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Sagas of the Fleshed Lands
A Reckless Courage
Åslaug Grímrsdóttir, a former priestess of the sisterhood, and Örvar Haakonsson, a former drengr of the Krärkar shieldwall are happily living a peaceful new life on their farm. Until the Gods decide to test both short-lived, by weaving their fates into new paths.
Fates woven, hearts broken, life is given and life is taken. The time has come, for A Reckless Courage.
Fates woven, hearts broken, life is given and life is taken. The time has come, for A Reckless Courage.
112 pages, Paperback
First published July 7, 2024
35 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 21, 2024
4.5/5 Stars Rounded to 5 Stars
I received an eARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
An emotionally evocative tale of fate and a reckless courage in the face of adversity. S.K. Putt delivers a gut punching story that doesn’t skimp on action in an immersive world.
This Norse inspired fantasy follows a married couple living a peaceful life until the Gods decide to test them. I always appreciate when an author takes the time to showcase a genuine relationship between couples, through the highs and lows of it all. As we follow Åslaug and Örvar through a devastating time in their lives, S.K. Putt executes their relationship skillfully.
As much as my heart aches, I love that the author didn’t hold back on any of the emotional gut punches within this novella, creating a richly human story. Even more impressive is the mixture of thoughtful character arcs, enthralling action, immersive world and loveable cast, all balanced throughout this saga.
I can’t forget to mention the prose, blending a direct and poetic style. This gave a deeper insight into the characters and expressed brutal scenes with a thoughtful beauty.
A Reckless Courage left me wanting more from S.K. Putt and I look forward to reading Kinslayer next. With this being a novella at 112 pages, it’s a bingeable read for any Norse fantasy reader out there.
I received an eARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
An emotionally evocative tale of fate and a reckless courage in the face of adversity. S.K. Putt delivers a gut punching story that doesn’t skimp on action in an immersive world.
This Norse inspired fantasy follows a married couple living a peaceful life until the Gods decide to test them. I always appreciate when an author takes the time to showcase a genuine relationship between couples, through the highs and lows of it all. As we follow Åslaug and Örvar through a devastating time in their lives, S.K. Putt executes their relationship skillfully.
As much as my heart aches, I love that the author didn’t hold back on any of the emotional gut punches within this novella, creating a richly human story. Even more impressive is the mixture of thoughtful character arcs, enthralling action, immersive world and loveable cast, all balanced throughout this saga.
I can’t forget to mention the prose, blending a direct and poetic style. This gave a deeper insight into the characters and expressed brutal scenes with a thoughtful beauty.
A Reckless Courage left me wanting more from S.K. Putt and I look forward to reading Kinslayer next. With this being a novella at 112 pages, it’s a bingeable read for any Norse fantasy reader out there.
August 26, 2024
This review was originally published on Before We Go Blog
3.5 stars
Set in an immersively epic Norse-inspired world, A Reckless Courage is a deeply intimate and character-driven tale of love, parenthood, loss, addiction, redemption and healing that will leave you wanting more.
Even though this is a prequel novella set in the existing world of the Sagas of the Fleshed Lands, I personally felt like Putt does a magnificent job of easing new readers into this intriguing world with its rich culture and lore. The scope of this story might be very small and intimate, but from the very first chapter, the epicness just bleeds off the page.
Putt really goes all out in A Reckless Courage, both in terms of world building and in terms of tackling heavy and emotionally sensitive topics. The core of this story is the complex yet heartfelt relationship between the former priestess Åslaug Grímrsdóttir and former shieldwall warrior Örvar Haakonsson, who are both tested beyond belief when the Gods bring the most terrible tragedy upon them.
Now, while I admire Putt for depicting their grieving process, emotional turmoil and interpersonal struggles in such a brutally raw, messy and honest way, I do have to admit that most of the emotional gut punches didn’t totally land for me. Whether it was the limited pagecount, the multiple time jumps, the slightly stiff dialogue, or simply he fact that my lived experience as 22-year-old woman with no child wish is so different from these characters, there was something about the storytelling in A Reckless Courage that just kept me at an emotional distance.
