Historical Fiction Author

Jeff
Janoda

Breathing life into history's most extraordinary moments

Explore the Books
Author standing at 'The Angle'
Author standing at 'The Angle'
End of Cemetery Ridge, where the 20th Maine fought
End of Cemetery Ridge, where the 20th Maine fought
Gate to Evergreen Cemetery, Gettysburg
Gate to Evergreen Cemetery, Gettysburg
View from Cemetery Ridge, towards Confederate lines
View from Cemetery Ridge, towards Confederate lines
Gettysburg National Cemetery
Gettysburg National Cemetery
The 'Rock' at Culp's Hill - left The 'Rock' at Culp's Hill - right
The 'Rock' at Culp's Hill
Entrance to Swan's Fjord, Snaefellsness, Iceland
Entrance to Swan's Fjord, Snaefellsness, Iceland
Vadils Head, Swan's Fjord, the hanging place
Vadils Head, Swan's Fjord, the hanging place
Ulfarsfell, Swan's Fjord
Ulfarsfell, Swan's Fjord
View from Helgafell, the holy mountain
View from Helgafell, the holy mountain
The long walk up the holy mountain, Helgafell
The long walk up the holy mountain, Helgafell
Author walking Ulfar's land
Author walking Ulfar's land
Entrance to Swan's Fjord, with swans in the distance
Entrance to Swan's Fjord, with swans in the distance
Jeff Janoda

About the Author

Jeff Janoda

Jeff Janoda lives in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. A former teacher and science technician, he now writes full time. His interests include history, science, politics, civil rights and the nature of the universe. By his own admission, his novels arise out of an obsession with particular periods and events, involving an all-consuming deep dive into these topics, followed then by a cathartic 'exorcism' of the obsession by writing a novel. His passion for the Vikings, the Second World War (particularly on the Eastern Front and the Pacific, but also generally), and the American Civil War all follow this pattern. He is currently writing a novel surrounding the events of the Iran-Iraq war.

He can be reached at jeffjanoda@gmail.com.

Works

The Books

Saga: A Novel of Medieval Iceland

Historical Fiction · Medieval Iceland

Saga: A Novel of Medieval Iceland

A multigenerational feud in an Icelandic fjord, replete with intrigue, killings, love and even the supernatural. A retelling of the ancient Saga of the People of Eyri — gripping, compulsively readable, and hailed as a model of how to turn a saga into a novel.

Buy on Amazon
Sundog by Jeff Janoda

Historical Fiction · World War II

Sundog

When two German fighter pilots are flung into the terrible siege of Stalingrad, they discover the conflict in the air is as fierce as in the frozen streets below. A story of determination, duty, loyalty, and friendship at a time when the entire world had turned to war.

Buy on Amazon Friesenpress
Season of Life by Jeff Janoda Coming Fall 2026

Historical Fiction · American Civil War

Season of Life

Under the violent shadows of the Battle of Gettysburg, a free Black farmer, a Union spymaster, and a fiery young nurse are drawn together by an ancient trickster spirit — in an engrossing tale of blood, mystery, and the hard truths of war. Available Fall 2026 on most platforms and bookstores.

Available Fall 2026

What Critics Are Saying

Praise for Jeff Janoda

"A masterful retelling of an Icelandic Saga. Janoda's rendering of the physical and intellectual landscape is effortless. Highly recommended."

Library Journal

Saga: A Novel of Medieval Iceland

"No better saga adaptation has yet been written. Janoda's book is a model of how to turn a saga into a novel."

Times Literary Supplement

Saga: A Novel of Medieval Iceland

"As focused as Jane Austen, as macabre as Stephen King. Jeff Janoda traces out the hidden springs of power in the micro-society of an Icelandic fjord."

Tom Shippey, author of The Road to Middle Earth

Saga: A Novel of Medieval Iceland

"Brilliant and unsparing in its depiction of a savage land. Janoda makes us smell the smoke, the peat, the half rotten beef, and feel the terrible cold."

Historical Novels Review

Saga: A Novel of Medieval Iceland

"Saga does what good historical fiction is supposed to do: put a face on history that is recognizable to all."

Booklist

Saga: A Novel of Medieval Iceland

"…If the mob bosses of The Sopranos spoke Old Norse and wore chain mail, they would feel right at home in this absorbing historical melodrama…Despite the archaic setting, Janoda manages to imbue his characters with believable psychologies and motivations. A gripping recreation of an ancient genre."

Kirkus Reviews

Saga: A Novel of Medieval Iceland

"An ambitious historical novel set on the Eastern Front in WWII. Military history buffs will relish the opportunity to spend time in a fully realized World War Two environment."

Kirkus Reviews

Sundog

"Engrossing blood-and-guts historical fiction with a respectful touch of low fantasy thrown in."

Kirkus Reviews

Season of Life

"Highly recommended for those with an interest in the American Civil War, or in a real-life, insightful melange of the real and the fey, daily struggles for life and liberty, spying in the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln, the arrangement of cemeteries and blood and guts action."

Lesley Jakobsen — The Varnished Culture

Season of Life

Get in Touch

Contact

Whether you're a reader, reviewer, or fellow enthusiast of history and storytelling, Jeff welcomes your correspondence.

jeffjanoda@gmail.com