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The Valhalla Saga #3
Path of Gods
Reunited, Audun and Ulfar have a new sense of purpose: to ensure that the North remains in the hands of those who hold with the old gods. To do this, they must defeat the people who seek to destroy all they have ever known with the new White Christ. But these are powerful enemies and if they have any chance of victory, they must find equally powerful allies.
In Trondheim, King Olav, self-appointed champion of the White Christ, finds that keeping the peace is a much harder test of his faith than winning the war. With his garrison halved and local chieftains at his table who wish him nothing but ill, the king must decide how and where to spread the word of his god.
And in the North, touched by the trickster god, something old, malevolent and very, very angry stirs…
In Trondheim, King Olav, self-appointed champion of the White Christ, finds that keeping the peace is a much harder test of his faith than winning the war. With his garrison halved and local chieftains at his table who wish him nothing but ill, the king must decide how and where to spread the word of his god.
And in the North, touched by the trickster god, something old, malevolent and very, very angry stirs…
304 pages, Hardcover
First published July 2, 2015
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November 19, 2025Finished!
Snorri can turn out a nice line or two.
"the silence spread like blood on a stone"
"His mouth moved, and old words snuck back into the world on a whisper."
"sharp noises of metal on metal skipping across the sea like flat stones on a lake"
One thing I hadn't properly understood until this third book when I quizzed the author is quite how tightly the bones of the story are bound to historical reference (or at least saga reference). Even lines of dialogue are lifted from the thirteenth century accounts of the author's namesake Snorri Sturluson. At one point an archer's bow breaks and he says (something like) "that was the sound of Norway breaking in your hands" which comes from the historical sources. Probably the guy said "bugger" and Sturluson dressed it up two centuries later.
As with the previous book this volume should:
i) be read by someone with a much better memory than me
or
ii) be read immediately after the previous volumes
or
iii) should have a catch-up section
I feel the fault is with me but quite a lot of the time I was a bit confused as to who X was and what his relation to Y was. The roll call is quite large.
One big strength of the tale is the skill with which the landscape, season, and atmosphere are portrayed. If you've ever wondered what it would be like to be cold, wet, and miserable in a Norwegian forest ... now you know!
There are also plenty of battle scenes. Axes are swung, arrows shot, blood spilled. It's entertaining stuff.
The magic content has been ramping up over the trilogy and reaches a peak in the final volume. There are blue-blooded trolls from the get go, and Audun and Ulfar continue their journey toward their destiny.
True to the book's name the gods feature heavily and things come to be Ragnarokish head on the book's final battlefield.
With so many characters, so much action, and a cinematic tendency to swap point of view character in chapter the books stand more on plot, action, and atmosphere than on character. There's plenty of entertaining Norse dialogue but it's the banter of men at war and I never found myself particularly attached to any given character.
All in all it's a fitting conclusion to the trilogy and a refreshing dose of Norse adventure!
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Join my 3-emails-a-year newsletter #prizes
...
Snorri can turn out a nice line or two.
"the silence spread like blood on a stone"
"His mouth moved, and old words snuck back into the world on a whisper."
"sharp noises of metal on metal skipping across the sea like flat stones on a lake"
One thing I hadn't properly understood until this third book when I quizzed the author is quite how tightly the bones of the story are bound to historical reference (or at least saga reference). Even lines of dialogue are lifted from the thirteenth century accounts of the author's namesake Snorri Sturluson. At one point an archer's bow breaks and he says (something like) "that was the sound of Norway breaking in your hands" which comes from the historical sources. Probably the guy said "bugger" and Sturluson dressed it up two centuries later.
As with the previous book this volume should:
i) be read by someone with a much better memory than me
or
ii) be read immediately after the previous volumes
or
iii) should have a catch-up section
I feel the fault is with me but quite a lot of the time I was a bit confused as to who X was and what his relation to Y was. The roll call is quite large.
One big strength of the tale is the skill with which the landscape, season, and atmosphere are portrayed. If you've ever wondered what it would be like to be cold, wet, and miserable in a Norwegian forest ... now you know!
There are also plenty of battle scenes. Axes are swung, arrows shot, blood spilled. It's entertaining stuff.
The magic content has been ramping up over the trilogy and reaches a peak in the final volume. There are blue-blooded trolls from the get go, and Audun and Ulfar continue their journey toward their destiny.
True to the book's name the gods feature heavily and things come to be Ragnarokish head on the book's final battlefield.
With so many characters, so much action, and a cinematic tendency to swap point of view character in chapter the books stand more on plot, action, and atmosphere than on character. There's plenty of entertaining Norse dialogue but it's the banter of men at war and I never found myself particularly attached to any given character.
All in all it's a fitting conclusion to the trilogy and a refreshing dose of Norse adventure!
Join my Patreon
Join my 3-emails-a-year newsletter #prizes
...
March 24, 2017
Firstly some of the trials & tribulations of getting hold of this!! Been “on hold” “missing” “lost” “recovered” “loaned out to two other people first after recovered..... but hey Ive been On-hold since October & No.1 in the queue” This better be good!!
Oh dear..... I think the Old Gods were trying to tell me something with all the delays........
The first few chapters which eventually turns into the 50% mark you are assaulted by an assortment of characters some of which I’m sure are appearing for the first time as I surely don’t recognise all of them..... worse still all they seem to do is be walking North...... OR walking South..... OR sitting in their long halls....... Nothing really happens...... they have no real character either...... its all very dreary & I find myself just looking at words on a page willing this slog to end..... whats happened? Who kidnapped Snorri Kristjansson & what have you done with him?
I did really enjoy the first 2 books in the trilogy...... 1 star..... never been so bored with a book
Oh dear..... I think the Old Gods were trying to tell me something with all the delays........
The first few chapters which eventually turns into the 50% mark you are assaulted by an assortment of characters some of which I’m sure are appearing for the first time as I surely don’t recognise all of them..... worse still all they seem to do is be walking North...... OR walking South..... OR sitting in their long halls....... Nothing really happens...... they have no real character either...... its all very dreary & I find myself just looking at words on a page willing this slog to end..... whats happened? Who kidnapped Snorri Kristjansson & what have you done with him?
I did really enjoy the first 2 books in the trilogy...... 1 star..... never been so bored with a book
March 24, 2021
An exciting and action packed end to what's been a smart little trilogy. Really liked the twist at the end and I'll definitely be checking out what else Snorri has to offer. Recommended.
June 23, 2015
Originally posted at: http://thebookplank.blogspot.com/2015...
And so we are brought to the third story in the awesome The Vahalla Saga. Snorri Kristjansson managed to completely win me over with his debut Swords of Good Men, which was also my first Jo Fletcher title I reviewed (it must have been destiny), and last year with the sequel Blood will Follow he managed to astound me once again. The sequel was a bit different in tone but even more amazing with what Snorri Kristjansson introduced, that mythical part! Wow. Though the hints were obscure, if you know some of the Norse pantheon lore, you could make out the direction of the story in the big lines, Snorri Kristjansson kept enough material behind to keep you guessing and wondering. And now everything will be revealed in Path of Gods.
Path of Gods picks up in the best, most amazing and awesome way. I am a big fan of the Norse mythology and not only because Marvel The Avengers, different pantheons have always intrigued me. And so, the prologue of Path of Gods got me really excited for the latter of the book because BAM! Yes a deity reveal. This only confirmed what I was thinking. Anyway, the story continues the journey of Ulfar Thormodsson and Audun Arngrimsson, they have already been through a lot, from their encounter in Stenvik and the supernatural dealings in the second book. Now they have regrouped and have one specific goal in mind, to make sure that the lands they live in stays in the hands of the right people who still believe in their gods. King Olav Tryggvasson started a crusade in Swords of Good Men, a crusade to force the Christian believe on the people of Norway and Sweden. If you didn't comply on the first go you would be persuaded in a nasty way and if you still didn't commit to this new believe you would be killed. King Olav has marched his way from Stenvik all the way to Trondheim, "convincing" people for his White Christ cause. But it comes at a price as King Olav now established in Trondheim has a difficult task of keeping everyone happy, so far that people are planning against King Olav... So now King Olav is facing problems within his own council as well as from the south. Now this might sound like simple story but it is far from it. As in both the case of Ulfar and Audun and King Olav there are plans, counter plans and back stabbing. Ulfar, Audun and the people of Stenvik have to make new alliances, put their trust in untrustworthy people to gain a force strong enough to even dare to face. There is for the reader a cherry on top of it all, the part where Snorri Kristjansson finally drops the mythical bomb on us. Yes, there are some meddlesome characters of the Norse Pantheon. Beware spoiler: Loki and Thor and Odin make the most important introductions here. The way that Snorri Kristjansson introduced them into the story was just brilliant stuff, with a hint here and there and then you slowly put the pieces together for a bigger picture. As the story picks up more and more speed, there was a big reveal on page 280 which put the biggest smile on my face that I had for a long time, that scene just i don't know what to say. The ending left me just as speechless, I can only say that this is the type of book and series that will make an authors career skyrocket.
