Einar: Breaking the Sea

by Victoria Zak

He had something to prove.

Einar, the youngest son of Jarl Rognvald ambitiously sails to uncharted territory to prove he can do the impossible: regain his family’s land from the merciless, pirating Danes. When the Danes don’t leave peacefully, it will take an act of Odin for Einar to maintain his iron grip across the perilous island.
Stranded in the Kingdom of Alba after a surprise attack, little does Einar know that Thor’s hammer is about to strike his heart. A brief encounter with a warrior tribe, led by a red-haired lass and her sword, could be his undoing.

A warrior at heart

If watching her father die by the hands of Northmen wasn’t bad enough, the newly crowned king of Alba has bartered a truce with them. Maeve Donald, chieftain of her clan, would rather kill the Norsemen than be forced to be allies, but when the Danes capture her brother, they may hold the key to saving him.

Attracted to the dark, brooding Viking Einar, Maeve’s loyalty to her clan is tested when he offers a plan to rescue her brother. To save him, she must reconcile a lifetime of loathing with her unwanted desire for a heathen—or risk losing everything she loves.

207 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 6, 2019

About the author

Victoria Zak lives in the sunshine state with her husband, two beautiful children, and three furry friends. Before having kids, Victoria spent fifteen years in the veterinary business and volunteered in pet rescue.

“One of my most rewarding jobs was finding unwanted animals their forever homes.”

A writing career was the last item listed on her bucket list, until she discovered that she wanted to put her stories on paper and breathe life into her characters. Her love for Scotland, curiosity of history, and passion for romance has inspired her to write her first book, Highland Burn.

“Fourteenth century Scotland was a fascinating time in history. Not only was Scotland fighting for their freedom from the English king, their own people fought each other; clan vs clan. Though being a woman of the twenty-first century, I wouldn’t want to live in those unsettled times. But writing historical fiction paranormal romance allows me to escape into their world and breathe a fresh air of romance and magic into that era, which I love to do.”

Victoria loves to hear from her readers. You can connect with her through FB, Twitter, G+, and her website.

Reviews

[Kelsie Maxwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Einar: Breaking the Sea by Victoria Zak is book one in her Lords of Valhalla series.

Einar is the bastard son of Rognvald, Jarl of Møre. He’s just back from raiding with the king when learns that the Danes have captured the islands of Orkneyjar, his family’s secondary seat. Einar volunteers to reclaim the islands, but ends up shipwrecked on the island seat of Alba, ruled by Maeve, Chieftain of Stonehaven. Maeve is ruling because her brother, Malcolm, has been captured and is being held for ransom by the Danes. She captures Einar and his remaining men. The two clash because Maeve hates all Northmen. Eventually, Einar and Maeve broker a deal that will be beneficial to both clans. The real issue is can they overcome their preconceptions and find love?

Einar: Breaking the Sea is a definite attention-grabber. It grabbed mine and held it throughout. I loved some characters and hated others, but they are all well-developed. The romance between Einar and Maeve has fire and ice, it burns hot and cold. The plot is expertly executed. There’s action, adventure, love, betrayal and revenge. This novel drew me in completely. I give it 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it to readers who enjoy historical romance, especially scintillating Viking romance. Be aware there is some explicit sexual content.

My thanks to the author and Glenfinnan Publishing for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. However, the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine and mine alone.

