Kill the Dawn

A Classic Retold

by Emily Hayse

After a devastating wound and the loss of his beloved father, Hakkr is trying to pick up the pieces of his life. But when his father's last conquest, a mysterious thrall, shares a terrible secret, Hakkr's life only further unravels as incident after incident leads him to the chilling realization that his people's enemies are not the only ones who want him dead.

Set in a wild northern world of wolf-hunts and Viking warfare, Kill the Dawn is a breathtaking new retelling of Shakespeare's Hamlet, full of heart, beauty, and bittersweet sacrifice.

Genres: Fantasy, Retellings, Dragons

222 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 3, 2023

About the author

EMILY HAYSE is a lover of log cabins, strong coffee, NASCAR, and the smell of old books. Her writing is fueled by good characters and a lifelong passion for storytelling. When she is not busy turning words into worlds, she can often be found baking, singing, or caring for one of the many dogs and horses in her life. A native of Michigan, she currently resides in Southern California.

Reviews

[Caitlin Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a beautifully written story 🥲

[Sharon Loves to Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

This short retelling of Hamlet in a Viking setting was somber and ethereal. I don’t think I would have enjoyed the succinct style of writing in a different setting, but it fit so well with this story. The romance was sweet and tender; the betrayals were felt deeply; the loyalties were highly prized. Well done. Wish it could have had a different ending, but it is Hamlet, after all. (It does end with a hint of hope, but it’s still Hamlet.😢)

[Morgan Giesbrecht · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Magnificent. 😭💛

From the very beginning, the Viking Nordic vibes captured my imagination—with wolves and dragons and warriors. It fulfilled my childhood longing for more Viking-esque stories.

Emily truly penned a masterpiece, and I’m at a loss for words on how to say just how much this book meant to me. As a devout lover of Hamlet, I couldn’t have asked for a better retelling.

I will say the ending shattered me. I made the mistake of reading the last few chapters in public… which of course had me crying. It was heartbreaking but oh so courageous.

Night cannot kill the dawn, friends. 🖤

[Cheyenne Langevelde · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Good:
Where to begin...even without the retelling aspect, this book is phenomenal. Set in a fantasy Viking village, the detail is immaculate, and the characterization so well done. I ached and cried for these characters; this journey with them felt so real and I'm sad that it's over so soon.

It's also the most beautiful homage to Hamlet that I can think of. If anyone could have done this play justice, it would be Emily, and she delivered on every point. It was so...good. I don't have enough synonyms to describe how wonderful and how glorious this book was. My heart is hurting, but I will be thinking of this book most fondly for a long time to come.

The Bad:
Only things I would have liked to see more is more dragons, but that's a minor point. I also had a bit of difficulty keeping the characters all straight for awhile, but that might have been the fault of me reading an ebook vs physical copy.

What the Reader Thought:
Absolutely absolutely love. I would give this a hundred stars if I could. Emily respectfully wrote this retelling and it was phenomenal. All the Rosemary Sutcliff vibes—more so than any book she's published yet. There's more I could say, but it would just be more praise. Let me just say, if you loved Hamlet, read this book. And bring tissues; you'll need them. Thank you, Emily, for this tale.

[Lena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kill the Dawn was everything I hoped it’d be and more! Hauntingly beautiful, tragic and hopeful, with that undefinable something that’s the signature of Emily books. The beautiful and rugged setting, with its beautiful and rugged characters, each one so poignant, so well-crafted I felt their joys and sorrows and desires. I devoured this book in one day, and it left me with the best kind of ache, that yearning for more. 💙 I wish I could give this more stars!

4th read (12/29/24): This has become my comfort book, the one I immediately turn to when I need a little emotional support. It wrecks me, and soothes me so well. The full-blown sobbing for the last 20 pages is healing to my soul!

[One Last Petal Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

A meeting of Shakespeare’s Hamlet and How to Train Your Dragon, Kill the Dawn is a beautiful tale of loss, betrayal, and overcoming all odds.

After the death of his father, Hakkr assumes the mantle of king long before he expected to. But while he’s still mourning his father, turmoil rumbles through the village. The newest prisoner shares disturbing news, and when Hakkr joins a dragon hunt, he discovers the truth behind what he’s been told.

Will Hakkr find the truth behind his father’s death? And will he be able to stand up to evil that’s permeating the village?