Just as with the other books in the series Snorri Kristjansson writes solid, I mentioned that in the first book some scenes were a bit chaotic and in the sequel and again in this book Snorri Kristjansson has corrected this error and produced a very clear and addictive read that will have you hooked from the first prologue. What was for me noticeable is Snorri Kristjansson's writing style, it's for me in the lines of, you either like my stories or you don't, he writes with a confidence that it is his story and you have to accept it, somethings are bold but they work very well.
As for the characters of the Path of Gods, the focus has always been on Ulfar and Audun from their first introduction in Swords of Good Men, where Ulfar arrived in the town of Stenvik and the blacksmith with a story Audun who eventually wound up figthing against Viking raiders and having to rely on each other. They have gone through a lot and this is clearly noticeable in the growth that Snorri Kristjansson shows in their characters. If you compare Ulfar from the first book, a rookie, to what he has finally become in Path of Gods, it's amazing. He has gone through a tremendous transformation. Now you might become hesitant when I say tremendous transformation, but don't, the transformation that Ulfar goes through is all on the screen. You see how he is changed and it is not erratic, it's natural by events that he encounters and it comes to show that you just can't mess with a god. The same counts for Audun, though he already has a background to start with, the scenes where you see him are just as with Ulfar, he was destined. I so want to scream what happens to them but I won't. It is costing me discipline though. I think you will be amazed with what Snorri Kristjansson does to these two character, utterly amazed.
As for King Olav another important character in the series. I started to like him, like him in failing his goals. From the start King Olav has been a bastard and his ways of "convincing'" people. Well it wasn't convincing too be honest. I really like to see him fail in his quest and how he has to flee and regroup, which also didn't really work out. Olav is one of the bad guys in the story and I am always a big fan when you see the antagonist story. It gives much flavor in seeing the actions and reaction, the fact that Snorri Kristjansson devotes from the start a lot of time on Olav and his cause only pays off in the long run.
All in all Path of Gods is the finisher the series deserved, in every aspect Snorri Kristjansson improved his story telling and writing. The book features a lot of diversity when it comes to what happens, from action packed scenes down to a more easy steady pace when fronts had to regroup to some boisterous partying in between people and of course the revealing of the meddling affairs of a certain god and how the others react. When I first started reading Swords of Good Men I had never had dared to think in my wildest imagination that the story would go into this direction, but along the way Snorri Kristjansson kept on shaping and changing the story bit by bit carving a path in the good direction. It might be a bold statement, but The Valhalla Saga with Swords of Good Men, Blood Will Follow and Path of Gods, have definitely marked Snorri Kristjansson as an author to watch. Make sure you are at the front to see with what he will come up with next. I sure will be.
And so we are brought to the third story in the awesome The Vahalla Saga. Snorri Kristjansson managed to completely win me over with his debut Swords of Good Men, which was also my first Jo Fletcher title I reviewed (it must have been destiny), and last year with the sequel Blood will Follow he managed to astound me once again. The sequel was a bit different in tone but even more amazing with what Snorri Kristjansson introduced, that mythical part! Wow. Though the hints were obscure, if you know some of the Norse pantheon lore, you could make out the direction of the story in the big lines, Snorri Kristjansson kept enough material behind to keep you guessing and wondering. And now everything will be revealed in Path of Gods.
