Brianna's Bloody Hammer

by Max Ingram

A daring tale of rescue and revenge against impossible odds, with a blacksmith’s daughter doing battle against Nordic zombies in a dark fantasy world.

"...a fun read..." that "...has a vibe of old pulpy fiction, and cult favorite films like, 'I Spit on Your Grave' and 'Deathstalker'". - P. Pherson, author of The Eye of Ebon (The White Sword Saga Book 1)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Brianna - now in her nineteenth year of life - is tall for a woman, leanly built, and has muscles shaped by countless hours at her father’s forge. She is no shrinking damsel. – Chapter 1: Flesh and Fire

Brianna’s home is in flames, and members of her family lie murdered upon the earth. Yet still she lives, though beaten and violated, with eyes fixed down the road her attackers retreated. The men were vicious raiders, and carried off her younger cousin Greta as prize.

The Viking prince who led the assault, whilst raving madly, had accused Brianna’s mother – an accomplished healer – of witchcraft and casting a curse; for the dead in this land no longer stay buried. But when his efforts were frustrated to lift that curse, and corpses continued to rise, the prince stormed back to his keep, seeking answers and refuge from the scourge

Against all odds, this blacksmith’s daughter takes up her father’s hammer and fights to save her kin! Brianna tracks the retreating horsemen on foot and resolves to save her cousin. She heads for the walls of that distant city, seeking out Greta and vengeance for wrongs done.

Standing in her way are savage beasts, brutal cutthroats, and corpses that refuse to die. But nothing quenches the fire of her fury while her cousin’s life is at stake.

Upon this journey, she makes a steadfast friend when she saves the life of Wilfrid – a dwarf-sized bard who swoons for Brianna and has knowledge of the city – and discovers power linked to her heritage as the granddaughter of a berserk; a power which may lend her aid, but may also risk her humanity.

Yet will even these boons be enough when Brianna reaches the walls of that city, and then must contend with the army of soldiers that stand between her and Greta?

Find out in the action-packed exploits of BRIANNA’S BLOODY HAMMER!

Edgy, sexy, and ultra-violent. A sword & sorcery adventure in the pulp style.

*[This work contains both mature themes and graphic descriptions. Reader discretion is advised.]

264 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 1, 2025

About the author

Max Ingram is an author from the arid climes of Arizona. He's always loved the strange and fantastic, and has filled his life with the media and art that evoke them. He also has life-long passions for poetry, language, and Norse culture.

Reviews

[Jossokar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Max was kind enough to let me read an arc copy of the book...months ago. (Sorry, btw)

I would like to start saying that the book is a pulpy, bloody mess (which i loved.) With graphic violence, sometimes very little to no clothing. It has a bit of sexual assault...and a touch of incest. (Which i did not particularly mind, but i know some people do)

The prose is correct and functional. nothing too fancy. The violent scenes are vibrant. But the most important bit, its that the book is completely unapologetic, as much as it can be. That is what true Sword and Sorcery should feel like. Maybe there are some details that could have gotten more polished. But its not a big thing for me.

Brianna is the daughter of a blacksmith. Who by a weird concidence... makes a sword that ends up cursed (It creates undead) . The curse is noticed by the local prince (later on, the Jarl) who decided to seek compensation. In the form of slaying basically everyone related to the blacksmith. You can imagine how it goes.
Then it starts a path of violence for Brianna, seeking revenge for his father, her aunt's family....and trying to save her little cousin greta (abducted by one of the jarl's men)
Brianna gets a sidekick companion in the form of a guy named Wilfrid, who decided to help her. He is not a fighter at all. More like a clever guy, a bard of sorts, that wants to witness how her story unfolds. (also, has a crush on her)

Brianna is the one directing the action, with Wilfrid stepping in once the new path to take is decided.

In the end, she has to leave the city (and the kingdom). In that sense the story...does remind me a bit to one of those early origin stories for Red sonja. (As much a compliment as i am able to say, since i particularly like Sonja)
It ends foreshadowing a future adventure, which i will want to read in the case it comes out.

So, in a nutshell. Brianna's bloody hammer was a really fun read.
A touch of red sonja, with vikings and zombies...
Dont really need much more than that.

[P. Pherson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rapey, incestuous, mostly pantsless romp of a story.

Brianna, a conan-esque woman, sets out for revenge with her father’s hammer, and begins a journey full of bloody battles, and half naked adventures, as she hunts down the people who did her wrong, and makes them pay.

For me, I think I was above the age group that would be the target audience for this book. It definitely has a vibe of old pulpy fiction, and cult favorite films like, 'I spit on your grave' and 'Deathstalker'. If I was 15, and snuck this book by my parents ;) it would probably be one I would kept for its lewdness and action, but not for its set of values.

Brianna is a driven, seemingly immodest, and perhaps a little unworldly, protagonist, and her companion Wilfrid, while reacting more with the usual ways of the world, is often unprepared for her singlemindedness, and eagerness for brutality. They make a good enough pair, but Brianna drives the story.

There are hints in the book that one might infer as incestuous, but it is never on camera. And while some of the scenes are graphic, many of the most graphic things happen off camera. There is sexual abuse on camera, and there are off camera rapings that can be inferred, enough that this would draw an R rating, but I am sure many have read more graphic than this.

For me, the most intriguing aspect comes in the form of the curse that is present in the story and what it means for possible sequels that may follow. While the story does not have the feel of being an origin story, it does feel like there could be more adventures to come.

I did find the story to be a fun read, but like many of the things I enjoyed in my earlier years, I feel I have grown too old for this type of tale. I do feel the authors passion and excitement in it, but I also think the writing could be improved, though it did not take me out of the story.

I'd call this story 'Red Sonja' meets 'I spit on your grave', with a hammer and some zombies thrown in.