & sorcery novel set in the first half of the 8th century (if I’m calculating that correctly).

The action at time shines like a sword in the gloaming, and I chuckled many times and even cracked up at other times. It’s a heroic tale, with honor and awkwardness and plenty of violence. I’ll have more thoughts in my video.

[Sandra]

I read this book as a part of SPFBOX on Covers with Cassidy's team, check out my full vlog of my 10 books here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irDBq...

I have found out recently that I don't love viking stories or northern mythlogy stuff that much! Unfortunate. I think that some of the stuff was interesting and where I live was on the map (fun!). The names put me off a lot as a Norwegian (hehe), but overall struggled with getting into the story and care for the journey.

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This entire saga is fantastic. The author’s love for Norse sagas is clearly evident and his skills at writing in that style is indisputable. Additionally, he demonstrates how easily stories can be altered, names can be changed and original intent skewed. It is a lesson all readers should heed when considering history: just because it is written down, it doesn’t mean it is correct, or even truthful.

[Quinton]

I'm not going to rate this book, because I didn't even get halfway through. Unfortunately I had it on InterLibrary Loan and so it could not be renewed. The truth is, I found it mildly interesting but not enough to capture me. I was 'reading' it for a bit over a week but never made much progress. I could consider requesting it again in the future, but I'd probably rather just get something new.

[Bret · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read that blends Norse mythology with sharp humor, keeping the narration and events consistently entertaining. The characters are likable, each adding their own distinct flavor to the story. While the ending feels more like the close of “part one” than a full conclusion, it doesn’t detract from the experience. Overall, it’s an enjoyable tale, especially for those who like mythological retellings told with wit and levity.

[Dee_Dee]

DNF
I really wanted to like this book: it has an interesting premise. But somehow I just can’t get into it. And so I give up at 55% (page 280 of 507.)
I do not know what is exactly. The humor was not for me and I felt the story dragged in parts.

[Christian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd say the story is a bit better than ok, but I had to get through 3/4 of the book before it really grabbed me. The Author tried to be clever with the title as well, yet it takes the whole book to make that clear.

If you like norse fantasy and vikings, this might be an easier sell than to me.

[Maggie]

Rokp,Rswp

[Lilith M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Need book 2!

This Norse coming of age adventure saga made me laugh out loud. See Goodread quotes for a good sense of the author's dry humor, e.g. "The road to Asgard is paved with head injuries." Ansgar the Skald, like many a young person, struggles to understand his place in the world. As he gains focus and intention, the novel gains momentum culminating an exceptionally good twist and battle scene. As in woe to you, dear reader, if you start the final chapters past your bedtime because you are not putting the book down until the magic has unfolded.

Then like me you might be tempted to stalk Mr. Amato and wake him up in the middle of the night and demand a draft of book 2. I did not do that. Honest. But I thought about it.

The magical systems, especially rune magic, were well constructed, with the learning of said systems reminding me a bit of books I loved in my youth...The Wizard of Earthsea (LeGuin) or The Riddle-Master of Hed (McKillip). The depictions of the Norse gods were spot-on (and I am picky about such things). Since I didn't have to spend any of my mental energy criticizing the Norse scholarship, I was free to enjoy the story...which by the end had me totally hooked.