What do you think?
Rate this book
Tooth and Blade #1-3
Tooth and Blade
Parts 1-3 of the legendary TOOTH AND BLADE series together for the first time!
Two worlds. One destiny.
Dóta has dwelled sixteen years among the trolls. She knows nothing but the darkness of her family’s cave. Her mother says humans are beasts who would slay them all. Yet the gods of Asgard whisper in the night: Dóta is a child of men, a monster unto monsters.
To discover her human side, Dóta must take up her bone knife and step into the light above. Secrets await her in the human realm—beauty, terror, the love of a princess.
Soon Dóta must choose between her clan and humankind, or both worlds will be devoured in fire and war.
A monster sheds no tears.
Norse mythology meets historical fantasy in TOOTH AND BLADE. Step into a realm of haunted meres, iron and magic.
Two worlds. One destiny.
Dóta has dwelled sixteen years among the trolls. She knows nothing but the darkness of her family’s cave. Her mother says humans are beasts who would slay them all. Yet the gods of Asgard whisper in the night: Dóta is a child of men, a monster unto monsters.
To discover her human side, Dóta must take up her bone knife and step into the light above. Secrets await her in the human realm—beauty, terror, the love of a princess.
Soon Dóta must choose between her clan and humankind, or both worlds will be devoured in fire and war.
A monster sheds no tears.
Norse mythology meets historical fantasy in TOOTH AND BLADE. Step into a realm of haunted meres, iron and magic.
290 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 15, 2020
2 people are currently reading
10 people want to read
About the author
Julian Barr
8 books17 followersJulian Barr first fell in love with all things Greek and Roman in childhood, when he staged the epic tale of the Emperor Claudius using sock puppets. After his PhD in Classics, he did a brief stint as a schoolteacher, hated being called ‘sir,’ and dived into storytelling. Although he remains open to the possibilities of sock puppet theatre, historical fantasy is his passion. He has published scholarly research on Roman medicine and the gastronomic habits of Centaurs but prefers to think of himself as an itinerant bard. Ashes of Olympus: The Way Home is his debut novel.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 14, 2020
4☆ An Enjoyable, Thrilling, Pacy, Endearing and Entertaining Read
Tooth and Blade is three fairly short Novellas written into one book, I actually really enjoyed this style of book. It made for a quick, endearing and entertaining read.
Dóta isn't like the others. She's different from her Mother Módor and Brother Grethor.
Módor found Dóta in The shivering woods, Near the man-village, 16years ago whilst out hunting. Módor raised her as her own, teaching her to be one of them.
Despite Módor's warnings to stop asking questions about Humans and where Dóta came from, she just couldn't help herself and was desperate to learn more and find the truths.
So when she finally decides to let Dóta up to the Human world to learn how to hunt, Dóta is taken back by how protective she is when her brother tries to kill a man.
Grethor leaves Dóta in the Human world alone as she is a traitor and a thief as far as he is concerned.
But how will Dóta cope with this unknown world? Can she find the answers she so desperately craves?
Tooth and Blade is a story full of adventure, mystery, fantasy, danger, discovery, it has a coming of age feel to it.
I really liked the sexuality aspect as Dóta tries to figure out her sexuality and find her place. It's so important to let people know it's ok to be different.
I know books are all about imagination and personal interpretation, but I would of loved to of seen pictures of Módor and Grethor to see if how I imagined them to look was the same. Sometimes i think YA/NA books could do with a smidge of illustration.
This isn't my normal genre but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed reading all about Dóta, and how quickly I settled into the story.
I am really looking forward to reading more from Julian Barr.
Thank you to Rachel Random Resources for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
My Review is also on my Blog Website :-
https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2020/0...
Tooth and Blade is three fairly short Novellas written into one book, I actually really enjoyed this style of book. It made for a quick, endearing and entertaining read.
Dóta isn't like the others. She's different from her Mother Módor and Brother Grethor.
Módor found Dóta in The shivering woods, Near the man-village, 16years ago whilst out hunting. Módor raised her as her own, teaching her to be one of them.
Despite Módor's warnings to stop asking questions about Humans and where Dóta came from, she just couldn't help herself and was desperate to learn more and find the truths.
So when she finally decides to let Dóta up to the Human world to learn how to hunt, Dóta is taken back by how protective she is when her brother tries to kill a man.
