Los demonios del mar: De cuando los vikingos atacaron las costas de España en el siglo IX
(The Devils of the sea: When the Vikings attacked the shores of Spain in the 9th century) is the third novel of the Los pioneros de La Reconquista (Pioneers of the Reconquest) historical fiction series by José Javier Esparza.

Vikings have been completely romanticize in modern culture. For me personally, Viking history is of little to no interest, but I can see why in the Anglosphere, it’s the opposite. While theirs no interest in me on wanting to know Viking history in depth, I am very much aware of their role in the shape of Western medieval Latin Christendom. Including the Iberia Peninsula. When an average person thinks about the Vikings, in my opinion the first thing that comes to mind is probably Norse Mythology and the sackings in the lands of England and France. In Spain, with the exception of kidnap and hold for ransom of the King of Navarra García I Iñíguez in 859, the Vikings suffered crushing defeats from the hands of both Christians and Muslims in Spain.

This book is a straight continuation of El reino del Norte. In the mist of a civil war between different factions in The Kingdom of Asturias, mercenaries of Norman Viking origin will lure a Viking captain to bring a massive army to sack Spain. In turn, adding an extra element to an already war ragging setting between Christians and Muslims.

While we certainly follow the same characters from El reino del Norte, to me this novel felt more of the real life story of the consolidation of the Kingdom of Austrias. Which I think was one of the main points the author tried describe. In opinion, I think he did an excellent job doing so. I really enjoy returning to this era of The Reconquista and it’s starting to become my one of my favorites to study.