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Thunder Road #1
Thunder Road
In a flash, the world Ted Callan knew exploded. The fire on the patch had burned everything to the ground, including his marriage. Now he's on the road looking for a fresh start. What he finds is a mysterious young woman named Tilda who tells him he's destined to be a hero or die a quick and painful death.
When three stout men break into his hotel room, bind him to the bed and carve his skin with a stylus it appears she was right. The next thing Ted knows, his body is covered in an elaborate norse tattoo, complete with the power of the Gods. As he seeks out the three men who assaulted him, Ted learns that the creatures of Norse mythology walk in the world of humankind and some of them want to see it burn.
Accompanied by the trickster Loki and the bequiling Tilda, Ted wants nothing more than to have his old life back. No more tattoos. No more smart-ass Gods. No more mystic powers. The problem is, if he succeeds, it might just be the end of the world.
When three stout men break into his hotel room, bind him to the bed and carve his skin with a stylus it appears she was right. The next thing Ted knows, his body is covered in an elaborate norse tattoo, complete with the power of the Gods. As he seeks out the three men who assaulted him, Ted learns that the creatures of Norse mythology walk in the world of humankind and some of them want to see it burn.
Accompanied by the trickster Loki and the bequiling Tilda, Ted wants nothing more than to have his old life back. No more tattoos. No more smart-ass Gods. No more mystic powers. The problem is, if he succeeds, it might just be the end of the world.
386 pages, Paperback
First published September 30, 2012
11 people are currently reading
177 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
June 12, 2017
Gritty is one of the words from the cover of this book. It certainly is. But I enjoyed it and will definitely read the sequels even though I didn't particularly like the main character, Ted. He is bitter, angry and foul mouthed. In the first few pages of the book, he is abducted by dwarves, who tatoo him from head to toe with Norse symbols. Upon awakening from the ordeal, he begins to discover the powers that accompany the ink. I was particularly fond of Huginn and Muninn (Odin's ravens, Thought and Memory) on his temples. Ted learns that they can talk and will fill him (and the reader) in on details of Norse mythology when necessary. A clever device. I think the moment that redeemed Ted for me is a scene where the Honoured Dead are summoned to assist him--his grandfather, great-uncle and several other relatives who fought in the Great Wars appear and do battle. The fact that Ted recognized & appreciated them truly brought tears to my eyes and I started to dislike him less. That is the genealogist in me. And I thought the Norse mythology was brought to life in an engaging way. However, I would warn other readers that there are f-bombs throughout the work--if you are offended by this language, give this book a miss.
January 23, 2013
I will admit, through the first few chapters, I was ready to toss the protagonist aside, but something in the quality of Ginther's writing kept me in the book. Maybe it was his style or the rich detail of his settings -- or the wonderfully wild and abrupt appearance of dwarves in a seedy Winnipeg bar -- whatever it was, or all of the above, I'm glad I stuck around. By the middle, I was flipping pages faster and faster, totally convinced and in suspense how it would end. And you know, by the end? The protagonist had won me over, big time. Go Ted! Bring on the Thunder! You ROCK!
Highly recommended, especially if you like local legend transformed and have a taste for some well done gritty detective noire feel to your fantasy.
Highly recommended, especially if you like local legend transformed and have a taste for some well done gritty detective noire feel to your fantasy.
September 16, 2012
This author is a friend of mine. I went to his book release, cried, took photos, and stood in line to get my book autographed. It was one of the nicest evenings in recent memory.
When I started reading, I was so proud! I heard my friend's voice, recognized familiar hangout's from our university days. Again, it was a wonderful moment. Then slowly, I fell into the story and forgot all about it. I stayed up far too late to read the book in only two sittings. It's a great un-put-downable story filled with myth, action, humor, and a touching relationship.
I hope people give the trilogy a read. Loki is particularly fun to read! Enjoy!
When I started reading, I was so proud! I heard my friend's voice, recognized familiar hangout's from our university days. Again, it was a wonderful moment. Then slowly, I fell into the story and forgot all about it. I stayed up far too late to read the book in only two sittings. It's a great un-put-downable story filled with myth, action, humor, and a touching relationship.
I hope people give the trilogy a read. Loki is particularly fun to read! Enjoy!
September 21, 2012
Full disclosure:
1. The author is not a personal friend of mine, but he is my friendly local bookseller at McNally Robinson, we do follow each other on Twitter, and he is a Manitoba author who has written a "first book", all of which will tend to induce me to be supportive.
2. I seldom, if ever, read Fantasy and probably associate the genre wrongly to such, for me, unbelievable things as fairies and unicorns, super heroes and time-travel which alone will tend to induce me not to read the book.
So, on the strength of number 1 above, I went to the author's book launch at McNally Robinson and bought the book. As an aside, I also stood in line with a BAJILLION other folks to get it signed and I thought, as I waited, that I needn't have worried that this brand new author's book launch might lack for attention. To be honest of all the bookish events I've attended at McNally none has been poorly attended but I have had some discussions with authors, and not just newly minted ones, about attending a venue where the only sound other than the author's own breathing has been that of crickets. So I do what I can to prevent such atrocity. No worries about that at Mr. Ginther's book launch though. There were more people there than I've EVER seen at a book launch.
In any event, in my mind, the tremendous support for this novel evident at the launch and the factors in number 2 above relieved me from any feeling I might have had that I *had* to read the book, never mind provide any review or comment. Phew. No pressure. Which might have meant that the book would languish on Mount TBR for a while or longer.
And yet I did pick up the book. Almost immediately. I'm not sure why. Perhaps it was the promise of some mythology. I enjoyed studying mythology in high school and, being of Scandinavian descent on my mother's side, had a certain fondness for the Norse gods. Or, perhaps it was the promise of familiar Manitoba settings and the seeming incongruity of anything fantastical taking place there - in Winnipeg or Gimli or, heavens, in Flin Flon no less! But I was, I admit, quite prepared to cast the book aside with no comment here or anywhere if I couldn't "get into it". Which is what I thought could happen.
While I love to discover new authors and will read just about anything for the adventure, my preference is literary fiction because I can always "get into it". Literary fiction almost always has believable human characters. I need believable characters. I don't necessarily need to like them but I do need to be able to see myself in them, experience their angst and joy and *human* dilemmas. What happens to them has to be believable too. I was pretty sure I would not be able to relate to some guy fighting gods with the fate of the world at stake which is what the cover blurbs on Thunder Road intimated.
Well was I wrong! Ginther cleverly roped me in with his introduction to a totally believable, ordinary, dare I say literary-fiction-type, guy. Ted Callan, nearer to 50 than 20, his marriage in shambles, his job gone, loads his t-shirts and baggage into his GTO (I've always loved the GTO!) and heads off down the highway (I love road trip stories!) in search of a fresh start. A new life.
Ted's new life begins immediately when he almost runs over a hitchhiker stranded in the middle of the highway in the pouring rain. Tilda is a fresh young thing, a playful seductress. Ted is drawn to her, as indeed are we, the reader, to the possibilities for their relationship. Tilda says, to Ted's initial amusement, that she is a fortune teller. As we will soon find out, she is. She is a Norn, as is her mother and grandmother. Tilda says she needs to get back to Manitoba to face her doom (apparently she needs to get knocked up with a girl baby to continue the line of seers). She warns Ted that he too is facing his own doom.
After Ted drops Tilda off at the U of W at her request, he books himself into the Osborne Village Motor Inn and it is there that things get pretty hairy. Frankly, for someone wanting to avoid "doom", he might have chosen different lodgings. Anyone who has ever spent time at the Zoo knows you are throwing caution to the wind.
And indeed, after a few drinks and encounters with some weirdos in the bar, Ted retires to his room only to be viciously attacked by some short, bearded, strangers. He wakes up in the morning to find himself bloodied and covered head to toe in intricate, metallic blue and green tattoos. I was reminded of the storytelling tattoos of Ray Bradbury's *The Illustrated Man* but these tattoos turn out to be even more fascinating. The tattoos are of Norse mythology. Among them two ravens Huginn and Munnin (Thought and Memory) adorn Ted's neck and temples, a hammerhead gleams from one palm, a sun on the other, his legs are horse's legs, and Yggdrasill, the World Tree, grows up his back. It is as if these tattoos are alive. Indeed, the ravens constantly talk to Ted and he to them and they can even lift off his body to fly away. Further, in all of this, Ted has acquired superhuman strength and the power to control weather - to unleash storms, wind, rain, thunder and lightning.
Now it is just this sort of thing that I, as a reader, would find unbelievable. I expect that normally I would scoff and become disinterested in continuing to read such a fairy tale. But that didn't happen. It was as if I was enchanted myself and I had to keep reading. And so I followed Ted and Tilda and the trickster Loki to Gimli and Flin Flon encountering, and fighting to the death, giants and dwarves and gods and invoking ancient runes. The action is breathtakingly exciting; the relationship and dialogue among Tilda, Ted and Loki is thoroughly entertaining and sometimes hilarious.
When I was finished reading I wondered why I had enjoyed the book so much and I think it was because while the author has crafted a wonderfully creative, complex and fantastic story, nothing is too overwhelming for belief. That is he draws the reader in by revealing exactly what the reader needs to know, whether from the past or the present, as she needs to know it and keeps her intrigued and yet controlled with a fine attention to detail. There was never a time when I wondered what the heck was going on or did not believe in the characters or events. Incidentally, if you've forgotten your Norse Mythology (as I had), there is a wonderfully entertaining appendix in the back of the book: "Loki's Guide to the Petty Gods and Monsters, and Fantastical Locales and Artifacts of Norse Mythology". However, you probably won't need it because the author's attention to detail will guide you and remind you as to who's who and what's what.
I remember early in the novel thinking occasionally that the author was giving a little too much detail. For example, after Ted books himself into the Motor Inn we get a step by step account of him running the shower and having a pee concluding with: "An evening's worth of urine splashed into the bowl. Two quick shakes, and then Ted flushed the toilet." and I thought, Jeez, did I really need that? Why did the author choose to put that in the story? And then I realized that this bit and numerous others along the way reminded the reader that Ted is an ordinary guy. He pees just like you and me. Well not me, but just like every other guy on the planet. And he is kind and compassionate and protective and does not naturally want to kill another being. And because Ted is an ordinary guy throughout the story what happens to him is believable. While swept away by a fantastic world, we are at the same time grounded in what is real. If all of this could happen to Ted, in a place like Flin Flon, it could happen to you or me.
A delightfully imaginative and creative story! While I will not go so far as to say I'm now going to include a lot more fantasy in my reading material, I will say that I am looking forward to Book Two of the Thunder Road Trilogy.
1. The author is not a personal friend of mine, but he is my friendly local bookseller at McNally Robinson, we do follow each other on Twitter, and he is a Manitoba author who has written a "first book", all of which will tend to induce me to be supportive.
2. I seldom, if ever, read Fantasy and probably associate the genre wrongly to such, for me, unbelievable things as fairies and unicorns, super heroes and time-travel which alone will tend to induce me not to read the book.
So, on the strength of number 1 above, I went to the author's book launch at McNally Robinson and bought the book. As an aside, I also stood in line with a BAJILLION other folks to get it signed and I thought, as I waited, that I needn't have worried that this brand new author's book launch might lack for attention. To be honest of all the bookish events I've attended at McNally none has been poorly attended but I have had some discussions with authors, and not just newly minted ones, about attending a venue where the only sound other than the author's own breathing has been that of crickets. So I do what I can to prevent such atrocity. No worries about that at Mr. Ginther's book launch though. There were more people there than I've EVER seen at a book launch.
In any event, in my mind, the tremendous support for this novel evident at the launch and the factors in number 2 above relieved me from any feeling I might have had that I *had* to read the book, never mind provide any review or comment. Phew. No pressure. Which might have meant that the book would languish on Mount TBR for a while or longer.
And yet I did pick up the book. Almost immediately. I'm not sure why. Perhaps it was the promise of some mythology. I enjoyed studying mythology in high school and, being of Scandinavian descent on my mother's side, had a certain fondness for the Norse gods. Or, perhaps it was the promise of familiar Manitoba settings and the seeming incongruity of anything fantastical taking place there - in Winnipeg or Gimli or, heavens, in Flin Flon no less! But I was, I admit, quite prepared to cast the book aside with no comment here or anywhere if I couldn't "get into it". Which is what I thought could happen.
While I love to discover new authors and will read just about anything for the adventure, my preference is literary fiction because I can always "get into it". Literary fiction almost always has believable human characters. I need believable characters. I don't necessarily need to like them but I do need to be able to see myself in them, experience their angst and joy and *human* dilemmas. What happens to them has to be believable too. I was pretty sure I would not be able to relate to some guy fighting gods with the fate of the world at stake which is what the cover blurbs on Thunder Road intimated.
Well was I wrong! Ginther cleverly roped me in with his introduction to a totally believable, ordinary, dare I say literary-fiction-type, guy. Ted Callan, nearer to 50 than 20, his marriage in shambles, his job gone, loads his t-shirts and baggage into his GTO (I've always loved the GTO!) and heads off down the highway (I love road trip stories!) in search of a fresh start. A new life.
Ted's new life begins immediately when he almost runs over a hitchhiker stranded in the middle of the highway in the pouring rain. Tilda is a fresh young thing, a playful seductress. Ted is drawn to her, as indeed are we, the reader, to the possibilities for their relationship. Tilda says, to Ted's initial amusement, that she is a fortune teller. As we will soon find out, she is. She is a Norn, as is her mother and grandmother. Tilda says she needs to get back to Manitoba to face her doom (apparently she needs to get knocked up with a girl baby to continue the line of seers). She warns Ted that he too is facing his own doom.
After Ted drops Tilda off at the U of W at her request, he books himself into the Osborne Village Motor Inn and it is there that things get pretty hairy. Frankly, for someone wanting to avoid "doom", he might have chosen different lodgings. Anyone who has ever spent time at the Zoo knows you are throwing caution to the wind.
And indeed, after a few drinks and encounters with some weirdos in the bar, Ted retires to his room only to be viciously attacked by some short, bearded, strangers. He wakes up in the morning to find himself bloodied and covered head to toe in intricate, metallic blue and green tattoos. I was reminded of the storytelling tattoos of Ray Bradbury's *The Illustrated Man* but these tattoos turn out to be even more fascinating. The tattoos are of Norse mythology. Among them two ravens Huginn and Munnin (Thought and Memory) adorn Ted's neck and temples, a hammerhead gleams from one palm, a sun on the other, his legs are horse's legs, and Yggdrasill, the World Tree, grows up his back. It is as if these tattoos are alive. Indeed, the ravens constantly talk to Ted and he to them and they can even lift off his body to fly away. Further, in all of this, Ted has acquired superhuman strength and the power to control weather - to unleash storms, wind, rain, thunder and lightning.
Now it is just this sort of thing that I, as a reader, would find unbelievable. I expect that normally I would scoff and become disinterested in continuing to read such a fairy tale. But that didn't happen. It was as if I was enchanted myself and I had to keep reading. And so I followed Ted and Tilda and the trickster Loki to Gimli and Flin Flon encountering, and fighting to the death, giants and dwarves and gods and invoking ancient runes. The action is breathtakingly exciting; the relationship and dialogue among Tilda, Ted and Loki is thoroughly entertaining and sometimes hilarious.
When I was finished reading I wondered why I had enjoyed the book so much and I think it was because while the author has crafted a wonderfully creative, complex and fantastic story, nothing is too overwhelming for belief. That is he draws the reader in by revealing exactly what the reader needs to know, whether from the past or the present, as she needs to know it and keeps her intrigued and yet controlled with a fine attention to detail. There was never a time when I wondered what the heck was going on or did not believe in the characters or events. Incidentally, if you've forgotten your Norse Mythology (as I had), there is a wonderfully entertaining appendix in the back of the book: "Loki's Guide to the Petty Gods and Monsters, and Fantastical Locales and Artifacts of Norse Mythology". However, you probably won't need it because the author's attention to detail will guide you and remind you as to who's who and what's what.
I remember early in the novel thinking occasionally that the author was giving a little too much detail. For example, after Ted books himself into the Motor Inn we get a step by step account of him running the shower and having a pee concluding with: "An evening's worth of urine splashed into the bowl. Two quick shakes, and then Ted flushed the toilet." and I thought, Jeez, did I really need that? Why did the author choose to put that in the story? And then I realized that this bit and numerous others along the way reminded the reader that Ted is an ordinary guy. He pees just like you and me. Well not me, but just like every other guy on the planet. And he is kind and compassionate and protective and does not naturally want to kill another being. And because Ted is an ordinary guy throughout the story what happens to him is believable. While swept away by a fantastic world, we are at the same time grounded in what is real. If all of this could happen to Ted, in a place like Flin Flon, it could happen to you or me.
A delightfully imaginative and creative story! While I will not go so far as to say I'm now going to include a lot more fantasy in my reading material, I will say that I am looking forward to Book Two of the Thunder Road Trilogy.
January 26, 2018
Holy crap is this ever good! The main character, Ted, is working the oil patch when he witnesses a devastating explosion, and something profoundly, deeply, unbelievably terrifying within the flames. That sight changes him in ways he'd never expect. I don't want to spoil it, because you *gotta* read this, but stuff happens, with dwarves, and magic, and all kinds of Viking goodness. Oh, and Loki. He's involved too. Loved it!
May 1, 2013
While this book was a little out of my element, I found myself intrigued by the characters and the sheer nitty gritty descriptiveness of the entire book. A bit of a mystery, mixed with fantasy, and just enough sex, this book held my interest and left me wanting more. Chadwick's mix of humour, tension, sex, supernatural and just the plain old Canadian nature made this an exciting read that felt comfortable with for this Albertan. I will leave this review by saying... "Well I love a rainy night..." -Eddie Rabbit.
March 10, 2015
I think the speed at which I read Thunder Road is a good indicator of how much I enjoyed this fast-paced, Norse-mythology adventure story. If you have any interest in Norse mythology this is told in a fun and interesting way. I will definitely read the rest of the series!
September 17, 2012
Fast-paced, funny, and full of f-bombs, this book made me believe that magic could be happening just down the street.
June 10, 2019
I desperately wanted to like this book. I think the idea was interesting, but the execution was lackluster. Definitely felt like a debut novel, I'm hoping his subsequent work is more developed and polished.
June 2, 2017
I. Love. Loki.
More please.
More please.
April 17, 2018
10/10 good book
November 25, 2025
Enjoyable fast-paced take on urban fantasy. If you like the gritty side of the Norse myths (not the comics interpretation), then this one is for you.
March 17, 2017
It's like an adult Percy Jackson with a bit of American Gods... in Canada. A wild Norse romp!
January 10, 2014
This book is surprisingly difficult for me to review. It has gotten great reviews here on Goodreads and I enjoyed reading it. I will definitely read its sequel. Yet I'm not comfortable giving it more than 3 stars, and I don't know why.
Let me start with some admissions. I grew up in Thunder Bay, Ontario, not too far from where much of the action occurs and, in fact, I can honestly say that there were alot of cultural touchstones for me in this book (and I'm not just talking about Tim Hortons and Second Cup). Secondly, I have a particular fondness for Norse mythology (and Thor in particular). So, I am starting automatically with a bias... but it is a bias in favour of the book.
So now my quandary. I want to recommend this book to people yet I'm not completely comfortable with giving it too high a review. Why is that?
I think it comes down to this.
I have read alot of urban fantasy and have noticed various trends - some such as the novels that verge on paranormal romance are clearly written more with a target audience of the XX chromosomed; others which verge on gun-porn are clearly written with a target audience of the XY chromosomed. Me, I try to avoid both. I like books such as the Dresden Files, Alex Verus, Kitty Norville, or the Felix Castor novels; novels which which don't really cater to either gender but create a world which is magical but believable. However, while the female characters in this novel probably need some work, they are not without merit.
No my problem is that there is another trend within urban fantasy - that tends to merge urban fantasy with super-heroics (see for example the Iron Druid novels or Vegas Knights). I personally don't like this trend purely from a stylistic perspective. I think this is where my ambivalence towards this novel arises.
Let me start with some admissions. I grew up in Thunder Bay, Ontario, not too far from where much of the action occurs and, in fact, I can honestly say that there were alot of cultural touchstones for me in this book (and I'm not just talking about Tim Hortons and Second Cup). Secondly, I have a particular fondness for Norse mythology (and Thor in particular). So, I am starting automatically with a bias... but it is a bias in favour of the book.
So now my quandary. I want to recommend this book to people yet I'm not completely comfortable with giving it too high a review. Why is that?
I think it comes down to this.
I have read alot of urban fantasy and have noticed various trends - some such as the novels that verge on paranormal romance are clearly written more with a target audience of the XX chromosomed; others which verge on gun-porn are clearly written with a target audience of the XY chromosomed. Me, I try to avoid both. I like books such as the Dresden Files, Alex Verus, Kitty Norville, or the Felix Castor novels; novels which which don't really cater to either gender but create a world which is magical but believable. However, while the female characters in this novel probably need some work, they are not without merit.
No my problem is that there is another trend within urban fantasy - that tends to merge urban fantasy with super-heroics (see for example the Iron Druid novels or Vegas Knights). I personally don't like this trend purely from a stylistic perspective. I think this is where my ambivalence towards this novel arises.
September 30, 2013
Norse gods running amok in Canada? How could you not love this book?
Okay, sooo...it's Manitoba. Still, awesome. I don't get to read nearly enough Canadian fiction where cool, world-altering shit is happening in places I've actually been in this gigantic country of mine.
The story revolves around Ted Callan, a man who is dragged into the Norse world of gods, dwarves, and giants after witnessing a towering fire giant step into the realm of men during an explosion in the Alberta oilpatch. He then runs into some dwarves who bestow their "gifts" upon him - body tattoos with magic powers and which have a life of their own (think Bradbury's Illustrated Man) - turning him into a Thor-like godling so he can smash heads and wreak vengeance of those who have wronged and betrayed him along the way. Oh yeah, and stop the next Ragnarok from happening.
He travels with Loki, the god of mischief (seriously, will I be seeing Loki as Tom Hiddleston for the rest of my life?) and Tilda, a witch who uses runes for spells and can see the future. She's also a super-hawt rock n' roll chick, and about half Ted's age, making her the perfect short-term girlfriend.
Ginther has created characters you instantly want to be friends with. I'm looking forward to more books in this story (I understand more are coming) just so we can all hang out again and be buddies and talk about cool shit like muscle cars, dating hot young girls, and tattoos that grant magic powers. The book itself has a Gaiman-esque vibe to it. I was reminded of "American Gods" while reading "Thunder Road", and I imagine it was the whole 'old gods are people too' thing.
Definitely worth a read. Especially for you Canuckleheads out there.
Okay, sooo...it's Manitoba. Still, awesome. I don't get to read nearly enough Canadian fiction where cool, world-altering shit is happening in places I've actually been in this gigantic country of mine.
The story revolves around Ted Callan, a man who is dragged into the Norse world of gods, dwarves, and giants after witnessing a towering fire giant step into the realm of men during an explosion in the Alberta oilpatch. He then runs into some dwarves who bestow their "gifts" upon him - body tattoos with magic powers and which have a life of their own (think Bradbury's Illustrated Man) - turning him into a Thor-like godling so he can smash heads and wreak vengeance of those who have wronged and betrayed him along the way. Oh yeah, and stop the next Ragnarok from happening.
He travels with Loki, the god of mischief (seriously, will I be seeing Loki as Tom Hiddleston for the rest of my life?) and Tilda, a witch who uses runes for spells and can see the future. She's also a super-hawt rock n' roll chick, and about half Ted's age, making her the perfect short-term girlfriend.
Ginther has created characters you instantly want to be friends with. I'm looking forward to more books in this story (I understand more are coming) just so we can all hang out again and be buddies and talk about cool shit like muscle cars, dating hot young girls, and tattoos that grant magic powers. The book itself has a Gaiman-esque vibe to it. I was reminded of "American Gods" while reading "Thunder Road", and I imagine it was the whole 'old gods are people too' thing.
Definitely worth a read. Especially for you Canuckleheads out there.
September 10, 2014
Honestly, I was a little nervous about this book. I'd met Chadwick Ginther through friends at a writing convention. He's a great guy, from the same province, writing about my hometown. Instant friends. When I asked him what his book was about, it sounded pretty cool: Urban Fantasy with Norse Mythology. Except I don't read a lot of Urban/Contemporary Fantasy.
I bought Thunder Road and got it autographed. Then I put off reading it for a couple reasons. How do you read your friend's book and then review it? What if it stinks? Okay, maybe not that extreme. What if you just don't like it? What it's not that polished because it's a small Canadian press?
What if, what if. Shut up and read the damn book. And am I ever glad I did.
This was an excellent story, engaging from the onset and didn't let up at all. Dialog had me laughing regularly. I mean, you could read this for the banter with Loki alone (no joke).
The production value was no different than a book out of NYC, with clean, crisp pages and well-edited prose. Canadian small press? I wouldn't have noticed. My bad for thinking otherwise.
The Norse Mythology is blended in without distracting and adds mystery and wonder, keeping you guessing at what each faction's next move will be. Some author's love to hammer you (no pun intended) with italicized words from history/myth and this wasn't so bad.
Ted Callan's tale reads like a Sword & Sorcery and reminded me of Robert E. Howard's younger Conan. Where Ted lacks in experience and guile, he makes up for it with heart and sheer will. And he might be selfishly motivated, but finds a way to help the greater good.
Looking forward to the next book.
Thanks, Chadwick.
I bought Thunder Road and got it autographed. Then I put off reading it for a couple reasons. How do you read your friend's book and then review it? What if it stinks? Okay, maybe not that extreme. What if you just don't like it? What it's not that polished because it's a small Canadian press?
What if, what if. Shut up and read the damn book. And am I ever glad I did.
This was an excellent story, engaging from the onset and didn't let up at all. Dialog had me laughing regularly. I mean, you could read this for the banter with Loki alone (no joke).
The production value was no different than a book out of NYC, with clean, crisp pages and well-edited prose. Canadian small press? I wouldn't have noticed. My bad for thinking otherwise.
The Norse Mythology is blended in without distracting and adds mystery and wonder, keeping you guessing at what each faction's next move will be. Some author's love to hammer you (no pun intended) with italicized words from history/myth and this wasn't so bad.
Ted Callan's tale reads like a Sword & Sorcery and reminded me of Robert E. Howard's younger Conan. Where Ted lacks in experience and guile, he makes up for it with heart and sheer will. And he might be selfishly motivated, but finds a way to help the greater good.
