The Winter Riddle

Overview

Once upon a time, the North Pole was a very noisy place. A kingdom cowered under the maniacal rule of the White Queen, The Vikings raided and pillaged as they were wont to do, and the Winter Witch avoided talking to any of them. When her peace and quiet are obliterated by threats of war and Ragnarok, she'll try anything to get them back. When casting spells to become nearly invisible and dealing with otherworldly powers fail, the Winter Witch needs to forge an alliance with Santa—a retired warrior who's anything but jolly—to save the North Pole from calamity. Will the Vikings take up arms against the frost giants? Will an evil necromancer keep the kingdom in the grip of fear? And for the love of Christmas, will everyone who isn't the Winter Witch please stop meddling with dark forces beyond mortal comprehension for a bit? Deck the halls and bar the doors! We're in for a long winter's night.

Reviews

"Sam Hooker's smart, snarky new novel, The Winter Riddle, is the best farce of the season . . . a sprig of holiday holly: spiky, lovely, and essential winter reading."  —Foreword Reviews

"[The Winter Riddle] ably weaves well-known fantasy tales with new ideas and offers a fun, fresh take on myth and legend."  —Publishers Weekly

"Inventive swearing, Norse mythology and espionage spin a farcical holiday tale surely like none before." —Trade Review, Booktrib

"Inventive swearing, Norse mythology and espionage spin a farcical holiday tale surely like none before." —Trade Review, Booktrib  

Author Biography

Sam Hooker is a writer of darkly humorous fantasy novels about things like tyrannical despots and the masked scoundrels who tickle them without mercy. He knows all the best swear words, though he refuses to repeat them because he doesn't want to attract goblins. He is the author of Peril in the Old Country. He lives in Mission Viejo, California.