This was a great retelling of Hamlet, in a world of Vikings and dragons. The descriptions were so immersive.

The themes of truth and uprightness of character are beautifully interwoven throughout. But they are marred by the usage of slaves and how they were portrayed. I know it’s historically accurate, but there were aspects that were unnecessary to the story and just left me with an unpleasant aftertaste.

Four roses
No swearing
A few kisses
Several injuries from battles. Not glorified, but blood is present.

[A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I....I don't even know what to say. I'll come back when I have words. She does this to me every time. I need to cry first. Then maybe I can give a coherent review.

[Hailey Huntington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hamlet meets the vikings in this wintry tale from Emily Hayse.

This is one of those books I think will be richer the second time around. Now, that isn't to say anything bad about Kill the Dawn--rather, the opposite. I can just tell that Emily has written so many layers into this story that I'm going to notice more on a reread, which is a good thing. :)

First off, I knew pretty much nothing about the plot of Hamlet going into Kill the Dawn. And I personally think that a good retelling makes you interested in the original story, which Kill the Dawn did.

As always, Emily's prose is beautiful and refreshing to read. It did feel a little bit more "removed" (if that makes sense) in Kill the Dawn than in her other novels, but it fit the feeling and vibes of the story.

Kill the Dawn is a book that sticks in your mind, leaving you thinking about it. It's about sacrifice and honor, with a bittersweet ending that might leave you aching for a little bit more time in this world.

Cautions: light romance; two kisses; non-graphic violence

*I received an eARC from the author. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.*

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahhh, Hamlet. Is any Shakespearean play more obviously suited to a YA magical Vikings retelling? I can't think of any. I mean, it's already set in Scandinavia, based on a medieval Danish tale -- dragons wandering by wouldn't seem at all amiss even in Shakespeare's version.

Yes, this Hamlet retelling has dragons. It has tamed dragons and wild dragons. There's a dragon hunt. There are also horses, warriors, wolves, snow, Viking ships, Viking funerals, and a lot of hard-to-pronounce names.

I like that the ending here is slightly changed from Shakespeare's play, in a way that makes sense for this world and these characters. I was particularly pleased by the true identity of one side character becoming clear only at the very end. I don't want to say who, because it's a pretty big spoiler, but it's cool.

As usual, Emily Hayse melds a lyrical style with forceful pacing to create a book both beautiful and thrilling.

[Abby Burrus]

Got this E-book on 9/30/2024! There's a 0.99 cent sale going on for all of the books in this series on Amazon and today is the last day!
I've read Hamlet (the only Shakespeare I've read) so we'll see about this.

[K.J. Haakenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I dreamed one night upon my bed
That dark had swallowed all,
But I was foolish, for I found
Night cannot kill the dawn.”

Can I give this 6 stars please?? I haven’t felt so many emotions reading a book is a very long time. Hamlet means a lot to me and this story amplified that.

[Tabby R.H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bittersweet tale of self-sacrifice, honour, & the pursuit of truth in the face of falsehood. Also, Sigrid & Hakkr 😭

[Liz Koetsier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic. Legendary. Everything I expected and more.

[Nathaniel]

I really enjoyed the setting, but I feel that the story (and project overall) felt a bit rushed. I understand that's it's a retelling and it is part of a series of what are supposed to be shorter novels, but I think the setting and story could've served better in something longer and more drawn out.

All that aside, this was a lot of fun. It's my second book from Emily Hayse and it won't be my last. I enjoy her writing and I enjoy her plots (as much as I can credit her for that, seeing as how this is a retelling). She does a good job of crafting characters. I did enjoy getting to know the cast.

[Esther Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very imaginative retelling

I highly recommend!

[Lavay Byrd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another... beautiful, moving, and epic tale by Emily Hayse!!

I had read this in a day... and oh, how it moved me! I was quite familiar with Shakespear's Hamlet, but Emily Hayse's classic retelling somehow gave the story with far more life!

The characters stole my heart: valiant Hakkr, his sweet little sister Britti, the brave and mysterious thrall Axel, Hakkr's loyal and courageous beloved Sigrid...

The world drew me... Norwegian-like setting of mountains and sprawling landscapes, dragons, horses, and wolves...
(Though I read it in Summer... it's more perfect for autumn and winter)

The story, on the surface, seemed like a novella (16 chapters long). But it was written in such a way that it could've been a true epic of a chieftain's son fighting for his father's honor amidst such betrayals and treachery.... to his fighting for the land and people he loves.