[Lisa C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very engaging story of Vikings and Scots, battles, revenge and Love that means more than anything. Both Einar and Maeve have sworn off love for the life of warriors. So it's a battle of feelings along side a battle for their homes. Couldn't put it down, wanting to see what came next. Looking forward to more stories in the Lords of Valhalla series.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Einar a young Viking warrior is doing the impossible and sailing back to get his homelands back from the Danes that will not leave . After a storm he and his mans are stranded on the aisle of Alba and is struck in the heart by a fierce warrior princess and her tribe of warriors . Maeve is attracted to the brooding Viking but is scared to give her heart away after watching her father die . Will they be able to find each other before its too late and will their love bring them together or push them apart.
Ok I am just going to say it right here right now Einar is swoon worthy . He is strong and oh so sexy . He is brooding but underneath he honestly has a heart of gold who will keep those he loves safe . Maeve she is feisty and wants to avenge her fathers death. She is also hurting deep inside . She wants to love but is scared to . She can fight just as good as any man in her clan . They are such well written characters on their own . Together they are unstoppable . I truly loved these characters and the all the characters in this book . There are a few to mention but you will fall in love one or all the characters .
Ok I have read other Viking stories but never liked them as much as I did this story. The characters are well written and complex , you can't help but fall in love with them . The story is complex and you get sucked in from the very first chapter . The author takes us on an emotional roller coaster ride that will keep you on the edge of your seat . There are moments where you actually want to smack each of the main characters upside the head cause they are being so stubborn. Your kindle will also get a little bit hot with some of the scenes . There were moments I think I actually blushed . This is going to be a good series and can't wait for the second book in the series . So if you want a great book to read this Christmas check out the heathen and warrior princess in Einar . You will not be disappointed .

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Einar
Breaking the Sea
Victoria Zak
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


Einar is the youngest son of Jarl Rognvald, but his life has not been what it should be. So he decides to set sail to uncharted territory just to prove to his family that he can do the impossible. He plans on regaining his family’s land from the fearsome Danes, but when those pesky Danes don’t leave easily it will take a miracle for Einar to maintain his iron grip across the island. After he is stranded in the kingdom of Alba after a surprise attack Einar has no clue that Thor’s hammer is about to strike and not in any war like way. It will strike his heart.

Maeve Donald is the chieftain of her clan and watched her father die at the hands of the Northmen and as if that isn’t enough, the newly crowned king of Alba has bartered a truce with them.  Maeve would rather kill the Norsemen herself then ever be allies, but when the Danes capture her brother, they just may hold the key to saving him.

Maeve is attracted to the dark, brooding Viking Einar, Maeve’s loyalty to her clan will be tested when he offers her a plan to rescue her brother. There’s a bargain to be struck here and to save her brother, she must reconcile a lifetime of loathing with her unwanted desire for a heathen or risk everything she holds dear and loves.

Victoria Zak is brilliant. This has to be the best Vikling story that I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Right from the get go you could feel the heat between Einar and Maeve. These two characters were made for eachother. At times I felt very strong emotions, but to me that is what makes a book worth reading. I was hooked from the minute I picked it up until the moment I finished it. Ms. Zak thank you for writing such a wonderful book and I look forward to what you write next.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars - I am so pleased I found a good Viking Romance. It has been a long time since I have found a really good one. It definitely stays true to the time period, which for me as a reader is very important. It's a time of turmoil, a time where two enemies might have to sell their souls to achieve accomplishments, but fate is fickle...you can end up finding so much more. The author has done a great job at staying true to the time period while creating and developing a complex romance that pulls you in.

Einar and Maeve's story is powerful, captivating and sad. Einar is the middle bastard son of an important Jarl.
Unfortunately, Einar knows he is expendable to the man who has sired him. When stranded and in need, he is captured by a red-headed Scottish Warrior who obviously hates him.

Maeve is a Scottish Chieftain who is concentrating on getting her brother back from the Danes. She has history with the Northmen one that has hardened her. Now she has captives who demand her attention.

I believe I have read almost every Viking romance out there and I am glad I found this author writing her first Viking story. I highly recommend it and I know each new story in this series will get better and better.

[Khrista Baxter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lord Heathen

Einar is book one in the Lords of Valhalla series is was a great pleasure reading this viking tale. Victoria did an amazing job, the characters are very likable and interesting.

Einar is one of three bastard sons born to the Jarl of More, always trying to prove his worth to a father that never showed him love or kindness. He and his crew were ship wrecked during a storm of the coast of Scotland. Einar and his men were taken prisoner by a fiery Scottish lass, Maeve, who is the ruler of Alba.
Maeve has no love for Northman since they killed her father several years ago. She can't help however being attracted to Einar. Marvel brother is being held captive by Danes and needs the Kings approval to go rescue but when the King gives his approval it is stipulated that Maeve take Einar and his men, help them get their home back from the Danes and free her brother.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Warrior Princess and the Heathen

This is a great read. You have a Norseman/Jarl/Heathen for Orkney Islands named Einar who is attacked by Dane raiders. He and about 30 men escape the attack and a bad storm at sea to wash up on shore. There a Scottish Princess/Chieftain of Stonehaven/Warrior Princess named Maeve takes them prisoner only to have them released by her king. They make a deal to work together to rescue her brother from the same Danes who took his land. Einar falls for the beautiful princess and is determined to win her over. Maeve ain’t having it. You have sword fights, couple fights, traitors, family problems, cultural differences, more sword fights and two stubborn people falling in love. I give it a 4.5 stars because if I hear “Odin’s left eye” one more time I may barf. Please find another curse or two to add to it. The first two times was funny but after 8...

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an exceptional, edge-of-your-seat story. I just fell in love with the Norseman, Einar Rognvaldsson, the hero who is a strong, fair and compassionate Viking. The heroine, Maeve who is a Scot and Chieften of Stonehaven since her father, the King was killed and her brother Malcolm the heir, was kidnapped and being ransomed by the Danes who also killed her father, hence her hatred of Norsemen. As you can imagine, their first meeting doesn't go so well!! What these two go through really engages all your emotions. This is a fantastic Viking story with fantastic characters. It grabs you In from the beginning to the end. I loved it and highly recommend it and looking forward to more of this series. Well done Victoria, you have a winner!!

[Naomi Bell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Einar Breaking the Sea by Victoria Zak was an entertaining read. Set back in the time of feuds between the “heathen” Danes and the people of Scotland and Ireland, the setting is compelling. The plot line held my attention and I connected with the characters. The story tended to jump in time. I was caught off guard several times with the amount of time that had passed without much detail. While the characters were relatable, they were often predictable and lacked depth. I was often confused by the characters’ names and it made it hard to keep track to who was whom. I don’t know if this is the author’s first book or not, but she shows promise. If she refines her craft and takes the time to even out the story arc and add layers to her characters, she will improve greatly.

[Barbara Literski · Rating 5 out of 5]

To Be Loved

This story is around the year 900 and the location is Orkneyjar (Orkney Island today). It is about the Norsemen, the Scots and their enemy the Danes.
Einar Eysteinsson is the bastard son of Rognvald Eysteinsson. Out of the sons that Rognvald has , Einar was the one that never pleased him. Einar was wanting to prove to his father that he could fight the Danes and win.
Things did not work out as he had planned, from shipwreck, falling in love with a warrior princess, treason, the death of his father but there is a happy ending.
Anyone that enjoys reading Victoria Zak would really enjoy this story.

[Jody Holt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can I just say that Ms. Zak has a way of telling a tale? Her characters are so well developed, strong, independent, and sometimes complicated individuals. Einar is trying to prove to his father that he is worthy to be his son. He meets Maeve, who is a warrior at heart and very angry at the Danes, who killed her father. Einar and Maeve cross paths and there is an instant attraction. The path to helping each other, even with the distrust, leads them on many adventures and explorations of their feelings.

If it hadn’t been for the holidays, I probably would have read this in one day!

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

A young viking trying to gain his father's approval. A warrior princess trying to mourn and protect her people at the same time. Einar is sexy, strong and brooding, but has a good heart. Maeve is feisty, and strong, but also hurting inside. I was drawn into this from the start and just couldn't get enough. I am very excited to see what comes next in this series.

[Michelle Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Einar and his warriors are on a boat in the middle of a storm when he is injured and washed up on shore when he is found by Maeve, a woman who can't stand Einar and his people. This book was a super quick read that kept my attention. I did struggle the first few chapters but after that it was good.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an entertaining book. This is the story of Maeve and Einar, both strong warriors at the core, full of passion and determination.