Path of Gods picks up in the best, most amazing and awesome way. I am a big fan of the Norse mythology and not only because Marvel The Avengers, different pantheons have always intrigued me. And so, the prologue of Path of Gods got me really excited for the latter of the book because BAM! Yes a deity reveal. This only confirmed what I was thinking. Anyway, the story continues the journey of Ulfar Thormodsson and Audun Arngrimsson, they have already been through a lot, from their encounter in Stenvik and the supernatural dealings in the second book. Now they have regrouped and have one specific goal in mind, to make sure that the lands they live in stays in the hands of the right people who still believe in their gods. King Olav Tryggvasson started a crusade in Swords of Good Men, a crusade to force the Christian believe on the people of Norway and Sweden. If you didn't comply on the first go you would be persuaded in a nasty way and if you still didn't commit to this new believe you would be killed. King Olav has marched his way from Stenvik all the way to Trondheim, "convincing" people for his White Christ cause. But it comes at a price as King Olav now established in Trondheim has a difficult task of keeping everyone happy, so far that people are planning against King Olav... So now King Olav is facing problems within his own council as well as from the south. Now this might sound like simple story but it is far from it. As in both the case of Ulfar and Audun and King Olav there are plans, counter plans and back stabbing. Ulfar, Audun and the people of Stenvik have to make new alliances, put their trust in untrustworthy people to gain a force strong enough to even dare to face. There is for the reader a cherry on top of it all, the part where Snorri Kristjansson finally drops the mythical bomb on us. Yes, there are some meddlesome characters of the Norse Pantheon. Beware spoiler: Loki and Thor and Odin make the most important introductions here. The way that Snorri Kristjansson introduced them into the story was just brilliant stuff, with a hint here and there and then you slowly put the pieces together for a bigger picture. As the story picks up more and more speed, there was a big reveal on page 280 which put the biggest smile on my face that I had for a long time, that scene just i don't know what to say. The ending left me just as speechless, I can only say that this is the type of book and series that will make an authors career skyrocket.
Just as with the other books in the series Snorri Kristjansson writes solid, I mentioned that in the first book some scenes were a bit chaotic and in the sequel and again in this book Snorri Kristjansson has corrected this error and produced a very clear and addictive read that will have you hooked from the first prologue. What was for me noticeable is Snorri Kristjansson's writing style, it's for me in the lines of, you either like my stories or you don't, he writes with a confidence that it is his story and you have to accept it, somethings are bold but they work very well.
As for the characters of the Path of Gods, the focus has always been on Ulfar and Audun from their first introduction in Swords of Good Men, where Ulfar arrived in the town of Stenvik and the blacksmith with a story Audun who eventually wound up figthing against Viking raiders and having to rely on each other. They have gone through a lot and this is clearly noticeable in the growth that Snorri Kristjansson shows in their characters. If you compare Ulfar from the first book, a rookie, to what he has finally become in Path of Gods, it's amazing. He has gone through a tremendous transformation. Now you might become hesitant when I say tremendous transformation, but don't, the transformation that Ulfar goes through is all on the screen. You see how he is changed and it is not erratic, it's natural by events that he encounters and it comes to show that you just can't mess with a god. The same counts for Audun, though he already has a background to start with, the scenes where you see him are just as with Ulfar, he was destined. I so want to scream what happens to them but I won't. It is costing me discipline though. I think you will be amazed with what Snorri Kristjansson does to these two character, utterly amazed.
As for King Olav another important character in the series. I started to like him, like him in failing his goals. From the start King Olav has been a bastard and his ways of "convincing'" people. Well it wasn't convincing too be honest. I really like to see him fail in his quest and how he has to flee and regroup, which also didn't really work out. Olav is one of the bad guys in the story and I am always a big fan when you see the antagonist story. It gives much flavor in seeing the actions and reaction, the fact that Snorri Kristjansson devotes from the start a lot of time on Olav and his cause only pays off in the long run.
All in all Path of Gods is the finisher the series deserved, in every aspect Snorri Kristjansson improved his story telling and writing. The book features a lot of diversity when it comes to what happens, from action packed scenes down to a more easy steady pace when fronts had to regroup to some boisterous partying in between people and of course the revealing of the meddling affairs of a certain god and how the others react. When I first started reading Swords of Good Men I had never had dared to think in my wildest imagination that the story would go into this direction, but along the way Snorri Kristjansson kept on shaping and changing the story bit by bit carving a path in the good direction. It might be a bold statement, but The Valhalla Saga with Swords of Good Men, Blood Will Follow and Path of Gods, have definitely marked Snorri Kristjansson as an author to watch. Make sure you are at the front to see with what he will come up with next. I sure will be.
August 27, 2015
I think this one was the best of the series. I read it in a day, it felt so light. Just like it should. Many historical books put in useless facts that drags down the book. Here he balanced it well, I felt like I was there, and then he mixed it with mythology and made it believable.
Audun and Ulfar are back together. They are still immortal, and they know that things are happening. A big showdown is coming.
First we have King Olav, arghh he made me so mad! So raping women who do not believe in Christ is ok. You are going down Olav, you and your religion! I kept waiting for ships to sail...if you catch my meaning... *whistles*
But then we have the dark evil parts. Loki has a willing pawn who wants to start Ragnarrök. And that is not really ok. There is a lot of darkness going on there. You are going down Loki!
As you can see our two heroes who are not really heroes, just men, have their job cut out for them. Armies are marching. Trolls are coming. Loki is laughing and the Gods are watching.
I used to read a lot of his fic set around this time, but ever since I started reading in English not so much. A shame really, it's always interesting. It's fun, and this book is a mix of fiction and mythology. A great mix that works. gy. A great mix that works.
Audun and Ulfar are back together. They are still immortal, and they know that things are happening. A big showdown is coming.
First we have King Olav, arghh he made me so mad! So raping women who do not believe in Christ is ok. You are going down Olav, you and your religion! I kept waiting for ships to sail...if you catch my meaning... *whistles*
But then we have the dark evil parts. Loki has a willing pawn who wants to start Ragnarrök. And that is not really ok. There is a lot of darkness going on there. You are going down Loki!
As you can see our two heroes who are not really heroes, just men, have their job cut out for them. Armies are marching. Trolls are coming. Loki is laughing and the Gods are watching.
I used to read a lot of his fic set around this time, but ever since I started reading in English not so much. A shame really, it's always interesting. It's fun, and this book is a mix of fiction and mythology. A great mix that works. gy. A great mix that works.
February 28, 2017
A perfect ending to the Valhalla saga.
If you are still reading by book three of a trilogy the chances are you are going to like the ending and be forgiving of any let downs or untidiness in the completion of the story. There is nothing at all requiring that understanding the book is beautifully written with lots of thought provoking side plot twists and builds to it's inevitable ending in a manner that surprised me even with only a few pages to go. I am sad to see the back of these books and will re-read them in a year or so as a complete run and hope Mr.Kristjansson will provide many more tales of this calibre.
If you are still reading by book three of a trilogy the chances are you are going to like the ending and be forgiving of any let downs or untidiness in the completion of the story. There is nothing at all requiring that understanding the book is beautifully written with lots of thought provoking side plot twists and builds to it's inevitable ending in a manner that surprised me even with only a few pages to go. I am sad to see the back of these books and will re-read them in a year or so as a complete run and hope Mr.Kristjansson will provide many more tales of this calibre.
December 30, 2017
I took quite a large break between reading the second book and starting the third. That might have been part of my problem. I liked some parts just fine. I just didn’t really love any of it. It built up all this anticipation for this big fight between a few of the main characters and then just ended. I really would have enjoyed being a witness to that fight. It made it quite anticlimactic for me.
March 1, 2020
A good ending to the saga. But not as good as the Sigurd and Raven series by Giles Kristian.
October 18, 2016
Absolutely bloody brilliant! Great characters, superb action, amazing battles and sparkling dialogue. Combined with a cleverly and well crafted plot that is full of surprises and a good dash of humour. A fine and fitting end for all involved, some remarkable plot twists that neatly bring the characters and storyline full circle with great storytelling. This final book was packed full of Norse mythical references and I was especially impressed with the introduction of a horror element to the magic used. It didn't revert to stereotype and still maintained a strong Nordic influence and style to its approach and indeed how the heroes and companions fought against this new and increasing threat.
