The Fetch

The Runestone Saga #1

by C.C. Humphreys

FETCH: The apparition, double, or wraith of a living person.
"In the attic, in an old sea chest, secreted away, are a mysterious journal and a set of runes: 24 stones that will change Sky's life forever.
When Sky and his cousin Kristin find their Norwegian grandfather's runes, Sky feels like the wait is over, like he can now release the breath he wasn't even aware he'd been holding. But when he lays out the stones in a runecast they find in Sigurd's journal, he is catapulted into a world filled with more possibilities and more danger than he ever imagined.
This first entry in the Runestone Saga is an utterly unique blend of horror, supernatural possibility, and historical truth that will leave readers wrung out from tension and clamoring for more. "From the Hardcover edition.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Time Travel, Adventure, Mythology, Magic, Paranormal

ebook

First published July 11, 2006

About the author

aka Chris Humphreys

Chris (C.C.) Humphreys was born in Toronto, lived till he was seven in Los Angeles, then grew up in the UK. All four grandparents were actors, and since his father was an actor as well, it was inevitable he would follow the bloodline.

Chris (C.C.) Humphreys has played Hamlet in Calgary, a gladiator in Tunisia, waltzed in London’s West End, conned the landlord of the Rovers Return in Coronation Street, commanded a starfleet in Andromeda, voiced Salem the cat in the original Sabrina, and is a dead immortal in Highlander. He has written eleven adult novels including The French Executioner, runner-up for the CWA Steel Dagger for Thrillers; Chasing the Wind; The Jack Absolute Trilogy; Vlad – The Last Confession; A Place Called Armageddon and Shakespeare’s Rebel – which he adapted into a play and which premiered at Bard on the Beach, Vancouver, in 2015. Plague won the Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Novel in Canada in 2015. He has an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia. His epic fantasy series the Immortals’ Blood Trilogy, beginning with Smoke in the Glass' has just been published by Gollancz. He also published his other fantasy series, The Tapestry Trilogy, beginning in August 2020 with ‘The Hunt of the Unicorn’. His foray into modern crime, 'One London Day' was published in 2021. Hie new novel, the World War Two epic romance, 'Someday I'll Find You' is published by Doubleday in Canada on June 6, 2023.

Several of his novels are available as Audiobooks - read by himself! Find him here:
https://www.authorchrishumphreys.com/...

He is translated into thirteen languages. In 2015 he earned his Masters in Fine Arts (Creative Writing) from the University of British Columbia.

Check out his website: http://authorchrishumphreys.com

Reviews

[Nikoleta · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5/ 5 αστεράκια

[Γιώτα Παπαδημακοπούλου · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ο C.C. Humphreys είναι ένα από τα πιο γνωστά πρόσωπα στο αγγλικό θέατρο. Όχι μόνο έχει γράψει ο ίδιος πληθώρα θεατρικών έργων αλλά, έχει στο βιογραφικό του ουκ ολίγες συμμετοχές ως ηθοποιός και μάλιστα, σε ιδιαίτερους και δύσκολους ρόλους. Η Νορβηγική του καταγωγή από τη μεριά της μητέρας του και οι προσωπικές του εμπειρίες, οι οποίες σε έναν βαθμό συσχετίζονται με τους αρχαίους θρύλους της Σκανδιναβίας που ξεκίνησαν από την εποχή των Βίκινγκς, τον οδήγησαν στο να συγγράψει το "Έπος Των Ρουνικών Λίθων". Δεν πρόκειται για μια ακόμα ιστορία φανταστικού αλλά, για μια ιστορία που βασίζεται σε γεγονότα, θρύλους και απόκρυφη μαγεία που σκοπό έχουν, να ανακαλύψει κανείς τις βαθύτερες ικανότητές του αλλά, και την δύναμη και τη γνώση του πνεύματός του ανά τους αιώνες, που δεν σβήνει και δε χάνεται.

Βασικός πρωταγωνιστής της ιστορίας αυτής είναι ο Σκάι, ένα δεκαπεντάχρονο αγόρι το οποίο και γεννήθηκε με ένα ιδιαίτερο σημάδι που τον καθιστά ξεχωριστό. Το χαρακτηριστικό της υπνοβασίας είναι ένα από τα λίγα στοιχεία που καθορίζουν την ύπαρξή του, που από τη στιγμή της γέννησής του κι όλας σημαδεύτηκε από τη μεμβράνη εκείνη που τον προστάτευε στην κοιλιά της μάνας τους. Σε ένα παλιό μπαούλο του παππού του, ανακαλύπτει ένα σακούλι το οποίο και περιέχει έναν πίνακα και μια σειρά από ρουνικές λίθους τις οποίες και νιώθει να τον καλούν να ανακαλύψει τα βαθύτερα μυστικά τους αλλά, και τα μυστικά της καταγωγής του και της δύναμης της οποίας κρύβουν μέσα τους. Δεν είναι απλά μια σειρά από πέτρες αλλά, ένας μαγικός τρόπος που του ανοίγει δρόμους στον κόσμο των νεκρών του αλλά, κι ενός παρελθόντος με το οποίο δε θα φανταζόταν ποτέ ότι μπορεί να συνδέεται.

Μ ε τη βοήθεια των λίθων και της ξαδέρφης του Κριστίν, ο Σκάι έρχεται σε επαφή με το νεκρό παππού του και με την καθοδήγησή του, προσπαθεί να μάθει να ελέγχει το Στοιχειό του, τον Σωσία που ο κάθε άνθρωπος έχει μέσα του αλλά που τις περισσότερες φορές δεν το γνωρίζει ή αν το κάνει, δεν αντιλαμβάνεται τον τρόπο με τον οποίο μπορεί να το χειριστεί. Η προοπτική αυτή γοητεύει τον Σκάι και η ιστορία των προγόνων του, που ψιθυρίζει μέσα στο αίμα που κυλάει στις φλέβες του, τον οδηγούν σε ένα ταξίδι στο παρελθόν, στις ζωές των προγόνων από τους οποίους κατάγεται, με σκοπό να ανακαλύψει, όχι μόνο πράγματα για εκείνους αλλά, και για τον ίδιο του τον εαυτό και τις δυνατότητες που μπορεί να αξιοποιήσει. Δεν γυρίζει απλά στο χωροχρόνο ως φάντασμα αλλά, καταλαμβάνει τα σώματα των προγόνων του βιώνοντας τις ίδιες εμπειρίες με εκείνους, λατρεύοντας τους ίδιους θεούς, ανακαλύπτοντας ότι μπορεί να κάνει εξίσου υπέροχα, όσο και φρικτά πράγματα, τόσο μέσα από την δικιά τους ιστορίας, όσο και μεταφέροντας τη γνώση αυτή στο παρόν.

Το ταξίδι του Σκάι είναι τρομακτικό και γοητευτικό συνάμα. Είναι υπέροχο να ταξιδεύουμε μαζί του στον χωροχρόνο, έστω και αν δεν είναι λίγες οι στιγμές που αισθανόμαστε μπερδεμένοι και αποπροσανατολισμένοι, καθώς προσπαθούμε παράλληλα με τον ίδιο να κατανοήσουμε τα μυστικά της οικογένειάς του αλλά και τις νέες προοπτικές που ανοίγονται μπροστά του. Προσωπικά, δεν γνώριζα και πολλά γύρω από τη σκανδιναβική ιστορία και το βιβλίο αυτό με οδήγησε σε μια περαιτέρω εξερεύνηση γύρω από τους τόσο μυστικιστικούς και γοητευτικούς θρύλους που φτάνουν από το παρελθόν στο σήμερα, με έναν αέρα μαγείας και επικινδυνότητας. Αν πιάσετε τον εαυτό σας να αναζητά περισσότερες λεπτομέρειες σε διάφορες μηχανές αναζήτησης στο internet, τότε ο συγγραφέας έχει πετύχει απόλυτα τον σκοπό του.

