Gods of Fire and Thunder

Book of the Gods #5

by Fred Saberhagen

In the first four volumes of the Book of the Gods , Fred Saberhagen brought a new perspective to the classic gods of Greek mythology. Now the legendary creator of the Berzerker and Lost Swords sagas turns his gaze northward toward an entirely different pantheon of immortal deities . . . the fearsome and ferocious gods of Valhalla.

Haraldur the Northman once joined Jason on his fabled quest for the Golden Fleece, but now he wants nothing more to do with gods and adventure. Returning to his homeland for the first time in many years, he hopes only to settle down on a farm of his own-until he comes across an impenetrable wall of eldritch fire and a lovesick youth determined to breach the wall at any cost.

Behind the towering flames, he is told, lies a beautiful Valkyrie trapped in an enchanted sleep, as well as, perhaps, a golden treasure beyond mortal reckoning. It is the gold that tempts Hal to agree, against his better judgment, to assist the youth in his quest.

But to find away past the fiery wall, they must first brave gnomes, ghosts, and the wrath of the gods themselves. For a mighty battle is brewing, and Hal soon finds himself caught up in a celestial conflict between Thor the Thunderer, Loki the Trickster, and, most powerful of all, Wodan, the merciless Lord of Battles!

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy

319 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 3, 2002

About the author

Fred Saberhagen was an American science fiction and fantasy author most famous for his ''Beserker'' and Dracula stories.

Saberhagen also wrote a series of a series of post-apocalyptic mytho-magical novels beginning with his popular ''Empire of the East'' and continuing through a long series of ''Swords'' and ''Lost Swords'' novels. Saberhagen died of cancer, in Albuquerque, New Mexico

Saberhagen was born in and grew up in the area of Chicago, Illinois. Saberhagen served in the [[U.S. Air Force]] during the Korean War while he was in his early twenties. Back in civilian life, Saberhagen worked as an It was while he was working for Motorola (after his military service) that Saberhagen started writing fiction seriously at the age of about 30. "Fortress Ship", his first "Berserker" short shory, was published in 1963. Then, in 1964, Saberhagen saw the publication of his first novel, ''The Golden People''.

From 1967 to 1973, he worked as an editor for the Chemistry articles in the ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' as well as writing its article on science fiction. He then quit and took up writing full-time. In 1975, he moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico.

He married fellow writer Joan Spicci in 1968. They had two sons and a daughter.

Reviews

[Gilda Felt · Rating 3 out of 5]

A somewhat entertaining book, though it took me quite a while to really get into it. I suppose I don’t tend to equate humor with most of the stories of the gods. And what didn’t help is that I’m not that acquainted with Norse mythology, so I didn’t have a clue regarding the back story that that this story was working off of.

The characters were engaging, especially Haraldur. I think for that reason I’ll probably go back and read books two through four of the series. Or not, since I wasn’t all that taken with book number one.

The last fifty pages of this one were solid, and it was at that point that the book drew me in. Still, not a book that a can recommend.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gods of Fire and Thunder is a solid, if unmemorable, fantasy tale. The tale draws you in and makes you want to keep reading, and all of the hallmarks of a good story are present. The characters are relatable, consistent, have clear motivations, develop believably, and surprise just enough to keep the work entertaining. The writing overall is excellent (although a little overdone at times, particularly in the descriptions), the dialogue flows nicely, and the plot, while certainly not ground-breaking, is not overly-clichéd and is predictable only in desirable amounts. Saberhagen’s twist is the introduction of Germanic and Norse mythology into the tale, which I thoroughly enjoyed, but probably won’t excite anyone who is unfamiliar with (or uninterested in) the subject. There are not too many major characters, which limits the complexity of the conflicts but, although the pacing starts slow, it picks up nicely between the quarter and halfway marks and never relents. I found the ending to be somewhat abrupt, as if the author either considered the final battle to be more of a footnote to the main story, or perhaps simply got tired of writing the book, but it is not so jarring as to ruin the remainder of the work. As I mentioned above, however, probably the best word I could use to describe it is unmemorable. I enjoyed reading it as I went along, but did not have much to say about it afterwards and it did not linger in my mind for very long. Overall, if you’re looking for an easy, enjoyable fantasy read, this one will probably suit you just fine. If you’re looking for something complex that really pops off the page, however, you will have to look elsewhere.

[Jordan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Decent fantasy based on Norse mythology. A good enough "time waster," but nothing profound.

[Darby]

Interesting, but not really my cup of tea. Found the knowledge more interesting than the story line.

[Dominique · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was such a chore for me that I opted not to finish it.