Looking forward to the next book.
Thanks, Chadwick.
August 29, 2014
This book is a lot of fun, and a very well done first novel. I am a sucker for anything involving Norse mythology, so I am an easy sell on that front, but this is not a novel that is weighted down with the mythology, the human aspect comes first. This novel is also written post-Ragnarok, so by necessity a lot of the mythology is in the background, this is a novel set among the remnants of the Norse gods and mythological figures that made it through. From their point of view the Norse survivors are existing post-apocalypse, and have had to find new ways to survive, and reexamine some of their previously existing relationships, as the world has changed dramatically around them. The heavy weights of the pantheon- Odin, Thor, Tyr - are all dead - though some, like Loki, through his natural conniving nature, have made it through. And though the background is mythological, it is handled in an earthy, very human way. Loki is the epitome of the trickster, indeed, he is given links to Raven in this story, as the majority of the action takes place in Manitoba, and there are strong ties to the natural landscapes of the area, which is another layer that adds a compelling richness to the story.
The protagonist, Ted Callan, is from Edmonton, an oil patch worker with a foul mouth, but at his heart he is an honest, caring man who is thrust into a situation that would cause anyone to question their sanity.
Loki is a treat, he is everything you would expect him to be and more. Lascivious, conniving, yet he still doesn't run away from a fight.
This book is a great start to the trilogy, and I look forward to future books in the series.
The protagonist, Ted Callan, is from Edmonton, an oil patch worker with a foul mouth, but at his heart he is an honest, caring man who is thrust into a situation that would cause anyone to question their sanity.
Loki is a treat, he is everything you would expect him to be and more. Lascivious, conniving, yet he still doesn't run away from a fight.
This book is a great start to the trilogy, and I look forward to future books in the series.
March 24, 2024
Thunder Road tells the story of Ted, who was “touched by the Nine Worlds” when he was exposed to the fire giant Surtur during an explosion while working the oil sands in Alberta. After the giant wreaks havoc on the patch and changes Ted’s life forever, he moves to Winnipeg for a fresh start. But once he is exposed to the Nine Worlds of legend, Ted is pulled into the world of Norse Mythology. He is tied down by strangers in a hotel room and branded with markings that give him the power of the gods. I won’t say what happens with the tattoos, because learning about them and what they are capable of is one of the coolest parts of the book and I don’t want to ruin it. Let’s just say he ends up on a world-saving road trip across Manitoba with Loki and a fortune-telling love interest along for the ride.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes urbran fantasy or has any kind of interest in mythology. I’m curious to see where this trilogy goes, so I’ll definitely be reading the second book, Tombstone Blues, some time this summer.
Full review at:http://thewildestedge.wordpress.com/2...
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes urbran fantasy or has any kind of interest in mythology. I’m curious to see where this trilogy goes, so I’ll definitely be reading the second book, Tombstone Blues, some time this summer.
Full review at:http://thewildestedge.wordpress.com/2...
November 21, 2013
I was really hoping to enjoy this book more.
I picked it up based on some recommendations from people I follow on GoodReads. I was very surprised that the location of the book was where I lived and I was able to recognize many of the areas discussed. I think that fact actually took away from the story as it kept on bringing me back into reality instead of remaining in a fantasy world.
The story has a really good premise, I enjoyed the start and the ending but the story did not move quick enough in the middle, which accounted for about 70% of the book. The story seemed too linear and the thrown in descriptions of locations seemed awkward.
There is lots of potential and I'm glad I read it but would likely not re-read it.
I may read the next in the series in the hopes that the story picks up as Ginther looks to be an author with some promise.
I picked it up based on some recommendations from people I follow on GoodReads. I was very surprised that the location of the book was where I lived and I was able to recognize many of the areas discussed. I think that fact actually took away from the story as it kept on bringing me back into reality instead of remaining in a fantasy world.
The story has a really good premise, I enjoyed the start and the ending but the story did not move quick enough in the middle, which accounted for about 70% of the book. The story seemed too linear and the thrown in descriptions of locations seemed awkward.
There is lots of potential and I'm glad I read it but would likely not re-read it.
I may read the next in the series in the hopes that the story picks up as Ginther looks to be an author with some promise.
September 11, 2013
I don't read fantasy too often, however this book was written by a friend of a friend of a friend and is set in Winnipeg and Manitoba, where I lived for a number of years.
It's about a former Alberta oil rig worker who is moving to Winnipeg and gets mixed up in Norse mythology and suddenly has powers and is turned into a god-like individual, much against his will. The saga leads north of Winnipeg to Gimli, Ross Lake and Flin Flon where he, a girl, and Loki have to deal with trolls, dwarfs, giants, and the RCMP.
Although the language in this book is pretty raw, I found the plot surprisingly compelling.
If you like fantasy, this is supposed to be book one of a trilogy, although the subsequent books haven't yet been published.
It's about a former Alberta oil rig worker who is moving to Winnipeg and gets mixed up in Norse mythology and suddenly has powers and is turned into a god-like individual, much against his will. The saga leads north of Winnipeg to Gimli, Ross Lake and Flin Flon where he, a girl, and Loki have to deal with trolls, dwarfs, giants, and the RCMP.
Although the language in this book is pretty raw, I found the plot surprisingly compelling.
If you like fantasy, this is supposed to be book one of a trilogy, although the subsequent books haven't yet been published.
July 9, 2014
If I had to describe this book in one word, it would probably be "Muscular". Which is not my usual style, but the book was quite entertaining and kept me going. Of course, it helps that I'm at least interested in Norse Mythology, and having it set in Manitoba didn't hurt, though it probably didn't help as much as one might think, other than that Chadwick clearly knows the area. It needed more female characters, though, since we're really only given the romantic interest and her grandmother (The mother is present but almost irrelevant, which is quite the trick to do with one of the three Norns). I hope the next book remembers that women are a thing in the real world.
Really, that's all I have to say.
Really, that's all I have to say.
March 21, 2013
I was absolutely shocked at how good this book is, and I mean that in a very good way. As a mythological mystery/fantasy/adventure story, Ginther has hit it out of the park. As a first novel, it's got my jaw dragging on the ground. I may be drooling a bit. This is the first trilogy or book series of any kind I have been truly excited about since the Sandman graphic novels.
When I read a book like this, I want everyone to read it. Often, I'll give the book away. But this one has my name in it now. Nobody's getting my copy. Not even my best friend. They'll have to settle for gift copies.
Seriously. Read Thunder Road. Read it well and read it often. You won't regret it.
When I read a book like this, I want everyone to read it. Often, I'll give the book away. But this one has my name in it now. Nobody's getting my copy. Not even my best friend. They'll have to settle for gift copies.
Seriously. Read Thunder Road. Read it well and read it often. You won't regret it.
August 22, 2016
Rough and tumble Ted wakes up to tattoos and ravens talking in his head. Then there's a woman who sets him straight on so many things in hopes of saving his life! Norse mythology gets going full tilt when Ted meets Loki. Loki is his usual trickster self, but he's also got a great sense of humour! Loved it. "Thunder Road" can stand alone, but may leave you wanting more so author Chadwick Ginther has provided us two more great books to finish this rousing tale set in Canada. I have put the rest of this series on my to-be-read list!
March 4, 2015
Ginther is a very strong writer and he has sketched this world well. The characters fair jump from the page and are unique and interesting. And the dialogue is so well done I just want to hug the author like an anaconda. The Loke character was a particular favourite, even if he was a bit gritty in his language and methods. At times I had trouble understanding the motives of some of the characters, and if you're not a fan of Norse mythology or recent Thor movies this may not be for you. But all in all I found it a good, solid read.
November 6, 2012
I found it fascinating. Thinking about Norse Gods living and breathing in my home town and province was very amusing! I was blown away by the descriptions and the action sequences left me breathless. Chadwick Ginther wove in the mythology in a unique and interesting manner, not bludgeoning the reader with info dumps like some novels do.
June 27, 2014
More two-and-a-half as there are some interesting ideas and it is a first book. Generally, it's a straightforward male fantasy without either the darkness, atmosphere, or sense of disaster one finds in Neil Gaiman's comparable - in plot - "American Gods". While the writing is likely better than what I'd be able to produce, it isn't what it could be.
April 2, 2015
A quick read with pretty strong pacing. Loved that it was set in Canada (AB and MB) and the Norse mythology was well-handled. My biggest beef was with a poorly written female character - more male fantasy than actual woman. And with her backstory, she could have been amazing. Did like that it confirmed that the oilsands are bad news for humanity.
March 6, 2013
Great first novel by yet another wonderful Winnipeg writer. I thoroughly enjoyed the story although it's not the kind of book I usually read. Gritty and memorable. Look forward to Ginther's next book in this series.
August 20, 2013
This was a quick and enjoyable read. I'm a sucker for Norse mythology so this novel was right up my alley. I found the characters interesting and the plot filled with the perfect combination of action, detail, and pace. Another plus for Gunther being from Manitoba!
June 30, 2013
funny, good action.
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