What do you think?
Rate this book
Hammer of the Gods: King Olaf's Viking Conquest
Weaving together Norse sagas and Anglo-Saxon chronicles to vividly depict the violence and spectacle of the Viking age, Don Hollway brings the legendary Olaf Tryggvason to life.
Hammer of the Gods tells the extraordinary saga of Olaf Tryggvason – warlord, wanderer, king, and crusader – whose life rivals the most legendary figures of Viking lore. Born in exile and hunted from birth, Olaf survived slavery, betrayal, and shipwreck to become a fearsome warrior across the Viking world from the icy fjords of Norway to the courts of Kyiv, the slave markets of the Baltics, and the battlefields of England and Ireland. His rise would shake the foundations of Norse society, forge new kingdoms, and ignite a holy war against the old gods themselves.
In an age of axe and flame, when the Viking world stood at the crossroads of pagan traditions and the spread of Christianity, Olaf emerged as the fiercest adherent to the new faith – a sword in one hand and a cross in the other. Drawing on a vast array of early medieval sources from Icelandic sagas and skaldic verse to Byzantine and Anglo-Saxon chronicles, Don Hollway brings the world of Olaf Tryggvason vividly to life cutting through the legend to reveal the man behind the myth.
For readers of Bernard Cornwell and lovers of Viking history, Hammer of the Gods is the epic history of a great Norse king whose story shaped the fate of a civilization.
Hammer of the Gods tells the extraordinary saga of Olaf Tryggvason – warlord, wanderer, king, and crusader – whose life rivals the most legendary figures of Viking lore. Born in exile and hunted from birth, Olaf survived slavery, betrayal, and shipwreck to become a fearsome warrior across the Viking world from the icy fjords of Norway to the courts of Kyiv, the slave markets of the Baltics, and the battlefields of England and Ireland. His rise would shake the foundations of Norse society, forge new kingdoms, and ignite a holy war against the old gods themselves.
In an age of axe and flame, when the Viking world stood at the crossroads of pagan traditions and the spread of Christianity, Olaf emerged as the fiercest adherent to the new faith – a sword in one hand and a cross in the other. Drawing on a vast array of early medieval sources from Icelandic sagas and skaldic verse to Byzantine and Anglo-Saxon chronicles, Don Hollway brings the world of Olaf Tryggvason vividly to life cutting through the legend to reveal the man behind the myth.
For readers of Bernard Cornwell and lovers of Viking history, Hammer of the Gods is the epic history of a great Norse king whose story shaped the fate of a civilization.
392 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 7, 2026
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 19, 2026
Interesting read. For anyone who wants to know more about how Scandinavian nations became Christian and quite a story about king Olaf I life.
June 6, 2026
Some glimmers of what made Hollway more engaging in his other works. This suffers from structural issues that there isn't necessarily a fix for.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
First of all, I would like to thank Netgalley and the publishing house for the ARC copy of the book and their trust in me.
I enjoyed Hammer of the Gods so much and it's exactly what a history passionate is searching for. It deals with a vividly told account of one of the most compelling—and controversial—figures of the Viking Age. Framed as both a historical reconstruction and an epic narrative, the book traces the remarkable life of Olaf Tryggvason from hunted exile to king and religious zealot, blending scholarly research with the pacing of a saga.
I fell in love with the writing style of author. I felt like an ancient bard was telling me the story of Olaf's journey. He's able to capture the reader in an old Viking world where you're a witness to all the events, battles, journeys that stretch from Scandinavia to Eastern Europe and the British Isles. Drawing from sagas, chronicles, and poetry, Hollway carefully navigates the line between legend and fact, often acknowledging where the sources blur into myth.
The portrayal of Olaf himself is particularly compelling. He is not romanticized into a simple hero; instead, he emerges as a complex and often unsettling figure. The author is able to capture the cultural and spiritual upheaval of the era, making Olaf’s story feel like a turning point in history rather than just an individual biography.
I would recommend this book to readers in search of a historical novel who is not just a static acknowledgment of facts but an interesting story they will remember and tell others.
A must if you loved the tv show Vikings.
I enjoyed Hammer of the Gods so much and it's exactly what a history passionate is searching for. It deals with a vividly told account of one of the most compelling—and controversial—figures of the Viking Age. Framed as both a historical reconstruction and an epic narrative, the book traces the remarkable life of Olaf Tryggvason from hunted exile to king and religious zealot, blending scholarly research with the pacing of a saga.
I fell in love with the writing style of author. I felt like an ancient bard was telling me the story of Olaf's journey. He's able to capture the reader in an old Viking world where you're a witness to all the events, battles, journeys that stretch from Scandinavia to Eastern Europe and the British Isles. Drawing from sagas, chronicles, and poetry, Hollway carefully navigates the line between legend and fact, often acknowledging where the sources blur into myth.
The portrayal of Olaf himself is particularly compelling. He is not romanticized into a simple hero; instead, he emerges as a complex and often unsettling figure. The author is able to capture the cultural and spiritual upheaval of the era, making Olaf’s story feel like a turning point in history rather than just an individual biography.