That said, I really enjoyed how the world opened up slightly as they both reconnected with their past lives they thought they had left behind for good. Especially the camaraderie between Örvar and his warrior brethren and the heartfelt dynamic between Åslaug and her sister (who is the true MVP in my eyes) really pulled me in, which ultimately increased the personal stakes for me and made up for some of my lack of emotional investment. Not to mention the subtly mystical hints of divine meddling in both of their lives, which added such a riveting air of tension and intrigue to the narrative that completely entranced me.
If this is what Putt can deliver in a novella, then I am very intrigued to check out what he has pulled off in Kinslayer, book 1 in the Sagas of the Fleshed Lands. In turns darkly tragic and inspiringly hopeful, A Reckless Courage is a chracter-driven yet action-packed prequel novella perfect for fans of John Gwynne’s The Shadow of the Gods and M.L. Wang’s The Sword of Kaigen.
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
3.5 stars
Set in an immersively epic Norse-inspired world, A Reckless Courage is a deeply intimate and character-driven tale of love, parenthood, loss, addiction, redemption and healing that will leave you wanting more.
Even though this is a prequel novella set in the existing world of the Sagas of the Fleshed Lands, I personally felt like Putt does a magnificent job of easing new readers into this intriguing world with its rich culture and lore. The scope of this story might be very small and intimate, but from the very first chapter, the epicness just bleeds off the page.
Putt really goes all out in A Reckless Courage, both in terms of world building and in terms of tackling heavy and emotionally sensitive topics. The core of this story is the complex yet heartfelt relationship between the former priestess Åslaug Grímrsdóttir and former shieldwall warrior Örvar Haakonsson, who are both tested beyond belief when the Gods bring the most terrible tragedy upon them.
Now, while I admire Putt for depicting their grieving process, emotional turmoil and interpersonal struggles in such a brutally raw, messy and honest way, I do have to admit that most of the emotional gut punches didn’t totally land for me. Whether it was the limited pagecount, the multiple time jumps, the slightly stiff dialogue, or simply he fact that my lived experience as 22-year-old woman with no child wish is so different from these characters, there was something about the storytelling in A Reckless Courage that just kept me at an emotional distance.
That said, I really enjoyed how the world opened up slightly as they both reconnected with their past lives they thought they had left behind for good. Especially the camaraderie between Örvar and his warrior brethren and the heartfelt dynamic between Åslaug and her sister (who is the true MVP in my eyes) really pulled me in, which ultimately increased the personal stakes for me and made up for some of my lack of emotional investment. Not to mention the subtly mystical hints of divine meddling in both of their lives, which added such a riveting air of tension and intrigue to the narrative that completely entranced me.
If this is what Putt can deliver in a novella, then I am very intrigued to check out what he has pulled off in Kinslayer, book 1 in the Sagas of the Fleshed Lands. In turns darkly tragic and inspiringly hopeful, A Reckless Courage is a chracter-driven yet action-packed prequel novella perfect for fans of John Gwynne’s The Shadow of the Gods and M.L. Wang’s The Sword of Kaigen.
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
November 22, 2024
Before I begin this review, I’d like to throw a huge thankyou to S. K. Putt for providing me with a signed copy of his novella: A Reckless Courage. This is the second story I’ve read from the author – the first being the Kinslayer – and the second time exploring this viking-inspired world Putt has created. From my read of the Kinslayer, my favourite part about Putt’s writing was his worldbuilding, and I have to say that despite this book coming in the form of a novella, the world-building only gets even more dense and is told in such a natural way. I can really see the effort the author went to in his research, particularly for things related to Norse culture such as rune creation, character dialogue, gods/goddesses and setting detail.
Though where the Kinslayer was a grand epic with multiple POV characters and LOTS happening, A Reckless Courage was much more focused in scope, and I think this narrowed focus really allowed Putt’s writing to shine. Here we follow our main character Örvar and his wife Åslaug. The story follows the trope of the old retired war veteran trying to live his life after war. He and his wife have their word torn apart when a tragic miscarriage stills their newborn child. Örvar then, unable to cope, turns to heavy drink to pass the days. This then places a great amount of tension on their marriage. The story expands from there, and we are thrown into a wild tale of loss, addiction, redemption and healing that really packs an emotional punch, especially if you have (or you know someone who has) experienced a similar ordeal in their own life.
Despite the focus on delivering a character-driven novella, the story does still contain a good deal of fighting/battle scenes that will appease those seeking to fill that John Gwynne gap in their lives after completing the Bloodsworn trilogy. There are plenty of viking gods, shield-wall battles, some light magic and tons of viking culture to explore, and I have no doubt there will be more to come as the story continues to expand!
Though where the Kinslayer was a grand epic with multiple POV characters and LOTS happening, A Reckless Courage was much more focused in scope, and I think this narrowed focus really allowed Putt’s writing to shine. Here we follow our main character Örvar and his wife Åslaug. The story follows the trope of the old retired war veteran trying to live his life after war. He and his wife have their word torn apart when a tragic miscarriage stills their newborn child. Örvar then, unable to cope, turns to heavy drink to pass the days. This then places a great amount of tension on their marriage. The story expands from there, and we are thrown into a wild tale of loss, addiction, redemption and healing that really packs an emotional punch, especially if you have (or you know someone who has) experienced a similar ordeal in their own life.
Despite the focus on delivering a character-driven novella, the story does still contain a good deal of fighting/battle scenes that will appease those seeking to fill that John Gwynne gap in their lives after completing the Bloodsworn trilogy. There are plenty of viking gods, shield-wall battles, some light magic and tons of viking culture to explore, and I have no doubt there will be more to come as the story continues to expand!
June 13, 2024
** I would like to thank the author, who sent me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. **
An emotionally charged and intensely human story, A RECKLESS COURAGE is a brutal return to the world first established in THE KINSLAYER, which I also really enjoyed. This new instalment was more character-driven, which I thought was a wonderful change of pace, and I loved seeing the world and its lore expand. Putt has an honest, ruthless writing that both knows how to weave a tale and also get to the dark, fiery heart of the story. I would have liked a bit more expansion in some areas, mainly a deeper connection to the main character, but this didn’t bear too harshly on my enjoyment of my read.
An emotionally charged and intensely human story, A RECKLESS COURAGE is a brutal return to the world first established in THE KINSLAYER, which I also really enjoyed. This new instalment was more character-driven, which I thought was a wonderful change of pace, and I loved seeing the world and its lore expand. Putt has an honest, ruthless writing that both knows how to weave a tale and also get to the dark, fiery heart of the story. I would have liked a bit more expansion in some areas, mainly a deeper connection to the main character, but this didn’t bear too harshly on my enjoyment of my read.
January 21, 2025
What a novella. Full review to come @SFF Insiders, but let me just say: this is your next Norse-inspired fantasy read.
June 21, 2024
**I was provided a free copy ARC in exchange for an honest review**
Putt's second piece is a lovely novella that is completely immersive. Putt has prioritised characters in this story, with the Norse overlay sitting as a backdrop that doesn't interrupt the story, but supports it. I love the deep emotional levels that Putt was able to take us through in a limited amount of pages. The novella explores themes of relationships, addiction, loss and redemption with a Norse/Viking overlay and is a great little read.
Putt's second piece is a lovely novella that is completely immersive. Putt has prioritised characters in this story, with the Norse overlay sitting as a backdrop that doesn't interrupt the story, but supports it. I love the deep emotional levels that Putt was able to take us through in a limited amount of pages. The novella explores themes of relationships, addiction, loss and redemption with a Norse/Viking overlay and is a great little read.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews