The Doom of Odin by Scott Oden
St. Martin's Press
2023
352 pages

“Your blood is as black and stinking as any of ours, you oaf! Deeds, not blood, are what sets us apart. As for my names, they are beyond number! Corpse-maker and Life-quencher, I am called; the Bringer of Night, the Son of the Wolf and Brother of the Serpent. The Hooded One, I am, the Tangled God’s last immortal herald. The last of Bálegyr’s brood to plague Miðgarðr, last to prey on the sons of Adam."

Scott Oden returns with the climatic ending to the saga of Grimnir. Hot on the heels of the dragon Níðhöggr, Grimnir has his long life cut short in the most mundane way. Even he is pissed about it when he awakens in Nástrond, the orc afterlife. It doesn't take long for things to get bloody. In Nástrond typically when you die you resurrect after a short time. Grimnir is different. There is an unseen player that has taken direct interest in Grimnir. Refusing to be trifled with, much less manipulated, Grimnir would burn Yggdrasil to its roots to accomplish his goals.

Bloody, red-handed action from the very beginning. Reading The Doom of Odin was a rapturous delight! Brutal and unforgiving, Grimnir takes as much punishment as he dishes out. I envision most of the novel as being dark, maybe even black and white with vivid splashes of color throughout. The panoramic scenes of Yggdrasil as seen from Nástrond would be some of the best. I could certainly envision this filmed in a similar manner as Sin City or 300.

I've read that many reviewers have complained that the story was hard to follow. I had no trouble whatsoever. Once I gained a grip on what was going on the story progressed perfectly fine. Yes, initially it was disorienting, but as you progress it becomes more and more clear what is going on.

I felt like the climax and ending was rushed; although, this did not detract from my overall enjoyment of the novel. I would also like to touch on one more thing. The very last conversation in The Doom of Odin led my imagination to ponder if there could be more after this. The unspoken question rings in my mind, Is there someone with that kind of power?

The Doom of Odin is scheduled for release December 19th. In the meantime it can be preordered from several retailers. In the meantime if you were looking for something to tide you over, I would personally recommend The White Lion. Also, in January Scott's Conan story, The Shadow of Vengeance, will be released. It is part of The Heroic Legends Series published by Titan Books. This story is intended as a follow up to Howard's “The Devil in Iron.”