The Serpent and The Wolf by Joe Gregory

The Serpent and The Wolf opens to a rather amusing bait and switch. When the reader thinks they are in a distant Viking land, a bloody battlefield in full swing, the director yells ‘Cut!’ and the modern world of the story takes shape. The opening sets the tone for the rest of the novel: a sometimes-slapstick mixing together of worlds and genres.

Harry Gustafson, a mild-mannered attorney, is the star of the show. Harry’s uncle is in surgery in the hospital, and he is suspected of killing and tearing apart some KKK members. When Harry visits him, he has visions of knights and Vikings, and taken in hand by a wolf, Harry is led on a tour through history: the Vikings, the Crusades, and Stalingrad.

An entertaining romp into the past, The Serpent and The Wolf doesn’t offer groundbreaking prose or believable dialogue, but it does offer comedic moments in this lighter take on historical fantasy, with a fun balance of action and mystery, as well as fascinating and well-researched historical detail. There are surprises throughout, including one very surprising twist, and the book is so fast-paced that it can be finished in a day even for the casual reader. Recommended for those new to historical fantasy, as this is a quick and entertaining read.

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