Overall this trilogy is a masterful retelling of the raise of King Olaf and his blood-coated mission to make the Danes Christian and Snorri has cleverly captured the religious conflict of the time and presented it in a manner that really does remind the reader why the Vikings held firm to their belief in the Aesir and the Old Ways for no great heroes have ever truly emerged from Christian trials and adventures, only in the ways of the North are true heroes forged, their tales becoming legend.
Overall this trilogy is a masterful retelling of the raise of King Olaf and his blood-coated mission to make the Danes Christian and Snorri has cleverly captured the religious conflict of the time and presented it in a manner that really does remind the reader why the Vikings held firm to their belief in the Aesir and the Old Ways for no great heroes have ever truly emerged from Christian trials and adventures, only in the ways of the North are true heroes forged, their tales becoming legend.
July 31, 2015
c2015: FWFTB: Sweden, Forkbeard, faith, family, Ragnarok. OK. So, this was one of those books where for most of the book I had absolutely no idea what was going on. No 'what-has-gone-before" and the author does not give a continental. He throws you in to the story with no care whatsoever and its a wild ride. The trouble is that I didn't even care! The story is riveting and the battle/fight sequences sparsely described but breathtaking. I finally understood everything when I read the last two pages and then I wanted to read the whole trilogy again - this time knowing what the hell was going on. Loved it and definitely recommend to the normal crew. "Loki looked at him and laughed. Then the God of Mischief spat in his face."
February 24, 2016
Path of Gods is the third book in Snorri Kristjansson’s VALHALLA SAGA and it pretty much stays the path of what has come before, for good and ill. I rated the prior two books three-stars each, and that’s exactly where I’m placing Path of Gods. Fun dialogue, several engaging characters, and an excellent Norse setting are the strengths, while pace, fluidity, and characterization are the weaker elements.
Path of Gods picks up where Blood Will Follow ended, and it’s probably a good idea to reread the earlier books as there’s no recap and with so many characters and settings, it’s a rough go at the start unless you come with some relatively fresh prior knowledge. King Olav continues his attempt to ... Read More: http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
Path of Gods picks up where Blood Will Follow ended, and it’s probably a good idea to reread the earlier books as there’s no recap and with so many characters and settings, it’s a rough go at the start unless you come with some relatively fresh prior knowledge. King Olav continues his attempt to ... Read More: http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
August 14, 2015
A really interesting blending of historical fiction and mythology.
A great finish to what has been an entertaining series.
Snorri writes a damned good scrap and the fight scenes as with all the series are worth the read alone.
A nice cheeky ending as well.
A great finish to what has been an entertaining series.
Snorri writes a damned good scrap and the fight scenes as with all the series are worth the read alone.
A nice cheeky ending as well.
March 16, 2023
Przygodę z cyklem "Saga Walhalli" mam już na szczęście za sobą. O ile dwa pierwsze tomy dawały cień nadziei, że będzie to coś chociażby średniego, tak finał to wszystko pogrzebał. Generalnie czyta się błyskawicznie, gdyż akcja prze mocno do przodu i cały czas coś się dzieje. Natomiast sensu w tym ciężko mi się doszukać, a o bzdurnym zakończeniu już nawet nie wspominam. Generalnie raczej nie polecam, ale gdyby już ktoś się zabrał, to sugeruję czytać całość jednym ciągiem albo w dość krótkich odstępach czasu. Jest to jakby jedna powieść podzielona na trzy, w której autor nie zawracał sobie głowy choćby krótkim przypomnieniem, co było w poprzednich tomach, więc ciężko się czasami połapać, o co chodzi.
February 2, 2025
Strong ending to the series by & large though the ending does feel a little bit rushed. The transition from what initially reads as historical fiction at the start of the first to a more fantastical premise at the end is very natural. It’s eased into gradually, those elements revealing themselves in a manner that lends itself to curiosity. It is a good thing I re-read the first 2 installments before getting round to this because I had zero memory of what had happened in them.
August 14, 2018
Oh, I don't know. Although this trilogy is not my favorite and has not changed my life, it was enjoyable, interesting reading. I put everything aside for a few hours to finish it; the story was well told. Lots of blood and guts Viking fantasy, with trolls and gods and giants. Escapist. It has a cool twist.
May 3, 2018
Thoroughly enjoyed it.
The first of the trilogy was a little hard to get into however, once in, they're very hard to put down . I flew through the last 2 and I say read and enjoy.
The first of the trilogy was a little hard to get into however, once in, they're very hard to put down . I flew through the last 2 and I say read and enjoy.
March 5, 2018
Ultimately found the ending a bit rushed, and not fully resolved?
May 12, 2019
The gods enter at last , we find the true purpose of our 2 heroes , overall , very good trilogy
September 27, 2024
2,5 Stars **
Rating: 6,3/10
Rating: 6,3/10
May 11, 2025
it was good all the way until the end. it felt as if the climax of the story is missing.
March 20, 2016
The old gods are preparing for a last fight with Christianity and Viking legends are made real -stalking the earth either preparing for, or bringing, the end of the world.
'Swords of Good Men' (The Valhalla Saga I) was an absolutely storming first affair. Book two, 'Blood Will Follow,' kind of took its eye off the ball a little. Though, this may say more about me, than the book, however. As I had completely, all the way through reading Swords, failed to notice that it was actually described as a 'fantasy.’ Where I’d been under the impression that it was for real. There were a couple of points where I thought 'hmm...' but got caught up in it all and let it pass. You see, I don’t do fantasy these days. I did a lot when I was younger (until the later 'Mythago Wood's disappeared up their own arses), but now, I like my fantasy real. In that, stories set realistically in real periods are fantasy; because what happened is made up. It could have happened, but it most likely didn’t. In that way, all Historical Fiction can be called ‘fantasy,' in my view.
The first half of 'Path of Gods,' I did have a little bit of a problem getting through, I will admit. It did seem to spend a little too long in the kind of nonsense that Robert Low would just love. Though with extra fantasy. Actually, Robert Low's last was sometimes more of a fantasy than this one is as a whole. At least it's not raining all the time here, just snowing. There didn’t seem to be enough information given, to be able to get a total grasp of what was happening and what Snorri wanted to put over and for us to understand. It was hard to keep up with who was who, who wasn’t who, where they were or where they were going. As for who was actually still alive or not and why and why the others, who presumably were alive, didn’t seem to notice, or if they did, not think too much about it, well…I was more than a little puzzled.
Then, around the p100 mark, everything came together. I latched onto the idea I’ve written in the first sentence here - for right or wrong - and suddenly the whole book worked an absolute treat. So much so, I later wondered if I shouldn’t have read the whole thing 'backwards.’ The second half gave so much meaning, maybe I should have read those passages first, then I’d have understood what was going on in the first half. Though, maybe this uncertainty was exactly what Snorri was after? The snow covering everything, a metaphor for covering up what was going on? The characters not really knowing what was going on around them, or to them, could be the way of seeing why the first sections came over (to me) as they did.
There are some wonderfull battles, excellent passages in and around the forests, the sense of dread, that I can quite imagine the people of the time did have, is, as they say, palpable. The sense of things moving in the background, half glimpsed, at the edge of vision, maybe coming towards you, with a power that is otherworldly and totally beyond your capabilities to physically deal with, is superbly put over. By not being able to completely explain, not wanting to either maybe, the world around them, these people saw nature and natural - or unnatural events - as god’s will, the gods will, if you like. Everything was in place, everything running smoothly, the gods taking care of business…then comes Christianity and destroys it all. That’s the only conclusion I get here. The gods have their final battles (though they may not be finished yet, as I think I saw Snorri say he is commissioned to write further books), their death throws, their last stand. They don’t go quietly into the good night at all - and thinking back on this book and the preceding two, it is my absolute pleasure to have ‘seen' it all (so far), thanks to Snorri.
Read this, read the others first and I think, by thinking, you’ll get a hell of a lot out of them.
