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One Shot
One Shot is a game designed for two players, the Shooter and the Forces. The two work together to tell a story of sacrifice and vengeance. It is intimate, personal, and messy.
- GenresFantasy
24 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
8 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 1, 2015
Interesting Norse-inspired fantasy
I bought this not knowing quite what to expect. I back the Iron Edda Kickstarter, so I knew there would be bound bones of giants, but that's about it.
Sveidsdottir primarily follows a young-woman born with the power of a Valkyrie who then gains the power of having the bones and spirit of a centuries-dead giant bound to her of course, with great power comes great responsibility and it is this lesson our protagonist must learn as she sets out to prevent Ragnarok.
The descriptions are evocative and the action moves along at a good clip. The characters are interesting and well-developed with ambitions, dreams, and flaws we can relate to. It's a good, quick read set in an interesting fantasy world that is at once new and original yet not unfamiliar.
My only issue with Sveidsdottir is something I think is a personal hang up. It's written in a shifting viewpoint 1st person present tense. The only other time I've tried to read a shifting viewpoint first person, I found it extremely difficult because it would take me several sentences to figure out which character's eyes I was looking through. Tracy Barnett helpfully labels each chapter with the name of the viewpoint character, so that helped. It's a narrative style I'm not used to and I'm not sure I particularly like, but some quick research shows it seems to be a fairly common, modern style for this type of fiction. Like I said, it's a personal hang up, and if it doesn't bother you, then you'll zip right through this story.
Sveidsdottir is an excellent freshman effort from Tracy Barnett and I look forward to seeing where the story goes from here.
I bought this not knowing quite what to expect. I back the Iron Edda Kickstarter, so I knew there would be bound bones of giants, but that's about it.
Sveidsdottir primarily follows a young-woman born with the power of a Valkyrie who then gains the power of having the bones and spirit of a centuries-dead giant bound to her of course, with great power comes great responsibility and it is this lesson our protagonist must learn as she sets out to prevent Ragnarok.
The descriptions are evocative and the action moves along at a good clip. The characters are interesting and well-developed with ambitions, dreams, and flaws we can relate to. It's a good, quick read set in an interesting fantasy world that is at once new and original yet not unfamiliar.
My only issue with Sveidsdottir is something I think is a personal hang up. It's written in a shifting viewpoint 1st person present tense. The only other time I've tried to read a shifting viewpoint first person, I found it extremely difficult because it would take me several sentences to figure out which character's eyes I was looking through. Tracy Barnett helpfully labels each chapter with the name of the viewpoint character, so that helped. It's a narrative style I'm not used to and I'm not sure I particularly like, but some quick research shows it seems to be a fairly common, modern style for this type of fiction. Like I said, it's a personal hang up, and if it doesn't bother you, then you'll zip right through this story.
Sveidsdottir is an excellent freshman effort from Tracy Barnett and I look forward to seeing where the story goes from here.
April 5, 2018
While I love both Norse mythology and steampunk fantasy, this book was not entirely what I hoped it would be.
The place where Sigrid, her family, friends, and some enemies live is threatened by attacks of dwarves who control metal constructs. A former member of their community returns and shows them that he can control the bones of a long-dead giant, and invites others to learn to do the same. Sigrid leaps at this opportunity, despite the fact that it means leaving behind her family, friends, and brand-new wife.
Iron Edda: Sveidsdottir purports to be a journey of self-discovery for Sigrid, but the plot makes it feel like it’s more about Sigrid being extremely powerful to begin with, particularly when she learns to control the spirit of the Valkyrie that she possesses. When she then combines that with the power that bonding with the bones of a long-dead giant gives her, she becomes even more of a formidable force, but at that point, the book focuses more on her being powerful than her truly learning anything about herself.
This novel follows not only Sigrid, but also three other point-of-view characters. Unfortunately, the chapters based on other characters’ points-of-view are uneven, and don’t really seem to add much to the story. The early chapters featuring Sabina give a good outsider’s perspective on what is happening, allowing the author to explain some of the features of the culture and the world without it feeling too forced. But the other point-of-view characters don’t really lend much to the telling of the story.
Though written at a young adult reading level, the story is more about adults. However, it doesn’t contain explicit sexual content or particularly graphic violence, so it still seems appropriate for YA readers. Beyond my own criticisms, fans of Norse steampunk fantasy will still find things to enjoy in this book.
(This is an excerpt of my review originally posted at Mad Scientist Journal.)
The place where Sigrid, her family, friends, and some enemies live is threatened by attacks of dwarves who control metal constructs. A former member of their community returns and shows them that he can control the bones of a long-dead giant, and invites others to learn to do the same. Sigrid leaps at this opportunity, despite the fact that it means leaving behind her family, friends, and brand-new wife.
Iron Edda: Sveidsdottir purports to be a journey of self-discovery for Sigrid, but the plot makes it feel like it’s more about Sigrid being extremely powerful to begin with, particularly when she learns to control the spirit of the Valkyrie that she possesses. When she then combines that with the power that bonding with the bones of a long-dead giant gives her, she becomes even more of a formidable force, but at that point, the book focuses more on her being powerful than her truly learning anything about herself.
This novel follows not only Sigrid, but also three other point-of-view characters. Unfortunately, the chapters based on other characters’ points-of-view are uneven, and don’t really seem to add much to the story. The early chapters featuring Sabina give a good outsider’s perspective on what is happening, allowing the author to explain some of the features of the culture and the world without it feeling too forced. But the other point-of-view characters don’t really lend much to the telling of the story.
Though written at a young adult reading level, the story is more about adults. However, it doesn’t contain explicit sexual content or particularly graphic violence, so it still seems appropriate for YA readers. Beyond my own criticisms, fans of Norse steampunk fantasy will still find things to enjoy in this book.
(This is an excerpt of my review originally posted at Mad Scientist Journal.)
November 9, 2018
Great World, Story Just Falls Short
Overall this is a wonderful story, placed in a world with some great things going on. However, the pacing is definitely a bit off (very slow in the early parts and flying by in the final chapter), and it leaves you wanting more of the world at large. As the personal journey of a woman and the people that influence her, though, it definitely lands; Sigrid's journey is intriguing, and you definitely feel for her struggles.
Overall this is a wonderful story, placed in a world with some great things going on. However, the pacing is definitely a bit off (very slow in the early parts and flying by in the final chapter), and it leaves you wanting more of the world at large. As the personal journey of a woman and the people that influence her, though, it definitely lands; Sigrid's journey is intriguing, and you definitely feel for her struggles.
April 29, 2015
A wonderful story of determination and self-discovery, Sveidsdottir had me captivated from start to finish both times I read it. The narrative flows naturally, just as though the characters were telling the story live, and their loves, struggles, and triumphs have a sense of realness to them. Whether you're a regular fan of Norse fantasy, or have never read anything in the genre, I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a good read.
June 13, 2022
I'll say this right up front: I find shifting first person perspective extremely annoying.
Other than that this has some strong characterization and the author does a great job of making the main character come alive. The Norse myth inspired setting is an interesting one and I'd say that this is definitely one of the better first time novels that I've read.
Other than that this has some strong characterization and the author does a great job of making the main character come alive. The Norse myth inspired setting is an interesting one and I'd say that this is definitely one of the better first time novels that I've read.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews