Book Description
From Bernard Cornwell, the undisputed master of historical fiction, hailed as "the direct heir to Patrick O'Brien,"* comes the third volume in the exhilarating Saxon Chronicles: the story of the birth of England as the Saxons struggle to repel the Danish invaders.
The year is 878, and as Lords of the North begins, the Saxons of Wessex, under King Alfred, have defeated the Danes to keep their kingdom free. Uhtred, the dispossessed son of a Northumbrian lord, helped Alfred win that victory, but now he is disgusted by Alfred's lack of generosity. Uhtred flees Wessex, going north to search for his stepsister, who was taken prisoner by Kjartan the Cruel, a Danish lord who lurks in the formidable stronghold of Dunholm.
Uhtred arrives in the north to discover rebellion, chaos, and fear. His only ally is Hild, a West Saxon nun fleeing her calling, and his best hope is his sword, Serpent-Breath, with which he has made a notable reputation as a warrior. He needs other partners if he is to attack Dunholm, and chooses Guthred, a seemingly deluded slave who believes he is a king. Together they cross the Pennines, where fanatical Christians and beleaguered Danes have formed a desperate alliance to confront the terrible Viking lords who rule Northumbria.
Instead of victory Uhtred finds betrayal. But he also discovers love and redemption as he is forced to turn once again to his reluctant ally, Alfred the Great. It is Alfred who sees opportunity in Northumbria's chaos, and Alfred who looses Uhtred and his stepbrother, Ragnar, onto Dunholm, the invincible fortress on its great spur of rock. A breathtaking adventure, Lords of the North is also the story of the creation of England, as the English and Danes fight against each other, but also find common cause and create a common language. In the end they will become one people, but as Uhtred will discover, their union is forged through the white heat of battle.
* The Economist
Customer Reviews:
Lords of the North by Bernard Cornwell.......2007-09-19
In Lords of the North (coming January 23rd), the wonderful writer of great historical periods and characters brings us the third in his increasingly popular Saxon Chronicles series, as he tells the story of King Alfred the Great's life and his work in unifying the many kingdoms into the country we know today as England.
We continue with our hero, Uhtred of Bebbanburg, who has just helped Alfred save and maintain control over the land of Wessex, therefore preventing the complete invasion by the Danes. Angered with Alfred's piousness and making every decision according to God, Uhtred flees north to Northumbria, still hoping one day to defeat his uncle and take back his beloved Bebbanburg. It is here that he meets old Danish friends and before he realizes what's going on, a deal has been brokered to maintain peace in Northumbria in return for Uhtred's enslavement. With his blood-stained blade - Serpent-Breath - the many lords of the region are happy to get rid of this formidable warrior.
Uhtred, stripped of his title and power, then spends most of the book suffering the abuse and torture of a slave on a trading traveling along the Flemish coast, and back and forth between Britain and the mainland. On a number of occasions they face off again this "red ship" that is a trader like them. Upon returning to the original place where Uhtred was sold - so that more slaves can be bought - the red ship appears out of nowhere and beaches the shore. Foreign Danes stream out and Uhtred soon finds himself face to face with an even older friend who raised him.
Eventually he discovers that it is thanks to Alfred's help that he has received his emancipation. With his title, weapons, and armor restored, along with more allies from the south forming a considerable army, they set out to defeat these lesser heathen lords and regain control of the kingdom of Northumbria. The book ends with the reader contemplating what is next for Uhtred in the further Saxon Chronicles: Will he regain control of his land? Will he remain a lone pagan among the many determined Christians? Sadly, we will have to wait another whole year before we can read more about Uhtred of Bebbanburg, slayer of the great Ubba Lothbrokson, and his adventures with the pious Alfred the Great.
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Just when you thought the saga could not get better..........2007-09-18
It gets better. This book finds Uhtred as not only a man and a warrior, but as a humbled (as much as the Dane in him will allow) crafty leader. He has recovered from his trials and is on his way to his destiny. His allegiance to Alfred has him hamstrung a bit...regarding his goal of re-taking his rightful lands of Bebbenburg...but he can see the future, and he knows that the tide is slowly turning in his favor. He will crush his enemies, and reign triumphant. This book is about Uhtred the man...and I believe is the FIRST step into his world as a Lord and warrior...with the first 2 novels having been merely an exciting prologue.
The Best of Uhtred's Saga, Not to be missed.......2007-08-11
If you've read books one and two in the Saxon Chronicles, it goes without saying that this is not to be missed. This is also the best of the series, and that's saying quite a lot. No, we're not talking literary masterwork -- although as always Bernard is engaging, often amusing, certainly disarming as a writer -- but there's just something about he way Bernard can bring to life the dark ages. Sure, I enjoy Sharpe novels, but where Bernard shines is in the dark ages, the time before we have "reliable histories." He manages to make everything from King Arthur to the "Vikings" -- which he explains just means "raiders" not Northmen -- come alive. It feels right. Sure, the dialogue is very twentieth-century, but it has to be for us to stay interested. Uhtred is, perhaps, his best hero yet, larger-than-life yet human and vulnerable at times, and Uhtred is a hero for both men and women to relate to, where perhaps some of Bernard's other protagonists are "macho man" heroes. This is a period in history very rarely touched in literature, and perhaps that's the charm of it. There are moments of satire as well, (anyone familiar with my work will know I thrive on satire), humor, adventure. What more can you ask in a yarn. Who else can make a slave a king, and a hero a slave then back to a hero all in one story? Who else can come across as a lover of all things British, yet create a character who is more Danish and Northman than Saxon or British? Just a lot of fun, great pace, humor, characters that you'll want to come back to. I'd say his best yet.
NOOOO!!!!! 6 months wait for the next book. This was GREAT!.......2007-08-06
Book three in the Saxon Chronicles is the best book by Bernard Cornwell that I have read. I had read his "Grail Quest Trilogy" before coming to this series, which I thought was a trilogy, but now know could go on much longer (it will be at least 4 books and I certainly hope for more).
"Lords of the North" continues the fantastic, emotional tale of Uhtred, the fictional Saxon-born, Dane-adopted and raised warrior, that is fated to fight for England and a king that he does not like, Alfred.
Uhtred lost his family when he was a boy and was adopted by a Danish Viking warrior, Earl Ragnar, who he loved as a father, and from whom he learned of the pagan deities, especially the spinners, the three mythical creatures that weave the fate of every man; hence his repeated statement through the entire series, "Fate is inexorable".
Uhtred, after assisting Alfred the Great with the defense of Wessex against the Danes, marches north to regain his birthright which was taken by his uncle when Uhtred's birth father died in battle. But fate has other plans for Uhtred, including assisting another king, killing priests, killing Saxons, killing Danes, loving a woman who becomes a nun, loving another woman who is betrothed to another, betrayal, slavery and revenge. Not bad for six months in the life of a Saxon/Danish warrior in the ninth century.
The author admits in his historical note at the end of the book that this tale is more fiction than fact, mainly because not much is known about the history of the Northumbria, the northern Saxon province. Using the name of the king, Guthred, and the characters he created in books 1 & 2,(which I highly recommend you read before coming to this; not because you need to in order to understand this book, but because the entire series is fabulous and why skip the salad and appetizer to get to the main course when the entire meal should be savored?) to weave a more fictional tale that is still most definitely anchored in fact, so far as the customs, trials, dangers, life, religions and battles would have been in the ninth century; that is to say that, despite the fact that none of the characters are real (except Guthred of whom not much is known) the entire story is told in accordance with the period and should be taken as an authentic description of fictional people. The world which Cornwell writes is wonderful, historically accurate and vivid.
This book is the best of the "Saxon Chronicles" by far and I eagerly await the release of book 4, "Sword Song" which is slated for release early 2008.
Another great book in a fun, fast-paced series.......2007-08-02
Lords of the North is the third volume of Bernard Cornwell's "Saxon Tales", set in ninth-century England, and is every bit as enjoyable as the preceding books in the series.
In this entry, Uhtred goes north to settle a long-standing bloodfeud. With his customary flair for the dramatic, he disguises himself as the Dead Swordsman and heads toward Dunholm, the fortress of his enemy, Kjartan the Cruel. Along the way he frees a slave who turns out to be Guthred, king of Northumbria. Uhtred swears loyalty to Guthred and soon learns that, despite his congenial manner, Guthred will do whatever is necessary to preserve his kingdom.
While Lords of the North does not deal with any significant historical event, it does have political intrigue, betrayal and lots of swordplay. As always, Cornwell's battle scenes are visceral. Having been bitten by a dog as a child, I found his descriptions of attacking dogs particularly unsettling.
The book's main strength is Uhtred, an extremely likable and unexpectedly complex character. Born English, but raised by Danes, he is continually torn between his adopted people and his oath, given unwillingly, to King Alfred. Irreverent and insightful, Uhtred tells his story in the first person, describing moments of brutish violence and tender emotion with a slightly sardonic flair.
I really enjoyed this book, and I look forward to the next installment in the series. Thank you, Mr. Cornwell, for helping me release my inner Valkyrie!
Book Description
In the middle years of the ninth-century, the fierce Danes stormed onto British soil, hungry for spoils and conquest. Kingdom after kingdom fell to the ruthless invaders until but one realm remained. And suddenly the fate of all England—and the course of history—depended upon one man, one king.
From New York Times bestselling storyteller Bernard Cornwell comes a rousing epic adventure of courage, treachery, duty, devotion, majesty, love, and battle as seen through the eyes of a young warrior who straddled two worlds.
Download Description
"
From Bernard Cornwell, the
New York Times bestselling author whom the
Washington Post calls ""perhaps the greatest writer of historical adventure novels today,"" comes a saga of blood, rage, fidelity, and betrayal that brings to center stage King Alfred the Great, one of the most crucial (but oft-forgotten) figures in English history. It is King Alfred and his heirs who, in the ninth and tenth centuries, with their backs against the wall, fought to secure the survival of the last outpost of Anglo-Saxon culture by battling the ferocious Vikings, whose invading warriors had already captured and occupied three of England's four kingdoms.
Bernard Cornwell's epic novel opens in
A.D. 866. Uhtred, a boy of ten and the son of a nobleman, is captured in the same battle that leaves his father dead. His captor is the Earl Ragnar, a Danish chieftain, who raises the boy as his own, teaching him the Viking ways of war. As a young man expected to take part in raids and bloody massacres against the English, he grapples with divided loyalties -- between Ragnar, the warrior he loves like a father, and Alfred, whose piety and introspection leave him cold. It takes a terrible slaughter and the unexpected joys of marriage for Uhtred to discover his true allegiance -- and to rise to his greatest challenge.
In Uhtred, Cornwell has created perhaps his richest and most complex protagonist, and through him, he has magnificently evoked an era steeped in dramatic pageantry and historical significance. For if King Alfred fails to defend his last kingdom, England will be overrun, and the entire course of history will change.
"
Customer Reviews:
Action-packed, enthralling tale of the Danish and English ..........2007-10-14
Against the backdrop of the Danish invasion of England during the 870's, Cornwell introduces the fictional Uhtred - the latest son in several generations of sons by that name, who claim the right to rule Bebbanburg (Bamburgh Castle today). Uhtred is 10 when his father dies in battle and he is kidnapped by the Danes.
Eventually coming to love the family who kidnapped him, Uhtred stays with them until he is kidnapped again - this time by Alfred, King of the West Saxons - at around age 15/16. Through a series of manipulations, Alfred secures Ultred's loyalty. He becomes a warrior fighting for the king, but still dreaming of securing Bebbanburg.
While the fictional story takes precedence, Cornwell provides an overview of the history. Alfred is a sickly, pious man determined to hold his ground. The Danes are blood-thirsty warriors equally determined to conquer all the land they can. Other rulers throughout what is now England are weak. They fall to one or the other leaders.
THE LAST KINGDOM is the first in a promising series of books on the Saxons.
The Danes Commeth .......2007-10-10
What would you do if your lands were stolen, your father killed, and were taken prisoner by an invading barbarian army? I believe when doing the immense amount of research for this book, and the latter ones, Bernard Cornwell asked himself some of these questions.
I had read some really excellent historical fiction novels about the crusades when Amazon suggested The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell. Bernard Cornwell does an incredible job of pulling the reading immediately into the story, right in the prologue. The story is told in the first person by Uthred, son of Uthred, and so forth. He comes from the north, where his lands are taken, and his father slain, and his throne usurped by his uncle.
This novel, although told about the early life (This is part of a continuating series which is up to book 4) of Uthred, the story is really about King Alfred, later known as Alfred the Great, as he defends The Last Kingdom of England, Wessex. At the time England was divided into 4 kingdoms; which are each being invaded by the Danes from the North. Uthred gives in great, but flowing detail, his life growing up his new family, and "adopted" father Ragnar. As Uthred grows up, we see what is is like to be Pagan, and how literal God and Christianity was at the time. (I have no dissprect for anyone today, but at the time Faith was much more in Gods hands than I believe it is in our scientific times, today).
The story is extremely easy to read, and I find that I have a lot in common with Uthred. While Christianity is very boring from Uthred's eyes, being 10 years old, a boy does not wish to be on his knee's all day, but going out and seeing the world, learning how to fight, forge and shape steal, and learn about the Pagan Gods.
While the story is told from Uthred's point of view, about half way through we're introduced to Alfred, and it is from this point that we see the destinies of Uthred and Alfred are closely tied.
Readers will not be disappointed, as this story flows easily, and naturally, and once started, you won't be able to put it down.
A fascinating fictionalized portrayal of the Danish invasions and Saxon response.......2007-10-01
This is the first book in Cornwell's Saxon Chronicles, which consists of four books and has at least one more coming. The Last Kingdom features warfare, cross-cultural encounters, romance, humor, religion, politics, and revenge. We meet our hero, Uhtred, when he is a child. He becomes involved in the wars between his own people and the Danes. This leads to his being raised by the Danes and with their values, but he never forgets his homeland; he is the rightful king of othe area in which he grew up but his uncle has usurped the position for himself.
Uhtred meets Alfred, who is determined to unite the Saxons against the Danes. Uhtred doesn't think much of him, but for various reasons finds himself entering Alfred's service even though his primary loyalty at this point is to the Danes and their gods. Arthur hopes to save his soul. For all of Uhtred's disrespect towards Alfred and Christianity, Alfred respects Uhtred as a warrior and thinks he is vital to saving the Saxon lands from the Danes. Uhtred, therefore, frequently has to re-evaluate his loyalties.
The characters are well written--so well that when characters mentioned in the first chapters are reintroduced towards the end, they are instantly recognizable and remembered. While many characters--such as Uhtred--are Cornwell's invention, many of the warlords who appear are historical and their engagements fit well within the historical context in which they actually occurred.
The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell.......2007-09-19
I've been working on a novel for the last four years or so that's been going pretty slowly. I've been doing it in chunks, mainly because it's historical fiction and involves a lot of research and I've essentially been getting stuck at some point and needing to research more before I can get started writing again. Now I'm at a point where I need to read a few books to complete the current research. The book was called The Ruin, though I recently changed the title to Wyrd, which is Anglo-Saxon for destiny. While the book is set in the fifth century in England and has characters that may turn out to be Arthurian (I'm not sure yet), the intention of the novel is to encompass the feel and texture of the Early Middle Ages, at a time when society was essentially beginning anew for this forgotten island.
When I started reading The Last Kingdom by one of my favorite authors I got the chilling feeling that Cornwell had done what I was trying to do with my book. And after finishing it, there's a lot in it that I can see coming out in my novel, and yet Wyrd will go in different directions and achieve different goals. Nevertheless, The Last Kingdom was a great book for anyone wanting to get a feel of the ninth century and what it was like for the Anglo-Saxons living there and having to deal with the invading Vikings who were trying to settle and do essentially what the Anglo-Saxons had done a couple of centuries before to the Britons. While the main character, Uhtred, is but a boy at the beginning and the narrator, our hero is Alfred the Great (the only British king ever to be called "the Great") and while I'm not sure how long the series is going to be, the reader will see Alfred grow up and become the great king that earned him the title. I'm quite familiar with Alfred's history and life and how he emulated Charlemagne in a lot of ways, and it's really enjoyable to see this fictionalized account from one of my favorite authors, which has been well researched, and to see these historical characteristics in the people in the book.
I will freely admit that Bernard Cornwell isn't exactly the most in depth and complex historical fiction writers, and his characters aren't always the fully developed real people they should be, but he still does the job well and gets his point across in giving the reader a look into this life, just as he did with his Grail series set in the Later Middle Ages, and his Arthur series. It's also the kind of book that anyone can pick up and get fully sucked into without getting confused or lost along the way with heavy history and jargon. Cornwell is also sure to point out as much of the native languages as he can, with plenty of translations, to clarify it all.
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Dervel's return..........2007-08-27
Cornwell takes the old stones of history and fills in the gap with a mortar of boyish fantasy. Ever wonder what the steps in making a medieval sword were? Ever wonder how they got the charcoal? Ever wonder how the Danes constructed their ships? Well, that last one is the only one not answered or described in (too much?) detail. Nice for history addicts (ie me) but the general audience might tend to yawn through those parts of the story.
This first book is okay but Uhtred resembles Dervel in too many ways. And the story seems to drag. The Warlord series consisted of 6 shield walls, 2 in each book. It feels like this is book 4.
That said the action picks up at the end of the book but again, Uhtred's coming to Alfred who has been given a bogus story from Odda resembles Dervel's return to Arthur who has been given Lancelot's bogus story about St. Michel or whatever it was called in Warlords. Anyway, the beginning of the second book makes up for this short coming where we get to see a young noble start to build up his forces starting with nothing but debt. It's fun. In fact, it is every boy's fantasy of being a knight, lord, pirate, arrogant bastard nicknamed 'the Wicked'. And it is a little more realistic that this is how a man would develop having been taught to murder as a child and it is a pleasant deviation from the nauseatingly perfect Dervel.
That said, Alfred wasn't named 'Great' for nothing and Cornwell seems to question whether he deserved the title. There is a possibility that Alfred had Crohne's disease, however, honestly, how would a man accomplish so much with such a debilitating disease (I've known people who have suffered from Crohne's) in a time when it couldn't be treated at all (I'm pretty sure they didn't know to remove the scarred parts of his digestive tract let alone be able to prescribe anti-inflammatories). That said Alfred was a fan of the Christian church so of course Cornwell will make him into being a sniveling pansie while most of those priests around him are money grubbing careerists. I'm guessing the Hammer and the Captain were also sniveling men in Cornwell's eyes, because no where in the five books I've read has there been a character resembling the popular characterization of those men. *shrugs*
Average customer rating:
- The drawings weave the story.
- Ok, but nothing special.
- The perfect Tarot for the intermediate (Norse) user.
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The Norse Tarot: Gods, Sagas and Runes from the Lives of the Viking/Book and Cards
Clive Barrett
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Gilded Tarot
ASIN: 0850307929 |
Book Description
A satisfying insight into both Tarot and the Vikings which will delight both Tarot enthusiasts and amateur historians.
Customer Reviews:
The drawings weave the story........1999-07-28
After owning over 30 different tarot decks this is my favorite everyday deck because I find the cards so easy to read. The Norse deck has soft colors and clear, graceful drawings but the perspective and action of the pictures of these cards are compelling and have really added life to the Tarot for me. Study the minor arcana and it filmic-ly tells a story without already knowing the traditional meaning of the cards. The court cards don't describe physical attributes of a person as much as they describe a more accurate description of their emotional maturity and personality traits. * The bonus is that the book and major arcana introduced me to Norse mythology and thus served as an introduction for learning the Runes.
Ok, but nothing special........1999-07-10
This was the first tarot pack that I receieved as a present from a friend. The artwork is not as good when viewed close-up as it is from further away. The drawings for the Major Arcana are better than those for the Minor Arcana, but neither groups have been (in my opinion) meticulously drawn. The accompanying book is quite good. There is some background to the Norse myths, gods and goddesses, but the explanations given for a reading of each card is very undetailed, basically just one like and not very helpful. You would need to buy another book on tarot if you were a beginner in order to give a concise and detailed reading. The book also gives an overview of the different spreads used which is quite well done, although once again, not as detailed as I would have liked. Overall, an average tarot pack.
The perfect Tarot for the intermediate (Norse) user........1997-11-14
The Book is strong in linking the major arcana to the stories of the Noremen, but does a disservice to the reader not familiar with Norse Mythology. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is already familiar with one or two versions of the standard tarot deck AND already has some familiarity with Norse mythology. The instruction is insightful, well articulated and comprehensive (I only wish it had been longer with an expanded section for runes... but you can't have it all). The cards are well drawn and detailed. Best of all, one does not have to memorize the meanings of the cards; the meaning is easily deducible from the pictures. Right on and about time!
Customer Reviews:
Ian Myles Slater on: Vikings As They Should Have Been!.......2005-04-14
The sagas (prose narratives) from medieval Iceland are more diverse in subject than would be indicated by the more readily available translations. Of course, the major "Islendingasogur" ("Sagas of the Icelanders") are, alongside the series of Kings' Sagas (mainly in Snorri Sturluson's "Heimskringla"), and the lives of the Earls of Orkney, among the great glories of medieval literature, and deserve the attention they have received. The stories of Icelandic families, conflicts and legal disputes, poets, outlaws, and lawyers, are unlike anything in Europe before the modern novel, and the accounts in the Kings' and Earls' sagas of both dynasty-builders and feckless rulers also deserve the praise they get.
But there are also "Fornaldarsogur," the "tales of olden times," retelling ancient Germanic and Scandinavian legends (notably "Volsunga Saga," "Heidrek's" or "Hervarar Saga," and "Hrolf Kraki's Saga"). Only a few of them are as well-known as they deserve, and then often because of associations with other works (the Sigurd / Siegfried legend, "Beowulf"). And there are accounts of bishops and saints, translations and imitations of Arthurian romances and Carolingian chansons de geste ("riddarasogur," "knightly tales,"), and fantastic stories ("lying sagas") of adventure and romance among supernatural beings or in distant lands. "Sturlunga Saga" is a compilation of partisan reports of contemporary events, somewhat cloaked in the objectivity of the saga style. These are largely under-represented in English translation, or at best such translations usually are available only in large or specialized libraries.
The great period of saga-writing was the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, but stories in the native style continued to be written in later times. There has been tendency to date "good" sagas early, and "inferior" sagas late, and reject the "late" works. But most of the genres (if not specific surviving examples) seem to have been around from the beginning, at least as oral tales. There are close parallels to some of the more extravagant attested before 1220, in the "Gesta Danorum" of Saxo Grammaticus. The present volume was an interesting attempt to make examples of some of the more neglected kinds of saga more familiar to ordinary readers, without worrying overmuch about their relative age or degree of literary sophistication.
The contents will be less surprising to those not directly familiar with great sagas, however. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries the distinctions were not at all clear, and the thin antiquarian veneer of (the now obviously fictional) "Frithjof's Saga" was treated with immense seriousness, and even accorded great political importance. Boosted by a retelling by the poet Tegner, it achieved European celebrity when a masterpiece like "Njal's Saga" was just a name (at best). Quotations from its late medieval and hyperbolic version of Viking life are still found in circulation in popular accounts, treated as serious evidence. (For this, and much else, Andrew Wawn's "The Vikings and the Victorians: Inventing the Old North in 19th-Century Britain" is illuminating.)
The confusion is understandable. After all, among the realistic tales, "Eyrbyggja Saga" includes a dramatic haunting -- although the exorcism takes the form of a properly executed legal eviction notice! Visions of the dead, prophetic apparitions, witches, marauding reanimated corpses, trolls, and (in foreign parts) more vaguely conceived monsters may play small roles -- or large ones in "Grettir's Saga," and some other accounts of famous outlaws. But these were, for the most part, matters of contemporary belief, and in any case the "Sagas of the Icelanders" were set mainly between about 850 and 1050, when, it was held, Christianity had yet to drive out the pagan powers, and odd things might be likely to have happened on familiar ground. (Not that the supernatural ceased to be a menacing presence in Icelandic life -- accounts through the nineteenth-century make that clear enough.)
The "Seven Viking Romances" in this volume fall somewhere between the mainly realistic "Sagas of the Icelanders" and the most extravagant of the "lying sagas." Some at first seem to come close to being "Sagas of the Icelanders," and some may properly be considered "legendary sagas," albeit with more than a little extra-traditional elaboration. And they are particularly interesting because they don't quite fit expectations. They are examples both of literary invention and of the preservation of archaic beliefs. Sorting these out has been a problem for scholars, but not the sort of problem that should prevent a reader from enjoying the stories.
How does this work? Some of these seven involve notable Icelandic families or their ancestors in the "Old Country" (Norway), and they all rely to some extent on the standard stylistic devices of the saga literature. Characters are often formally introduced to the reader with genealogical particulars, and geographic settings. Everyday activities and plain household furnishings are mentioned instead of being avoided (as in the dignified forms of contemporary European literature).
But the pretense of being a history of a family's settlement in a new land, marriages, inheritances, and lawsuits, or an account of famous feuds in a district, and how they were resolved, falls away in favor of a rollicking good time. There is not a lot of worrying if there is enough hay to last the winter, and who has the legal rights to the stranded whale. Instead we have slaying of monsters, rescuing of princesses, or slaughtering of hordes of enemies (or at least an evil giant or two). It is rather as if what started like an historical novel rather quickly turned into one of Robert E. Howard's stories of "Conan the Cimmerian."
"Seven Viking Romances" starts with the relatively long "Arrow-Odd" ("Orvar-Odds Saga" -- the Orvar nickname and name Oddr taken together mean "Arrow-Point" and the pun could have been made clearer, or just left for a note). The hero seems at first to be a typical saga-age Icelander, with not-too-untypical named heroic ancestors (like the "I was delayed by that big fish" dragon-slayer, Ketil Trout) known from other stories. But we soon learn that he is destined to live many human lifetimes, and the pagan gods show up to take a (small) part in his adventures abroad, far from Iceland. The actual trade through Arctic waters with Permia figures in the tale, in a suitably fantasticated form; there does seem to be a lot of authentically old, if not very accurate, background. The extant saga reworks older tales of heroes. There is a substantial overlap with the Heidreks/Hervarar Saga tradition in chapter fourteen, featuring the burial of the hero Angantyr with the (cursed) sword Tyrfing -- and of his eleven brothers, one of whom, confusingly, is also named Tyrfing. The Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus mentions Arvarodd in connection with the fatal battle. In addition, the story of Odd's predicted death shows up in the Russian "Primary Chronicle," although there it is told of Oleg the Seer, one of the Scandinavian-descended Princes of Kiev.
This translation of "Orvar-Odd" was originally published separately, as "Arrow-Odd: A Medieval Novel" (1970), where I originally sought it out after studying some of the related works (such as Saxo). It appears here in slightly revised form, along with the appendix on "Sources and Parallels" (perhaps a little too condensed to be entirely clear to the uninitiated). Most of the rest had already been published as "Gautrek's Saga and other medieval tales" (1968), and are also offered with revisions.
The following story of "King Gautrek" ("Gautreks Saga") is one of a short series of sagas (see "Bosi and Herraud," below), and is set in western Gautland (West Gotaland in modern Sweden) -- slightly foreign to Icelandic experience, and apparently a good setting for odd events. (As Geatland, it was Beowulf's home, and his Icelandic counterpart Bodhvar Bjarki was the brother of another King of Gautland; Odd visits it during his travels.) Frithjof's descendants show up in the story, and so does the more certainly venerable figure of Starkad, well-known from Saxo Grammaticus (and some other sources) -- like Arrow-Odd, he was one of those heroic-age figures blessed or cursed to outlive his times. Like "Arrow-Odd," "King Gautrek" clearly belongs among the legendary sagas ("Fornaldarsogur"), but some of it seems invented, or at least "improved."
"Halfdan Eysteinsson" takes us to the Odin-descended kings of Trondheim, and another complex of apparently traditional tales of adventures in legendary versions of real places (Permia) and less likely ones (the Land of the Undying, discovered off-stage by one of Halfdan's relatives). It was newly translated for this collection.
"Bosi and Herraud" begins among King Gautrek's relatives in East Gotaland, and includes a visit to the quasi-mythical King Godmund of Glasir Plains (Gudhmundr of Glaesisvellir), a sort of friendly giant, who recurs in other tales, some included here.
"Egil and Asmund ("Egils saga einhenda og Asmundar saga berserkjabana," "The Story of Egil One-Hand and Asmund Berserkers-Slayer") is set in the possibly even more exotic land of Russia. Knowledge of a long-lasting Eastern Scandinavian (Swedish) presence there, and adventures of Norwegians and Icelanders at the court of Kiev, and on the way to Byzantium, presumably inspired the setting. (Compare the extra-textual Russian connections of "Arrow-Odd.") There are excursions into Tartary, and the Aegean, but also to Halogaland (Norway), and Jotunheim, the realm of the Giants; a not untypical mixture of the known, the exotic, and the mythical.
The volume is rounded off with two short tales, "Thorstein Mansion-Might" ("Thorsteins thattr baejarmagns"), which opens with a visit to the Underworld and an encounter with a dwarf, and continues with exploits among giants, and the very brief "Helgi Thorisson" ("Helga thattr Thorissonar"), set in the reign of King Olaf Trygvasson (995-1000). Both of these return us to King Godmund and his legendary realm of marvels and adventures, which are also attested in Saxo Grammaticus and the "Hervarar Saga."
Not great works -- although "Arrow-Odd" has some claims to be an especially well-told story, and the shortest works have their own compressed charm. But definitely worth having available alongside the "crowned masterpiece" examples of medieval Icelandic literature. Hermann Palsson and Paul Edwards were not wasting their time, and readers interested in giants, dwarves, and trolls, magic weapons, and the like, probably won't feel that they are wasting their time, either.
A different look at the hero - Arrow Odd (1 of the 7 tales).......2004-01-02
Arrow-Odd went to Permia and was remembered forever.
I read Arrow-Odd once and will never forget it.
Far from what we might consider a hero, Arrow-Odd kills, rapes, and piliages without reason. Yet for its hero's downfalls, Arrow-Odd is an interesting tale that involves trips to Giantland, the conquering of several viking hoardes single-handedly, and Arrow-Odd's brief stint as "Bark-Man". This tale could be likened to the comic books of today, but with no pictures and in verse.
I would recommend this collection, particulary the reading of Arrow-Odd, to anyone interested in the cultures of old, the evolution of the hero, or a kooky trip into viking lore.
Maybe better called Seven Fanciful Viking Adventures.......2002-05-04
The term "Romances" in the title refers to the style not the content of these stories. These are really fantastic adventures. There are a couple lengthly ones and some short ones, but most all of them are great reading. I would say that even if you don't find the legalistic/feud-based Icelandic sagas particularly appealing, these are a quite different. These seem much more like mythical stories, although the Norse gods play only a limited role in them. In some ways they are like Beowulf because they portray Norse dealing with fantastic creatures and magic. They would make great movies, but not really for children.
Delightful read.......2001-12-03
I picked this up on the way back from Iceland, hoping to learn a bit more about the legends and myths surrounding the viking culture. I was not disappointed in the least! The book is a wonderful read. I personally enjoy the old myths & epics, such as Gilgamesh, the Faerie Queen, The Odyssey, etc and found this book to be a nice addition to my collection.
WONDERFUL!!.......2000-09-04
It seems to me that the stories in this book are parodies of the more serious sagas that were in circulation in the twelfth century. At any rate, they are funny, sometimes outrageous, chauvinistic, and give an excellent picture into Viking life. The writers of these tales were very witty people indeed. I loved reading 'em! Definitely buy this one! Ten thumbs up!
Customer Reviews:
Numerous entries, illustrated with actual Viking artifacts........2000-08-04
A noble companion edition to any Norse Myth Saga and Edda volume of traditional textual poetry and retellings. It gives the reader a strong feeling for the people and religion of the Viking era. It makes one feel the majesty of these people and also has many entries of the Wagnerian inspired Germanic sagas. An excellent additive source of perhaps more factual cultural data with powerful, in color, illustrations.
Book Description
The thrilling Strongbow Saga continues with this fierce sequel chronicling the adventures of a young man learning the ways of the Viking warriors. As fifteen–year–old Halfdan embarks on a perilous mission in a foreign land, he shows signs of greatness. But will he live up to his family name, or die trying? Author and Viking expert Judson Roberts draws on his detailed knowledge of this bloody time and culture to bring a young hero's exploits to life.
Ages: 14+
Customer Reviews:
I LOVED THIS BOOK!.......2007-09-13
The Strongbow Saga, Book Two: Dragons from the Sea
by Judson Roberts
Historical Fiction *****
This story is about a young man named Halfdan. He has a large past that is very painful for him. When he just turned 15, He and his half brother set off to show him his new inheritance, his own little bit of land. But only at the first night of being there, Toke, his half brother turns up wanting revenge for inheriting nothing. Toke is a berserk (someone who is crazy about killing) very mean and evil. Late at night he attacked the land and killed the innocent people of it while promising their safe exit, he wanted no one to tell of his treachery. Halfdan managed to get away with the sacrifice of his brother while making a path to let him escape. They needed someone to escape, so he could avenge them all. Now he is looking for a ship to serve in a port called Hedeby. He finds a Jarl who he impresses with his bow skills. The Jarl normally doesn't just anyone join his crew of vikings but he believes that the norns (the gods that weave everybody's life line)have sent the boy as a sign to him. Halfdan joins the crew that soon after leaves to the call of the king of the Danes. The king declares that they shall all go to war against the Franks, who had done the same thing to them many centuries ago. So with little experience at all Halfdan ventures to war.
This book sort of relates to this book that I read called Hatchet. It was a story about a boy who was 13 and he got lost in the wilderness with only his hatchet, and his will to live. It is actually a very powerful story because this boy is just doing well when all the sudden, something terrible happens to him and his new way of life, he had to start all over, just like Halfdan. So i guess they are sort of similar.
The author is a very talented writer for all I'm concerned. He really knows how to describe something without boring me to sleep. I loved his first strongbow saga book as well. He really brings the words alive and paint pictures in my mind. He is also very good at leaving you hanging at the end of the first and second of these books. Almost everyday for about a month I would ask my mom if this book had arrived in the mail. So about two days ago it actually did come, I've been reading 24/7 since then. I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!!! ******************************** !!!!!!KOOB SITH EVOL
*****
Breathless excitement!.......2007-09-04
This book is filled with suspense. I was exhausted by the end of it! I look forward to the next book. LONG LIVE HALFDAN!!
Well written.......2007-08-28
This book was well written and had an exceptional storyline. The problems: the book was 300 pages and the margins were so small that only 5 words could fit on a line.
Courtesy of Teens Read Too.......2007-08-20
The year is 845 A.D. and fifteen-year-old Halfdan Hroriksson vows to find and kill the man who murdered his brother, Harald. He travels to the fortress, Hedeby, where he hopes to join the crew of a Viking longship and go i-viking.
The fierce, epic STRONGBOW SAGA continues with this exciting sequel (The Strongbow Saga, Book One: Viking Warrior (The Strongbow Saga)), following the adventures of a young man learning the ways of the Viking warriors.
Halfdan is ready for action, armed with an amazing longbow that he made himself, and an axe that he took from a man that he killed. Halfdan's skill as an archer gains him acceptance into the crew of the Viking ship, The Gull, as it embarks on a quest to conquer the Franks. The large armada of Viking ships sail to make war on the Franks, the followers of the white Christ, and their sworn enemies. The electrifying battles and dialogue that fits the era feel realistic -- it's a can't-put-down chronicle with fast action and a multi-level plot.
Judson Roberts' extensive research is evident in this thrilling Viking yarn with compelling characters. Halfdan's honor and loyalty make him likable and sympathetic even when his violence is intense, frightening, and explicit, as it sometimes is in the fierce battles depicted in this provocative story.
The back of the book has a complete list of the characters, along with the part they play in the story, and a glossary of Viking terms, which I found very helpful. I greatly enjoyed this novel and I'm looking forward to the next volume in this electrifying saga. I'm definitely hooked on this series, and impatient for more.
Reviewed by: Grandma Bev
Met my expectations all the way!.......2007-06-22
I read the first book to the Strongbow Saga, Viking Warrior and it is definetly one of my favorite books I've read in quite a while. "Dragons from the Sea" is not as good as the previous book but it is a great read and anybody that loves the history on vikings, action, and other things packed in between will adore this novel and will want to complete the entire series!
Halfdan hasn't caried much with him. One thing he is carying right now is a promise that must be fulfilled. He is after the man that killed his brother and his people. The mans name is Toke. He's an evil murderor, striving to take over all he can. Halfdan's path leads him to be in a ship's crew on the GULL. His wonderful skills as an archer lead him on a ship that only has warriors that are specially picked and assigned. As Halfdan goes on his adventure many things happen and they all lead...to the next book. It's a cliffhanger folks!
Please try out this book and hopefully you'll enjoy it as much as I have!
Amazon.com
In the early Middle Ages, driven by famine at home and the promise of wealth to be had in other lands, the Viking people exploded out of Scandinavia and set about conquering parts of England, Ireland, France, Russia, and even Turkey. Emboldened by their successes, the Vikings pushed ever farther outward, eventually crossing the North Atlantic and founding settlements in Iceland, Greenland, and eastern Canada.
In The Vikings: The North Atlantic Saga, some three dozen scholars examine the growing archaeological evidence of the Viking presence in the New World--including such items as a Norse coin excavated in Maine, runic stones from the Canadian Arctic, and farming implements found in Newfoundland. The contributors consider the sometimes friendly, sometimes warlike history of Viking interactions with the native peoples of northeastern North America (whom the Norse called skraelings, or "screamers"); compare the archaeological record with contemporary sagas and other records of exploration; and argue for the need to better document the Viking contribution to New World history.
"As an historical and cultural achievement," write the editors, "the Viking Age and its North American medieval extension stand out as one of the most remarkable periods in human history." This oversized, heavily illustrated volume celebrates that little-understood time. --Gregory McNamee
Product Description
The story of the Viking expansion west across the North Atlantic between AD. 800 and 1000, the settlement of Iceland and Greenland, and the exploration of northeastern North America, is a chapter of history that deserves to be more widely known. Norse discoveries in the North Atlantic are the first step in the process whereby human populations became connected into a single global system. The Norse, and their Viking ancestors, are little known, misunderstood, and almost invisible on the American landscape. Although Norse voyages were known since the early 1800s, the near absence of physical evidence of Vikings in the New World has rendered the information, and the possibility that Norse explorers reached the North American mainland five hundred years before Columbus, speculative, at best. Yet, discovery of a Viking site in Newfoundland in 1960 confirmed a pre-Columbian European presence in the Americas, and Norse artifacts found in archaeological sites scattered throughout the eastern Canadian arctic and sub-arctic, raise the issue of how far south of Newfoundland the Norse did explore, and what impact their contacts had on Native Americans. The term Viking is indelibly associated with seafaring warriors. Carpentry, and especially boat building, were skills known to all Viking men, and along with maritime skill, was the characteristic upon which Viking expansion and influence depended. Viking craft had an advantage over all other watercraft of their day in speed, shallow draft, weight, capacity, maneuverability, and seaworthiness, giving Vikings the ability to trade, make war, carry animals, and cross open oceans safely. The territorial expansion of the Vikings from their Scandinavian homelands began in the last decades of the eighth century, and started as seasonal raids on the British Isles. Those Vikings who ventured west settled the islands of the North Atlantic. Many theories attempt to explain what propelled Vikings outward from their northern homelands: developments in ship construction and seafaring skills; internal stress from population growth and scarce land; loss of personal freedom as political and economic centralization progressed; but the overriding factor seemed to be an awareness of the opportunities for advancement. By taking on lives as soldiers of fortune, Vikings could dramatically alter their prospects: becoming wealthy, reaping glory and fame in battle, and achieving high status as leaders and heroes based on their own abilities and deeds. Although there is reason for speculation about how far the Norse traveled south of Newfoundland, recent archaeological research provides a solid basis for understanding more about Norse explorations and contacts in the north. Archaeologists found Norse artifacts in early Inuit (Eskimo) sites in the Canadian arctic and Greenland. That people of the Dorset culture had begun to replace their stone blades with metal after AD. 1000 seemed curious, although understood when both late Dorset and Early Thule sites began to produce not only Norse iron and copper, but a host of other Norse materials. Soon Norse materials were reported from many eastern Canadian arctic and northwest Greenland sites dating to the Norse period. These finds suggest that Native Americans interacted with the Norse in a variety of ways: by casual contacts, scavenging Norse wrecks, or outright skirmishes This volume celebrates the Vikings epic voyages, which brought the first Europeans to the New World. In doing so, the ring of humanity that had been spread in different directions around the globe for hundreds of thousands of years, was finally closed. Even though Leif Erikssons was not the firstnor the lastvoyage of Viking exploration, nor did it lead to permanent settlement in the Americas, his voyage achieved an important and highly symbolic goal that made the world an infinitely smaller place
Customer Reviews:
A wealth of info on the medieval Norse reach across the ocean.......2006-07-24
This sumptuous and lavishly illustrated volume of 432 large pages, was published by the Smithsonian Institution in 2000 to coincide with the thousandth year, as close as we can reckon, of Leif Erikson's pioneering voyage to North America where he founded an outpost in "Vinland" that was used by subsequent expeditions until finally being abandoned after several skirmishes with the native inhabitants -- this according to the two pertinent surviving sagas.
The book is an impressive compendium of scholarship by 40 writers in 32 different articles, naturally from often different viewpoints. It gets a five-star rating not because I don't have disagreements with certain conclusions of a number of articles, but because of the wealth of information it contains on Viking/Norse life and legacies for anyone seriously interested in the topic. It's divided into seven sections, titled Viking Homelands, Viking Raiders (in Europe), Vikings in the North Atlantic (including Iceland), Viking America, Norse Greenland, and Viking Legacy. (The term "Viking" is ill-used as applied to Iceland and the farther lands -- or for that matter in Europe after about 1100 -- but the label seems irresistible to publishers in titles, even to the Smithsonian. At least Greenland gets a proper "Norse" label.)
Obviously it's not a work to be read cover to cover in one gulp. Since there are too many topics and regions covered in detail to look at closely in a review of any reasonable length, I'll focus briefly here on "Viking America," which presents eight major articles. Their topics range from Ellesmere Island in the High Arctic where Norse artifacts have been found, to, of course, Vinland in the far south (just how far south a matter of complex disputes often passionately held.) Too, it explores what the lore and the sagas tell us on one hand, to hard archeological digs on the other, both subject to interpretation. An interesting wrap-up article in this section is intriguingly titled "Unanswered Questions." The Canadian archeologist Birgitta Linderoth Wallace, who wrote two articles and collaborated on another, has been in charge of the famous L'Anse aux Meadows site at the northern tip of Newfoundland since its discoverers Helge and Anne Ingstad finished their work there in the late 1960s. With the Ingstads she believes the site is in fact the remains of Leif's settlement of Leifsbudir -- although others, including Carl Sauer, Erik Wahlgren and myself, have strong doubts on that score. But even if we're right, this in no way diminishes the importance of the site, as this is the first thoroughly, physically confirmed site of Norse occupation found in America. If I may register a guess, it might have been a strategically placed "way station" occupied for a few years by some other unrecorded Norse voyagers presumably from Greenland, which would open other intriguing questions. There's a good possibility that we'll never know.
Another engrossing article deals with the native peoples of these regions: the Innu, Dorset, and Thule Inuit in northern Canada and Greenland (it was the Thule "Eskimos" who remained after the Dorset and Norse were gone), plus the now-extinct Beothuk Indians of Newfoundland; a panel of four maps shows their respective areas of occupancy from AD 900 to 1500. Several articles in the America and Greenland sections look at contacts and relations between the Norse and "natives" (remembering that the Norse Greenlanders were no less "native" than the Thule, having lived in southwest Greenland for over 300 years before the Thule ever arrived in that region). One article includes a recounting of an Inuit folk tale as told to the Danish Greenland official H.J. Rink in 1858, of a bloody incident and reprisals between a group of Inuit and Norse hundreds of years before, complete with color illustrations drawn for Rink by an Inuit artist.
The above comments scarcely touch the surface of the riches to be found in this volume. The general tone is scholarly and carefully conservative in most respects (sometimes too conservative and one-sided in my view, as if the writers/editors were reluctant to delve much into matters subject to heated controversies except to dispose of them as quickly as possible). Nevertheless, all in all it's a most impressive compendium of fascinating information not obtainable elsewhere, and the editors and writers are to be congratulated for that.
A Great Resource!!!.......2003-12-08
For those interested in:
the history of an ancient people, the Vikings
the history of a people's travels and explorations
the history of a people's art, storytelling, and craftsmanship
the history of a people's society and everyday living
This book is for you. I constantly use references from this book in my writings, as it contains such detail that is just begging to be acknowledged. The images are fantastic, and continues to inspire! Historical enthusiasts, novice and veterans alike are sure to enjoy this book.
A great start.......2002-07-18
This great book takes you from western Europe and Russia to L'Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland in a gigantic arc of detail and archaeology. Many areas of great intrest such as the Isle of Man and the Shetland Isles are often overlooked in OTHER books but not this one. If you want to start learning about the Vikings disembark from here.
A touchdown.......2002-01-22
If you know only a little about Vikings, and want to know a lot more, this is the book to get. Lavishly illustrated, although, as another reader pointed out, a little big for bedtime reading or the train. I really liked the way the book recalls the entire Norse history -- from the 700s right up to the Minnesota Vikings. By the way, I got to sail for a couple days on the very ship depicted on the cover.
This gorgeous Viking book ranks with the best.......2001-11-19
What a complete package! Absolutely loaded with huge beautiful pictures of everything from ancient maps to medieval Scandinavian jewelry to charts of what individual experts think the Vikings dubbed "Vinland", this book has it all. Someone familiar with the subject will find it gorgeously re-introduced in this extremely professional layout, and yet anyone new to the subject will find this book to be inviting, informative, and fun to read. While this book doesn't dig quite as deep as either Jones' textbook-format "A History of The Vikings" or Haywood's geographically well-documented "The Penguin Historical Atlas of The Vikings", this is still like a huge compilation of every other Viking book I've seen yet, giving the subject the spotlight that it needs after so many recent discoveries. A very professional complete package for everyone.
Average customer rating:
- great piece of modern nordic historical fiction
- THE BEST Historical Fiction I've Read!
- As bracing as a gust of wind across a Tundra
- Very Strong Story Telling!
- Medieval Iceland at its best
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Saga: A Novel Of Medieval Iceland
Jeff Janoda
Manufacturer: Academy Chicago Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0897335325 |
Book Description
When a nameless Norseman sat down to write the "Saga of the People of Eyri" in the 13th century, the brutal story was already centuries old. Today this ancient tale is masterfully retold in Jeff Janoda's SAGA: A NOVEL OF MEDIEVAL ICELAND, a rich historical novel of the first Icelandic settlements.
SAGA tells the story of the savage rituals of feud and sacrifice brought by the settlers from their Norwegian motherland as well as their new, competing beliefs in a democratic legal assembly and a code of restraint.
When Thorolf the Viking trades away his valuable family lands to spite his son, Arnkel, the ruthless Norse chieftain vows to regain them at all costs. Robbed of his rightful inheritance, Arnkel begins a venomous feud with his neighbors and with rival chieftain Snorri, a lawless dispute destined to end in betrayal and death.
Janoda's characters are eloquently wrought, their passions and pagan beliefs brought to life in a tale over a thousand years old. His delicate hand renders fantastical elements like spirits and elves as vividly as their human counterparts, illuminating the harshness of life in a society on the brink of modernity, yet isolated in the farthest reaches of the planet.
Customer Reviews:
great piece of modern nordic historical fiction.......2007-09-27
Great way to bring life to this saga. Read this book more than a year ago (twice) and it still sticks. Great great stuff. Let's have more!
THE BEST Historical Fiction I've Read!.......2007-05-30
This is one of those books that you get so into while you're reading that you don't want it to end. Janoda has fleshed out a portion of the Eyrbyggja Saga, giving depth and dimension to the Snorri Gothi, Arnkel Gothi, and Thorbrand factions feuding, scheming, betraying and killing for possession of two farmsteads and a precious birch forest on a peninsula in 10th century western Iceland. The saga has everything a Norse and medieval history buff would want, including some really "creepy" stuff with a vengeful ghost and dark elves who live in the shadows and feed off the evil the Norse perpetrate.
Janoda's prose is fluid and effortless, and he writes as a master storyteller. I HOPE HE WRITES ANOTHER BOOK LIKE THIS ONE ON ANOTHER OF THE SAGAS!
Highest Recommendation
As bracing as a gust of wind across a Tundra.......2006-02-18
I bought this, based on the reviews here as I was looking for a good Midgard-themed book to read.
It's a great first novel and I hope the author dips into this setting again for the next one.
A fine tale of the harsh Icelandic life and of betrayal and passion. Any fans of this genre should indeed give this one a try.
Couldn't fault any of it. Good stuff.
Very Strong Story Telling!.......2006-02-02
This is an awsome story and a very good read. It bounces around a bit but still worth every penny!
Medieval Iceland at its best.......2006-01-25
I've studied Icelandic and Nordic history and culture for many years, and I think that Jeff Janoda has captured the essence of the Icelandic Viking extremely well. The description of the land is great, and gives me the feel of actually being on a fjord in Iceland. The characters are well developed and true to the time and class structure of the ancient gothi. Auln is my personal favorite character, but nonetheless very human, and the one that grabs at your soul. The references to Thor and the elves give the reader a good insight to the beliefs of the time, and the use of a character (Hrafn) who has found Christianity in a foreign land helps to define the change that is going on in the world at that time. The Thing (yearly court)is used well and gives the reader insight into the extremely honorable and structured lifestyle of the Viking culture as it developed in the Free Land. For anyone who is curious about Iceland and it's historic sagas, Saga is the modern telling that will help you understand this ancient culture.
Average customer rating:
- Awesome Epic book
- Superb!
- A lush, romantic, sweeping saga
- From a descendent comes: Godiva's Life & Legend
- fantastic, and deeply moving
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Godiva (Viking Sagas)
David Rose
Manufacturer: Whitaker House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0883680289 |
Customer Reviews:
Awesome Epic book.......2007-04-26
I didn't expect this book to deliever so much! You can really tell that David Rose is an accomplished screenwriter, for the epic feel and sweep of this book is so great! It was like watching a movie! But more than that, it made me love the characters and the story. I absolutely loved this book and would reccomend it to anyone.
Superb!.......2005-10-26
I bought this book with mixed feelings, since many of the reviewers thought that the book was flawed. And it IS flawed in some aspects: characters are drawn in rather simplistic terms, especially Lady Godiva. However, the author draws very compelling portraits of both King Canute and Earl Leofric. I thought that this was just a great story and I read it in one day! I would recommend anyone to pick up a copy of this book!
A lush, romantic, sweeping saga .......2005-01-07
Godiva is an elaborate debut novel by David Rose, veteran film producer, Emmy award winner and developer of more than 40 screenplays. Set in England during the 11th century, Godiva tells of a young girl witness to horror as Viking legions raid and conquer her homeland. Though she manages to settle down and find love, the threat of the terrible enemy's destructive return looms ever closer. Her desire to protect her home and her people could cost Godiva her faith, or even her very soul. A lush, romantic, sweeping saga centered upon a brilliant and strong-willed heroine.
From a descendent comes: Godiva's Life & Legend.......2004-11-23
<P>
This epic tale begins in the spring of 1016 with Viking ships, adrift, choppy seas along the coast of England. A fearsome King Canute the Dane, Viking conqueror, invades. One town after another is devoured until reaching the castle of Lord Leofwine and then Godiva's hometown of Coventry.
Death and destruction overwhelms this northern region, while a thirteen-year old Godiva watches helplessly as the bloodthirsty invaders pillage her once peaceful world. Canute's vicious army coldly murders her parents, as well as friends. Godiva barely survives and only due to the heroism of Sister Osburga. Sister Osburga boldly draws the Vikings away from the hidden Godiva giving her the opportunity to escape.
Ten years pass and King Canute now controls Northern Mercia. Godiva now an exquisite woman marries the Earl of Mercia, Lord Leofric. Leofric under orders from Canute is to collect the "danegeld" --an exaggerated amount of taxes from the townspeople. Against the taxation Godiva implores and tries to reason with Leofric, requesting relief upon the people of Coventry. Her appeals are ignored.
Taking matter into her own hands Godiva relinquishes her wealth. Her jewels are contributed to pay for all the taxes of Coventry's villagers. This is pure insolence in King Canute's eyes. To alleviate Canute's anger and postpone taxation Godiva now faces dishonor and shame if his challenge of riding naked on her horse through Coventry is accepted.
Godiva is David Rose's debut novel. The tale of Godiva, a unique woman of her time, as Rose tells it, has been handed down from generation to generation in his family lineage. Rose is an Academy Award-winner for film special effects, and it clearly shows through description. Dialog on the other hand is at times klutzy and characters in need of more development. Still none of this takes away from this legendary tale.
Godiva is an entertaining book that highlights a number of topics: religious beliefs, courage, love, and survival. It is no doubt David Rose's debut novel is a promising start as an author, and I certainly hope to read more of this upcoming series! Thank you Mr. Rose. Definitely recommended!
Reviewed by Betsie
fantastic, and deeply moving.......2004-11-20
My husband, and I could not put this deeply moving book down. It was as if it were a film playing in my mind. The ability of the author to touch on so many tender truths was amazing. I know it was a fictional book, but I have researched, and he did give us a true to life picture of the true Godiva the hero so many in Coventry speak about to this day. Americans were told a half truth about this woman for decades. She was a unique woman of her time. We see her as a sales lady to candy, and a harlot, but she was nothing of the sort. Among women she did have the ability to stand up out of the horror of her time when women were more like cattle than a co-equal. She is a modern day role model for feminists. A women like me today can look her to find strength, this is desperately needed today. I take my hat off to David Rose whose goal was to tell the truth about how wonderful a woman Godiva was. I hope people do the home work go to England find out about this woman from her own country before they mock Davids' picture of the true Godiva, a god fearing woman before her time. Thank you for telling us the truth about Godiva. The world needs to hear this story.
Book Description
A young man only at peace when he is at war
Young Halfdan is a slave. He is crafty with a bow and arrow and wise in the ways of the animals, but he can only dream of a warrior's life. That is, until the dark day a Saxon's blows lay his father on his deathbed, and his mother makes a tragic bargain for Halfdan's freedom.
A boy's destiny can come at the most terrible price. Halfdan must suffer a grave loss in order to grasp what he most desires: to train by, to live by, and, if the fates decree it, to die by the force of his sword and the swiftness of his arrow. He is to be a warrior -- a great warrior.
Bloody, furiously paced, heart-wrenching, and unflinching, this is a story of a land where the destinies of boys and men are forged in the heat of battle. Young Halfdan shall come to know the glories of true brotherhood and the unspeakable horrors of true evil. In this first book in a saga teeming with thrilling details of the Viking world, young Halfdan emerges as a new hero . . . a new myth . . . a new legend.
Customer Reviews:
Not just for teens!.......2007-09-04
This is a marvelous book. I am old enough to be Halfdan's mother so this is NOT just for teenagers. This is storytelling at it's finest. I can't wait for more from Judson Roberts!! If you like this book try Nigel Tranter's novels, these are not about vikings but are good historial fiction.
An enjoyable read with points for history.......2007-05-21
Judson Roberts has in this book started a historical series well worth reading, first and foremost because it's an enjoyable read but also because he takes the reader inside Viking society and culture as it existed in real history rather than in the inaccurate portrayal we are familiar with from the movies.
The characters are complex and well-drawn, and Roberts does not flinch from setting the stakes high for them or from killing off characters that you come to care about. I thought he was particularly good at showing Halfdan, the story's narrator and main character, himself has to reassess what he thinks of people as events bring sudden changes to his life, realizing that what he once perceived things was not necessarily the whole picture. His thinking is forced to change, sometimes in very difficult ways, as when at fifteen his situation abruptly evolves from that of a mere thrall (slave), to that of not only a free man but an acknowledged son of a Viking chieftan, and then all to soon to that of a fugitive fighting for his life. A passage towards the end provides a good example:
"Though my heart protested, in my mind I knew Einar's counsel was wise. It was ironic. I'd often dreamed, as a thrall, of crossing the seas as a Viking raider. I'd dreamed of it as a path to adventure and glory. Now, it seemed, it was to be my path to vengeance. I wondered how long a journey it would be."
Roberts does a very good job of taking his time to develop the characters as real people and to show what Viking life was really like, particularly in how they viewed themselves and the rest of the world. But at the same time the action parts of the novel, particularly when Halfdan and his brother Harald and their companions come under attack and later as Halfdan must survive on his own, are very compelling and draw the reader completely into the struggle.
The only reason I do not rate this as five-stars instead of four is that, while Roberts does a very good job in taking the reader into the heart of Viking times and culture, it is not quite on the level I have seen achieved by writers like Bernard Cornwell and Patrick O'Brien. This in no way detracts from the merits of the book as a read, however, and I do recommend it for anyone interested in that period of history and for anyone who just enjoys a good read. I very much look forward to reading the next volume in the series.
An Enchanting Story.......2007-03-31
Halfdan is just a slave. He is crafty and knows the way of animals but is only a slave to everyone he knows. When Halfdan's father, whom is the leader is about to die and asks his mother to join him in Valhalla, Halfdan is shocked. Why his mother? But his mother says that she will join him if her son, Halfdan is freed. Halfdan's father agrees.
When Halfdan is freed he is now royalty and has a great half brother and half sister. When Halfdan goes to see his new land that he now rules trouble starts. Halfdan finds himself being chased while little do the people chasing him know that he is not the criminal.
This book is adventurous and has a great plot. I hope everyone reading this will try out the book and enjoy it while I wait for the sequel.
the strongbow saga book one viking warrior.......2006-10-30
A little slow starting, but once i began it, wanted to finish it in one setting.
Riveting action story that will keep you turning the pages.......2006-09-30
"In one moment the Norns changed the pattern they were weaving in the fabric of my fate."
From the first line of Viking Warrior, Book One of the Strongbow Saga, I was drawn into the story of Halfdan, a fifteen-year-old boy who starts life as a slave but soon must meet the challenges of becoming a warrior. Set in the world of the 9th century Danish Vikings, Halfdan's life story is changed radically when his mother offers to sacrifice her own life so he can become a free man.
As the illegitimate son of a captured Irish princess and a Viking chieftain, Halfdan labors as a thrall, or slave, in his father's household. His only escape is into the woods he loves, where he masters the use of a bow and arrow. Whenever possible, he works for the estate metalsmith, becoming skilled at creating fine weapons out of molten iron.
When his father, Hrorick, is mortally wounded in battle, the Norns, or fates, weave Halfdan's life in a new direction. His half-brother, Harald, and half-sister, Sigrid, are forced to acknowledge him when his dying father makes him a free man. In exchange, his mother is sacrificed and buried beside the father that Halfdan has despised.
After his mother's death, Halfdan struggles to adjust to wearing fine clothes, dining at the head table in the longhouse, and accepting his new status as master instead of slave. Harald trains Halfdan in battle arts. Soon Halfdan has mastered the use of a sword and shield. He proves himself superior to his brother in the skill of archery.
Halfdan is thrilled to learn he has inherited lands of his own from Hrorick. But before he can claim his inheritance, he must survive the treachery and deceit of Hrorick's stepson, Toke. In the heat of battle, Halfdan faces danger and death, and discovers the hidden depths of his own warrior spirit.
Viking Warrior is a page-turner. Once I started reading the book, I was hooked and found it difficult to stop. There's something for everyone here: history, mystery, action, danger, and even a little romance. Historical details give the book depth and a sense of immediacy that draws you into the story from page one. More books are promised in the series, but this book comes to a satisfying stopping place in what one hopes will be a continuing saga of Halfdan's adventures.
Readers should be warned that the book doesn't wince away from describing the heat and fury of combat. Parents of readers under 12 may want to read the book along with their children. Halfdan lives in a violent world, but nothing is gratuitous. Every detail moves the story along at a fast clip.
Viking Warrior is a gripping story for young and old alike, and will appeal to male and female readers alike. Teachers will definitely want to include this on a reading list for any study of Viking history. It left me wanting to know more about the Vikings, so I was happy to find that the author has set up a website, [...], where you can find interesting articles, bibliographies for further reading, and links to websites.
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