More world-class reviews on Speesh Reads
'Swords of Good Men' (The Valhalla Saga I) was an absolutely storming first affair. Book two, 'Blood Will Follow,' kind of took its eye off the ball a little. Though, this may say more about me, than the book, however. As I had completely, all the way through reading Swords, failed to notice that it was actually described as a 'fantasy.’ Where I’d been under the impression that it was for real. There were a couple of points where I thought 'hmm...' but got caught up in it all and let it pass. You see, I don’t do fantasy these days. I did a lot when I was younger (until the later 'Mythago Wood's disappeared up their own arses), but now, I like my fantasy real. In that, stories set realistically in real periods are fantasy; because what happened is made up. It could have happened, but it most likely didn’t. In that way, all Historical Fiction can be called ‘fantasy,' in my view.
The first half of 'Path of Gods,' I did have a little bit of a problem getting through, I will admit. It did seem to spend a little too long in the kind of nonsense that Robert Low would just love. Though with extra fantasy. Actually, Robert Low's last was sometimes more of a fantasy than this one is as a whole. At least it's not raining all the time here, just snowing. There didn’t seem to be enough information given, to be able to get a total grasp of what was happening and what Snorri wanted to put over and for us to understand. It was hard to keep up with who was who, who wasn’t who, where they were or where they were going. As for who was actually still alive or not and why and why the others, who presumably were alive, didn’t seem to notice, or if they did, not think too much about it, well…I was more than a little puzzled.
Then, around the p100 mark, everything came together. I latched onto the idea I’ve written in the first sentence here - for right or wrong - and suddenly the whole book worked an absolute treat. So much so, I later wondered if I shouldn’t have read the whole thing 'backwards.’ The second half gave so much meaning, maybe I should have read those passages first, then I’d have understood what was going on in the first half. Though, maybe this uncertainty was exactly what Snorri was after? The snow covering everything, a metaphor for covering up what was going on? The characters not really knowing what was going on around them, or to them, could be the way of seeing why the first sections came over (to me) as they did.
There are some wonderfull battles, excellent passages in and around the forests, the sense of dread, that I can quite imagine the people of the time did have, is, as they say, palpable. The sense of things moving in the background, half glimpsed, at the edge of vision, maybe coming towards you, with a power that is otherworldly and totally beyond your capabilities to physically deal with, is superbly put over. By not being able to completely explain, not wanting to either maybe, the world around them, these people saw nature and natural - or unnatural events - as god’s will, the gods will, if you like. Everything was in place, everything running smoothly, the gods taking care of business…then comes Christianity and destroys it all. That’s the only conclusion I get here. The gods have their final battles (though they may not be finished yet, as I think I saw Snorri say he is commissioned to write further books), their death throws, their last stand. They don’t go quietly into the good night at all - and thinking back on this book and the preceding two, it is my absolute pleasure to have ‘seen' it all (so far), thanks to Snorri.
Read this, read the others first and I think, by thinking, you’ll get a hell of a lot out of them.
More world-class reviews on Speesh Reads
September 19, 2016
I'm in agreement with a few other reviewers. This was better than the previous books. Great battle scenes. Another step to Vahalla. Let the hammer and swords speak... Love this Viking trilogy.
December 21, 2016
An interesting conclusion to this series. I would have liked another ten or so pages utilized in the final act of this book.
July 26, 2015
What an ending! Lots of twists I didn't expect.
The one thing that griped me though; the women and children of most places aren't even mentioned much in the story. What happened to the stenvik townspeople??
I felt like the ending was slightly rushed; but I was expecting a huge battle and I think it's actually quite refreshing that there wasn't a giant free for all, rather just a small showdown. I'm kind of hoping for a sequel saga where we see the epilogue events expanded upon! Overall great book great series!
The one thing that griped me though; the women and children of most places aren't even mentioned much in the story. What happened to the stenvik townspeople??
I felt like the ending was slightly rushed; but I was expecting a huge battle and I think it's actually quite refreshing that there wasn't a giant free for all, rather just a small showdown. I'm kind of hoping for a sequel saga where we see the epilogue events expanded upon! Overall great book great series!
September 16, 2015
I like the mythical and mystical aspects of this book. Enjoyable.
June 24, 2016
Really good ending to a wonderful series. At first, I did not like it (book 1). But by the end, it was very exciting.
November 2, 2016
il be honest.
it was nearly a 2 stars.
it was nearly a 2 stars.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews