Bruce Macbain crafts historical fiction deeply informed by his academic background in Classical Studies and Ancient History. His narratives delve into the ancient world, particularly Rome and the Viking era, blending meticulous historical research with compelling storytelling. Macbain's prose offers readers an immersive journey, exploring the intricacies of past civilizations and the human experience within them. His recent work transports audiences from Iceland to the far reaches of Constantinople, capturing the spirit of adventure and cultural exchange.
Set against a backdrop of political intrigue and danger, the story follows Odd Tangle-Hair as he becomes the skald to Harald, a renegade Norwegian prince. Caught in a power struggle between Harald and Ingigerd, the scheming Grand Princess of Novgorod, Odd faces manipulation and seduction. As tensions rise with a Pecheneg horde threatening Kiev, he must rely on his cunning to save the city and navigate the treacherous landscape of loyalty and betrayal.
Set against the backdrop of a fading Viking age, the story follows Odd Tangle-Hair as he confronts a violent old grudge linked to his family's honor and their shift from the old gods to Christianity. Forced to leave Iceland after escalating conflict, Odd embarks on a perilous journey across the seas with a mismatched crew. Their adventures take them through Lapland, Norway, Finland, and Russia, where Odd joins a renegade prince. This tale is the first in a trilogy chronicling Odd's life and struggles.
As Pliny, newly appointed governor of the Bithynia region of Ancient Rome, investigates the death of a high Roman official found murdered on a desolate hillside, his wife makes the ultimate betrayal. Simultaneous.
The Varangian is the final entry in Bruce Macbain's Odd Tangle-Hair Saga and brings Odd's challenging adventures to a climactic and satisfying finish. On a secret diplomatic mission to the Emperor's court in Miklagard, the Viking's name for Constantinople, Odd meets the members of the fearsome Varangian Guard whose elite Viking members served as the Emperor's personal bodyguards. Harald, his former master and the man he's been sent to murder, now serves among the guards. Court intrigue and imperial dynastic disputes provide the backdrop for the conflict between Odd and Harald. Like Odin's Child and The Ice Queen before it, The Varangian is dictated by Odd to a young scribe whose own life is changed by the telling of the tale.