Καμία όμως αποκάλυψη δεν γίνεται χωρίς θυσίες. Και ο Σκάι θα ανακαλύψει ότι για να φτάσει στην απόλυτη γνώση θα πρέπει να θυσιάσει περισσότερα απ' όσα ίσως είναι σε θέση. Τα πάντα είναι αβέβαια και η καθοδήγησή του αποδεικνύεται ότι κρύβει και άλλους, απώτερους σκοπούς, πέραν από το να αποκτήσει την οικογενειακή γνώση και να συνεχίσει μια παράδοση αιώνων. Το ταξίδι του Σκάι δεν ολοκληρώνεται, αντίθετα, μόλις τώρα αρχίζει και ο δρόμος που θα πρέπει να διανύσει είναι πολύ μεγάλος. Το σίγουρο είναι ότι εμείς, θα είμαστε εκεί, αδημονώντας για όσα πρόκειται να ακολουθήσουν και λαχταρώντας να μοιραστούμε τη γνώση και τις εμπειρίες που θα αποκτήσει, προκειμένου να αγωνιστεί για να ολοκληρώσει το πεπρωμένο του αλλά και για να προστατέψει τον ίδιο και όσους αγαπάει, ακόμα και την ανθρωπότητα, από μια αρρωστημένη εμμονή που μόνο μπελάδες και αναταραχές μπορεί να προκαλέσει.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really 2 and a half stars. YA novel about time travel using Norse runestones. It's a bit slow in the beginning. I thought the time travel portions of the novel were more interesting than the present day portions. This is book 1 of a 3 part series. Maybe the second book will be better?

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Spreeha for TeensReadToo.com

A young boy named Sky is just a normal fifteen-year-old except for the fact that he moves around England a lot and can't stay with his old friends. Where he's at now it's hard for him to make friends, because, well, he's the new kid in school.

Since moving to his new home Sky has been having weird problems with sleeping at night. He finds himself on the floor when he wakes up in the morning and his parents think that he's sleepwalking. But when they take him to the doctor there seems to be nothing wrong with Sky.

One day his mother tells him to come and check out this sea chest with her. She said it was his grandfather's before he died. She never really talked about him that much but she had her moments. Although he didn't get a chance to open the sea chest with his mother, he found his chance that night. Sky was looking through it but didn't find anything interesting until he was just about to leave. Sky felt something in the top of the chest, as if there was something hidden there. He let his curiosity go too far, cutting open the top of the chest. There he found a bag of stones (which turn out to be rune stones) and a journal with writing he couldn't understand. He didn't want to tell his mother that he had opened the chest and then just cut the whole top part of it off.

It is two weeks before spring break, and his cousin, Kristin, is coming home from her boarding school in Norway to visit. Since she's been away she is a totally different person. When they were younger the two used to go out in the woods and play lots of fun games, but now she is always on her cell phone talking to her friends about girly stuff. When they used to hang out before they had just one rule: When one of them falls the other always comes back to help. But will it stay that way now?

Now they're facing the challenge of figuring out the mystery of their grandfather together. You'll just have to read the book to figure out the rest, but it's a great ride!

I would recommend this book to people who want to read a paranormal fantasy adventure. I certainly enjoyed reading THE FETCH, and I bet you will, too!

[Regina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I never finished this book...
I was probably two or three chapters from the end when it was due back to the library and I just didn't care enough about it to renew or plow through the last few pages.
I guess I was just uninterested in the characters and their lives. It is apparently part of a series and I realized I wasn't going to get the questions I wanted answered until the next book or maybe the one after that. They weren't exactly keeping me up at night so I have no desire to read more of this series. I think there was just too much going on. The protagonist spirit travels to different lives and times and it's all supposed to tie into who he is and what his life is like now. I would just start getting into this new character and dilemma when he would return to the present day and his present body, which wasn't all that intriguing. His cousin has some potential to be interesting but was relatively extraneous.
I really wanted to like it as the idea appeals to me - a teenage boy learns the art of shamanic spirit travelling through his fetch and begins to learn the runes. It's appealing to a Heathen like myself but just fell flat for me.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a tale of magic, horror and bloodshed. Fetch is a fantasic piece of teenage fiction and is brilliant for girls and boys who like history, like a thrill and most importantly can handle a death or two, or maybe three hehehehe. The chapters and short, sweet and full of drama, action, tension and mystery so there is no way you can stop reading until you finish it really. The plot was incredibly well thought out, the characters are not at all stereotypical, each unique and independent as teenage friends ending up on a adventure through time and around the planet. I loved the way Chris has portrayed one viking's experience of the Battle of Stamford Bridge, especially his depiction of Harald Hardrada happy to run with his men when pursued by Harold Godwineson and his army. The ending had a really big twist in it which had my fingers glued to the pages. It truly was a very big pleasure to read and I thoroughly enjoyed it and I believe anyone of any age would. It is a viking fantasy unlike any other I've read. I personally can't wait to get my hands on the sequel of this riveting trilogy.

[Hana Eka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ini novel seram.

Bukan dari cerita fiksinya tapi dari mitologi Nordik (Norse) yang melingkupinya. Terasa nyata dan akurat. Entahlah, tapi tulisan dalam novel ini membuat saya merinding. Sugesti? kemungkinan besar, ya.

Kalau dari sedikit curhat penulis sih, si penulis banyak melakukan riset. Ditambah lagi memang penulis sendiri berdarah Norwegia. Tentu tahu dongeng dan legenda dari para nenek moyang.

~ Hukum persamaan itu ada, terutama ritus pengorbanan dalam setiap tradisi Nordik.

[Neill Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inside his grandfather's old sea chest, Sky discovers some runestones and a journal. When his cousin, Kristin arrives, they explore the journal and the runestones combined with a ouija board and find themselves drawn into the lives of their Norse ancestors and time travel to fight a blood feud that is centuries old.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's so dark and unlike any book I've ever read. It keeps you on your toes with lots of unknown corners that light gets thrown to a little later in the book. Sky is a very typical boy, and you kinda feel that he too is getting caught up in the book as you, the reader, are also getting whirled into this world of the Norse.

[Sara · Rating 1 out of 5]

Maybe I didn't give it enough of a chance, but I followed my 50 page rule and it was difficult. I didn't connect with the main character and though it was interesting reading about runes, which are my hobby, I didn't get a good feel from the book about what it was all about.

[Livilovesbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely wonderful! Just the right amount of action, suspense, and darkness.

[Kitty · Rating 1 out of 5]

will not be reading any more of these.

[Harumichi Mizuki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ini adalah contoh Hero's Journey dengan trickster sebagai mentornya.

Awal plotnya dikisahkan sebagai sesuatu yang kabur. Tidak ada semacam "mari menyelamatkan dunia" seperti yang ada di novel-novel young adult fantasy yang lain. Semuanya dimulai dengan sesuatu yang sangat personal: menguak misteri leluhur dan jati diri.

Sky, baru saja pindah dari London ke suatu daerah pinggiran yang memiliki Kastil Ludlow (berarti nama daerahnya juga "Ludlow"?). Ia tidak terlalu cepat beradaptasi. Logat London dan dua alisnya yang nyaris tersambung jadi satu menjadi bahan bagi kawan-kawannya untuk mengerjainya. Tapi bukan di situ intinya. Tak ada adegan bullying yang berlebihan kecuali bahwa Sky dipanggil "SAM" (Satu Alis Mata, keren banget nih penerjemahannya. Aslinya apa, ya?).

