“Smile of the Wolf bares its fangs from the first page. Like a medieval tapestry, the storytelling is rich with imagery. Readers will be lured spellbound into this lyrical and evocative Icelandic saga. It deserves huge success.” — David Gilman

“Leach’s prose is taut, his characters are richly drawn, and the story unfolds with an Icelandic believable-but-inevitable tragedy.” — Winnipeg Free Press

“A fascinating book on many levels and a thoroughly absorbing read … In Smile of the Wolf, lovers and children are found and lost, loyalties tested, and the harsh reality of long ago Icelandic culture affirmed in a quite brilliant re-imagining of that time and place. Fans of historical fiction and suspense will find it a highly satisfying read.” — Reviewing the Evidence

“A thoughtful, literary take on a world that is more often depicted in a boy’s adventure way. The focus in Leach’s book is not on the fighting, but on the strange, inescapable logic that makes the fighting inevitable.” — London Times

“An epic story of exile and revenge set in the snows of Iceland.” — Sheffield Telegraph

“A poetic, absorbing narrative with many of the same qualities as the medieval Icelandic sagas that it echoes and reimagines.” — Sunday Times

“Through him we understand the pitiless code of honour which drives almost everyone in the story to destruction – we understand, and we care.” — Historical Novel Society

“A tale of winter with a fiery emotional heart.” — The Mind Reels