[Naomi McCullough · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot go back to yesterday, because I was a different person then. And this book had a BIG hand in that!
It had everything-Vikings, swordfights, brothers in arms, loyalty, honor, truth seeking, betrayals, and also a retelling of Hamlet.
I'm going to have to process this book for a bit, think on all the amazing passages and characters. But why should I do it alone? Hurry and get a copy yourself!!

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

If it's a Shakespeare retelling I have to read it. This one did not disappoint.

[Celebrilomiel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hamlet and Beowulf are two of my favorite classics, and the best of both are reflected in the warp and weft of this story shot through with numinous light. It reminds me of my favorite Rosemary Sutcliff novels, and it far surpasses the Henty historical fiction of Norsemen and Saxons that I gobbled as a little teenager. The world felt nostalgic, like coming home to a place I knew and loved, but it was fresh and inventive and vividly drawn, the author's hand stretching beyond history to mold land and stars and legend in the shapes that would best suit the story.

It was even better than I had expected — better even than I had hoped. This story will stay with me for a long time.

It is a retelling of Hamlet, with all the rich and austere trappings of a Norse tale. It reads like Beowulf and the various Scandinavian sagas, with kennings and blood feuds, with honor in war and in death valued more than life. There are longships and wolf pelts, salt sea and storm, cliff and crag, hunt and harvest, spring and snow. It is a tragedy, and it follows each beat of Hamlet truly; it explores the grief of loss and betrayal and the poignancy of small things, fleeting joys in this life. But an undercurrent of hope threads throughout, for no matter how dark the night, sure is the dawn.

Not every rotten thing can be redeemed, and the stain of sin touches all, harming guilty and innocent alike. When an evil has been committed, there will always be a price. Blood-guilt requires blood-payment, and redemption requires sacrifice. But mercy is greater than revenge, and though at great cost, right will triumph in the end.

4.5 stars, rounded up.

[Sara Downs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bittersweet retelling of Hamlet

I haven't read much of the original, but I did find this retelling very interesting. Set in a Viking era type world, it's full of courage and beauty, and even with the heartbreaking moments, there is hope for the future. Definitely an improvement on the original I would say.

[Kristen Bazen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A masterful retelling of Shakespeare's Hamlet. Normally, I don't like tragic stories, but Emily manages to weave in threads of hope and brightness throughout, offsetting the sad parts with such sweet moments between Hakkr and his little sister, and Hakkr and his betrothed, Sigrid. Even the ending is satisfying...though yes, I did cry.

[Courtnie ~ courtniemustreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story. I loved the characters and the world development! It was short, but well told. It does not have a happily ever after, but it is a retelling of Hamlet which is a tragedy. I really enjoyed this book and thought the author did a great job telling the story!

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the Viking setting, and the main characters were well developed. The whole story was very well written. But I like happy endings. That’s part of why I have never been a big fan of Shakespeare’s tragedies. Since this story is based on Hamlet, you can guess how our hero fairs in the end.

[Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot praise this book enough!!! If you love Vikings and all of the sword fighting, brother-band, loyalty and honor books, then grab a copy quick.

[C Redfern · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good!

I really liked this book; I couldn't put it down! I only wish that it was longer so I can keep reading 😅

[Julia Garcia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely tribute to the original tale of Hamlet.
I would have liked if the author had taken more risks and made it wildly different than the original, but it was good all the same.

[Maria ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars. I really liked the story of this but in my opinion it was not a good Hamlet retelling. It's set in a Viking land which I really enjoyed. I really liked the main characters. But in this retelling ‘Hamlet’ never goes mad or the people around him never think he’s mad. One of my favorite parts of hamlet is how complex hamlet is how he was completely sane but pretending to be mad and the complexity of how many things Hamlet can't say until he puts on this facade of being mad so he can say the thing he wants to say. In this version, Hakkr just says the things and never pretends to be mad and for me that's the whole crux of the original play. I was just waiting for Hakkr to go mad, and it never happened. I enjoyed the story, but I just kept thinking back to Hamlet and how I liked the way Shakespeare handled things better. I felt like this retelling was missing the best parts of what it was retelling. I would have preferred if this had just been a Viking story, not a retelling. Because on its own, not as retelling, this was a good story. The descriptions were really beautiful too