War Of The Gods

The story of the great King Hadding is one of the darkest and most violent to come down to us from the old North. Hadding was raised by giants far from his rightful throng, as his father, a Danish King, was slain shortly after Hadding's birth. But the times comes when Hadding feels he must reclaim his legitimate place in the land of the old North. He must endure ferocious battles, the charms of voluptuous Valkyries, and a War of the Gods to rival Armageddon.

"One of science fiction's most revered writers."--USA Today

"An action-packed fantasy extravaganza."--Science Fiction Chronicle

"One of the field's greatest writers....War of the Gods is one of a number of Anderson's works that will stand the test of time."--Orlando Sun-Sentinel

The story of Hadding is one of the darkest and most violent to come down to us from the old North. An enigmatic figure, Hadding has remained a mystery to mythologists and folklorists for a century and a half. Aside from incidental mentions, there are only a few sources that give us any solid facts about the great Danish king, whom many compare to King Arthur himself. Poul Anderson has extensively researched the legend to piece together as much authentic material as possible. He gives us a feel for life as it was in that wintry land, the way people ate, talked, and lived, down to the very gods they worshiped. And in the cosmic framework of that era, kings were generally felt to be descended from the gods themselves. Hadding's story, however, starts off humbly, when his father, a Danish king, is slain shortly after his birth. Hadding is raised by giants far from his rightful throne until the day he feels he must regain his legitimate place in the land of the old North. His adventures border on the unbelievable, but by such men is history wrought, and Hadding's history was destined to become legend.

The bestselling author of such classic novels as Brain Wave and The Boat of a Million Years, Poul Anderson won just about every award the science fiction and fantasy field has to offer. He has won multiple Hugos and Nebulas, the John W. Campbell Award, The Locus Poll Award, the Skylark Award, and the SFWA Grandmaster Award for Lifetime Achievement. His recent books include Harvest of Stars, The Stars are also On Fire, Operation Chaos, Operation Luna, Genesis, Mother of Kings, and Going for Infinity, a collection and retrospective of his life's work. Poul Anderson lived in Orinda, California where he passed away in 2001.