Ole Åsli

Gripping Saga

Revisado: 10-24-24 El oyente recibió este título gratis

Valkyrie Rising is yet another exciting addition to Peter Gibbons’ Viking saga, and it certainly does not disappoint. Hundr, the man with a dog's name, returns once again, navigating the harsh realities of Viking life alongside his loyal crew. Gibbons continues to craft a world that feels deeply rooted in Norse mythology and history, and Valkyrie Rising is no exception.

I was immediately drawn in by how Gibbons weaves historical and mythical elements together. The quest to retrieve Odin’s spear adds a thrilling new dimension to the storyline. The mix of gritty Viking battles, historical intrigue, and subtle mythical elements is exactly what keeps me coming back to this series.

However, a couple of things caught me by surprise. Hundr, who we’ve followed through many trials, suddenly begins this book in love—without much backstory or build-up, he’s deeply in love. Given how much time and effort was spent on Hundr’s personal journey in previous books, this development felt a bit rushed. For a character we’ve grown so attached to, such a monumental change could have used more depth. That said, as this isn’t a romance novel, it doesn’t significantly detract from the overall enjoyment of the story.

On the positive side, making Einar's foster son more central was a welcome surprise, adding another layer of complexity and intrigue to the tale. I was happy to see this "new" character take center stage alongside familiar faces like Einar the Brawler and Ragnhild. Gibbons truly excels at creating memorable, layered characters that leap off the page (or out of the speaker, in my case).

Regarding the narration, I understand some listeners’ concerns about the change in narrator. It did take some time to adjust to the new voice, and while the delivery wasn’t quite as sharp as in earlier books, it didn’t detract significantly from my enjoyment. The strength of the story carried me through.

In summary, Valkyrie Rising is a worthy continuation of the Viking saga. While not without its minor flaws, it remains an excellent read that fans of Viking historical fiction will appreciate. Peter Gibbons has once again proven himself a masterful storyteller, and I eagerly await what comes next.

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Great Viking story dripping with mythology.

Revisado: 10-16-22

Hundr, the man with a dog’s name, is a young man trying to make it in the world of Vikings. He starts out as a bailboy and we get to follow him as he makes his way up in the hierarchy. Although I enjoyed the start, I was a little worried that the cast was all stereotypic Vikings with no emotional range besides aggression (yes, I am looking at you ‘The Northman’), but then I met the broader cast and was happily proven wrong. The secondary characters are great; Einar Rosti, Brownlegs, Bush, Ragnhild and of course Sten Sleggya. Sten is a grumpy old giant of a warrior and easily my favourite character in the story. Getting to know him, I understood there was more depth to these fighters than first let on.

First and foremost, this is great storytelling. It is the best book I have read (or listened to) this year, and among my favourites in recent years. Such a work requires a lot of research – trust me I know – and it is brimming with Norse mythology and historical facts. At one time I thought the author guilty of name dropping as one famous historical figure after the other took stage. However, getting further along in the story I thought the mix was just right. A few familiar names just spice up the story for us history geeks.

Speaking of history, I found some discrepancies from “known facts”. I would like to underline that not much are set in stone, as the historical research from that age is not accurate. However, there is little to suggest that Vikings used leather armour as portrayed in fantasy literature, such as a leather breast plates. They probably used animal skins, but that would be more like a reindeer skin over the shoulders. The weapon shirt was probably more common, a shirt composed of many layers of fabric sewn together to a thick shirt. However, everyone gets some details wrong, and in the end, it is historical FICTION, where the aim is to tell a story. And this is a GREAT story. Even with a nice little twist towards the end.

I see that some reviewers are less than satisfied with the narrator, but I thought Jordan did a great job. It is not easy to please everyone, but I found the book to be a very pleasant listen. Jordan’s voice was clear and easy to listen to. The narration could perhaps convey more of the emotion, but that is something of a double-edged sword. Too much emotion, or emotion done badly, ruins a book. A neutral voice does not.

So, all in all, very well done Mr. Gibbons. As a fellow skald I raise my horn in a Skål to your skill as a storyteller.

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A great Viking adventure

Revisado: 10-11-22

Anders Sundstrom has retired from his Viking life, but as often happens his earlier deeds comes back to haunt him.
This story is an adventure in its truest form. Thyra, her father Anders Sundstrom, and the rest of the cast must flee, and sets out on a long voyage. All the way they are being hunted by King Skötkonung’s men (Olof Skötkonung is a real historical figure who is known for being the king who brought Christianity to Sweden). The story is descriptive and very well researched, blending fiction and real historical knowledge in a great way.

The group ends up traveling the rivers towards Kiev, and faces a lot of dangers on the way, as is expected for a small band of travellers with just a few warriors among them. The characters are believable and likable, although not very complex, and the places they visit are very well portrayed. It was great to travel with them into the eastern part of the Viking world, as that part of Viking history is not well known to me. I really enjoyed the description about how the rulers, and people, lived by the trading routes towards Kiev. And this is also the greatest asset of this story – the experience of traveling with the characters to all these great places.

Some word choices threw me off here and there, and I did not quite understand how a few things in the action scenes could happen, but that is minor issues in the larger picture of a great adventure story.

The narrator had a voice that was easy to listen to and did a fine job. However, a little more emotion and variation of tone would have lifted the experience even more.

Well done.

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A rising star in dark fantasy

Revisado: 10-09-20

Shackle is a master of putting his characters in difficult situations. And, since I was with them in every dilemma, every tough choice and every sub-optimal decision, I was constantly on the edge of my seat. The war setting really intensifies the suspense and ads to the hopelessness. However, I was never close to giving up on the characters; I kept rooting for them and hoping they would get out of trouble in something close to one piece. The characters are realistic and well rounded, or actually, more antiheroes than heroes. Not that they are evil, most of them are not…, but they have their good and bad sides. Things they do well and things they do… not so well.

I highly recommend it if you like your books dark and gritty.

I am really looking forward to the next book in the series (A Fool’s Hope).

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