People of the Dawn: Volume 2 in the Holme Trilogy

This work is the second volume in the Holme Trilogy. This is an interesting & unique body of work, because the hero in this Viking saga isn't the traditional warrior - his slave is. Holme has freed himself & his family from the homestead that kept them as slaves all their lives. Venturing to a fictionalized trade city, based on the actual town of Birka, Holme ends up becoming a master smith & a man well-respected (by some) & feared (by all). Holme is not satisfied with just his family being free, but goes on to fight for all thralls to become freemen. Another theme in the trilogy that gains more importance in this book, is the spread of Christianity into the heathen land where most people worship barbaric & crude wooden gods. As Holme gets used to being around people, his intelligence & philosophy become sharper, & as in the last novel, there's virtually no dialogue and the book will slip from a modern-day narrator to Holme or other character's own stream-of-consciousness narrating the tale. As in the first book, this is a wonderful story, loaded with beautiful & haunting imagry. The descriptions are vivid & striking. The author is a brilliant artist, making this one of the best books I've ever read.