Grethor leaves Dóta in the Human world alone as she is a traitor and a thief as far as he is concerned.
But how will Dóta cope with this unknown world? Can she find the answers she so desperately craves?
Tooth and Blade is a story full of adventure, mystery, fantasy, danger, discovery, it has a coming of age feel to it.
I really liked the sexuality aspect as Dóta tries to figure out her sexuality and find her place. It's so important to let people know it's ok to be different.
I know books are all about imagination and personal interpretation, but I would of loved to of seen pictures of Módor and Grethor to see if how I imagined them to look was the same. Sometimes i think YA/NA books could do with a smidge of illustration.
This isn't my normal genre but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed reading all about Dóta, and how quickly I settled into the story.
I am really looking forward to reading more from Julian Barr.
Thank you to Rachel Random Resources for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
My Review is also on my Blog Website :-
https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2020/0...
March 9, 2020
Dóta has grown up in the company of trolls, who tell her humans are monsters.
When Dóta is finally old enough to leave the cave to hunt, everything she thought she knew is about to change.
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Dóta only knows what she has been told. That Modor found her after she was abandoned as a baby. This creature adopted her, and raised her alongside her troll brother Grethor, to fear the humans, the real monsters in this world.
She knows nothing outside of her cave, living a feral life in the cold and dark.
When she turns sixteen, her Modor agrees that she should have the chance to leave the cave and train to hunt for herself. It is on this trip she first comes across humans, and learns more about the realities of their world, instead of the prejudices her foster-family have instilled.
Disguised as a boy, so she can travel freely, Dóta finds herself brought into the presence of a king, as she is the only one who can wield magic strong enough to stop Grethor.
I really enjoyed following Dóta's story, as they adapt to living with trolls, as they know no better. Dóta is completely wild, and finds human behaviour bizarre and constraining. Having to wear clothes, and learn about gender-roles. She is drawn to the princess, but doesn't understand why, or the implications if people found out she was a girl.
I liked that Dóta doesn't fit the mold. She is born with the body and magic of a woman, but is constantly being told she has a man's soul. Throughout the story, Dóta finds the truth about her history, and establishes confidence in themselves.
Overall, I enjoyed this book, and look forward to reading more of Barr's work.
When Dóta is finally old enough to leave the cave to hunt, everything she thought she knew is about to change.
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Dóta only knows what she has been told. That Modor found her after she was abandoned as a baby. This creature adopted her, and raised her alongside her troll brother Grethor, to fear the humans, the real monsters in this world.
She knows nothing outside of her cave, living a feral life in the cold and dark.
When she turns sixteen, her Modor agrees that she should have the chance to leave the cave and train to hunt for herself. It is on this trip she first comes across humans, and learns more about the realities of their world, instead of the prejudices her foster-family have instilled.
Disguised as a boy, so she can travel freely, Dóta finds herself brought into the presence of a king, as she is the only one who can wield magic strong enough to stop Grethor.
I really enjoyed following Dóta's story, as they adapt to living with trolls, as they know no better. Dóta is completely wild, and finds human behaviour bizarre and constraining. Having to wear clothes, and learn about gender-roles. She is drawn to the princess, but doesn't understand why, or the implications if people found out she was a girl.
I liked that Dóta doesn't fit the mold. She is born with the body and magic of a woman, but is constantly being told she has a man's soul. Throughout the story, Dóta finds the truth about her history, and establishes confidence in themselves.
Overall, I enjoyed this book, and look forward to reading more of Barr's work.
March 14, 2020
What a great mix of mythology, magic and mystery this trilogy proved to be! Dóta can't remember her life before living with the trolls. Brought up for sixteen years in her family's cave home, staying with ones she considers her mother and brother, she has no memories of the sky, daylight, starlight or humans other than the warnings regarding them given to her by her troll mother. Venturing into the treasure cave is breaking the rules, but sixteen year old Dóta can't resist. There she discovers an amulet which she takes, never realising the consequences of her actions . . . which start with her first visit above ground to go hunting with her brother where she has an encounter with a human....a human her brother wants her to kill.....
