The Birkarls ruled Europe’s far north for hundreds of years, yet there are few traces of them in Swedish history. Even the word “birkarl” has faded from existence.

But the people of Norrbotten, as King Gustav Vasa called the remote region, did not live in an isolated wilderness beyond the reaches of society — quite the opposite. One of them was Birkarl Andreas Nicolai, vicar and court chaplain. He lived during the break between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, in the turbulent time that was the 16th century. An era plagued by war, bloodbaths, rebellions, civil wars, destroyed monasteries, and royal fratricide. He served at court, traveled far and wide, was involved in constant conflicts, and was one of the forces that governed the Swedish church, gradually acquiring a great fortune. Toward the end of his life, he contributed to the demarcation of the border with Russia – the one which today constitutes NATO’s eastern border.

The Birkarl is set at the court of King Gustav Vasa, and in Norrbotten, Finland, Estonia and by the Arctic Ocean. It is a vibrant and violent story that has never been told before. It is based on the life and work of Andreas Nicolai, and is the first novel in a series about the power struggles of the 16th century.