Bernard Cornwell
"A bead was discovered in a Viking warrior’s grave, and that discovery led Cat Jarman on an amazing journey which is described in this extraordinary story. That bead, in Cat Jarman’s hands, taught me more about the Vikings than a score of history books. River Kings is an astonishing and compelling triumph!"
Dan Snow
"Cat Jarman will transform the way you think about the Vikings."
Financial Times William Dalrymple
"Will cast a spell on any reader who enjoys their history well-written and clearly argued. Replete with witches, human sacrifice, Greek fire and funeral orgies. One of the most thrilling works of archaeological detective work I have ever read.
Alice Roberts
"Starting with an enigmatic carnelian bead, Cat Jarman reveals how her own research has contributed to a completely new understanding of the Vikings. A brilliantly, beautifully told story.
Michael Wood
"An extraordinarily imaginative conjuring of the Viking world. This is not archaeology as dry stones and bones, but as the lived lives of the people of the past brought to life with verve, style and sympathetic imagination. Beautifully written. You’ll never see the Viking Age in the same way again.
Charles Spencer
"A thrilling read. Illuminates Viking culture in an utterly intriguing new light.
The Times (London)
"A masterly history. River Kings is a mystery and an adventure, the tale of a quest that took Cat Jarman from Repton to Scandinavia, across the Baltic Sea, over to Baghdad and finally to India. I was held captive. In addition to being a wonderful writer, Jarman is a skilled bioarchaeologist. River Kings is like a classical symphony, perfectly composed and exquisitely performed. Tiny trills of detail give way to pounding drums of drama.
The Times Literary Supplement
While opening up the eastern Viking Age to a general audience, Jarman also inducts the reader into the range and wealth of evidence with which Viking scholars grapple. A rich tale of discovery.
William Dalrymple, Financial Times
"Will cast a spell on any reader who enjoys their history well-written and clearly argued. Replete with witches, human sacrifice, Greek fire and funeral orgies. One of the most thrilling works of archaeological detective work I have ever read.