With a powerful goddess, magic, danger, war and even a princess, this is a very different story and an engaging read. Dóta has much to learn and many decisions to make as she discovers what human life is like, how confusing loyalties can be and she has battles to fight. It is a well paced adventure fraught with perils, quandaries, temptations and deception.
I requested and was gifted a copy of this book and this is my honest review after choosing to read it and finding it to be an entertaining read that I have no hesitation in recommending it to anyone who enjoys Norse mythology, mystery and adventure.
With a powerful goddess, magic, danger, war and even a princess, this is a very different story and an engaging read. Dóta has much to learn and many decisions to make as she discovers what human life is like, how confusing loyalties can be and she has battles to fight. It is a well paced adventure fraught with perils, quandaries, temptations and deception.
I requested and was gifted a copy of this book and this is my honest review after choosing to read it and finding it to be an entertaining read that I have no hesitation in recommending it to anyone who enjoys Norse mythology, mystery and adventure.
March 9, 2020
This is the first story I'm reading written by Julian Barr and I do love that he compiled the novellas all in one book because I just kept reading one after the other with no worries, just has I would read a big book.
Now, we are taken to a world with a set of rules and we follow Dóta in her journey to discover herself and her human side. That's something we can relate at one point in our lives, we end up trying to figure out who we are as people, our likes and dislikes, our goals, our place in the world. And I kind of could relate to Dóta in that aspect, although her journey is different.
As we read the book we get to learn about the world and the characters, it's a place of myths and magic, with adventure and everything that entails, from action scenes to drama. Each page, each moment, brought some new information as well as questions, and it grabbed my attention to learn more.
The characters were interesting and the interaction were realistic in some ways, with the old world vibe. Dóta was such an intriguing character from the very beginning and she goes on her adventure through the new world, we go right along side her.
Life is full of ups and downs, full of moments of obstacles, of uncovering secrets, of fighting for our goals, and in a way, this story had that, which made me enjoy the story and be excited to read the next page just to see if I was right, if I was going to learn more, what the characters would do... basically what was going to happen in the next scene.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book with the three novellas in it. It was engaging and it left me wondering about humankind and our nature, as well as what this world had to offer, at each page I read. I do hope the author goes back to the world and take us back to it to follow other character, because it was an interesting take in the Nordic mythology and magic in a fantasy novel.
[I want to thank Rachel, at Rachel’s Random Resources, and Julian Barr for the eCopy of this book, and for allowing me to join in the fun and being a part of the blog tour with my honest review of the book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.]
Now, we are taken to a world with a set of rules and we follow Dóta in her journey to discover herself and her human side. That's something we can relate at one point in our lives, we end up trying to figure out who we are as people, our likes and dislikes, our goals, our place in the world. And I kind of could relate to Dóta in that aspect, although her journey is different.
As we read the book we get to learn about the world and the characters, it's a place of myths and magic, with adventure and everything that entails, from action scenes to drama. Each page, each moment, brought some new information as well as questions, and it grabbed my attention to learn more.
The characters were interesting and the interaction were realistic in some ways, with the old world vibe. Dóta was such an intriguing character from the very beginning and she goes on her adventure through the new world, we go right along side her.
Life is full of ups and downs, full of moments of obstacles, of uncovering secrets, of fighting for our goals, and in a way, this story had that, which made me enjoy the story and be excited to read the next page just to see if I was right, if I was going to learn more, what the characters would do... basically what was going to happen in the next scene.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book with the three novellas in it. It was engaging and it left me wondering about humankind and our nature, as well as what this world had to offer, at each page I read. I do hope the author goes back to the world and take us back to it to follow other character, because it was an interesting take in the Nordic mythology and magic in a fantasy novel.
[I want to thank Rachel, at Rachel’s Random Resources, and Julian Barr for the eCopy of this book, and for allowing me to join in the fun and being a part of the blog tour with my honest review of the book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.]
March 14, 2020
Dóta is a daughter of two worlds. Born to human parents but raised by trolls, she is a unique character. Until she is permitted to go up to the surface and experience the world for herself, Dóta lives a sheltered life. Only her mother and brother’s stories about her past and the world above feed her curiosity, until one day she is sent above to hunt for herself.
Tooth and Blade is a tale of magic, discovery, identity and conflict. As I expected, I really enjoyed the Norse mythology element. I am still a novice when it comes to knowledge of Norse mythology, however I know the basics. The gods and concepts of destiny and fate were present consistently throughout the book, so it definitely has a significant influence on the narrative.
At 288 pages, these three novellas together are an excellent length to establish an interesting world and allow for plenty of action and character development. I actually read Tooth and Blade in a couple of days. The story and writing style flow so well that it makes for an easy read to pick up and enjoy.
Tooth and Blade has many elements that wouldn’t typically be put together into one narrative, and yet it all gelled perfectly. The narrative has a solid plotline that cleverly brings all the characters and their different backgrounds together. Dóta is my favourite of all though. She is a truly unique character who doesn’t strictly fit in. She’s fierce and a fighter, and after all the turmoil of discovering who she really is, she decides to carve her own path instead of letting others decide what role she should play.
Dóta isn’t the only strong female character. There are other female warriors, trained to protect the King no less. My experience of Norse/Viking novels is that lead characters are very young, alpha-male personalities. Men. Tooth and Blade showed a completely different perspective, which is refreshing!
Tooth and Blade is a tale of magic, discovery, identity and conflict. As I expected, I really enjoyed the Norse mythology element. I am still a novice when it comes to knowledge of Norse mythology, however I know the basics. The gods and concepts of destiny and fate were present consistently throughout the book, so it definitely has a significant influence on the narrative.
At 288 pages, these three novellas together are an excellent length to establish an interesting world and allow for plenty of action and character development. I actually read Tooth and Blade in a couple of days. The story and writing style flow so well that it makes for an easy read to pick up and enjoy.
Tooth and Blade has many elements that wouldn’t typically be put together into one narrative, and yet it all gelled perfectly. The narrative has a solid plotline that cleverly brings all the characters and their different backgrounds together. Dóta is my favourite of all though. She is a truly unique character who doesn’t strictly fit in. She’s fierce and a fighter, and after all the turmoil of discovering who she really is, she decides to carve her own path instead of letting others decide what role she should play.
Dóta isn’t the only strong female character. There are other female warriors, trained to protect the King no less. My experience of Norse/Viking novels is that lead characters are very young, alpha-male personalities. Men. Tooth and Blade showed a completely different perspective, which is refreshing!
March 23, 2020
My first read from Julian Barr and I have to say, I’m impressed! This is three novellas packed into one novel, and it really made it easy for me to get sucked into the world. I absolutely love the mix of Norse mythology, historical fiction, and fantasy. It made for such a rich world to fall deep into. I didn’t want the book to end.
From the action to the drama, Tooth and Blade is more than just entertaining…it’s engaging and captivating. It sucked me right into the world where I got to see such rich world building without being overwhelmed. The magic, the myths…everything was so vivid and cool.
Julian Barr created a cast of characters that were also able to hook me. I felt a strong connection with them, and it made this book feel even more realistic.
I loved Tooth and Blade so much. I am really looking forward to more from this author and this book is highly recommended.
Rating:
5/5☆
*I received a free copy of this book from Rachel’s Random Resources in exchange for an honest review on the blog tour. All opinions are my own and unbiased.*
From the action to the drama, Tooth and Blade is more than just entertaining…it’s engaging and captivating. It sucked me right into the world where I got to see such rich world building without being overwhelmed. The magic, the myths…everything was so vivid and cool.
Julian Barr created a cast of characters that were also able to hook me. I felt a strong connection with them, and it made this book feel even more realistic.
I loved Tooth and Blade so much. I am really looking forward to more from this author and this book is highly recommended.
Rating:
5/5☆
*I received a free copy of this book from Rachel’s Random Resources in exchange for an honest review on the blog tour. All opinions are my own and unbiased.*
October 3, 2020
Tooth and Blade is a collection of 3 Norse fantasy-inspired YA novellas. Dota is a girl brought up by trolls in their subterranean cave, who discovers she is in fact human. She enters the human realm and is soon drawn into clan and kingdom battles there, whilst also seeking to protect them against Grethor, her bloodthirsty troll brother. There is a sense of menace in the book, but the violence is never graphically described, and the themes of identity, loyalty and family predominate. There is also a queer subtext which is never laboured but is an integral part of the story. I found this a gripping story grounded in research (I enjoyed spotting nods to the Icelandic sagas), which kept my interest until the end. The ending of the third novella is satisfyingly complete, but leaves the door open to further installments.
