
By Bjørn Andreas Bull-Hansen
The year is 1007. Torstein Knarresmed is the ruler of Vingulmork, the rich coastal area to the east of Viken. He has become one of the most powerful men in Scandinavia, and his upbringing as a slave is a distant memory. His love, Sigrid, has given birth to two children, and a place of worship has been erected in the ruling farm.
Life is good. But conflict is not far away. Both the honourable Eric Håkonsson, Earl of Lade in Trøndelag and the Danish king Sweyn Forkbeard have set their sights on the English kingdoms. Areas of land which once came under Danish rule will be conquered once again, and the despised king Ethelred will be overthrown.
The Army of the Danes brings the reader into the violent and conflict-laden time when the Scandinavian kings and earls formed alliances in order to conquer the English kingdoms. At the same time, this was a period of change. Christianity is on its way, and with it brings change that will transform the Old Norse society forever. Torstein Knarresmed, jomsviking and ruler of Vingulmork, will soon find himself in the middle of a conflict between kings and nobles, between the old times and the new.