Crowbone is the fifth and final novel of the Oathsworn series by Scottish writer of historical fiction, Robert Low, released on 13 September 2012 through Harper. Its publication was followed the next day by the author's putting a short (9-page) e-book short story collection on his website as a companion piece: The Untold Tales of Little Crowbone. Due to its brevity, StoryGraph counts the e-book as "#5.5" in the series. Plot Unlike the previous four volumes in the Oathsworn series, the story of Crowbone now revolves around 17-year-old Olaf "Crowbone" Tryggvason, already an experienced warrior, but also kin of late King Harald Fairhair and true heir to the throne of Norway. (As a result, the story can be followed without having read the previous four books.) A dying monk passes on a secret which puts Crowbone and the Oathsworn into harsher conflict with his enemies Gunnhild, the Witch Mother of Kings, and her son Gudrod, to determine the kingdom's future. Critical reception David Maclaine's review says Crowbone "... takes the reader from stormy shipwreck to pitched battle, all with a feel of vivid reality. Low’s writing continues to impress with its richness and power. His story-telling remains uncompromising in its treatment of the harsh, violent lives of men who earn their fame and fortune with blows of a battle ax." He ranks this and the rest of the Oathsworn series among "the 45 best historical novels set in the Viking Age", and notes that author and historian Harry Sidebottom also called this series "the best of the Viking novels". References See also Olaf Tryggvason — The historical person behind the character. Hnefatafl — The "Game of Kings" played in Crowbone. External links The real Crowbone by Robert Low The game of Hnefatafl (nef-uh-ta-fal) — Author Robert Low explains the game that is played, and serves as a metaphor for strategies, in his novel Crowbone. 2012 British novels Novels set in the Dark Ages Scottish historical novels Novels by Robert Low HarperCollins books