There's something Odd about Kings & Pawns, the ninth book in James L. Nelson's Norsemen Saga.

No, really, quite literally -- Odd, the eldest son of protagonist Thorgrim Ulfsson, aka Night Wolf, has only been mentioned in passing in the previous eight books; when Thorgrim and his younger son Harald went on a viking raid of Ireland -- a raid from which they have not yet returned, nine books and several years later -- Odd and his family stayed behind in Norway to tend both Thorgrim's and Odd's farms. Now, we finally get to meet him ... locked, at our first introduction, in mortal combat with an angry boar.

Although Odd's farm is prospering, Thorgrim's is beset by agents of the local king, who has decided to seize it in lieu of taxes (allegedly) owed on the property. Odd insists that no such debt exists, and he and his neighboring landowners seek to persuade the king through peaceful means to leave them alone. It turns out, however, that Odd might have a touch of the berserker in him, and his carefully laid plans grow bloody.

King Halfdan the Black isn't happy about this turn of events.

Meanwhile, Thorgrim, Harald, the berserker Starri Deathless, and the rest of Thorgrim's men have finally made it out of Ireland but are now stranded in Engla-land. When the book begins, they are occupying a wealthy priory, with some 200 captive English men-at-arms and an assortment of clergy in their care and a small fleet of seven viking longships pulled up on shore. Their raid interrupted a struggle between Nothwulf and Cynewise, the brother and widow, respectively, of the late ealdorman (a sort of regional governor) who was murdered in the previous book. Both seek to seize the title -- and the wealth and power attached to it -- but the sudden presence of an army of Norse raiders has thrown a wrench in their plans. Both want the credit for driving the invaders off, but neither wants to shoulder the risk (or cost) of actually doing it.

Frankly, with ample loot already aboard his ships to make their trip worth his while, Thorgrim wants simply to quit Engla-land altogether and make another attempt at sailing home. But the English have a few tricks up their sleeves; one in particular will force a sudden halt to Thorgrim's plans.

As always, Nelson juggles storylines and perspectives with a great deal of skill, letting readers peer over the shoulders of Thorgrim and his vikings, Odd and his neighbors, Nothwulf, Cynewise and their various advisers and associates, and King Halfdan and his men. There are even a few romantic twists, as Thorgrim's relationship with the Irish archer Failend hits a rocky place, and Odd's wife Signy proves to be a valuable ally in his unexpected struggles.

Most of the series so far has taken place in Ireland. Recent action has occurred in England and Norway. Where the next book in the series remains to be seen; Thorgrim wants to depart from those Saxon shores, but the gods don't always grant him his wishes.

Sadly, there appear to be just three more books in Nelson's Norsemen Saga. I am not eager for it to end.

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