| Blood or Mead | |
|---|---|
| Author(s) | Alan Alexander Beck |
| Illustrator | Brad Utterstorm |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Fantasy |
| Publisher | CreateSpace |
| Publication date | 25 September 2008 (paperback) |
| Media type | Paperback, Kindle |
| Pages | 214 pages |
| ISBN | ISBN 10 - 1440420815 |
Blood or Mead is a fantasy novel written by Alan Beck.
The novel follows protagonist John Tran and his search for Ve and Vili, the brothers of Odin. The book's premise involves the rise of the Abrahamic deity Yahweh and his intention to bring about the end of days, as foretold in the Book of Revelations. A number of pagan gods, including Lucifer, Atlas, and Odin, form a loose coterie in opposition. Each chapter is book-ended with a brief dialogues in which the pagan gods tell the history of how the Abrahamic religions gained their supremacy on Earth. The novel borrows from the game Nethack. It includes characters loosely based around the Wizard of Yendor and the Oracle of Delphi.
Tran, a recently deceased Ásatrú practitioner, has been deemed unfit to enter Valhalla because he did not die in battle. He has been offered a place in the warrior's heaven if he can track down Ve and Vili. Traveling through the alternate dimension in which the brothers reside, he eventually enlists their aid. This leads the novel to its climax, a final battle between the pagan pantheon and the Abrahamic deity.