Then there was the religious aspect: the berserks were usually followers of Odin, trickiest of gods, and fought in obedience to a vow that would guarantee them glory in the afterlife. In Wolfskin, my troop of warriors owes allegiance to Thor, whose straightforward nature makes him more suited for a soldier’s god.

Having fixed on berserk warrior as hero, I then found my tale exploring the theme of loyalty and vows. To a man in Viking times a blood oath was deeply binding, as was a promise to a god. To break such an oath was to betray one’s honor, to step far beyond the boundaries of acceptable behavior. Eyvind faces a dilemma that tests him to the utmost. In such a case, perhaps only a man of transparent goodness can find a solution that is both compassionate and honorable.

About the Author

Juliet Marillier was born in Dunedin, New Zealand, a town with strong Scottish roots. She graduated from Otago University with a B.A. in languages and an honors degree in music, and has had a varied career that includes teaching and performing music as well as working in government agencies.

Juliet now lives in the Swan Valley area near Perth, Western Australia, where she writes full-time. Her garden features trees and herbs, in keeping with her druidic interests, and is a haven for local wildlife. Juliet currently shares her home with a dog and a cat.

Juliet Marillier is the author of the internationally acclaimed Sevenwaters Trilogy, a historical fantasy series set in ninth-century Ireland.

Copyright

This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this novel are either
fictitious or are used fictitiously.

WOLFSKIN

Copyright © 2002 by Juliet Marillier

First published in 2002 by Pan Macmillan Australia Pty Limited.

Maps by Bronya Marillier

A Tor Book
Published by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC
175 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10010

Tor® is a registered trademark of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Marillier, Juliet.
      Wolfskin / Juliet Marillier.—1st U.S. ed.
            p. cm.
      “A Tom Doherty Associates book.”
      ISBN: 978-0-7653-0672-2
      1. Vikings—Fiction. I. Title.

PR9619.3.M26755W65 2003
   823'.92—dc21

2003041015