April 26, 2020
Enjoyable and easy to read. Tooth and Blade is a gripping tale of adventure and heroes, but also a layered and nuanced portrayal of family, identity, and love - in all their many, varied forms. I can see this becoming a classic, on my bookshelf and many others'.
June 28, 2024
A truly unique take on the Beowulf story with superbly crafted multidimensional characters. Featuring a nonbinary protagonist and an insightful take on the social construction of the gender binary.
You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll breathe a sigh of relief at the end.
You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll breathe a sigh of relief at the end.
March 18, 2025
I’m no expert in Norse mythology or history so I can’t judge that part of the book.
What I can say is that it is a heck of a story. There’s magic, old gods, monsters, war, love, betrayal, forgiveness, haunting landscapes and real depth of human emotion. Who doesn’t want that in their fantasy book?
What I can say is that it is a heck of a story. There’s magic, old gods, monsters, war, love, betrayal, forgiveness, haunting landscapes and real depth of human emotion. Who doesn’t want that in their fantasy book?
October 10, 2023
Tooth and Blade keeps moving, keeps changing the ground, keeps delivering puzzles in the midst of adventure. Our young protagonist bends her will toward freedom, toward finding a better home in the mythic days of Norse community, toward the mystery of her identity. Julian Barr delivers danger, wonder, and adventure.
March 22, 2020
Favorite character: Princess Arína
She is a true warrior princess in a world where women are peace-makers. I love her spunk and her big heart. Her ability to lead and inspire others is what makes her the princess that she is. She’s never afraid to speak up and does not hesitate when other’s would run. If there is a hero in this story, it is Princess Arína.
What I Like
The portrayal of the Goddess Freya – The goddess of war and death should not be a benevolent entity, and her description in this story does not make her so. She is manipulative and cunning, working for her self interest and her’s alone. I enjoy the romantic versions of gods and goddesses in other stories, but I respect and appreciate when the portrayal is more accurate given the mythology.
The whole premise of a human raised by a troll is very intriguing. It spurs the imagination. How it is portrayed in the novel makes it easy to imagine and easy to suspend disbelief. The tone and setting brought to mind primitive man – living in a cave eating mushroom and fish. Protected and isolated, Dôta doesn’t even think to question that things in her world don’t line up.
Dôta’s journey of self-discovery is a turbulent one. She learns she is a human and that her troll brother eats humans. And, that’s just the start. She has many things to reconcile in her mind about who she is and what it all means – not to mention how her relationship with the gods fits in the whole picture.
What I Wish
I wish that the relationships had developed more slowly. When different events occur, the strong reactions were hard to believe when the relations hadn’t advanced to the point where the responses came across as believable.
To Read or Not to Read
If you love Norse mythology, you will enjoy this symbolic journey of self-discovery.
She is a true warrior princess in a world where women are peace-makers. I love her spunk and her big heart. Her ability to lead and inspire others is what makes her the princess that she is. She’s never afraid to speak up and does not hesitate when other’s would run. If there is a hero in this story, it is Princess Arína.
What I Like
The portrayal of the Goddess Freya – The goddess of war and death should not be a benevolent entity, and her description in this story does not make her so. She is manipulative and cunning, working for her self interest and her’s alone. I enjoy the romantic versions of gods and goddesses in other stories, but I respect and appreciate when the portrayal is more accurate given the mythology.
The whole premise of a human raised by a troll is very intriguing. It spurs the imagination. How it is portrayed in the novel makes it easy to imagine and easy to suspend disbelief. The tone and setting brought to mind primitive man – living in a cave eating mushroom and fish. Protected and isolated, Dôta doesn’t even think to question that things in her world don’t line up.
Dôta’s journey of self-discovery is a turbulent one. She learns she is a human and that her troll brother eats humans. And, that’s just the start. She has many things to reconcile in her mind about who she is and what it all means – not to mention how her relationship with the gods fits in the whole picture.
What I Wish
I wish that the relationships had developed more slowly. When different events occur, the strong reactions were hard to believe when the relations hadn’t advanced to the point where the responses came across as believable.
To Read or Not to Read
If you love Norse mythology, you will enjoy this symbolic journey of self-discovery.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews