An elf afraid of opening his heart, and a human who is heir to an awesome power:
Only by embracing their shared destiny can they save Iceland…and each other.
FalconSaga
by Robert Winter
Genre: Epic Fantasy
In modern-day Iceland, a place of glaciers, volcanoes, and legends, the Norns have foretold a sorcerous invasion that could destroy everything.
Magnús, an elf of the huldufólk, is driven by the murder of his human lover a century ago to save those humans he can, and to figure out what is behind recent troll attacks on tourists. But the Norns have spoken. He must protect Altair, a young human from Boston, who is bringing a dangerous magical force to Iceland. If Magnús fails to keep Altair safe, the country will fall to a sorcerer called the Black Priest. Yet if Altair lives, Magnús will meet his doom.
For his part, Altair is a graduate student bullied to visit Iceland by mentors who seem to have their own agenda. He knows nothing of elves, sorcerers or prophecies. Suddenly, the handsome, mysterious Magnús is guiding Altair around Reykjavik and into danger. A witch, a berserker, and more elves are along for the quest across Iceland’s forbidding landscape. And why does everyone keeps calling Altair “the Falcon”?
An elf and a human with a shared destiny. Will they solve the mystery linking their fates before it is too late for all Iceland?
“Ah, the traitor pays a visit,” a voice sneered from behind Magnús, drawing him to an abrupt stop. “Killed any more of our native creatures? Are you here to find victims to persecute in your humans-first campaign?”
Magnús’s jaw tightened as he turned to face the speaker. “Lars Berkisson. You must be desperate if you’re grubbing for supporters here.”
Lars gave Magnús a tight smile, his steel-gray eyes narrowing. “I came to offer comfort to Vörður, and to tend to his affairs while he rots in the cell where you put him. Tell me, Magnús. How many more of your own people will you try to destroy in your self-hatred?”
“Vörður put himself in that cell when he stole a human baby and tried to pass himself off as the infant. He ignored the edict laid down by Queen Hildur, risked violating the First Covenant, and in any event, the act was despicable. Changelings have been forbidden for decades.”
Lars laughed. “Of course, you and Bryndís are too modern to gather servants in the old ways. But we who honor the ancient customs have long known that if we must tolerate non-magical humans on our shores, then they are best taken as babes. Those raised from infancy make for superior attendants and retainers. The queen has been led astray by your misplaced devotion to mortals, but I have confidence she’ll return to tradition.”
Magnús clenched his jaw, determined to keep his temper. “A tradition of bigotry and false piety, pretending the gods want us to use humans as pets or chattel.”
“Well, isn’t that what Sigurjón was to you? A pet?”
The twist to Lars’s upper lip enraged Magnús. Although Lars had been back from his exile for nearly a fifth of a century, Magnús’s every encounter with him brought them close to battle. With a tremendous effort of will, Magnús refrained from pulling the dagger tucked in his belt.
“Sigurjón was as much a child of the gods as you once were, Lars,” he said through gritted teeth. “The path you follow leads to Hel’s sunless lands, though you lie to your followers and promise them Valhöll.”
Lars shook his head in a way that infuriated Magnús. “Álfheimur is the true home of our people. Those who hear my words long only for a return to the days before men invaded our shores. Before they killed our trees, stole our magic, and built their abominable cities.”
“The gods led mortals here to Iceland, Cousin. Your brand of fanaticism sets those who believe you against the will of the Æsir. And I, for one, look forward to a reckoning.”
With that, Magnús strode away. He didn’t trust himself to spend one more minute in the presence of the vile creature who had murdered his beloved Sigurjón.
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Robert Winter is a recovering lawyer who likes writing about love and adventure much more than drafting a legal brief. Once upon a time, he went to Georgetown University law school. Upon graduation, he moved to New York to work in a large law firm, but later returned to Washington, DC. The legal work was entertaining and Robert spent a lot of time in bankruptcy court, usually representing either groups of creditor or the debtors themselves. But legal work didn’t satisfy the urge Robert felt to tell stories.
When he turned 50, Robert left behind the (allegedly) glamorous world of international law firms and bankruptcy court to pursue his real passion. Now he lives in Montreal with his husband, studying French between trips to exotic locations.
When Robert isn’t writing, he loves to cook Indian food. The aromas of the spice blends excite and challenge him. Although he’s never been to India, the food seems comforting and home-like. Add a trip to the Golden Triangle to the bucket list!
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Icelandic Elves
The huldufólk, or Hidden People, are the elves of Iceland. They look much like humans, but they can turn invisible at will. One version of their origin is that they were the children of Adam and Eve. Apparently, God announced He was stopping by for dinner. Eve had a lot of children then, and tidied them up as best she could. But some of the children were playful and naughty, so she didn’t have time to wash them. Suddenly God was approaching. She shoved the playful children in a backroom. God remarked upon how clean and presentable the kids Adam and Eve paraded by Him looked, and asked if there were any other children. The parents said no. But this was the Old Testament God, so He got annoyed at the lie and laid a curse: the children Adam and Eve tried to hide from Him would thereafter be hidden from all people. And that was the beginning the huldufólk.
In Iceland, a surprisingly high number of people will say that they believe the huldufólk or Hidden Folk exist and live among them. In one survey from 2022, 31% of the respondents said they believed in elves. Others scoff at this, of course, including a writer named Alda Sigmundsdottir who wrote a cute book called The Little Book of the Icelanders. But when you go to Reykjavik (the capital city of Iceland), you can easily find elf walking tours, elf guides, and even an elf school. Reportedly, J.R.R. Tolkien was influenced by the Icelandic sagas and legends in creating the elves of Middle Earth.
When I visited Iceland in 2023 to research Falconsaga, I knew I wanted to see landmarks closely associated with elves. Not far south of Reykjavik is the town of Hafnarfjörður, which boasts the largest concentration of elves in Iceland. I picked up a map at the tourists center to scout out the locations. I have to admit that some of the sites certainly felt as if there might be elves lurking just out of sight.
Álfaborg in the northeast of Iceland is where Hildur, queen of the elves, has her city. It didn’t look like much with its dusting of snow under a gloomy sky (the picture was taken in May) but I swear I could feel something odd when I climbed to the top of the mound that marks the entrance to Hildur’s city.
My elves are heavily based upon the legends, though of course I took some liberties. But if you are a fan of Icelandic legend and folktales, you’ll recognize many characters and locations.
I hope you will give Falconsaga a try and find out more about my take on the
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