I would recommend this book to readers in search of a historical novel who is not just a static acknowledgment of facts but an interesting story they will remember and tell others.
A must if you loved the tv show Vikings.
June 5, 2026
This book is somewhere between a historic non fiction and a saga in the greatest tradition of Norsemen. It's more than just a life of King Olaf I, it is an epic tale of men and monsters.
The book doesn't shy away from some of the more horrible things he is said to have done. Olaf may have brought Christianity to Norway, but he did with the torch and the sword. He committed many crimes, which are expertly balanced out in this book by the good he did bring.
It's a fascinating tale, not one I knew much about and I really enjoyed my time with this book. This saga sweeps the ancient world, with visits to Byzantium, Rus, Norway, even far out of the way England, gets a mention here. Mostly as its usual place in history at this time, as the Vikings little punching bag.
It was a little heavy going at times, not through the fault of the author but the simple fact that Norse naming conventions mean that things get very confusing, very quickly. There are a lot of similar names scattered throughout this book, so you do have to focus to keep everyone straight in your head. It's well worth the effort though, and this was a wonderful read.
Anyone with any interest in Norse mythology, Scandinavian early history or even just the spread of early Christianity and the way in which it evolved over time, and in its own locations, will find something of great value within these pages.
At the end of this, seeing what he did, it almost seems unfair that it is Olaf II, who is the patron saint of Norway....
~Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review~
The book doesn't shy away from some of the more horrible things he is said to have done. Olaf may have brought Christianity to Norway, but he did with the torch and the sword. He committed many crimes, which are expertly balanced out in this book by the good he did bring.
It's a fascinating tale, not one I knew much about and I really enjoyed my time with this book. This saga sweeps the ancient world, with visits to Byzantium, Rus, Norway, even far out of the way England, gets a mention here. Mostly as its usual place in history at this time, as the Vikings little punching bag.
It was a little heavy going at times, not through the fault of the author but the simple fact that Norse naming conventions mean that things get very confusing, very quickly. There are a lot of similar names scattered throughout this book, so you do have to focus to keep everyone straight in your head. It's well worth the effort though, and this was a wonderful read.
Anyone with any interest in Norse mythology, Scandinavian early history or even just the spread of early Christianity and the way in which it evolved over time, and in its own locations, will find something of great value within these pages.
At the end of this, seeing what he did, it almost seems unfair that it is Olaf II, who is the patron saint of Norway....
~Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review~
May 29, 2026
"It's one of the possibilities that makes Olaf Tryggvason's saga - arising from legend to itself become legend - perhaps the greatest Viking saga of all."
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my review.
One of my main reasons for requesting this book is that I'm on somewhat of a Viking binge, and I was interested in focusing on a set period of time, instead of reading another broad overview. I really enjoyed how Hollway used the saga to set the scene and filled in the needed background information. The utilization of multiple sources helped create as full of a picture as possible of King Olaf. Olaf feels incredibly human in this book, and at points, you can't help shaking your head at his decisions.
The hardest part of this book is something not unique to this specific one - the names. Most of our cast of characters had the same or very similar names, with the only thing setting them apart being their nicknames. The book does have a glossary at the front, but I very much forgot to go back and just yolo'd my way through it.
I actually think I would have liked this book even more as an audiobook! This is me begging y'all to pick a good audiobook narrator, because I would honestly read this again that way.
I am excited to check out the author's other books as well!
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my review.
One of my main reasons for requesting this book is that I'm on somewhat of a Viking binge, and I was interested in focusing on a set period of time, instead of reading another broad overview. I really enjoyed how Hollway used the saga to set the scene and filled in the needed background information. The utilization of multiple sources helped create as full of a picture as possible of King Olaf. Olaf feels incredibly human in this book, and at points, you can't help shaking your head at his decisions.
The hardest part of this book is something not unique to this specific one - the names. Most of our cast of characters had the same or very similar names, with the only thing setting them apart being their nicknames. The book does have a glossary at the front, but I very much forgot to go back and just yolo'd my way through it.
I actually think I would have liked this book even more as an audiobook! This is me begging y'all to pick a good audiobook narrator, because I would honestly read this again that way.
I am excited to check out the author's other books as well!
May 26, 2026
Hammer of the Gods is an ambitious, yet always readable, work of narrative history that aims to reconcile the mythic grandeur of Viking sagas with historical scholarship. Dramatic and often violent, and full of larger-than-life personalities it is nonetheless grounded in careful research, which makes it a compelling read. At its centre is Olaf Tryggvason, a figure whose life seems almost too improbable to be true. Olaf’s journey from hunted exile and enslaved youth to feared warrior and king is told with a novelist’s sense of pacing, moving briskly across the Viking world. The retelling embraces the saga tradition but draws out a plausible narrative without draining away the colour. Hollway manages to explain complex geopolitical shifts without bogging the reader down, and his battle scenes are particularly effective. At times, however, the reliance on reconstructed narrative can blur the line between evidence and speculation. That said the book succeeds in making a distant and semi-legendary figure feel human and relatable, while still acknowledging the layers of myth that surround him. Overall, Hammer of the Gods is an engaging, immersive piece of popular history, which I very much enjoyed.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
If you liked the Last Kingdom series you will absolutely love Hammer of the Gods by Don Hollway. This is an action packed historical story of King Olaf from childhood when he was sold into slavery thru his rise as King Olaf. The use of sagas and research makes Hollway’s storytelling so intriguing and at times intimate. I love the injections where he explained artifacts that have been found in modern timesI’ve read a lot about the Danes so now taking on Norse history and mythology in this novel was very educational along with being entertaining. Hollway brought to life the horrific nature of living the viking life and being on the receiving end of the brutality of a viking raid. Not to mention the political and religious maneuvering that took place to take advantage of opportunities that lay before you.
As with so many medieval historical books, it is a good idea to take a few notes to keep the people, places, religions and allies sorted. I have now added books by Don Hollway to my growing tbr. What a wonderful read.
Thank you NetGalley, Don Hollway and Osprey Publishing for providing this eARC for review.
As with so many medieval historical books, it is a good idea to take a few notes to keep the people, places, religions and allies sorted. I have now added books by Don Hollway to my growing tbr. What a wonderful read.
Thank you NetGalley, Don Hollway and Osprey Publishing for providing this eARC for review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Olaf Tryggvason, ever heard of him? Me neither! We probably should have, though. Luckily, we have Don Hollway to rectify this, and he has the unenviable task of pulling together wildly different sources of varying reliability because Vikings were not huge fans of writing stuff down.
Hammer of the Gods tells the whole story of Olaf's life which includes murder, slavery, pillaging (of course!), tons of marriages, and even more death. Olaf travels all over the known world at the time from Russia to Ireland. Along the way, he becomes Christian and violently makes a lot of other people convert as well. For the record, that's not how you are supposed to do it.
Hollway is great at books like this where he has to pull together a lot of history from various sources. There are a few times where I think he adds a bit too much to the narrative, but those times are few and far between. This is a fun book about someone I knew nothing about going in.
(This book was provided as a review copy by NetGalley and Osprey Publishing.)
Hammer of the Gods tells the whole story of Olaf's life which includes murder, slavery, pillaging (of course!), tons of marriages, and even more death. Olaf travels all over the known world at the time from Russia to Ireland. Along the way, he becomes Christian and violently makes a lot of other people convert as well. For the record, that's not how you are supposed to do it.
Hollway is great at books like this where he has to pull together a lot of history from various sources. There are a few times where I think he adds a bit too much to the narrative, but those times are few and far between. This is a fun book about someone I knew nothing about going in.
(This book was provided as a review copy by NetGalley and Osprey Publishing.)
May 24, 2026
Review of an ARC from Netgalley
This is a biography of Olaf I of Norway. The author sees himself as the latest in a line of biographers, most of whom were medieval writers who provided his sources. Therefore is examines the different narratives of Olaf's incredible life and compares certain areas and adds context. Hollway engages in some source criticism, pointing out improbabilities. The context he adds is also helpful. This is good start for someone looking for an introduction to the topic or just a more causal overview. Hollway is not as skeptical as some readers might be, but he provides information so that one can make one's own judgement. Unfortunately, it lacks footnotes, but does have an extensive bibliography with urls of online sources. Another criticism is that the idea of "shield wall" referring to a tactical formation is promoted, despite being discredited.
This is a biography of Olaf I of Norway. The author sees himself as the latest in a line of biographers, most of whom were medieval writers who provided his sources. Therefore is examines the different narratives of Olaf's incredible life and compares certain areas and adds context. Hollway engages in some source criticism, pointing out improbabilities. The context he adds is also helpful. This is good start for someone looking for an introduction to the topic or just a more causal overview. Hollway is not as skeptical as some readers might be, but he provides information so that one can make one's own judgement. Unfortunately, it lacks footnotes, but does have an extensive bibliography with urls of online sources. Another criticism is that the idea of "shield wall" referring to a tactical formation is promoted, despite being discredited.
June 18, 2026
Olaf Trygvasson is an enigmatic ruler, having ruled for 5 years and our main sources coming from Adam of Breman and Snorri Sturlusson. Unlike Hollway's "The Last Viking", this book isn't so much about Olaf himself - I feel he only really comes to the fore in the first part of the book- this more about the Christianisation of Scandinavia and Olaf's brutal methods on how he achieved it. While Hollway doesn't shy away from the more unpleasant details, this book felt quite dry in some sections, and in some respects covers similar ground in his previous book "Battle for the Island Kingdom". Despite this, it is a good book for bringing to like the brutal christianisation of Scandinavia and the key players that were operating about this time. Ultimately and unfortunately I feel a bit indifferent to it, its not good but not bad either. A good entry point for this turbulent period.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews