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 Customer Reviews
An Epic from Start to Finish, 29 Nov 2008
I was first introduced to the work of David Gemmell at age 14, when I loaned a copy of Lion of Macedon from my Uncle. I couldn't put it down, and borrowed Dark Prince straight after. They were classics, and I knew it.
I saw this on the shelf of my local waterstones, and after nine months of reading mostly Star Trek and Doctor Who books, I was looking for something a bit different. This was it. It is a gripping read, which never fails to disappoint.
The story itself centres around 'The Golden One' Helikaon, prince of Dardania, and his voyages and escapades sailing his ship, the Xanthos, across the murky waters of 'The Great Green' (Mediteranean Sea). It follows the exploits of him and his friend Zidantas and the crew of his ship.
On her maiden voyage the Xanthos picks up two Mykene Warriors, one who is called Argurios, and is one of the main characters in the book.There is some animosity between Helikaon and Argurios to start with, although this is metered with an amount of Respect and Mutual Appreciation, which leads to often surprising situations and scenarios.
As well as his friendship with Argurios, the story centres around the love of Helikaon for Andromache, a priestess of Thera, who is openly bi-sexual, and apparently very attractive in a non-descript sort of way. Either way there is some Poltical conspiracy in their relationship as Princess Andromache has been given to King Priam of Troy to marry his Son, Hektor, the greek mythos.
What a great read it is! I simply couldn't put it down, although it is true that characters like Hektor and Odysseus only play a supporting role in this re-telling of the Greek Legend, their pressence is felt throughout the story, as are the consequences of Battle, Piracy and Betrayal.
I recommend this to anybody, especially Lord of the Rings Fans!
"Fantastic" what more can one say, 27 Jun 2008
I have just finished reading `Troy fall of kings` the third book in this trilogy & what an uptake on the Troy legend,all three books are absolutely brilliant. I would like to think that some day maybe Peter Jackson or another with his vision & imagination would make some David Gemmell heroic fantasy novels into films & give them the true accolade they deserve. The best heroic fantasy novel books I have ever read.
Superb swashbuckling adventure with a Greek setting, 11 Apr 2008
Although this is set in ancient Greece it could really be set in Drenai or any other of Gemmell's worlds as it reads very similar to those, which is no bad thing as no one does heroic fantasy better than Gemmell.
This book is full of action, violence and war-mongering, along with some very well written characters. Gemmell's heros are never whiter than white, they always have their own flaws, which makes them very believable. Another awesome book from Gemmell.
Fantastic Read!, 28 Mar 2008
As with a number of other reviewers this was the first time I have read David Gemmell and it won't be the last. I enjoy historical fiction and this book is up there with the best. It is a great mix of awesome battles, romance, legend and humanity that leaves you unable to put it down. I read the last 250 pages on a transatlantic flight and couldn't wait to get volume two out of my suitcase when I got to my hotel room! If you enjoy Cornwell, Scarrow and Iggulden you will love this one.
Not His Best, But Still Better Than Most, 02 Feb 2008
David Gemmell is without doubt the best fantasy author on the planet and it seems almost churlish trying to write a review of one of his books. His books are crying out to be read by as many people as possible. They speak for themselves. The best or worst of reviews will never change that.
The book is a fascinating recreation of the myths that surround Troy, a city that was once thought to be a myth but is now a proven fact, thanks to its discovery by Heinrich Schliemann in the mid nineteenth century.
David Gemmell weaves his magical spell yet again and takes the reader over the walls and into the mystical city of Troy. A city that is having its very heart and soul ripped out by destructive rivalries. Beyond the walls Troy's enemies watch and wait, plotting the downfall of the city and lusting after its riches.
One way or the other there is bound to be death and destruction.
David Gemmell always leaves his readers' wanting more, more, more . . .
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Customer Reviews
An Epic from Start to Finish, 29 Nov 2008
I was first introduced to the work of David Gemmell at age 14, when I loaned a copy of Lion of Macedon from my Uncle. I couldn't put it down, and borrowed Dark Prince straight after. They were classics, and I knew it.
I saw this on the shelf of my local waterstones, and after nine months of reading mostly Star Trek and Doctor Who books, I was looking for something a bit different. This was it. It is a gripping read, which never fails to disappoint.
The story itself centres around 'The Golden One' Helikaon, prince of Dardania, and his voyages and escapades sailing his ship, the Xanthos, across the murky waters of 'The Great Green' (Mediteranean Sea). It follows the exploits of him and his friend Zidantas and the crew of his ship.
On her maiden voyage the Xanthos picks up two Mykene Warriors, one who is called Argurios, and is one of the main characters in the book.There is some animosity between Helikaon and Argurios to start with, although this is metered with an amount of Respect and Mutual Appreciation, which leads to often surprising situations and scenarios.
As well as his friendship with Argurios, the story centres around the love of Helikaon for Andromache, a priestess of Thera, who is openly bi-sexual, and apparently very attractive in a non-descript sort of way. Either way there is some Poltical conspiracy in their relationship as Princess Andromache has been given to King Priam of Troy to marry his Son, Hektor, the greek mythos.
What a great read it is! I simply couldn't put it down, although it is true that characters like Hektor and Odysseus only play a supporting role in this re-telling of the Greek Legend, their pressence is felt throughout the story, as are the consequences of Battle, Piracy and Betrayal.
I recommend this to anybody, especially Lord of the Rings Fans!
"Fantastic" what more can one say, 27 Jun 2008
I have just finished reading `Troy fall of kings` the third book in this trilogy & what an uptake on the Troy legend,all three books are absolutely brilliant. I would like to think that some day maybe Peter Jackson or another with his vision & imagination would make some David Gemmell heroic fantasy novels into films & give them the true accolade they deserve. The best heroic fantasy novel books I have ever read.
Superb swashbuckling adventure with a Greek setting, 11 Apr 2008
Although this is set in ancient Greece it could really be set in Drenai or any other of Gemmell's worlds as it reads very similar to those, which is no bad thing as no one does heroic fantasy better than Gemmell.
This book is full of action, violence and war-mongering, along with some very well written characters. Gemmell's heros are never whiter than white, they always have their own flaws, which makes them very believable. Another awesome book from Gemmell.
Fantastic Read!, 28 Mar 2008
As with a number of other reviewers this was the first time I have read David Gemmell and it won't be the last. I enjoy historical fiction and this book is up there with the best. It is a great mix of awesome battles, romance, legend and humanity that leaves you unable to put it down. I read the last 250 pages on a transatlantic flight and couldn't wait to get volume two out of my suitcase when I got to my hotel room! If you enjoy Cornwell, Scarrow and Iggulden you will love this one.
Not His Best, But Still Better Than Most, 02 Feb 2008
David Gemmell is without doubt the best fantasy author on the planet and it seems almost churlish trying to write a review of one of his books. His books are crying out to be read by as many people as possible. They speak for themselves. The best or worst of reviews will never change that.
The book is a fascinating recreation of the myths that surround Troy, a city that was once thought to be a myth but is now a proven fact, thanks to its discovery by Heinrich Schliemann in the mid nineteenth century.
David Gemmell weaves his magical spell yet again and takes the reader over the walls and into the mystical city of Troy. A city that is having its very heart and soul ripped out by destructive rivalries. Beyond the walls Troy's enemies watch and wait, plotting the downfall of the city and lusting after its riches.
One way or the other there is bound to be death and destruction.
David Gemmell always leaves his readers' wanting more, more, more . . .
Good, but not great series of books, 31 Jan 2007
Having read all three of the Viking trilogy now, I feel that the series is good, but by no means brilliant.
While the scenery was very well set, and the characters were interesting, I felt that the author was trying to cram too much into the books. Thorgils had too many professions, which made the books feel like an overview of the period 999-1066, rather than a story of one man.
Overall though, I feel that the major problem with the series is that they stand in contrast with Bernard Cornwell's current Saxon series. While Severin's books are good, Cornwell proves once again to be the expert at historical fiction.
A Dramatic Conclusion, 02 Aug 2006
This book is the sequel to Odinn's Child and brings to a conclusion the Viking adventure.
The date is 1035, the place the cosmopolitan city of Constantinople, the gateway to Asia and all its treasures and mysticism. Thorgills has become a member of the elite Varangian lifeguard, a post that allows him to witness first hand the glories of one of the greatest cities in the whole world. Unfortunately it also allows him first hand experience of the cruelty and murderous ways of the imperial family.
Under the leadership of Harald Sigurdsson Thorgills is used as bait to trap Arab pirates who are attacking the shipping lanes of the Mediterranean. Fate also takes him on campaign to recover the island of Scicily from the Saracens.
When Harald becomes King of Norway, Thorgills life becomes ever more entwined with the King and his travel eventually take him on a journey to England and a desperate race to Stamford Bridge in Yorkshire, to warm the Norwegian King that he has been duped by his supposed ally William of Normandy, but will Thorgill be in time or for that matter ever reach Stamford Bridge. . .
Sam's review, 17 Jul 2006
This is the final novel from a trilogy of three. I thought it was superbly written and a good historical account of how things could have been in the 10th century. I thought it kept up the very high quality from the previous two novels in the series. It portrays Thorgils in the later years of his life and his attempt to keep the old ways alive from the growing followers of the white christ.
I thought it was a thoroughly interesting and enjoyable read.
Thoroughly excellent book, 23 Jun 2006
What a superb book, I haven't read the first two parts of this trilogy but that didn't detract at all from the enjoyment of this book, in fact you wouldn't know it was part of a trilogy. The story grabs your attention from the start and holds you till the very end. It is a story intertwined within the true events of history, beginning in Constantinople and culminating around the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. Tim Severin's style of writing is clear and easy to read and combines great historical knowledge with great story telling and compassion. Wonderful.
Poorly written, weak and dull, 13 Apr 2006
Id read Severin's 'In search of Genghis Khan' which was an interesting read so I was very open to see how his skills translated to fiction. Oh dear, how disappointing. Perhaps I dont fit into his normal reading audience but either way this book is poorly written. Characters are not fleshed out, most scenes are poorly detailed and the plot is weak and dull skipping between swiftly concluding simple events.
Severin has the building blocks of a great historical setting and includes many interesting facts (much like his non fiction work), but this is not enough to carry the story, and for me if you look at David Gemmell's works there is no comparison.
So to summarise, this book lacks basic story writing skills and is not worth the time to read.
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Customer Reviews
An Epic from Start to Finish, 29 Nov 2008
I was first introduced to the work of David Gemmell at age 14, when I loaned a copy of Lion of Macedon from my Uncle. I couldn't put it down, and borrowed Dark Prince straight after. They were classics, and I knew it.
I saw this on the shelf of my local waterstones, and after nine months of reading mostly Star Trek and Doctor Who books, I was looking for something a bit different. This was it. It is a gripping read, which never fails to disappoint.
The story itself centres around 'The Golden One' Helikaon, prince of Dardania, and his voyages and escapades sailing his ship, the Xanthos, across the murky waters of 'The Great Green' (Mediteranean Sea). It follows the exploits of him and his friend Zidantas and the crew of his ship.
On her maiden voyage the Xanthos picks up two Mykene Warriors, one who is called Argurios, and is one of the main characters in the book.There is some animosity between Helikaon and Argurios to start with, although this is metered with an amount of Respect and Mutual Appreciation, which leads to often surprising situations and scenarios.
As well as his friendship with Argurios, the story centres around the love of Helikaon for Andromache, a priestess of Thera, who is openly bi-sexual, and apparently very attractive in a non-descript sort of way. Either way there is some Poltical conspiracy in their relationship as Princess Andromache has been given to King Priam of Troy to marry his Son, Hektor, the greek mythos.
What a great read it is! I simply couldn't put it down, although it is true that characters like Hektor and Odysseus only play a supporting role in this re-telling of the Greek Legend, their pressence is felt throughout the story, as are the consequences of Battle, Piracy and Betrayal.
I recommend this to anybody, especially Lord of the Rings Fans!
"Fantastic" what more can one say, 27 Jun 2008
I have just finished reading `Troy fall of kings` the third book in this trilogy & what an uptake on the Troy legend,all three books are absolutely brilliant. I would like to think that some day maybe Peter Jackson or another with his vision & imagination would make some David Gemmell heroic fantasy novels into films & give them the true accolade they deserve. The best heroic fantasy novel books I have ever read.
Superb swashbuckling adventure with a Greek setting, 11 Apr 2008
Although this is set in ancient Greece it could really be set in Drenai or any other of Gemmell's worlds as it reads very similar to those, which is no bad thing as no one does heroic fantasy better than Gemmell.
This book is full of action, violence and war-mongering, along with some very well written characters. Gemmell's heros are never whiter than white, they always have their own flaws, which makes them very believable. Another awesome book from Gemmell.
Fantastic Read!, 28 Mar 2008
As with a number of other reviewers this was the first time I have read David Gemmell and it won't be the last. I enjoy historical fiction and this book is up there with the best. It is a great mix of awesome battles, romance, legend and humanity that leaves you unable to put it down. I read the last 250 pages on a transatlantic flight and couldn't wait to get volume two out of my suitcase when I got to my hotel room! If you enjoy Cornwell, Scarrow and Iggulden you will love this one.
Not His Best, But Still Better Than Most, 02 Feb 2008
David Gemmell is without doubt the best fantasy author on the planet and it seems almost churlish trying to write a review of one of his books. His books are crying out to be read by as many people as possible. They speak for themselves. The best or worst of reviews will never change that.
The book is a fascinating recreation of the myths that surround Troy, a city that was once thought to be a myth but is now a proven fact, thanks to its discovery by Heinrich Schliemann in the mid nineteenth century.
David Gemmell weaves his magical spell yet again and takes the reader over the walls and into the mystical city of Troy. A city that is having its very heart and soul ripped out by destructive rivalries. Beyond the walls Troy's enemies watch and wait, plotting the downfall of the city and lusting after its riches.
One way or the other there is bound to be death and destruction.
David Gemmell always leaves his readers' wanting more, more, more . . .
Good, but not great series of books, 31 Jan 2007
Having read all three of the Viking trilogy now, I feel that the series is good, but by no means brilliant.
While the scenery was very well set, and the characters were interesting, I felt that the author was trying to cram too much into the books. Thorgils had too many professions, which made the books feel like an overview of the period 999-1066, rather than a story of one man.
Overall though, I feel that the major problem with the series is that they stand in contrast with Bernard Cornwell's current Saxon series. While Severin's books are good, Cornwell proves once again to be the expert at historical fiction.
A Dramatic Conclusion, 02 Aug 2006
This book is the sequel to Odinn's Child and brings to a conclusion the Viking adventure.
The date is 1035, the place the cosmopolitan city of Constantinople, the gateway to Asia and all its treasures and mysticism. Thorgills has become a member of the elite Varangian lifeguard, a post that allows him to witness first hand the glories of one of the greatest cities in the whole world. Unfortunately it also allows him first hand experience of the cruelty and murderous ways of the imperial family.
Under the leadership of Harald Sigurdsson Thorgills is used as bait to trap Arab pirates who are attacking the shipping lanes of the Mediterranean. Fate also takes him on campaign to recover the island of Scicily from the Saracens.
When Harald becomes King of Norway, Thorgills life becomes ever more entwined with the King and his travel eventually take him on a journey to England and a desperate race to Stamford Bridge in Yorkshire, to warm the Norwegian King that he has been duped by his supposed ally William of Normandy, but will Thorgill be in time or for that matter ever reach Stamford Bridge. . .
Sam's review, 17 Jul 2006
This is the final novel from a trilogy of three. I thought it was superbly written and a good historical account of how things could have been in the 10th century. I thought it kept up the very high quality from the previous two novels in the series. It portrays Thorgils in the later years of his life and his attempt to keep the old ways alive from the growing followers of the white christ.
I thought it was a thoroughly interesting and enjoyable read.
Thoroughly excellent book, 23 Jun 2006
What a superb book, I haven't read the first two parts of this trilogy but that didn't detract at all from the enjoyment of this book, in fact you wouldn't know it was part of a trilogy. The story grabs your attention from the start and holds you till the very end. It is a story intertwined within the true events of history, beginning in Constantinople and culminating around the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. Tim Severin's style of writing is clear and easy to read and combines great historical knowledge with great story telling and compassion. Wonderful.
Poorly written, weak and dull, 13 Apr 2006
Id read Severin's 'In search of Genghis Khan' which was an interesting read so I was very open to see how his skills translated to fiction. Oh dear, how disappointing. Perhaps I dont fit into his normal reading audience but either way this book is poorly written. Characters are not fleshed out, most scenes are poorly detailed and the plot is weak and dull skipping between swiftly concluding simple events.
Severin has the building blocks of a great historical setting and includes many interesting facts (much like his non fiction work), but this is not enough to carry the story, and for me if you look at David Gemmell's works there is no comparison.
So to summarise, this book lacks basic story writing skills and is not worth the time to read.
Viking tales, 05 Jun 2008
I agree with the first review. It started very slowly and it seemed like one of those books that you could put down and easily forget about. But I didn't give up and after the first 8 or nine chapters the story got much better and the life of the mine charector began to unfold. Once past the slow start it gets much better and by the end of the final chapters you just have to order the next to books so that you get find out what happens.
All together it is quite a good read. And I would recomend it to anyone who likes a good historical novel.
It's different, 11 Jan 2008
This book was an enjoyable read an i will be buying the next two books in the series. However i have recently been reading the Roman Legion series by Simon Scarrow, The Caesar series by Conn Iggulden and the Alexander series by Valerio Masssimo Manfredi and i much preferred these books to Severin's effort, and would recommend those books before reading this one. Maybe it's because the story is wrote in first person that causes a distraction. however, the stroy seems to be accurate and is very interesting to read about the vikings in a fiction story as there is not to many about at the moment and it does make a nice change to read about other stuff than romans. This first volume does not have much fighting action in compared to Igguldon or Scarrow, so that is going to be your choice whether that is good or bad, personally i found the story a bit dull at times and needed a couple more fights in, but thats just my opinion. The first main struggle with the book is the amount of names that are thrown at you in the first 100 pages or so which is extremely confusing, as many of the characters are not mentioned again throughout the rest of the first novel (i hav'nt read the others yet so the may show up in there).
I would recommend reading this book as it was an enjoyable read after the first 100 page struggle, however if you haven't tried reading Manfredi, Scarrow etc, i would try there first as their books are more enjoyable, but still give this book a chance.
A good book, an interesting read, but not spectacular!, 03 Dec 2007
Odinn's child is the first in Tim Severin's Viking series featuring the character Thorgils Leifsson. The book is a fascinating account of Norse culture and beliefs. It gives great insight into the way of life in Northern Europe at the beggining of the eleventh century. The tale follows the central character's rootless early years through growing up in Iceland and Greenland, attempted settlement on the North American coast and slavery in Ireland.
Although Severin goes into great depth and detail in this novel, he fails to grip the reader in the same way that Bernard Cornwell and Robert Low do, in their Viking tales. At times the book even threatens to bore the reader, but it generally just manages to save itself in the nick of time with brief moments of intriguing action.
On the whole this book is worth a read, but it is a huge distance away from being the greatest Viking saga written in recent years.
Great Moments in the Norse Sagas, 23 Jul 2007
Tim Severin has cobbled together great scenes from Norse saga history to construct a novel which takes his fictionalized protagonist, Thorgils Leifsson (illegitimate and somewhat mysterious son of Leif Eriksson, according to Erik the Red's Saga), from his earliest days as a babe in Orkney and Iceland to childhood in Greenland and Vinland and then back to the European world in the last days of the Viking era.
From carefully selected and fleshed out scenes from Eyrbyggja Saga, when the mysterious, uncanny and somewhat overbearing Thorgunna comes to live briefly among the Icelanders, to the various North American expeditions described in the two extant Vinland sagas (Erik the Red's Saga and the Tale of the Greeenlanders), Severin manages to insert young Thorgils into a series of big moments in viking history. We follow him back to Iceland, where he insinuates himself into the final legal battle in the escalating feuds of Njal's Saga, and then takes up with the shrewd Icelandic chieftain, Snorri the Priest, and gets to participate in one of Snorri's famous escapades when he cleans out a nest of local vikings by force of arms (recounted in Eyrbyggja Saga). Then our hero, Thorgils, hooks up once more with Kari Solmundarsson from Njal's Saga. Kari is the sole survivor of the attack which burned Njal and his wife, along with their sons, daughter, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren to death in Njal's farmhouse. Kari, who alone escaped the carnage in the black smoke of the flames, swears vengeance on the burners and Thorgils gets to go along and witness some of the famous viking's feats of arms as Kari pursues his single minded objective. Then it's on to the Battle of Clontarf, from the Orkneyinga Saga, as King Sigtrygg Silkybeard, Norse king of Dublin, casts his lot in war against Brian Boru, High King of the Irish in yet another famous viking moment. Along the way, Thorgils manages to cross paths, albeit briefly, with the infamous Grettir the Strong from Grettir's Saga who is, of course, Iceland's most renowned and admired fugitive, the hero cum anti-hero par excellence.
If you know the sagas, there are few surprises here though Severin does a nice job of fleshing out details and patching the disparate episodes together in a convincing narrative skein. Unlike Severin, of course, the saga writers were famously sparing with words and Severin makes up for that with lovingly layered on detail all his own. To make it all hang together Severin must naturally make some choices and so he changes the details here and there to suit his story. Fredyis' famous killings in Vinland, for instance, are altered slightly though Severin provides a very plausible description of how these come about.
He also chooses to accept the reference in Erik the Red's Saga to Thorgils' presence in Iceland "a year before" the Frodriver Marvels, thereby equating the Thorgunna identified as Thorgils' mother, Leif's summer paramour in the Hebrides, with the Thorgunna who came to Iceland a few years later and was supposedly responsible for the hauntings remembered in the Frodriver Marvels described in Eyrbyggja Saga. That the Thorgunna of Frodriver fame is apparently a much older woman than a young man like Leif might have been attracted to, and is not mentioned as having a son, Thorgils, in Eyrbyggja Saga, is disregarded as Severin sticks with this somewhat questionable reference in Erik the Red's Saga. Still, he makes his decision convincing by suggesting this Thorgunna might have been something of a nymphomaniac.
Overall, Severin does a more than creditable job and his writing is solid, though I thought the story started falling apart after Clontarf when our hero finds himself on the loose in Ireland for a number of years. The Irish episodes felt too didactic to me, even compared to the episodes lifted from the sagas. Indeed, in the end the story is little more than a series of these famous saga events strung together through the artifice of an old Norse monk who apparently wrote it all down as a personal memoir, while hiding out in a Christian monastery, and who secreted his manuscript among the official ones in the scriptorium. Well, it's an interesting notion and it provides a credible basis for the story's otherwise remarkable coincidences.
Overall I liked this one though I found it slowgoing in places, particularly in the final third of the tale, and could often predict what was next as one great saga scene was telegraphed into the next. If you are not that familiar with the sagas and you like Norse tales, this one is probably a good choice.
(If you've an interest, at all, in the saga-as-novel, here are a few quite good ones -- Saga: A Novel Of Medieval Iceland by Jeff Janoda; The Greenlanders by Jane Smiley; Two Ravens by Cecelia Holland; Eric Brighteyes by H. Rider Haggard; Styrbiorn the Strong by E. R. Eddison; Gunnar's Daughter by Sigrid Undset; and, probably the all-time best, The Golden Warrior by Hope Muntz. And one more if you still want more, this one by me, The King of Vinland's Saga.)
SWM
An excellent book to open the trilogy!, 15 Aug 2006
Viking: Odinn's Child is the opening novel of a trilogy created from the saga of Erik the Red, depicting the events of Thorgils Leiffson's life in an epic historical fiction style.
The book focuses heavily on the clash between pagan Norse mythology (termed the "old ways") and Christianity, Thorgils encounters many tutors in the "old ways" and this leads him to numerous locations that are described in such detail that you can really get a feel for the Viking era.
Tim Severin has used his skills as an explorer to create a truly captivating story that helps the reader to imagine, with ease, the world he is trying to create.
I found the book to be an extremely good read but by no means an easy one, the early part of the book contains a lot of place names and introduces new characters at a pace that can confuse the reader. However, the book turns out to be fantastic from this point onwards. To put it simply, I enjoyed the book so much that before I even got half way through it I ordered the second novel of the trilogy off this site!
Finally, at such a reasonable price you really can not go wrong...
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Customer Reviews
An Epic from Start to Finish, 29 Nov 2008
I was first introduced to the work of David Gemmell at age 14, when I loaned a copy of Lion of Macedon from my Uncle. I couldn't put it down, and borrowed Dark Prince straight after. They were classics, and I knew it.
I saw this on the shelf of my local waterstones, and after nine months of reading mostly Star Trek and Doctor Who books, I was looking for something a bit different. This was it. It is a gripping read, which never fails to disappoint.
The story itself centres around 'The Golden One' Helikaon, prince of Dardania, and his voyages and escapades sailing his ship, the Xanthos, across the murky waters of 'The Great Green' (Mediteranean Sea). It follows the exploits of him and his friend Zidantas and the crew of his ship.
On her maiden voyage the Xanthos picks up two Mykene Warriors, one who is called Argurios, and is one of the main characters in the book.There is some animosity between Helikaon and Argurios to start with, although this is metered with an amount of Respect and Mutual Appreciation, which leads to often surprising situations and scenarios.
As well as his friendship with Argurios, the story centres around the love of Helikaon for Andromache, a priestess of Thera, who is openly bi-sexual, and apparently very attractive in a non-descript sort of way. Either way there is some Poltical conspiracy in their relationship as Princess Andromache has been given to King Priam of Troy to marry his Son, Hektor, the greek mythos.
What a great read it is! I simply couldn't put it down, although it is true that characters like Hektor and Odysseus only play a supporting role in this re-telling of the Greek Legend, their pressence is felt throughout the story, as are the consequences of Battle, Piracy and Betrayal.
I recommend this to anybody, especially Lord of the Rings Fans!
"Fantastic" what more can one say, 27 Jun 2008
I have just finished reading `Troy fall of kings` the third book in this trilogy & what an uptake on the Troy legend,all three books are absolutely brilliant. I would like to think that some day maybe Peter Jackson or another with his vision & imagination would make some David Gemmell heroic fantasy novels into films & give them the true accolade they deserve. The best heroic fantasy novel books I have ever read.
Superb swashbuckling adventure with a Greek setting, 11 Apr 2008
Although this is set in ancient Greece it could really be set in Drenai or any other of Gemmell's worlds as it reads very similar to those, which is no bad thing as no one does heroic fantasy better than Gemmell.
This book is full of action, violence and war-mongering, along with some very well written characters. Gemmell's heros are never whiter than white, they always have their own flaws, which makes them very believable. Another awesome book from Gemmell.
Fantastic Read!, 28 Mar 2008
As with a number of other reviewers this was the first time I have read David Gemmell and it won't be the last. I enjoy historical fiction and this book is up there with the best. It is a great mix of awesome battles, romance, legend and humanity that leaves you unable to put it down. I read the last 250 pages on a transatlantic flight and couldn't wait to get volume two out of my suitcase when I got to my hotel room! If you enjoy Cornwell, Scarrow and Iggulden you will love this one.
Not His Best, But Still Better Than Most, 02 Feb 2008
David Gemmell is without doubt the best fantasy author on the planet and it seems almost churlish trying to write a review of one of his books. His books are crying out to be read by as many people as possible. They speak for themselves. The best or worst of reviews will never change that.
The book is a fascinating recreation of the myths that surround Troy, a city that was once thought to be a myth but is now a proven fact, thanks to its discovery by Heinrich Schliemann in the mid nineteenth century.
David Gemmell weaves his magical spell yet again and takes the reader over the walls and into the mystical city of Troy. A city that is having its very heart and soul ripped out by destructive rivalries. Beyond the walls Troy's enemies watch and wait, plotting the downfall of the city and lusting after its riches.
One way or the other there is bound to be death and destruction.
David Gemmell always leaves his readers' wanting more, more, more . . .
Good, but not great series of books, 31 Jan 2007
Having read all three of the Viking trilogy now, I feel that the series is good, but by no means brilliant.
While the scenery was very well set, and the characters were interesting, I felt that the author was trying to cram too much into the books. Thorgils had too many professions, which made the books feel like an overview of the period 999-1066, rather than a story of one man.
Overall though, I feel that the major problem with the series is that they stand in contrast with Bernard Cornwell's current Saxon series. While Severin's books are good, Cornwell proves once again to be the expert at historical fiction.
A Dramatic Conclusion, 02 Aug 2006
This book is the sequel to Odinn's Child and brings to a conclusion the Viking adventure.
The date is 1035, the place the cosmopolitan city of Constantinople, the gateway to Asia and all its treasures and mysticism. Thorgills has become a member of the elite Varangian lifeguard, a post that allows him to witness first hand the glories of one of the greatest cities in the whole world. Unfortunately it also allows him first hand experience of the cruelty and murderous ways of the imperial family.
Under the leadership of Harald Sigurdsson Thorgills is used as bait to trap Arab pirates who are attacking the shipping lanes of the Mediterranean. Fate also takes him on campaign to recover the island of Scicily from the Saracens.
When Harald becomes King of Norway, Thorgills life becomes ever more entwined with the King and his travel eventually take him on a journey to England and a desperate race to Stamford Bridge in Yorkshire, to warm the Norwegian King that he has been duped by his supposed ally William of Normandy, but will Thorgill be in time or for that matter ever reach Stamford Bridge. . .
Sam's review, 17 Jul 2006
This is the final novel from a trilogy of three. I thought it was superbly written and a good historical account of how things could have been in the 10th century. I thought it kept up the very high quality from the previous two novels in the series. It portrays Thorgils in the later years of his life and his attempt to keep the old ways alive from the growing followers of the white christ.
I thought it was a thoroughly interesting and enjoyable read.
Thoroughly excellent book, 23 Jun 2006
What a superb book, I haven't read the first two parts of this trilogy but that didn't detract at all from the enjoyment of this book, in fact you wouldn't know it was part of a trilogy. The story grabs your attention from the start and holds you till the very end. It is a story intertwined within the true events of history, beginning in Constantinople and culminating around the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. Tim Severin's style of writing is clear and easy to read and combines great historical knowledge with great story telling and compassion. Wonderful.
Poorly written, weak and dull, 13 Apr 2006
Id read Severin's 'In search of Genghis Khan' which was an interesting read so I was very open to see how his skills translated to fiction. Oh dear, how disappointing. Perhaps I dont fit into his normal reading audience but either way this book is poorly written. Characters are not fleshed out, most scenes are poorly detailed and the plot is weak and dull skipping between swiftly concluding simple events.
Severin has the building blocks of a great historical setting and includes many interesting facts (much like his non fiction work), but this is not enough to carry the story, and for me if you look at David Gemmell's works there is no comparison.
So to summarise, this book lacks basic story writing skills and is not worth the time to read.
Viking tales, 05 Jun 2008
I agree with the first review. It started very slowly and it seemed like one of those books that you could put down and easily forget about. But I didn't give up and after the first 8 or nine chapters the story got much better and the life of the mine charector began to unfold. Once past the slow start it gets much better and by the end of the final chapters you just have to order the next to books so that you get find out what happens.
All together it is quite a good read. And I would recomend it to anyone who likes a good historical novel.
It's different, 11 Jan 2008
This book was an enjoyable read an i will be buying the next two books in the series. However i have recently been reading the Roman Legion series by Simon Scarrow, The Caesar series by Conn Iggulden and the Alexander series by Valerio Masssimo Manfredi and i much preferred these books to Severin's effort, and would recommend those books before reading this one. Maybe it's because the story is wrote in first person that causes a distraction. however, the stroy seems to be accurate and is very interesting to read about the vikings in a fiction story as there is not to many about at the moment and it does make a nice change to read about other stuff than romans. This first volume does not have much fighting action in compared to Igguldon or Scarrow, so that is going to be your choice whether that is good or bad, personally i found the story a bit dull at times and needed a couple more fights in, but thats just my opinion. The first main struggle with the book is the amount of names that are thrown at you in the first 100 pages or so which is extremely confusing, as many of the characters are not mentioned again throughout the rest of the first novel (i hav'nt read the others yet so the may show up in there).
I would recommend reading this book as it was an enjoyable read after the first 100 page struggle, however if you haven't tried reading Manfredi, Scarrow etc, i would try there first as their books are more enjoyable, but still give this book a chance.
A good book, an interesting read, but not spectacular!, 03 Dec 2007
Odinn's child is the first in Tim Severin's Viking series featuring the character Thorgils Leifsson. The book is a fascinating account of Norse culture and beliefs. It gives great insight into the way of life in Northern Europe at the beggining of the eleventh century. The tale follows the central character's rootless early years through growing up in Iceland and Greenland, attempted settlement on the North American coast and slavery in Ireland.
Although Severin goes into great depth and detail in this novel, he fails to grip the reader in the same way that Bernard Cornwell and Robert Low do, in their Viking tales. At times the book even threatens to bore the reader, but it generally just manages to save itself in the nick of time with brief moments of intriguing action.
On the whole this book is worth a read, but it is a huge distance away from being the greatest Viking saga written in recent years.
Great Moments in the Norse Sagas, 23 Jul 2007
Tim Severin has cobbled together great scenes from Norse saga history to construct a novel which takes his fictionalized protagonist, Thorgils Leifsson (illegitimate and somewhat mysterious son of Leif Eriksson, according to Erik the Red's Saga), from his earliest days as a babe in Orkney and Iceland to childhood in Greenland and Vinland and then back to the European world in the last days of the Viking era.
From carefully selected and fleshed out scenes from Eyrbyggja Saga, when the mysterious, uncanny and somewhat overbearing Thorgunna comes to live briefly among the Icelanders, to the various North American expeditions described in the two extant Vinland sagas (Erik the Red's Saga and the Tale of the Greeenlanders), Severin manages to insert young Thorgils into a series of big moments in viking history. We follow him back to Iceland, where he insinuates himself into the final legal battle in the escalating feuds of Njal's Saga, and then takes up with the shrewd Icelandic chieftain, Snorri the Priest, and gets to participate in one of Snorri's famous escapades when he cleans out a nest of local vikings by force of arms (recounted in Eyrbyggja Saga). Then our hero, Thorgils, hooks up once more with Kari Solmundarsson from Njal's Saga. Kari is the sole survivor of the attack which burned Njal and his wife, along with their sons, daughter, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren to death in Njal's farmhouse. Kari, who alone escaped the carnage in the black smoke of the flames, swears vengeance on the burners and Thorgils gets to go along and witness some of the famous viking's feats of arms as Kari pursues his single minded objective. Then it's on to the Battle of Clontarf, from the Orkneyinga Saga, as King Sigtrygg Silkybeard, Norse king of Dublin, casts his lot in war against Brian Boru, High King of the Irish in yet another famous viking moment. Along the way, Thorgils manages to cross paths, albeit briefly, with the infamous Grettir the Strong from Grettir's Saga who is, of course, Iceland's most renowned and admired fugitive, the hero cum anti-hero par excellence.
If you know the sagas, there are few surprises here though Severin does a nice job of fleshing out details and patching the disparate episodes together in a convincing narrative skein. Unlike Severin, of course, the saga writers were famously sparing with words and Severin makes up for that with lovingly layered on detail all his own. To make it all hang together Severin must naturally make some choices and so he changes the details here and there to suit his story. Fredyis' famous killings in Vinland, for instance, are altered slightly though Severin provides a very plausible description of how these come about.
He also chooses to accept the reference in Erik the Red's Saga to Thorgils' presence in Iceland "a year before" the Frodriver Marvels, thereby equating the Thorgunna identified as Thorgils' mother, Leif's summer paramour in the Hebrides, with the Thorgunna who came to Iceland a few years later and was supposedly responsible for the hauntings remembered in the Frodriver Marvels described in Eyrbyggja Saga. That the Thorgunna of Frodriver fame is apparently a much older woman than a young man like Leif might have been attracted to, and is not mentioned as having a son, Thorgils, in Eyrbyggja Saga, is disregarded as Severin sticks with this somewhat questionable reference in Erik the Red's Saga. Still, he makes his decision convincing by suggesting this Thorgunna might have been something of a nymphomaniac.
Overall, Severin does a more than creditable job and his writing is solid, though I thought the story started falling apart after Clontarf when our hero finds himself on the loose in Ireland for a number of years. The Irish episodes felt too didactic to me, even compared to the episodes lifted from the sagas. Indeed, in the end the story is little more than a series of these famous saga events strung together through the artifice of an old Norse monk who apparently wrote it all down as a personal memoir, while hiding out in a Christian monastery, and who secreted his manuscript among the official ones in the scriptorium. Well, it's an interesting notion and it provides a credible basis for the story's otherwise remarkable coincidences.
Overall I liked this one though I found it slowgoing in places, particularly in the final third of the tale, and could often predict what was next as one great saga scene was telegraphed into the next. If you are not that familiar with the sagas and you like Norse tales, this one is probably a good choice.
(If you've an interest, at all, in the saga-as-novel, here are a few quite good ones -- Saga: A Novel Of Medieval Iceland by Jeff Janoda; The Greenlanders by Jane Smiley; Two Ravens by Cecelia Holland; Eric Brighteyes by H. Rider Haggard; Styrbiorn the Strong by E. R. Eddison; Gunnar's Daughter by Sigrid Undset; and, probably the all-time best, The Golden Warrior by Hope Muntz. And one more if you still want more, this one by me, The King of Vinland's Saga.)
SWM
An excellent book to open the trilogy!, 15 Aug 2006
Viking: Odinn's Child is the opening novel of a trilogy created from the saga of Erik the Red, depicting the events of Thorgils Leiffson's life in an epic historical fiction style.
The book focuses heavily on the clash between pagan Norse mythology (termed the "old ways") and Christianity, Thorgils encounters many tutors in the "old ways" and this leads him to numerous locations that are described in such detail that you can really get a feel for the Viking era.
Tim Severin has used his skills as an explorer to create a truly captivating story that helps the reader to imagine, with ease, the world he is trying to create.
I found the book to be an extremely good read but by no means an easy one, the early part of the book contains a lot of place names and introduces new characters at a pace that can confuse the reader. However, the book turns out to be fantastic from this point onwards. To put it simply, I enjoyed the book so much that before I even got half way through it I ordered the second novel of the trilogy off this site!
Finally, at such a reasonable price you really can not go wrong...
Good read, but..., 27 Jun 2008
I found this series a little hard to get into at first purely because of the style it was written in (i had just finished novels by Conn Iggulden and Cornwell) However you cant fault his knowledge which makes it much easier to imagine what is gong on. Unfortunatley this book and the 1st in the series was spoilt by a silly little mistake. how can you go into such intricities and then forget that Kjartan has 2 hands and only 1 leg(when thorgils reports to Knut after Thrands death) I know i'm being pedantic but still!!!
Even Better than the First Book, 07 Jun 2007
This is the second book in the thrilling Viking trilogy and although I enjoyed the first book very much, the author seems to have really got his teeth into the adventure now and I found that I read the book in no time at all.
The year is 1020 AD the place, London. It is a few weeks since Thorgils has escaped the clutches of the Irish Church, but he now finds himself driven even further into the mire when he find himself at the centre of a love affair with none other than Aelfgifu, wife of Knut the Great, not only ruler of England but one of the most powerful and feared men in the Viking empire. As the passionate relationship unfolds it augurs nothing but trouble for Thorgils.
With Thorgils finally on the run again he meets up with an outlaw, Grettir. The pair become traveling companions and sworn brothers which binds them together not only through life, but death also. At the gates of Byzantium Thorgils' loyalty is put to the ultimate test
Even Better than the First Book, 04 May 2007
This is the second book in the thrilling Viking trilogy and although I enjoyed the first book very much, the author seems to have really got his teeth into the adventure now and I found that I read the book in no time at all.
The year is 1020 AD the place, London. It is a few weeks since Thorgils has escaped the clutches of the Irish Church, but he now finds himself driven even further into the mire when he find himself at the centre of a love affair with none other than Aelfgifu, wife of Knut the Great, not only ruler of England but one of the most powerful and feared men in the Viking empire. As the passionate relationship unfolds it augurs nothing but trouble for Thorgils.
With Thorgils finally on the run again he meets up with an outlaw, Grettir. The pair become traveling companions and sworn brothers which binds them together not only through life, but death also. At the gates of Byzantium Thorgils' loyalty is put to the ultimate test . . .
So far so good!, 23 Sep 2006
New (to me!) authors make me nervous. All too often, the shiny cover of the book promises a treat that the words within fail to deliver. Having being burnt rather too often of late, this time I decided to save my hard earned cash and borrowed Tim Severyn's trilogy from my local library instead. Typical! These books are definitely worth the money. The books have a great 'voice' and, even better, contain more Vikings than you can shake a stick at!
I've just finished book two and I loved it. Thorgils (the hero) is a wonderful travelling companion with whom to explore the mysteries, and peoples, of the ancient world. It's a really easy read too, even though we encounter real historical characters en route. There isn't a dull piece of prose to be found anywhere. I particularly enjoyed seeing how the Norse Gods fare against the White Christ and His followers. The similarities between the religions are fascinating. But changes are a-coming and the Old Wisdom is under threat. I even experienced a few pangs of fear for the intrepid Thorgils. I hope Odinn keeps on protecting him!
Buy all three books. A darn good read!
Really good..., 03 Jan 2006
This book starts out really strong. Thorgils' affair with Aelfgifu is intriguing and suspenseful. His adventures are also interesting, and all of the secondary characters have been drawn to life. However, my only problem with this book is that the second part of the book leaves the first part somewhat resolved. I didn't like the fact that there was no closure between Thorgils and Aelfgifu. Also, Knut the Great is talked about constantly in the book, but he's only given one (albeit fascinating) scene. A few more pages should have been devoted to the most powerful Viking alive. Other than that, this was a great, easy read.
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Customer Reviews
An Epic from Start to Finish, 29 Nov 2008
I was first introduced to the work of David Gemmell at age 14, when I loaned a copy of Lion of Macedon from my Uncle. I couldn't put it down, and borrowed Dark Prince straight after. They were classics, and I knew it.
I saw this on the shelf of my local waterstones, and after nine months of reading mostly Star Trek and Doctor Who books, I was looking for something a bit different. This was it. It is a gripping read, which never fails to disappoint.
The story itself centres around 'The Golden One' Helikaon, prince of Dardania, and his voyages and escapades sailing his ship, the Xanthos, across the murky waters of 'The Great Green' (Mediteranean Sea). It follows the exploits of him and his friend Zidantas and the crew of his ship.
On her maiden voyage the Xanthos picks up two Mykene Warriors, one who is called Argurios, and is one of the main characters in the book.There is some animosity between Helikaon and Argurios to start with, although this is metered with an amount of Respect and Mutual Appreciation, which leads to often surprising situations and scenarios.
As well as his friendship with Argurios, the story centres around the love of Helikaon for Andromache, a priestess of Thera, who is openly bi-sexual, and apparently very attractive in a non-descript sort of way. Either way there is some Poltical conspiracy in their relationship as Princess Andromache has been given to King Priam of Troy to marry his Son, Hektor, the greek mythos.
What a great read it is! I simply couldn't put it down, although it is true that characters like Hektor and Odysseus only play a supporting role in this re-telling of the Greek Legend, their pressence is felt throughout the story, as are the consequences of Battle, Piracy and Betrayal.
I recommend this to anybody, especially Lord of the Rings Fans!
"Fantastic" what more can one say, 27 Jun 2008
I have just finished reading `Troy fall of kings` the third book in this trilogy & what an uptake on the Troy legend,all three books are absolutely brilliant. I would like to think that some day maybe Peter Jackson or another with his vision & imagination would make some David Gemmell heroic fantasy novels into films & give them the true accolade they deserve. The best heroic fantasy novel books I have ever read.
Superb swashbuckling adventure with a Greek setting, 11 Apr 2008
Although this is set in ancient Greece it could really be set in Drenai or any other of Gemmell's worlds as it reads very similar to those, which is no bad thing as no one does heroic fantasy better than Gemmell.
This book is full of action, violence and war-mongering, along with some very well written characters. Gemmell's heros are never whiter than white, they always have their own flaws, which makes them very believable. Another awesome book from Gemmell.
Fantastic Read!, 28 Mar 2008
As with a number of other reviewers this was the first time I have read David Gemmell and it won't be the last. I enjoy historical fiction and this book is up there with the best. It is a great mix of awesome battles, romance, legend and humanity that leaves you unable to put it down. I read the last 250 pages on a transatlantic flight and couldn't wait to get volume two out of my suitcase when I got to my hotel room! If you enjoy Cornwell, Scarrow and Iggulden you will love this one.
Not His Best, But Still Better Than Most, 02 Feb 2008
David Gemmell is without doubt the best fantasy author on the planet and it seems almost churlish trying to write a review of one of his books. His books are crying out to be read by as many people as possible. They speak for themselves. The best or worst of reviews will never change that.
The book is a fascinating recreation of the myths that surround Troy, a city that was once thought to be a myth but is now a proven fact, thanks to its discovery by Heinrich Schliemann in the mid nineteenth century.
David Gemmell weaves his magical spell yet again and takes the reader over the walls and into the mystical city of Troy. A city that is having its very heart and soul ripped out by destructive rivalries. Beyond the walls Troy's enemies watch and wait, plotting the downfall of the city and lusting after its riches.
One way or the other there is bound to be death and destruction.
David Gemmell always leaves his readers' wanting more, more, more . . .
Good, but not great series of books, 31 Jan 2007
Having read all three of the Viking trilogy now, I feel that the series is good, but by no means brilliant.
While the scenery was very well set, and the characters were interesting, I felt that the author was trying to cram too much into the books. Thorgils had too many professions, which made the books feel like an overview of the period 999-1066, rather than a story of one man.
Overall though, I feel that the major problem with the series is that they stand in contrast with Bernard Cornwell's current Saxon series. While Severin's books are good, Cornwell proves once again to be the expert at historical fiction.
A Dramatic Conclusion, 02 Aug 2006
This book is the sequel to Odinn's Child and brings to a conclusion the Viking adventure.
The date is 1035, the place the cosmopolitan city of Constantinople, the gateway to Asia and all its treasures and mysticism. Thorgills has become a member of the elite Varangian lifeguard, a post that allows him to witness first hand the glories of one of the greatest cities in the whole world. Unfortunately it also allows him first hand experience of the cruelty and murderous ways of the imperial family.
Under the leadership of Harald Sigurdsson Thorgills is used as bait to trap Arab pirates who are attacking the shipping lanes of the Mediterranean. Fate also takes him on campaign to recover the island of Scicily from the Saracens.
When Harald becomes King of Norway, Thorgills life becomes ever more entwined with the King and his travel eventually take him on a journey to England and a desperate race to Stamford Bridge in Yorkshire, to warm the Norwegian King that he has been duped by his supposed ally William of Normandy, but will Thorgill be in time or for that matter ever reach Stamford Bridge. . .
Sam's review, 17 Jul 2006
This is the final novel from a trilogy of three. I thought it was superbly written and a good historical account of how things could have been in the 10th century. I thought it kept up the very high quality from the previous two novels in the series. It portrays Thorgils in the later years of his life and his attempt to keep the old ways alive from the growing followers of the white christ.
I thought it was a thoroughly interesting and enjoyable read.
Thoroughly excellent book, 23 Jun 2006
What a superb book, I haven't read the first two parts of this trilogy but that didn't detract at all from the enjoyment of this book, in fact you wouldn't know it was part of a trilogy. The story grabs your attention from the start and holds you till the very end. It is a story intertwined within the true events of history, beginning in Constantinople and culminating around the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. Tim Severin's style of writing is clear and easy to read and combines great historical knowledge with great story telling and compassion. Wonderful.
Poorly written, weak and dull, 13 Apr 2006
Id read Severin's 'In search of Genghis Khan' which was an interesting read so I was very open to see how his skills translated to fiction. Oh dear, how disappointing. Perhaps I dont fit into his normal reading audience but either way this book is poorly written. Characters are not fleshed out, most scenes are poorly detailed and the plot is weak and dull skipping between swiftly concluding simple events.
Severin has the building blocks of a great historical setting and includes many interesting facts (much like his non fiction work), but this is not enough to carry the story, and for me if you look at David Gemmell's works there is no comparison.
So to summarise, this book lacks basic story writing skills and is not worth the time to read.
Viking tales, 05 Jun 2008
I agree with the first review. It started very slowly and it seemed like one of those books that you could put down and easily forget about. But I didn't give up and after the first 8 or nine chapters the story got much better and the life of the mine charector began to unfold. Once past the slow start it gets much better and by the end of the final chapters you just have to order the next to books so that you get find out what happens.
All together it is quite a good read. And I would recomend it to anyone who likes a good historical novel.
It's different, 11 Jan 2008
This book was an enjoyable read an i will be buying the next two books in the series. However i have recently been reading the Roman Legion series by Simon Scarrow, The Caesar series by Conn Iggulden and the Alexander series by Valerio Masssimo Manfredi and i much preferred these books to Severin's effort, and would recommend those books before reading this one. Maybe it's because the story is wrote in first person that causes a distraction. however, the stroy seems to be accurate and is very interesting to read about the vikings in a fiction story as there is not to many about at the moment and it does make a nice change to read about other stuff than romans. This first volume does not have much fighting action in compared to Igguldon or Scarrow, so that is going to be your choice whether that is good or bad, personally i found the story a bit dull at times and needed a couple more fights in, but thats just my opinion. The first main struggle with the book is the amount of names that are thrown at you in the first 100 pages or so which is extremely confusing, as many of the characters are not mentioned again throughout the rest of the first novel (i hav'nt read the others yet so the may show up in there).
I would recommend reading this book as it was an enjoyable read after the first 100 page struggle, however if you haven't tried reading Manfredi, Scarrow etc, i would try there first as their books are more enjoyable, but still give this book a chance.
A good book, an interesting read, but not spectacular!, 03 Dec 2007
Odinn's child is the first in Tim Severin's Viking series featuring the character Thorgils Leifsson. The book is a fascinating account of Norse culture and beliefs. It gives great insight into the way of life in Northern Europe at the beggining of the eleventh century. The tale follows the central character's rootless early years through growing up in Iceland and Greenland, attempted settlement on the North American coast and slavery in Ireland.
Although Severin goes into great depth and detail in this novel, he fails to grip the reader in the same way that Bernard Cornwell and Robert Low do, in their Viking tales. At times the book even threatens to bore the reader, but it generally just manages to save itself in the nick of time with brief moments of intriguing action.
On the whole this book is worth a read, but it is a huge distance away from being the greatest Viking saga written in recent years.
Great Moments in the Norse Sagas, 23 Jul 2007
Tim Severin has cobbled together great scenes from Norse saga history to construct a novel which takes his fictionalized protagonist, Thorgils Leifsson (illegitimate and somewhat mysterious son of Leif Eriksson, according to Erik the Red's Saga), from his earliest days as a babe in Orkney and Iceland to childhood in Greenland and Vinland and then back to the European world in the last days of the Viking era.
From carefully selected and fleshed out scenes from Eyrbyggja Saga, when the mysterious, uncanny and somewhat overbearing Thorgunna comes to live briefly among the Icelanders, to the various North American expeditions described in the two extant Vinland sagas (Erik the Red's Saga and the Tale of the Greeenlanders), Severin manages to insert young Thorgils into a series of big moments in viking history. We follow him back to Iceland, where he insinuates himself into the final legal battle in the escalating feuds of Njal's Saga, and then takes up with the shrewd Icelandic chieftain, Snorri the Priest, and gets to participate in one of Snorri's famous escapades when he cleans out a nest of local vikings by force of arms (recounted in Eyrbyggja Saga). Then our hero, Thorgils, hooks up once more with Kari Solmundarsson from Njal's Saga. Kari is the sole survivor of the attack which burned Njal and his wife, along with their sons, daughter, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren to death in Njal's farmhouse. Kari, who alone escaped the carnage in the black smoke of the flames, swears vengeance on the burners and Thorgils gets to go along and witness some of the famous viking's feats of arms as Kari pursues his single minded objective. Then it's on to the Battle of Clontarf, from the Orkneyinga Saga, as King Sigtrygg Silkybeard, Norse king of Dublin, casts his lot in war against Brian Boru, High King of the Irish in yet another famous viking moment. Along the way, Thorgils manages to cross paths, albeit briefly, with the infamous Grettir the Strong from Grettir's Saga who is, of course, Iceland's most renowned and admired fugitive, the hero cum anti-hero par excellence.
If you know the sagas, there are few surprises here though Severin does a nice job of fleshing out details and patching the disparate episodes together in a convincing narrative skein. Unlike Severin, of course, the saga writers were famously sparing with words and Severin makes up for that with lovingly layered on detail all his own. To make it all hang together Severin must naturally make some choices and so he changes the details here and there to suit his story. Fredyis' famous killings in Vinland, for instance, are altered slightly though Severin provides a very plausible description of how these come about.
He also chooses to accept the reference in Erik the Red's Saga to Thorgils' presence in Iceland "a year before" the Frodriver Marvels, thereby equating the Thorgunna identified as Thorgils' mother, Leif's summer paramour in the Hebrides, with the Thorgunna who came to Iceland a few years later and was supposedly responsible for the hauntings remembered in the Frodriver Marvels described in Eyrbyggja Saga. That the Thorgunna of Frodriver fame is apparently a much older woman than a young man like Leif might have been attracted to, and is not mentioned as having a son, Thorgils, in Eyrbyggja Saga, is disregarded as Severin sticks with this somewhat questionable reference in Erik the Red's Saga. Still, he makes his decision convincing by suggesting this Thorgunna might have been something of a nymphomaniac.
Overall, Severin does a more than creditable job and his writing is solid, though I thought the story started falling apart after Clontarf when our hero finds himself on the loose in Ireland for a number of years. The Irish episodes felt too didactic to me, even compared to the episodes lifted from the sagas. Indeed, in the end the story is little more than a series of these famous saga events strung together through the artifice of an old Norse monk who apparently wrote it all down as a personal memoir, while hiding out in a Christian monastery, and who secreted his manuscript among the official ones in the scriptorium. Well, it's an interesting notion and it provides a credible basis for the story's otherwise remarkable coincidences.
Overall I liked this one though I found it slowgoing in places, particularly in the final third of the tale, and could often predict what was next as one great saga scene was telegraphed into the next. If you are not that familiar with the sagas and you like Norse tales, this one is probably a good choice.
(If you've an interest, at all, in the saga-as-novel, here are a few quite good ones -- Saga: A Novel Of Medieval Iceland by Jeff Janoda; The Greenlanders by Jane Smiley; Two Ravens by Cecelia Holland; Eric Brighteyes by H. Rider Haggard; Styrbiorn the Strong by E. R. Eddison; Gunnar's Daughter by Sigrid Undset; and, probably the all-time best, The Golden Warrior by Hope Muntz. And one more if you still want more, this one by me, The King of Vinland's Saga.)
SWM
An excellent book to open the trilogy!, 15 Aug 2006
Viking: Odinn's Child is the opening novel of a trilogy created from the saga of Erik the Red, depicting the events of Thorgils Leiffson's life in an epic historical fiction style.
The book focuses heavily on the clash between pagan Norse mythology (termed the "old ways") and Christianity, Thorgils encounters many tutors in the "old ways" and this leads him to numerous locations that are described in such detail that you can really get a feel for the Viking era.
Tim Severin has used his skills as an explorer to create a truly captivating story that helps the reader to imagine, with ease, the world he is trying to create.
I found the book to be an extremely good read but by no means an easy one, the early part of the book contains a lot of place names and introduces new characters at a pace that can confuse the reader. However, the book turns out to be fantastic from this point onwards. To put it simply, I enjoyed the book so much that before I even got half way through it I ordered the second novel of the trilogy off this site!
Finally, at such a reasonable price you really can not go wrong...
Good read, but..., 27 Jun 2008
I found this series a little hard to get into at first purely because of the style it was written in (i had just finished novels by Conn Iggulden and Cornwell) However you cant fault his knowledge which makes it much easier to imagine what is gong on. Unfortunatley this book and the 1st in the series was spoilt by a silly little mistake. how can you go into such intricities and then forget that Kjartan has 2 hands and only 1 leg(when thorgils reports to Knut after Thrands death) I know i'm being pedantic but still!!!
Even Better than the First Book, 07 Jun 2007
This is the second book in the thrilling Viking trilogy and although I enjoyed the first book very much, the author seems to have really got his teeth into the adventure now and I found that I read the book in no time at all.
The year is 1020 AD the place, London. It is a few weeks since Thorgils has escaped the clutches of the Irish Church, but he now finds himself driven even further into the mire when he find himself at the centre of a love affair with none other than Aelfgifu, wife of Knut the Great, not only ruler of England but one of the most powerful and feared men in the Viking empire. As the passionate relationship unfolds it augurs nothing but trouble for Thorgils.
With Thorgils finally on the run again he meets up with an outlaw, Grettir. The pair become traveling companions and sworn brothers which binds them together not only through life, but death also. At the gates of Byzantium Thorgils' loyalty is put to the ultimate test
Even Better than the First Book, 04 May 2007
This is the second book in the thrilling Viking trilogy and although I enjoyed the first book very much, the author seems to have really got his teeth into the adventure now and I found that I read the book in no time at all.
The year is 1020 AD the place, London. It is a few weeks since Thorgils has escaped the clutches of the Irish Church, but he now finds himself driven even further into the mire when he find himself at the centre of a love affair with none other than Aelfgifu, wife of Knut the Great, not only ruler of England but one of the most powerful and feared men in the Viking empire. As the passionate relationship unfolds it augurs nothing but trouble for Thorgils.
With Thorgils finally on the run again he meets up with an outlaw, Grettir. The pair become traveling companions and sworn brothers which binds them together not only through life, but death also. At the gates of Byzantium Thorgils' loyalty is put to the ultimate test . . .
So far so good!, 23 Sep 2006
New (to me!) authors make me nervous. All too often, the shiny cover of the book promises a treat that the words within fail to deliver. Having being burnt rather too often of late, this time I decided to save my hard earned cash and borrowed Tim Severyn's trilogy from my local library instead. Typical! These books are definitely worth the money. The books have a great 'voice' and, even better, contain more Vikings than you can shake a stick at!
I've just finished book two and I loved it. Thorgils (the hero) is a wonderful travelling companion with whom to explore the mysteries, and peoples, of the ancient world. It's a really easy read too, even though we encounter real historical characters en route. There isn't a dull piece of prose to be found anywhere. I particularly enjoyed seeing how the Norse Gods fare against the White Christ and His followers. The similarities between the religions are fascinating. But changes are a-coming and the Old Wisdom is under threat. I even experienced a few pangs of fear for the intrepid Thorgils. I hope Odinn keeps on protecting him!
Buy all three books. A darn good read!
Really good..., 03 Jan 2006
This book starts out really strong. Thorgils' affair with Aelfgifu is intriguing and suspenseful. His adventures are also interesting, and all of the secondary characters have been drawn to life. However, my only problem with this book is that the second part of the book leaves the first part somewhat resolved. I didn't like the fact that there was no closure between Thorgils and Aelfgifu. Also, Knut the Great is talked about constantly in the book, but he's only given one (albeit fascinating) scene. A few more pages should have been devoted to the most powerful Viking alive. Other than that, this was a great, easy read.
A Smug Comic Spirit, 11 Apr 2008
Brian O'Nolan, born in Strabane in 1911, wrote under a number of pen-names - although Flann O'Brien is probably the best known. He studied at University College Dublin and spent nearly twenty years working in the Irish Civil Service. He also spent thirty years writing a column - The Cruiskeen Lawn - for the Irish Times under the name Myles na gCopaleen. "At Swim-Two-Birds" is his first novel, and was published in 1939.
The book's narrator is a university student who lives with his uncle in Dublin. His bedroom is permanently locked, whether he is in or out - an arrangement that allows him to occasionally take a day off and stay in bed, with his uncle thinking he's gone to college. (Well, when I say take a day off, he actually spends winter and early spring in his bedroom). While our hero doesn't have a very high opinion of his uncle - at various times, he describes his aged relative as rat-brained, cunning, concerned that he should be well thought of and abounding in pretence - his aged relative is a Holder of the Guinness Clerkship (Third Class) quite correctly thinks he doesn't study enough. Although he claims to reads James Joyce and Aldous Huxley, he appears to be more interested in backing the horses, and subscribes to a very dodgy tipster based in Newmarket. On the few occasions our narrator leaves his bedroom, there's a fair chance he wind up in the pub drinking porter with Kelly - a fellow student, though later a soldier. One such session leads to a three day hangover and - thanks to an impressive bout of vomiting - a very smelly suit.
In his spare time, our narrator is writing a book. One of the main characters is an author by the name of Dermot Trellis. Trellis lives at the Red Swan Hotel on Lower Leeson Street and, like our narrator, is rather fond of his bedroom - having spent the last twenty years in bed. Trellis, who considers evil to be the most contagious of all diseases, is writing a book on sin. The story will feature one villain after another - the most depraved of which is called Furriskey - and a woman of exceptional virtue, by the name of Sheila Lamont. Naturally, after a great deal of drinking, debauchery, high living and colourful language, Ms Lamont is eventually corrupted, ravished and killed. When Trellis starts working on his story, he decides all the characters from his book should also move into the Red Swan - to prevent any unauthorised boozing, he wants them locked up and asleep before he goes to bed himself. (It's a rather strange world our narrator has created : not only does Trellis have the cast from his book living with him, but - in Trellis' world - children need not be born young. For example, Furriskey was born at the age of twenty-five and a heavy smoker from the moment of his arrival. Furthermore, the Wild West exists in Ireland, and the Circle N is considered one of Dublin's more venerable old ranches). Although Furriskey, Sheila Lamont (with whom Trellis, inevitably, falls in love) and the Pooka Fergus McPhellimey (a magical Irish devil) are Trellis originals, several of the characters to feature in his book have been `borrowed' from other sources. Several cowboys were created by William Tracy, an author of Western romances set in Ireland, while the legendary Finn MacCool also features. Meanwhile, the cellar is apparently full of leprechauns.
Given the book's reputation, I came to it with high hopes - even more so, given how I had enjoyed "The Third Policeman". Unfortunately, I was badly disappointed. I've seen it blurbed as "a brilliant impressionistic jumble of ideas, mythology and nonsense", while others have referred to it as O'Brien's masterpiece. These assessments put a very positive spin on what I found. The book's narrator seems to have quite an opinion of himself, and I found myself occasionally wondering just how much of O'Brien there was in the character. He describes one of the stories featuring Finn MacCool as a "humourous or quasi humourous incursion into ancient mythology" - naturally, none of the sections that featured Finn were remotely funny. In fact, it appeared to me that these sections were rather high-handed attempts to mock Lady Gregory, and possibly even WB Yeats. Sections of the book are convoluted, over-long and tedious - even when he comes up with something that could have been funny, O'Brien generally kills the humour by labouring the point. One of the few things that did raise an unintentional smile was a conversation between Furriskey and Shanahan : "But the man in the street, where does he come in ? By God he doesn't come in at all, as far as I can see...Feed yourself up with that tack once, and you won't want more for a long time." With that, O'Brien has given a perfectly valid assessment of "At Swim Two Birds". Probably a good book for an Irish Literature course - but not necessarily one you'd read for pleasure.
The true Great Irish Novel, 10 Jan 2008
O'Brien's fusion of celtic wit, mythology and nonsense makes this a true postmodern masterpiece but truly stands up as a parody of Irish society. It is not easily read, and i have to admit that on the first attempt I wasn't impressed. However, on the second attempt the true wit and humour of this brilliant novel came through. The final court scene is one of the most hilarious scenes i have ever read
Clever but incoherent and sentimental, 23 Dec 2007
Flann O'Brien's most famous novel is not his best. At Swim-Two-Birds looks like a bold literary experiment, but in fact it's a lot of sophomoric jokes held together with very ragged conceptual string. Composed, according to his biographer, in a fairly desultory fashion, the book has no real structure and a deeply unsatisfying and rather sentimental climax, apparently written in a fit of uncharacteristic filial gooiness after the death of the author's father. It has none of the brilliant polish, effortless precision and emotional resonance of O'Brien's best two novels, The Third Policeman and An Béal Bocht (aka The Poor Mouth), and is just a bit of a ragbag. Unfortunately it has inspired many a would-be experimental novelist, often comfortably ensconced in a teaching job at an American university, to emulate its ragbag-ness.
Anthony Burgess considered it one of his 99 Great Novels, but the old boy was wrong. The Third Policeman is a better work by far.
Literary Brainstorm, 26 Apr 2007
Thought it worthwhile writing a review simply because ASTB is quite a challenging read when compared to the other books by O'Brien that I have read: 'The Third Policeman' and 'The Poor Mouth', both of which were a joy to read. Flann O'Brien was clearly a literary genius but in a completly different mould to, for example, John McGahern, his imaginative prose is almost exhausting in that the passages are so descriptive that the brain reaches overload. To my mind the descriptive power is not dissimilar to the writing of Gabrial Garcia Marquez. I might have missed the point but I think that all the pages in this book, apart from the beginning and the end , could be rearranged and it would have made just as much sense. Nevertheless it is a brilliant read and one that could easily be read again, and again....... Parts of the book are still rumbling around in my head many weeks after finishing it, a true measure of its quality.
In some respects I would agree with WhiteCrow, one of the other reviewers, and can see that some would be disappointed with this book. If you're looking for an easy read then you'll struggle but I suggest any reader should just be led along by O'Brien and enjoy the ride.
clever, yes - funny/enjoyable,no, 03 Nov 2006
I was very disappointed in this book.
It did not live up to the promise that was raised by "the poor mouth" (definitely a 5 star book). This book is highly experimental (other reviewers have likened it to Ulysses - or, worse still, Finnegan's Wake - and their ilk).
Clearly the writer is clever, but in this case clever does not translate into funny or enjoyable. I think the book has many bizarre but unfortunately not very funny and rather tedious passages.
For me the cleverness does not make up for what I in the end think is a waste of time.
If you've not read any books by O'Brien yet, read "the poor mouth" which is an excellent book (as reading this one first might put you off O'Brien in which case you'd miss out).
(I am still planning to read other O'Brien books (the third policeman)on the strength of "the poor mouth", but ASTB has definitely made me wary.)
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Customer Reviews
An Epic from Start to Finish, 29 Nov 2008
I was first introduced to the work of David Gemmell at age 14, when I loaned a copy of Lion of Macedon from my Uncle. I couldn't put it down, and borrowed Dark Prince straight after. They were classics, and I knew it.
I saw this on the shelf of my local waterstones, and after nine months of reading mostly Star Trek and Doctor Who books, I was looking for something a bit different. This was it. It is a gripping read, which never fails to disappoint.
The story itself centres around 'The Golden One' Helikaon, prince of Dardania, and his voyages and escapades sailing his ship, the Xanthos, across the murky waters of 'The Great Green' (Mediteranean Sea). It follows the exploits of him and his friend Zidantas and the crew of his ship.
On her maiden voyage the Xanthos picks up two Mykene Warriors, one who is called Argurios, and is one of the main characters in the book.There is some animosity between Helikaon and Argurios to start with, although this is metered with an amount of Respect and Mutual Appreciation, which leads to often surprising situations and scenarios.
As well as his friendship with Argurios, the story centres around the love of Helikaon for Andromache, a priestess of Thera, who is openly bi-sexual, and apparently very attractive in a non-descript sort of way. Either way there is some Poltical conspiracy in their relationship as Princess Andromache has been given to King Priam of Troy to marry his Son, Hektor, the greek mythos.
What a great read it is! I simply couldn't put it down, although it is true that characters like Hektor and Odysseus only play a supporting role in this re-telling of the Greek Legend, their pressence is felt throughout the story, as are the consequences of Battle, Piracy and Betrayal.
I recommend this to anybody, especially Lord of the Rings Fans!
"Fantastic" what more can one say, 27 Jun 2008
I have just finished reading `Troy fall of kings` the third book in this trilogy & what an uptake on the Troy legend,all three books are absolutely brilliant. I would like to think that some day maybe Peter Jackson or another with his vision & imagination would make some David Gemmell heroic fantasy novels into films & give them the true accolade they deserve. The best heroic fantasy novel books I have ever read.
Superb swashbuckling adventure with a Greek setting, 11 Apr 2008
Although this is set in ancient Greece it could really be set in Drenai or any other of Gemmell's worlds as it reads very similar to those, which is no bad thing as no one does heroic fantasy better than Gemmell.
This book is full of action, violence and war-mongering, along with some very well written characters. Gemmell's heros are never whiter than white, they always have their own flaws, which makes them very believable. Another awesome book from Gemmell.
Fantastic Read!, 28 Mar 2008
As with a number of other reviewers this was the first time I have read David Gemmell and it won't be the last. I enjoy historical fiction and this book is up there with the best. It is a great mix of awesome battles, romance, legend and humanity that leaves you unable to put it down. I read the last 250 pages on a transatlantic flight and couldn't wait to get volume two out of my suitcase when I got to my hotel room! If you enjoy Cornwell, Scarrow and Iggulden you will love this one.
Not His Best, But Still Better Than Most, 02 Feb 2008
David Gemmell is without doubt the best fantasy author on the planet and it seems almost churlish trying to write a review of one of his books. His books are crying out to be read by as many people as possible. They speak for themselves. The best or worst of reviews will never change that.
The book is a fascinating recreation of the myths that surround Troy, a city that was once thought to be a myth but is now a proven fact, thanks to its discovery by Heinrich Schliemann in the mid nineteenth century.
David Gemmell weaves his magical spell yet again and takes the reader over the walls and into the mystical city of Troy. A city that is having its very heart and soul ripped out by destructive rivalries. Beyond the walls Troy's enemies watch and wait, plotting the downfall of the city and lusting after its riches.
One way or the other there is bound to be death and destruction.
David Gemmell always leaves his readers' wanting more, more, more . . .
Good, but not great series of books, 31 Jan 2007
Having read all three of the Viking trilogy now, I feel that the series is good, but by no means brilliant.
While the scenery was very well set, and the characters were interesting, I felt that the author was trying to cram too much into the books. Thorgils had too many professions, which made the books feel like an overview of the period 999-1066, rather than a story of one man.
Overall though, I feel that the major problem with the series is that they stand in contrast with Bernard Cornwell's current Saxon series. While Severin's books are good, Cornwell proves once again to be the expert at historical fiction.
A Dramatic Conclusion, 02 Aug 2006
This book is the sequel to Odinn's Child and brings to a conclusion the Viking adventure.
The date is 1035, the place the cosmopolitan city of Constantinople, the gateway to Asia and all its treasures and mysticism. Thorgills has become a member of the elite Varangian lifeguard, a post that allows him to witness first hand the glories of one of the greatest cities in the whole world. Unfortunately it also allows him first hand experience of the cruelty and murderous ways of the imperial family.
Under the leadership of Harald Sigurdsson Thorgills is used as bait to trap Arab pirates who are attacking the shipping lanes of the Mediterranean. Fate also takes him on campaign to recover the island of Scicily from the Saracens.
When Harald becomes King of Norway, Thorgills life becomes ever more entwined with the King and his travel eventually take him on a journey to England and a desperate race to Stamford Bridge in Yorkshire, to warm the Norwegian King that he has been duped by his supposed ally William of Normandy, but will Thorgill be in time or for that matter ever reach Stamford Bridge. . .
Sam's review, 17 Jul 2006
This is the final novel from a trilogy of three. I thought it was superbly written and a good historical account of how things could have been in the 10th century. I thought it kept up the very high quality from the previous two novels in the series. It portrays Thorgils in the later years of his life and his attempt to keep the old ways alive from the growing followers of the white christ.
I thought it was a thoroughly interesting and enjoyable read.
Thoroughly excellent book, 23 Jun 2006
What a superb book, I haven't read the first two parts of this trilogy but that didn't detract at all from the enjoyment of this book, in fact you wouldn't know it was part of a trilogy. The story grabs your attention from the start and holds you till the very end. It is a story intertwined within the true events of history, beginning in Constantinople and culminating around the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. Tim Severin's style of writing is clear and easy to read and combines great historical knowledge with great story telling and compassion. Wonderful.
Poorly written, weak and dull, 13 Apr 2006
Id read Severin's 'In search of Genghis Khan' which was an interesting read so I was very open to see how his skills translated to fiction. Oh dear, how disappointing. Perhaps I dont fit into his normal reading audience but either way this book is poorly written. Characters are not fleshed out, most scenes are poorly detailed and the plot is weak and dull skipping between swiftly concluding simple events.
Severin has the building blocks of a great historical setting and includes many interesting facts (much like his non fiction work), but this is not enough to carry the story, and for me if you look at David Gemmell's works there is no comparison.
So to summarise, this book lacks basic story writing skills and is not worth the time to read.
Viking tales, 05 Jun 2008
I agree with the first review. It started very slowly and it seemed like one of those books that you could put down and easily forget about. But I didn't give up and after the first 8 or nine chapters the story got much better and the life of the mine charector began to unfold. Once past the slow start it gets much better and by the end of the final chapters you just have to order the next to books so that you get find out what happens.
All together it is quite a good read. And I would recomend it to anyone who likes a good historical novel.
It's different, 11 Jan 2008
This book was an enjoyable read an i will be buying the next two books in the series. However i have recently been reading the Roman Legion series by Simon Scarrow, The Caesar series by Conn Iggulden and the Alexander series by Valerio Masssimo Manfredi and i much preferred these books to Severin's effort, and would recommend those books before reading this one. Maybe it's because the story is wrote in first person that causes a distraction. however, the stroy seems to be accurate and is very interesting to read about the vikings in a fiction story as there is not to many about at the moment and it does make a nice change to read about other stuff than romans. This first volume does not have much fighting action in compared to Igguldon or Scarrow, so that is going to be your choice whether that is good or bad, personally i found the story a bit dull at times and needed a couple more fights in, but thats just my opinion. The first main struggle with the book is the amount of names that are thrown at you in the first 100 pages or so which is extremely confusing, as many of the characters are not mentioned again throughout the rest of the first novel (i hav'nt read the others yet so the may show up in there).
I would recommend reading this book as it was an enjoyable read after the first 100 page struggle, however if you haven't tried reading Manfredi, Scarrow etc, i would try there first as their books are more enjoyable, but still give this book a chance.
A good book, an interesting read, but not spectacular!, 03 Dec 2007
Odinn's child is the first in Tim Severin's Viking series featuring the character Thorgils Leifsson. The book is a fascinating account of Norse culture and beliefs. It gives great insight into the way of life in Northern Europe at the beggining of the eleventh century. The tale follows the central character's rootless early years through growing up in Iceland and Greenland, attempted settlement on the North American coast and slavery in Ireland.
Although Severin goes into great depth and detail in this novel, he fails to grip the reader in the same way that Bernard Cornwell and Robert Low do, in their Viking tales. At times the book even threatens to bore the reader, but it generally just manages to save itself in the nick of time with brief moments of intriguing action.
On the whole this book is worth a read, but it is a huge distance away from being the greatest Viking saga written in recent years.
Great Moments in the Norse Sagas, 23 Jul 2007
Tim Severin has cobbled together great scenes from Norse saga history to construct a novel which takes his fictionalized protagonist, Thorgils Leifsson (illegitimate and somewhat mysterious son of Leif Eriksson, according to Erik the Red's Saga), from his earliest days as a babe in Orkney and Iceland to childhood in Greenland and Vinland and then back to the European world in the last days of the Viking era.
From carefully selected and fleshed out scenes from Eyrbyggja Saga, when the mysterious, uncanny and somewhat overbearing Thorgunna comes to live briefly among the Icelanders, to the various North American expeditions described in the two extant Vinland sagas (Erik the Red's Saga and the Tale of the Greeenlanders), Severin manages to insert young Thorgils into a series of big moments in viking history. We follow him back to Iceland, where he insinuates himself into the final legal battle in the escalating feuds of Njal's Saga, and then takes up with the shrewd Icelandic chieftain, Snorri the Priest, and gets to participate in one of Snorri's famous escapades when he cleans out a nest of local vikings by force of arms (recounted in Eyrbyggja Saga). Then our hero, Thorgils, hooks up once more with Kari Solmundarsson from Njal's Saga. Kari is the sole survivor of the attack which burned Njal and his wife, along with their sons, daughter, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren to death in Njal's farmhouse. Kari, who alone escaped the carnage in the black smoke of the flames, swears vengeance on the burners and Thorgils gets to go along and witness some of the famous viking's feats of arms as Kari pursues his single minded objective. Then it's on to the Battle of Clontarf, from the Orkneyinga Saga, as King Sigtrygg Silkybeard, Norse king of Dublin, casts his lot in war against Brian Boru, High King of the Irish in yet another famous viking moment. Along the way, Thorgils manages to cross paths, albeit briefly, with the infamous Grettir the Strong from Grettir's Saga who is, of course, Iceland's most renowned and admired fugitive, the hero cum anti-hero par excellence.
If you know the sagas, there are few surprises here though Severin does a nice job of fleshing out details and patching the disparate episodes together in a convincing narrative skein. Unlike Severin, of course, the saga writers were famously sparing with words and Severin makes up for that with lovingly layered on detail all his own. To make it all hang together Severin must naturally make some choices and so he changes the details here and there to suit his story. Fredyis' famous killings in Vinland, for instance, are altered slightly though Severin provides a very plausible description of how these come about.
He also chooses to accept the reference in Erik the Red's Saga to Thorgils' presence in Iceland "a year before" the Frodriver Marvels, thereby equating the Thorgunna identified as Thorgils' mother, Leif's summer paramour in the Hebrides, with the Thorgunna who came to Iceland a few years later and was supposedly responsible for the hauntings remembered in the Frodriver Marvels described in Eyrbyggja Saga. That the Thorgunna of Frodriver fame is apparently a much older woman than a young man like Leif might have been attracted to, and is not mentioned as having a son, Thorgils, in Eyrbyggja Saga, is disregarded as Severin sticks with this somewhat questionable reference in Erik the Red's Saga. Still, he makes his decision convincing by suggesting this Thorgunna might have been something of a nymphomaniac.
Overall, Severin does a more than creditable job and his writing is solid, though I thought the story started falling apart after Clontarf when our hero finds himself on the loose in Ireland for a number of years. The Irish episodes felt too didactic to me, even compared to the episodes lifted from the sagas. Indeed, in the end the story is little more than a series of these famous saga events strung together through the artifice of an old Norse monk who apparently wrote it all down as a personal memoir, while hiding out in a Christian monastery, and who secreted his manuscript among the official ones in the scriptorium. Well, it's an interesting notion and it provides a credible basis for the story's otherwise remarkable coincidences.
Overall I liked this one though I found it slowgoing in places, particularly in the final third of the tale, and could often predict what was next as one great saga scene was telegraphed into the next. If you are not that familiar with the sagas and you like Norse tales, this one is probably a good choice.
(If you've an interest, at all, in the saga-as-novel, here are a few quite good ones -- Saga: A Novel Of Medieval Iceland by Jeff Janoda; The Greenlanders by | | |