The Axe of the Northmen by John P Greenan

In the summer of World War II, twelve-year-old Eric is evacuated from Hull to the safety of Riccall, Yorkshire but the home he is sent to offers no safety at all. Fleeing cruel guardians with nothing but his wits and his will, Eric stumbles into a twist of fate that no one could have predicted: he is hurled back nine centuries in time, to the autumn of 1066.There, bound to an ancient axe that seems to have chosen him, Eric finds himself at the side of the legendary Harald Hardrada, warrior king, conqueror of the north, and one of the most formidable figures in the history of the Viking world. What begins as desperate survival becomes a journey into a realm of warriors, battle-scarred longships, and loyalties forged in the heat of battle.But Eric is not just a spectator. To find his way home, he must alter the very moments that shaped history, a terrifying responsibility for a boy who only wanted to survive. Every choice he makes ripples through time, and the wrong move could leave him stranded in the past forever.The Axe of the Northmen is a richly imagined debut that blends WWII evacuee drama, Viking mythology, and time-travel adventure into a story that grips from the first page....