Norway, 1204. A civil war between the birkebeiners —the king's men— and the baglers —supporters of the Norwegian aristocracy and the Church— ravages the country. Two men must protect a baby, the illegitimate son of King Håkon, who will be the future king and peacemaker, from those who want to kill him.
Gaup deftly keeps track of the major betrayals without making them seem too obvious, but we're never as involved with the characters as we were in "Pathfinder."
– John Hartl,
Seattle Times,
16 Jun 2016
rotten:
It's an iconic tale for Norwegians and the inspiration of the annual Birkebeiner ski race, but a dud with scant dramatic zing or star quality.