Sam eh Sky ini punya kebiasaan tidur sambil berjalan dan dia sampai menjalani beberapa sesi dengan psikiater untuk mengatasinya. Sepertinya tidak terlalu berpengaruh. Dalam mimpi yang seolah melebur dengan kenyataan, Sky dihantui oleh sosok bertudung tanpa kepala. Suatu hari, sebuah peti milik kakeknya yang telah lama meninggalkan keluarga dan dipercaya meninggal, dikirimkan ke rumahnya.

Sang Kakek yang bernama Sigurd ini adalah seorang pelaut. Ibu Sky, Sonja, bercerita bahwa Sky sangat mirip dengan Sigurd. Ibunya juga bercerita bahwa Sky dulu lahir dengan membran menutupi wajahnya hingga nyaris mati sesak. Kakeknya pun mengalami hal yang sama. Orang-orang yang lahir dengan membran menutupi wajah ini dipercaya memiliki kemampuan sebagai cenayang.

Keajaiban misterius dalam novel ini pun disajikan satu demi satu secara perlahan. Yang pertama, Sky datang terlambat ke sekolah, tapi ia lalu melihat sesosok anak yang mirip dengan dirinya berlari di depan dan menghilang. Semua guru dan temannya berkata bahwa Sky sudah ada di kelas sejak pagi. Padahal, saat itu Sky masih menumpang di mobil orang (hitchhiking) untuk berangkat ke sekolah. Buku catatannya pun terisi catatan pelajaran yang tak pernah ia tulis sendiri sebelumnya. Lalu ia bertemu dengan rubah yang bisa bicara. Menemukan jurnal dan batu-batu rune kakeknya. Salah satu rune bersinar dan menempel di jarinya dengan sangat kuat dan syal cerpelai kakeknya tiba-tiba bisa bicara. Maka semakin yakinlah kita bahwa ini bukan novel soal kehidupan sehari-hari remaja biasa.

Sky lalu mendengar dari ibunya bahwa Sigurd dulu juga punya kemampuan cenayang. Saat bekerja di kapal, ia bertemu dengan rekannya yang gemetar karena baru saja berjalan dengan Sigurd ke dek atas. Jadi siapa orang mirip Sigurd yang berjalan bersama rekannya? Sky langsung teringat kejadian di sekolah. Dari orangtuanya juga ia mendengar konsep hamr atau fetch, duplikat kembaran manusia yang dipercaya bisa melintasi waktu, dimensi, bahkan berubah jadi hewan. Yang dimaksud itu khadam, ya? Menarik, baru tahu kalau orang Eropa juga punya konsep seperti ini.

Dengan bantuan Kristin, sepupu yang tadinya bersikap menyebalkan, Sky pun belajar melintasi dimensi dengan astral projection. Semua dimulai dengan permainan iseng papan Ouija untuk memanggil roh Sigurd... yang lalu beneran datang. Setelah itu Sky pun kehilangan kesadaran dan bertemu dengan roh kakeknya yang menyuruhnya melakukan perjalanan untuk mengenali para leluhurnya. Kejadian ini akhirnya membuat Sky dan Kristin kompak kembali.

Maka Sky pun melihat bahkan merasakan sendiri kehidupan seorang leluhurnya, Bjorn, yang pernah bertempur di pihak raja Harald Hardradra saat menyerang Inggris yang dipimpin Raja Godwineson dalam pertempuran Stamford Bridge. Ia merasakan masa ketika Bjorn hampir mati dan akhirnya merasakan kematian yang sebenarnya. Bagian ini sebenarnya buatku agak membosankan, sih. Tapi penting untuk pemahaman cerita. Karena dari merasakan kehidupan leluhurnya inilah Sky jadi tahu cara untuk bertarung yang sebenarnya. Sky juga akhirnya tahu siapa sosok bertudung tanpa kepala yang menghantui mimpi serta kenyataannya. Draug, mayat hidup. Orang Viking yang entah bagaimana tidak bisa menyentuh Valhalla setelah meninggal.

Sesuai petunjuk roh kakeknya, Sky dan Kristin melakukan perjalanan ke Norwegia untuk melacak barang peninggalan Sigurd di makamnya yang terletak di kawasan gunung Jotunheim. Motivasi Sky adalah karena ia iba dan ingin bisa belajar untuk mengembalikan Draug ke alamnya. Dan di sanalah Sky serta Kristin menghadapi kenyataan mengejutkan.

Novel ini terasa mengerikan dan memikat di waktu yang bersamaan. Jenis kengerian yang merayap pelan-pelan dan mencekik dalam kegelapan. Aku jadi ingin segera baca dua buku lanjutannya.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book many years ago, and when I finished I was so weirded out by it that I decided that I didn't know when I was going to read the next two. I finally picked it up again to try to finish the trilogy and yeah, I can see where it weirded me out. But honestly it's in no way a bad book. I think others have said that the past parts are more interesting, and yeah. I like those more too, but overall I'm actually excited to see where the story goes and ends.

[Desiana Putri]

Entertaining:))))

[Sarah]

I did not finish this book. I stopped around page 90 or so and just lost interest in this book.. I also fell into a reading slump.

It's possible I'll pick up the book later on when I have more time. I'm either reading very slow or the pacing is very slow...

[Zack · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book itself was a great book, and I have found myself reading it over more than once for the simple fact that the plot was very easy to enjoy. The characters are relateable, the topic is interesting, the idea of runestones acting as magical gateways to the past is utterly fascinating. I have read the series over many times, and recommended it to many of my peers. While the writing is a tad bit immature at the start, I notice that the writing style matured as the main character did, and I believe it to be an astounding new literary device that could find it's way into many more novels.

[Laurel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heaven's above! I loved this book! Chris Humphreys you give me hope! This man writes in the same style that I do and it is great to know that these kinds of books get published and enjoyed by millions! It had an intriguing and well-researched plot, engaging characters, and was seriously creepy. Who could ask for more?

[Selvianty Yusuf · Rating 2 out of 5]

yang bilang buku ini bagus, sini gue colok matanya pake elder wand nya harry potter. BIASA aja. merujuk to BORING. tapi mungkin karena ini buku pertama, belum ada gregetnya. Caranya melukiskan tindakan atau perasaan si peran utama tidak memuaskan saya dan kadang malah bingung. Atau itu karena terjemahannya yang... euleh-euleh? So dua bintang saja cukup. Namun saya akan tetap membaca lanjutannya.

[Cherish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Apparently Norse culture is something I am infatuated with at the moment as I am watching "Vikings" on The History Channel and have read Raven Boys (about teens trying to find Valhalla) and now this series. I thoroughly enjoyed the runes and historical points in this book as I happen to own an old hardback book on runes, myself.

[Kaze · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entrancing and entertaining. This book was informative, and explained parts such as the runes clearly enough that people just learning about them could follow along with out any problems. Truly worth the read.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this in less than a day and loved every minute of it. I would have loved it even more if I'd read it in my teens when I was obsessed by runes, Vikings, shape-shifting, magic and death.

Did I tell you it has Vikings in it? What more could you want?

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was pretty good at the beginning, but then it got a bit too weird to be really great at the end. Worth a read, but maybe not on the "Top Five Books Ever Written" list.

[Jami · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great! A bit of a dark twist on the Rune (to my interpratation.) But still worth the read.

[Jekloneo · Rating 5 out of 5]

90/100

[Shannara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book taught me so much of the Viking livelyhood. It was fascinating, twisting and a very good read.

[Zen · Rating 1 out of 5]

The main character was boring and the plot dragged.

[Savita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this!

[Anna C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad. Di ending buku rada kaget juga saat kebenaran terungkap secara perlahan-lahan...

[Sareh · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was kinda creepy but really interesting. I'm not exactly sure how to describe it. But the whole idea of a "fetch" is really cool.