Steven S. Long has been fascinated by Norse mythology since the day he pulled a book with a picture of Thor on the cover off the shelf in his elementary school library. In a writing career spanning twenty years he's written approximately two hundred tabletop roleplaying game rulebooks and sourcebooks on a wide variety of subjects, including mythology and medieval history. He's also written numerous articles and works of fiction.

From the Thorsdrapa to the Marvel Thor and Avengers movies, Odin, the dark and mysterious lord of Valhalla, looms over all of the ancient tales of the Vikings. With his brothers, he formed the world from the body of a giant and then went on to seek greater wisdom by sacrificing himself on a tree and trading one of his eyes with a witch. With this vast wisdom, he sits upon his throne, peering into the nine worlds, seeking anything that might threaten his people. He rides over the battles of mortal men, deciding who shall live and die, and collecting worthy souls to come and feast in his hall until the war at the end of time. This book retells the greatest of Odin's stories, and then places those stories within their historical and mythological context. It follows the figure of Odin through the centuries, showing how different times and cultures reinterpreted him, and explores the reasons why he remains such a popular figure today.