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The Valhalla Saga #1
Strijd om Stenvik
Strijd om Stenvik is het eerste deel in de Walhalla Saga, een rauw en intrigerend avontuur dat zich afspeelt in het Noorwegen van de Vikingen. Kristjansson vervlecht op behendige en ingenieuze wijze Noorse mythologie met geschiedenis tot een fascinerende thriller. Na een lange en hachelijke reis is Stenvik de laatste stop voor Ulfar Thormodsson. Hij reist met zijn neef van adel mee om ervoor te zorgen dat hem niks overkomt. Maar Ulfar verlangt er meer dan wat dan ook naar om naar huis terug te keren. Er schuilen echter gevaren in de koude en beruchte stad Stenvik, en voordat hij er erg in heeft moet de jonge en onstuimige Ulfar problemen het hoofd bieden waar hij niet op had gerekend. Na er voet aan wal te hebben gezet, ontmoet Ulfar de mooie en melancholische Lilja en raakt door haar betoverd. Stenvik is ook de woonplaats van hoefsmid Audun Arinbjarnarson, die erg op zichzelf is en wiens verleden duistere geheimen herbergt. Hij is ruim een jaar hoefsmid in Stenvik; niemand weet waar hij vandaan komt, en dat wil Audun graag zo houden. Maar de goden hebben andere plannen met Audun en Ulfar. Terwijl onzichtbare krachten het stadje bewerken, trekt het leger van een jonge koning richting Stenvik met het doel om de inwoners met het zwaard op de keel of de bijl op de borst aan de Witte Heer te onderwerpen. Maar aan de horizon vaart een andere, nog geheimzinnigere vijand.
336 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2013
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February 26, 2025This is an unusual book - not because of the subject, though I can't remember reading any Viking fantasy of late (apart from the one I'm writing) or indeed ever. Sure fantasy abounds with 'Northman warriors', beards a-bristling, who crop up with sometimes annoying regularity in everything from George Martin's A Game of Thrones (& subsequent books) to the recent Grim Company by Luke Scull. But actually honest-to-Odin Vikings with names like Audun Arinbjarnarson and Ulfar Thormodsson ... that's unusual.
However, it's not the subject that makes the book most unusual - it's the writing style. The prose is fairly standard, good, solid, does the job. The point of view though - the set of eyes through which you see the story - changes rapidly from one character to another, continuously, through the whole book. You often get two or three paragraphs from one character here, a page from another on a boat miles away, then a page from a third, and half a page from a fourth. This could be disastrous but Snorri Kristjansson made it work for me. The effect is to give a different experience of what is, when boiled down, a week-long attack on a smallish town. The price paid is that it's hard to connect emotionally with any single character and hard to become too interested in their schemes, but on the other hand you get a much more sweeping view of a grand conflict and if you're not connected so strongly to the characters you certainly connect and understand the events. In a way it feels like a different 'cinematic' treatment where we flash about rapidly watching the battle unfold.
The battle is the thing here. A lot of axes divide a lot of flesh into smaller pieces than required for good health. Blood runs in the streets. Longships plow the waves. The old gods are invoked. The White Christ too.
The ending was a surprise. It certainly left me mulling it over, wondering if I liked it or not and whether me liking it was really the point.
[I should note that there are longer sections with single characters. I don't want to overstate the 'jumping', just acknowledge it.]
This is, in my opinion, a good book. I'm glad I read it. It's far from perfect. A number of plot lines confused me. Things happened that I can't really explain the reason for. The focus felt misplaced sometimes and some characters rang less true than others. However, it's something new both stylistically and subject-wise (fantasy-lite Vikings written by one of their descendants), and certainly if your fantasy reading is starting to feel a bit samey you should give this one a go.
And if none of that sways you, consider this: My mother liked it.
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However, it's not the subject that makes the book most unusual - it's the writing style. The prose is fairly standard, good, solid, does the job. The point of view though - the set of eyes through which you see the story - changes rapidly from one character to another, continuously, through the whole book. You often get two or three paragraphs from one character here, a page from another on a boat miles away, then a page from a third, and half a page from a fourth. This could be disastrous but Snorri Kristjansson made it work for me. The effect is to give a different experience of what is, when boiled down, a week-long attack on a smallish town. The price paid is that it's hard to connect emotionally with any single character and hard to become too interested in their schemes, but on the other hand you get a much more sweeping view of a grand conflict and if you're not connected so strongly to the characters you certainly connect and understand the events. In a way it feels like a different 'cinematic' treatment where we flash about rapidly watching the battle unfold.
The battle is the thing here. A lot of axes divide a lot of flesh into smaller pieces than required for good health. Blood runs in the streets. Longships plow the waves. The old gods are invoked. The White Christ too.
The ending was a surprise. It certainly left me mulling it over, wondering if I liked it or not and whether me liking it was really the point.
[I should note that there are longer sections with single characters. I don't want to overstate the 'jumping', just acknowledge it.]
This is, in my opinion, a good book. I'm glad I read it. It's far from perfect. A number of plot lines confused me. Things happened that I can't really explain the reason for. The focus felt misplaced sometimes and some characters rang less true than others. However, it's something new both stylistically and subject-wise (fantasy-lite Vikings written by one of their descendants), and certainly if your fantasy reading is starting to feel a bit samey you should give this one a go.
And if none of that sways you, consider this: My mother liked it.
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Join my 3-emails-a-year newsletter #prizes
...
August 2, 2023
Abandonado 30%.
Escrito y narrado de manera muy caótica en un desorden colosal de capítulos muy grande que hace que te pierdas, pasa de una cosa a otra así sin sentido. Demasiados personajes en los que no se llega a parar y ahondar en ninguno.
De hecho la mayoría entorpecen muchísimo la historia. Son tan planos como el cartón y nos transmiten lo mismo.
Pero lo peor se lo lleva la jerga o vocabulario, eso ya.. adiós de cabeza al olvido en el abismo más oscuro.
Para ser una novela histórica deja mucho que desear en ciertos aspectos. Sobretodo en los diálogos con incoherencias que en esa época no se decían esas cosas. Hoy día sí. Ya sólo eso y la forma de narrar te echa sin piedad a patadas de la historia.
La único que se salva es la portada.. El resto no lo recomiendo. Para lectores de novela histórica.. alejados y a otras de vikingos..
Paso hasta de decir de qué va la historia..
Nada más que añadir, una lástima mira que es jodidamente difícil que uno de vikingos me llegue a decepcionar a este nivel..
Escrito y narrado de manera muy caótica en un desorden colosal de capítulos muy grande que hace que te pierdas, pasa de una cosa a otra así sin sentido. Demasiados personajes en los que no se llega a parar y ahondar en ninguno.
De hecho la mayoría entorpecen muchísimo la historia. Son tan planos como el cartón y nos transmiten lo mismo.
Pero lo peor se lo lleva la jerga o vocabulario, eso ya.. adiós de cabeza al olvido en el abismo más oscuro.
Para ser una novela histórica deja mucho que desear en ciertos aspectos. Sobretodo en los diálogos con incoherencias que en esa época no se decían esas cosas. Hoy día sí. Ya sólo eso y la forma de narrar te echa sin piedad a patadas de la historia.
La único que se salva es la portada.. El resto no lo recomiendo. Para lectores de novela histórica.. alejados y a otras de vikingos..
Paso hasta de decir de qué va la historia..
Nada más que añadir, una lástima mira que es jodidamente difícil que uno de vikingos me llegue a decepcionar a este nivel..
January 25, 2016
"Swords of good men who are rather, dull!"
About a decade ago, there was a film released called The 13th Warrior which also, like this book, had a Viking/Fantasy theme. Based upon the writings of a real Caliph of Baghdad, Ahmad ib Fadlan - it was rather enjoyable. The tales of Beowulf weaved in, with the bowels of Hel being unleashed upon a small village in a relocation. Besieged on all sides to a unrelenting foe, it takes one man (a foreigner) to stem the tide. If you've read Eaters of the Dead by Michael Crichton, then your know the jeist of the film. Herein lies the problem with Snorri Kristjansson's Swords Of Good Men, it's almost a exact replica, with name and location changes to the previously mentioned book and film. As you might have gathered, the novel is essentially a non-historically/fantasy themed book. I'm not sure the places mentioned in Snorri's novel actually existed - I'm only guessing, but I don't recognise any of the locations by name.
Essentially the first 200 pages are really about setting the tone, for what I felt, was a fairly solid read. There isn't much going on, other than the author attempting to flesh out his characters (of which there are MANY). The main character here is Ulfir, a 'nobel' Swede, sent with his cousin Gerri (by the King of the Swedes) to familiarize himself with the Viking-way. During his time, Ulfir gets bogged down in a lustful romance and politicking within the town of Stenvik. While Ulfir is having his fun, religion is changing, there is the White Christ as well as the old ways (Thor, Freya, Odin, Valhalla, etc) battling for provenance over Norway. King Olav is attempting to bring the North of the country under his banner and belief of Christianity. While in the South, the old ways hold sway. So there is disagreement amongst the populace, surprise!
I'm rather telling a 'story' here, but to cut out the guff, the town of Sternik finds itself besieged by true Vikings. With Ulfir locked in, along with the Chieftain Sven, Harold, a rather brutish chap and pig-farmers to boot, things get interesting - to a extent. The real problem with the novel is that for 340 pages, it really gets bogged down with too much talking and not enough doing! I'm interested to see, from the authors point of view, how a town during this time would interact with each other, but not for 220 pages. There's no action, there's no broads, there's no booze! This is a book about Vikings right? Hmm.
Here is a small list of main/middle characters; Ulfir, Gerri, Sven, Harald, Sigurd, Egil, Audun (who is rather a awesome persona!), Skargrim, Thora, Valgard, pig-farmers, Lilla, Sigmar, Thorvald, Prince Jorn, King Olav, Runir, Harvar, The Twenty, Ragnar, Oraekja, Finn. There is more, I've just grown tired of listing them. It's was a real chore for me, to cut through the characters - at times I felt the narrative wasn't descriptive at all. Just literally putting a name down on the page doesn't work, you need to really flesh out a persona for the reader to 'imagine' - well in my opinion anyway. I moaned to someone that the characters seemed 'dead' and there was no real likeable one - well other than Audun towards the end, but I won't spoil that.
The authors prose style is solid, no flares of brilliance sadly. For example, when the first attack on Stenvik takes place. Sven's rousing speech is rather amusing, it's meant to inspire seasoned warriors:
"We will strike fear into them, we are the nightmares that frighten children..."
Children? The protaganist (in this novel) isn't a anti-hero, he is meant to be a likeable rogue not the opposite. So why say something that doesn't fit the persona you are trying to build. For me it just didn't ring true. There were other lines that didn't sit right with me also. I should go back through the book and highlight them, but I just don't have the time, sorry about that.
The mystical element to the book comes from Slude, a sort of wisp/witch/not sure-thing. She can command men by touch and sense alone, no not jumping in bed for a bit of rumpy-pumpy (what even is that?). I really felt this element to the book didn't need to be there. I feel fairly strongly that the story itself would have held up better without this. It kind of rubbished, for me, all those mighty warriors at her command. Mind you, they say Agamemnon had the mightiest host of warriors ever, and it didn't work out to well for him. Given that, he didn't have some harpy with magical powers!
If I was sitting with the author right now, I'd say cut out the mystical element and come out with something more befitting the theme and tone of the era. Make sure your characteristics of your main character fits with the personality. I admire anyone who can piece together a novel, but for me, this was a fairly bad read and haphazard at best.
About a decade ago, there was a film released called The 13th Warrior which also, like this book, had a Viking/Fantasy theme. Based upon the writings of a real Caliph of Baghdad, Ahmad ib Fadlan - it was rather enjoyable. The tales of Beowulf weaved in, with the bowels of Hel being unleashed upon a small village in a relocation. Besieged on all sides to a unrelenting foe, it takes one man (a foreigner) to stem the tide. If you've read Eaters of the Dead by Michael Crichton, then your know the jeist of the film. Herein lies the problem with Snorri Kristjansson's Swords Of Good Men, it's almost a exact replica, with name and location changes to the previously mentioned book and film. As you might have gathered, the novel is essentially a non-historically/fantasy themed book. I'm not sure the places mentioned in Snorri's novel actually existed - I'm only guessing, but I don't recognise any of the locations by name.
Essentially the first 200 pages are really about setting the tone, for what I felt, was a fairly solid read. There isn't much going on, other than the author attempting to flesh out his characters (of which there are MANY). The main character here is Ulfir, a 'nobel' Swede, sent with his cousin Gerri (by the King of the Swedes) to familiarize himself with the Viking-way. During his time, Ulfir gets bogged down in a lustful romance and politicking within the town of Stenvik. While Ulfir is having his fun, religion is changing, there is the White Christ as well as the old ways (Thor, Freya, Odin, Valhalla, etc) battling for provenance over Norway. King Olav is attempting to bring the North of the country under his banner and belief of Christianity. While in the South, the old ways hold sway. So there is disagreement amongst the populace, surprise!
I'm rather telling a 'story' here, but to cut out the guff, the town of Sternik finds itself besieged by true Vikings. With Ulfir locked in, along with the Chieftain Sven, Harold, a rather brutish chap and pig-farmers to boot, things get interesting - to a extent. The real problem with the novel is that for 340 pages, it really gets bogged down with too much talking and not enough doing! I'm interested to see, from the authors point of view, how a town during this time would interact with each other, but not for 220 pages. There's no action, there's no broads, there's no booze! This is a book about Vikings right? Hmm.
Here is a small list of main/middle characters; Ulfir, Gerri, Sven, Harald, Sigurd, Egil, Audun (who is rather a awesome persona!), Skargrim, Thora, Valgard, pig-farmers, Lilla, Sigmar, Thorvald, Prince Jorn, King Olav, Runir, Harvar, The Twenty, Ragnar, Oraekja, Finn. There is more, I've just grown tired of listing them. It's was a real chore for me, to cut through the characters - at times I felt the narrative wasn't descriptive at all. Just literally putting a name down on the page doesn't work, you need to really flesh out a persona for the reader to 'imagine' - well in my opinion anyway. I moaned to someone that the characters seemed 'dead' and there was no real likeable one - well other than Audun towards the end, but I won't spoil that.
The authors prose style is solid, no flares of brilliance sadly. For example, when the first attack on Stenvik takes place. Sven's rousing speech is rather amusing, it's meant to inspire seasoned warriors:
"We will strike fear into them, we are the nightmares that frighten children..."
Children? The protaganist (in this novel) isn't a anti-hero, he is meant to be a likeable rogue not the opposite. So why say something that doesn't fit the persona you are trying to build. For me it just didn't ring true. There were other lines that didn't sit right with me also. I should go back through the book and highlight them, but I just don't have the time, sorry about that.
The mystical element to the book comes from Slude, a sort of wisp/witch/not sure-thing. She can command men by touch and sense alone, no not jumping in bed for a bit of rumpy-pumpy (what even is that?). I really felt this element to the book didn't need to be there. I feel fairly strongly that the story itself would have held up better without this. It kind of rubbished, for me, all those mighty warriors at her command. Mind you, they say Agamemnon had the mightiest host of warriors ever, and it didn't work out to well for him. Given that, he didn't have some harpy with magical powers!
If I was sitting with the author right now, I'd say cut out the mystical element and come out with something more befitting the theme and tone of the era. Make sure your characteristics of your main character fits with the personality. I admire anyone who can piece together a novel, but for me, this was a fairly bad read and haphazard at best.
December 5, 2017
I enjoyed and found the writing style of this book to be novel (pun intended), but I do sense that many readers would be turned off by it.
Kristjansson adopts a blistering pace with his style. He jumps between settings and scenes more quickly-- FAR more quickly -- than any other writer I have read, often spending only 4-8 paragraphs on one scene before jumping to another. He also has a plethora of characters, so many that my attachment to the [intended?] protagonist is pretty thin.
But I can see what the author was going for here, and I respect it. I can simply guess that most readers will not enjoy it as much as I did.
There are many elements to love in this book: The mixture of historical fiction and Dark Age Fantasy, the brutality of the fights, the blurred lines between men's imaginations and the activity of the gods. If Kristjansson's experimental style intrigues rather than repulses you, then give this a try.
Kristjansson adopts a blistering pace with his style. He jumps between settings and scenes more quickly-- FAR more quickly -- than any other writer I have read, often spending only 4-8 paragraphs on one scene before jumping to another. He also has a plethora of characters, so many that my attachment to the [intended?] protagonist is pretty thin.
But I can see what the author was going for here, and I respect it. I can simply guess that most readers will not enjoy it as much as I did.
There are many elements to love in this book: The mixture of historical fiction and Dark Age Fantasy, the brutality of the fights, the blurred lines between men's imaginations and the activity of the gods. If Kristjansson's experimental style intrigues rather than repulses you, then give this a try.
May 17, 2017
4*
Very conflicted about the rating I should give to this book. Until somewhere around the middle of it I was thinking of giving it 3 stars - I was having a bit of a hard time in understanding the story and connecting all of the characters. Also, the fantasy elements were almost absent from the story until this point. But the writing was pretty good and I still had interest in continuing reading the story.
I'm glad I did, because the book turned out to be really good - I was finally able to put all the characters into place and follow the plot, the fantasy elements started to appear more and in a very interesting and misterious way, and I found myself really intrigued about what was going to happen next, and I wasn't really anticipating that ending. It fully deserves 4 stars.
Looking forward to read the rest of the series!
Very conflicted about the rating I should give to this book. Until somewhere around the middle of it I was thinking of giving it 3 stars - I was having a bit of a hard time in understanding the story and connecting all of the characters. Also, the fantasy elements were almost absent from the story until this point. But the writing was pretty good and I still had interest in continuing reading the story.
I'm glad I did, because the book turned out to be really good - I was finally able to put all the characters into place and follow the plot, the fantasy elements started to appear more and in a very interesting and misterious way, and I found myself really intrigued about what was going to happen next, and I wasn't really anticipating that ending. It fully deserves 4 stars.
Looking forward to read the rest of the series!
February 7, 2021
Two Viking armies converge on the town of Stenvik and its defenders. Cue an almighty fracas involving axes, arrows and other sharp pointy things. The Fantasy aspect of the book was very much in the background and only really comes to the fore at the end which I quite liked. The writing style and characterisation is straightforward and in the style of David Gemmel and Bernard Cornwell which was fine with me as I am a fan of both those writers. Good no holds barred action throughout. I really enjoyed Swords of Good Men and if you like the sound of Vikings with a touch of magic then I would happily recommend you give this one a try. 3.5 stars.
November 8, 2014
http://draumrkopablog.wordpress.com/2...
“Swords of Good Men” is Snorri Kristjansson’s debut and in my opinion a great start to the Valhalla Saga series. It sets a scorching pace, is packed with breathtaking action scenes, throws some unexpected twists in there and ends with a spectacular battle and an ending I didn’t see coming. In other words: this book hits the mark just right. It’s everything I expected it to be and more.
“Swords of Good Men” is the first Scandinavian/Viking themed book I’ve ever read and I’m pleased with how much I liked it. I had an inkling I would really like this book, but with new themes you never know. I’m a bit of a history and mythology freak, so anything involving ancient cultures and Gods is right up my alley. I’m also a big fan of a good battle in the books I read and let me tell you this: if there’s one thing Snorri Kristjansson is extremely good at, it’s describing a battle. The last 100 or so pages of the book are filled with blood, swords, axes, entrails flying around and skulls being smashed. I loved it! It was one of the most exhilarating battles I’ve read in a while. Kristjansson doesn’t fear a little gore and he’s certainly not shy to leave a pile of corpses littering the pages.
This mixed with the scattered hints at something ‘more’, something supernatural makes this a book you won’t be able to put down easily. Although his use of the godlike powers isn’t overwhelming it keeps you in its grip throughout the story. I still have a lot of questions about how the Gods are involved in all this and who is on who’s side.
The story is told in a distorted kind of way, changing perspective extremely fast, giving us an account from all possible POV’s about the events. It’s the first time I’ve read a book that’s written this way and it takes some getting used to. It’s a bit uncomfortable in the beginning, but as the story unfolded I began to appreciate this manner of storytelling. It fits perfectly with this kind of book and it brings the story alive in ways a usual approach wouldn’t have been able to.
There are quite a lot of POV’s which can be a bit confusing in the beginning, because at that point we’re just getting to know all the characters and their positions in the story. All I can say about this is: keep reading. The characters fall into place a lot easier once you’re past the first 100 pages and from there on it’s easy to keep track, even though there’s a lot going on.
The vast cast of characters are the cherry on top of this blood red cake. Although there are many, the author does a great job to give them all their own distinct personality and their own roles to play in the story. Some are evil, some are too good and some leave you wondering where they fit in in the whole.
The end caught me by surprise and it’s always great when a book can achieve this, I love it when I can’t anticipate an ending and it leaves me wondering about the next book. That’s a job well done, that’s how a suspenseful book should make me feel.
Snorri Kristjansson is definitely a powerful new voice in the Fantasy scene, with a strong debut that will please fans of Vikings, mythology, strategy and action.
I’m already looking forward to meeting Ulfar, King Olav, Valgard and the others in the second book.
You can read this review and others on my blog: http://draumrkopablog.wordpress.com/
“Swords of Good Men” is Snorri Kristjansson’s debut and in my opinion a great start to the Valhalla Saga series. It sets a scorching pace, is packed with breathtaking action scenes, throws some unexpected twists in there and ends with a spectacular battle and an ending I didn’t see coming. In other words: this book hits the mark just right. It’s everything I expected it to be and more.
“Swords of Good Men” is the first Scandinavian/Viking themed book I’ve ever read and I’m pleased with how much I liked it. I had an inkling I would really like this book, but with new themes you never know. I’m a bit of a history and mythology freak, so anything involving ancient cultures and Gods is right up my alley. I’m also a big fan of a good battle in the books I read and let me tell you this: if there’s one thing Snorri Kristjansson is extremely good at, it’s describing a battle. The last 100 or so pages of the book are filled with blood, swords, axes, entrails flying around and skulls being smashed. I loved it! It was one of the most exhilarating battles I’ve read in a while. Kristjansson doesn’t fear a little gore and he’s certainly not shy to leave a pile of corpses littering the pages.
This mixed with the scattered hints at something ‘more’, something supernatural makes this a book you won’t be able to put down easily. Although his use of the godlike powers isn’t overwhelming it keeps you in its grip throughout the story. I still have a lot of questions about how the Gods are involved in all this and who is on who’s side.
The story is told in a distorted kind of way, changing perspective extremely fast, giving us an account from all possible POV’s about the events. It’s the first time I’ve read a book that’s written this way and it takes some getting used to. It’s a bit uncomfortable in the beginning, but as the story unfolded I began to appreciate this manner of storytelling. It fits perfectly with this kind of book and it brings the story alive in ways a usual approach wouldn’t have been able to.
There are quite a lot of POV’s which can be a bit confusing in the beginning, because at that point we’re just getting to know all the characters and their positions in the story. All I can say about this is: keep reading. The characters fall into place a lot easier once you’re past the first 100 pages and from there on it’s easy to keep track, even though there’s a lot going on.
The vast cast of characters are the cherry on top of this blood red cake. Although there are many, the author does a great job to give them all their own distinct personality and their own roles to play in the story. Some are evil, some are too good and some leave you wondering where they fit in in the whole.
The end caught me by surprise and it’s always great when a book can achieve this, I love it when I can’t anticipate an ending and it leaves me wondering about the next book. That’s a job well done, that’s how a suspenseful book should make me feel.
Snorri Kristjansson is definitely a powerful new voice in the Fantasy scene, with a strong debut that will please fans of Vikings, mythology, strategy and action.
I’m already looking forward to meeting Ulfar, King Olav, Valgard and the others in the second book.
You can read this review and others on my blog: http://draumrkopablog.wordpress.com/
December 14, 2013
Wow, wow. Bloody. Vikings fighting vikings. Vikings everywhere. Once the action starts, it doesn't relent until the last page. Great characterization. I'll offer more thorough comments when my review for the Historical Novel Review goes live. Until then, I recommend this to all Viking fiction fans, if you don't mind fantasy being thrown in. But I found the fantasy added to the authenticity, made it more true to the Viking mindset. I'll definitely be watching for book two.
March 25, 2014
This is a really hard book to review - not because it wasn't a good book, but it was a bit schizophrenic as far as tone and consistency went. I'll start by saying that I've spoken with Snorri on reddit and other formats, and he's a super cool fellow, very smart, very personable. I liked my dealings with him a lot, and marked this book as a "to buy" from the start, and have no problem with my purchase.
Swords follows a number of Norse viking folks, all on the cusp of a large oncoming battle. The main characters are a group of Norsemen in the city of Stenvik, as well as an invading force lead by Skargrim (sp? Don't have book in front of me!), who are looking to invade and overtake the city, lead by a herald of sorts named Skald. The story also follows King Olav, who has converted to Christianity and is leading a crusade of sorts. All of these viewpoints and storylines end up intertwining very well for the most part, though some just kind of fizzle out pointlessly. More on that later.
The book feels very, very much like a viking version of Legend. Obvious main characters, a big long leadup to an epic battle and siege. Lots of death on both sides, shenanigans, excellent battle planning and writing. However, there's so much leadup to the battle that a lot of the other lines are lost in the fray. For example, a TON of time is spent early on in King Olav's war camp, in his preaching of Christ, in his taming of his followers. Much ado is made about him coming to Stenvik, about him trying to take over, or him fighting Skargrim's army in aid of Stenvik. Then the battle arrives, and his entire storyline is almost forgotten. He isn't written about for chapters, no advancement other than "ermagerd he's coming!!!!", and then suddenly he's there to make a bang right at the end, and tries to take over Stenvik in literally the last chapter. It felt very hollow and unfulfilled.
There was a lot I liked about Swords - the writing was pretty good, the dialogue was fun, free flowing and not awkward at all. A bit stiff at times, but very believable most of the time, and with some witty banter now and then that was very natural. The settings were interesting, a lot left to the imagination, and Snorri did a pretty good job of giving a viking "feel" without going overboard with horns and furs and such, which would have made it a bit cheesy. Many of the characters were unique, identifiable, relatable and enjoyable. However, the up and down nature of the story, the abrupt resolution, and the fizzling of some of the storylines lead to a bit of disappointment towards the end. I would certainly recommend the book to people who like this sort of thing, and will continue to follow Snorri and his writings in the future, as he has a ton of potential. However, Swords didn't quite hit on all cylinders for me.
Swords follows a number of Norse viking folks, all on the cusp of a large oncoming battle. The main characters are a group of Norsemen in the city of Stenvik, as well as an invading force lead by Skargrim (sp? Don't have book in front of me!), who are looking to invade and overtake the city, lead by a herald of sorts named Skald. The story also follows King Olav, who has converted to Christianity and is leading a crusade of sorts. All of these viewpoints and storylines end up intertwining very well for the most part, though some just kind of fizzle out pointlessly. More on that later.
The book feels very, very much like a viking version of Legend. Obvious main characters, a big long leadup to an epic battle and siege. Lots of death on both sides, shenanigans, excellent battle planning and writing. However, there's so much leadup to the battle that a lot of the other lines are lost in the fray. For example, a TON of time is spent early on in King Olav's war camp, in his preaching of Christ, in his taming of his followers. Much ado is made about him coming to Stenvik, about him trying to take over, or him fighting Skargrim's army in aid of Stenvik. Then the battle arrives, and his entire storyline is almost forgotten. He isn't written about for chapters, no advancement other than "ermagerd he's coming!!!!", and then suddenly he's there to make a bang right at the end, and tries to take over Stenvik in literally the last chapter. It felt very hollow and unfulfilled.
There was a lot I liked about Swords - the writing was pretty good, the dialogue was fun, free flowing and not awkward at all. A bit stiff at times, but very believable most of the time, and with some witty banter now and then that was very natural. The settings were interesting, a lot left to the imagination, and Snorri did a pretty good job of giving a viking "feel" without going overboard with horns and furs and such, which would have made it a bit cheesy. Many of the characters were unique, identifiable, relatable and enjoyable. However, the up and down nature of the story, the abrupt resolution, and the fizzling of some of the storylines lead to a bit of disappointment towards the end. I would certainly recommend the book to people who like this sort of thing, and will continue to follow Snorri and his writings in the future, as he has a ton of potential. However, Swords didn't quite hit on all cylinders for me.
August 30, 2013
http://abitterdraft.com/2013/08/sword...
Jo Fletcher is a fairly new imprint for Quercus specializing in most of the speculative fiction genre. They started with a bang, and their list of authors includes some who’ve proven their mettle like Sarah Pinborough and Ian McDonald. They also have a slew of authors who have debuted within the last few years with success, like Aidan Harte, Mazarkis Williams, Tom Pollock, and David Hair. This year includes promising debut Snorri Kristjansson with Swords of Good Men, the first in the Valhalla Saga. After I’d found myself the victor of a giveaway for Aidan Harte’s Irenicon back in July, I decided to browse their catalog for authors of interest. After reading through all of the names, it was difficult to find one that didn’t catch my eye. I ended up requesting the one that stood out the most, and since I can’t resist a good Norse tale, they obliged and sent me Swords of Good Men.
After reading the first few chapters, I began to see that Kristjansson’s writing was very similar to Nathan Hawke’s and David Gemmell’s – there is no fluff. He tells the story how it is, without flattery and overbearing detail. But, more like Hawke than Gemmell, Kristjansson writes the violence with gory detail, making the action very fun to read – the kind of stuff you’d see on History’s new show, Vikings. Taking place in Norway, Swords of Good Men is much more historical fiction than it is fantasy, with the aspect of magic not appearing until the very end for the most part and in a supernatural way.
Swords begins with Ulfar Thormodsson and his cousin Geiri on their way to Stenvik, the last stop on a journey throughout the world before they can return home. Despite Kristjansson’s focus on the action rather than the world, he paints a very vivid picture of a Norse town in Stenvik. It feels real, down to the longhouse with barrel-chested men drinking mead and singing. A woman captures Ulfar’s heart with just a glance, and makes quite the enemy in the process. Ulfar and Geiri aren’t the only ones coming to Stenvik, though. The young King Olav Tryggvason, a Norse leader turned Christian, is moving west with his growing army in an attempt to bring the White Christ to the populace of Scandinavia. Skargrim has gathered a huge force of raiders and are advancing on Stenvik from the north with some kind of witch at the helm, and outlaws come out of the woodwork to harass the town as well.
Therein lies the biggest flaw of Swords of Good Men. Too many forces seem to be converging on this one small town. The book is split into many points of view, possibly too many, in order to help us keep track of all of these forces. Throughout the story we jump around from character to character, force to force, leading up to the penultimate siege – and the transition isn’t particularly smooth. If two of the main characters are in the same place, occasionally one paragraph would be spoken from one of them and the following one from the other, which made the story somewhat hard to follow.
Another problem with Swords was its length. It seems like a fairly standard story length for a debut at 352 pages, and it went smoothly until the last quarter. Shit hit the fan and had me turning page after page, the book glued to my hands. I buzzed through the last few pages and found the next page to be blank. The book was over. Too much had happened in the last 5 pages for me to wrap my head around immediately, and I think that the book, with the multiple point of view writing style, would have benefited from an extra 50 or so pages to smooth things out.
Despite what it may seem like by reading this review, I actually did enjoy Swords of Good Men because it had some very real characters and great action, though there were some flaws and those should be expected from a debut author. The choppiness did smooth out as the story moved along, and it’s clear that Snorri is steadily improving and the sequel looks to answer a lot of questions and I look forward to more action.
Jo Fletcher is a fairly new imprint for Quercus specializing in most of the speculative fiction genre. They started with a bang, and their list of authors includes some who’ve proven their mettle like Sarah Pinborough and Ian McDonald. They also have a slew of authors who have debuted within the last few years with success, like Aidan Harte, Mazarkis Williams, Tom Pollock, and David Hair. This year includes promising debut Snorri Kristjansson with Swords of Good Men, the first in the Valhalla Saga. After I’d found myself the victor of a giveaway for Aidan Harte’s Irenicon back in July, I decided to browse their catalog for authors of interest. After reading through all of the names, it was difficult to find one that didn’t catch my eye. I ended up requesting the one that stood out the most, and since I can’t resist a good Norse tale, they obliged and sent me Swords of Good Men.
After reading the first few chapters, I began to see that Kristjansson’s writing was very similar to Nathan Hawke’s and David Gemmell’s – there is no fluff. He tells the story how it is, without flattery and overbearing detail. But, more like Hawke than Gemmell, Kristjansson writes the violence with gory detail, making the action very fun to read – the kind of stuff you’d see on History’s new show, Vikings. Taking place in Norway, Swords of Good Men is much more historical fiction than it is fantasy, with the aspect of magic not appearing until the very end for the most part and in a supernatural way.
Swords begins with Ulfar Thormodsson and his cousin Geiri on their way to Stenvik, the last stop on a journey throughout the world before they can return home. Despite Kristjansson’s focus on the action rather than the world, he paints a very vivid picture of a Norse town in Stenvik. It feels real, down to the longhouse with barrel-chested men drinking mead and singing. A woman captures Ulfar’s heart with just a glance, and makes quite the enemy in the process. Ulfar and Geiri aren’t the only ones coming to Stenvik, though. The young King Olav Tryggvason, a Norse leader turned Christian, is moving west with his growing army in an attempt to bring the White Christ to the populace of Scandinavia. Skargrim has gathered a huge force of raiders and are advancing on Stenvik from the north with some kind of witch at the helm, and outlaws come out of the woodwork to harass the town as well.
Therein lies the biggest flaw of Swords of Good Men. Too many forces seem to be converging on this one small town. The book is split into many points of view, possibly too many, in order to help us keep track of all of these forces. Throughout the story we jump around from character to character, force to force, leading up to the penultimate siege – and the transition isn’t particularly smooth. If two of the main characters are in the same place, occasionally one paragraph would be spoken from one of them and the following one from the other, which made the story somewhat hard to follow.
Another problem with Swords was its length. It seems like a fairly standard story length for a debut at 352 pages, and it went smoothly until the last quarter. Shit hit the fan and had me turning page after page, the book glued to my hands. I buzzed through the last few pages and found the next page to be blank. The book was over. Too much had happened in the last 5 pages for me to wrap my head around immediately, and I think that the book, with the multiple point of view writing style, would have benefited from an extra 50 or so pages to smooth things out.
Despite what it may seem like by reading this review, I actually did enjoy Swords of Good Men because it had some very real characters and great action, though there were some flaws and those should be expected from a debut author. The choppiness did smooth out as the story moved along, and it’s clear that Snorri is steadily improving and the sequel looks to answer a lot of questions and I look forward to more action.
February 16, 2016
Mostly it’s a historical fiction tale of Norse vs Norse Vikings, one side for the Old gods & t’other backed by the White Christ & in between is the heavily fortified town of Stenvik & its collection of characters. However there is some witchcraft involved too via a Skuld & the tale does overlap into fantasy throughout but not too any great discourse..... well until the end scenarios & we have full on fantasy abound.
The story is fast paced as it jumps around a lot between the three factions & within those factions further splinter groups. The names can sometimes loose you a little in the beginning but stick with it & you’ll be rewarded with a tale of Vikings, battle lore, clash of gods, witchcraft...... love too & of course betrayal.
A worthy 3.5 stars & I believe lovers of h/f & fantasy alike will enjoy this story.
The story is fast paced as it jumps around a lot between the three factions & within those factions further splinter groups. The names can sometimes loose you a little in the beginning but stick with it & you’ll be rewarded with a tale of Vikings, battle lore, clash of gods, witchcraft...... love too & of course betrayal.
A worthy 3.5 stars & I believe lovers of h/f & fantasy alike will enjoy this story.
July 26, 2013
There is a 2009 film called Vahalla Rising by Nicholas Winding Refn that stars the uber-talented Mads Mikkelsen. It follows the journeys of a Viking and explores the stark, often brutal, time which he lived. Swords of Good Men, the latest publication from Jo Fletcher Books, covers similar thematic territory but goes that little bit further. Imagine a novel that offers insight into the nature of a proud warrior culture and how tribes managed on a day-to-day basis.
The remote settlement of Stenvik is a hard place to survive, in fact, it’s positively Darwinian. The strong prosper and the weak suffer the consequences. Beset on all sides by forces that want to take control, the village chieftain also has to contend with internal power struggles. As events swiftly begin to spiral out of control, conflict is inevitable.
The writing on display has an evocative air. Be warned though, things get pretty damn graphic as the plot moves forward. There is a wonderfully savage chaos in the action scenes. Unsurprisingly, when violence does erupt, it is often swift and brutal. I know that war is a terrible thing, but I think the writing tapped directly into that primal bloodlust that resides somewhere in the dark recesses of my brain. There was part of me cheering when the Viking berserkers, The Twenty, arrived. When it comes to the battles, there is something wonderfully uncomplicated about it all. There is no thought required only action, the rules are staggeringly simple: kill or be killed.
As an effective counterpoint to all the mayhem of the battlefield, it was a nice surprise to discover that the novel also contains a plethora of more introspective moments. When characters are not engaged in trying to chop bits off of one another they ponder their existence. How do they fit into the grand scheme of things? What is it that makes someone good or bad? Audun Arngrimsson, the blacksmith, is a good example of this duality. He is a hard-working, practical man. Initially, he appears content just to mind his own business, keep to himself and avoid any undue attention. When pushed to extremes however, the other side of his nature is revealed. The internal conflict that exists within Audun perfectly illustrates the internal conflict that exists within all warriors, longing for peace but relishing the unrestrained madness that comes only during war.
The other character I really enjoyed was the Viking captain, Eigill Jotunn. Anyone who knows a little Norse mythology will not be shocked to discover he is described as a huge, mountain of a man. The vicious meeting between Audun and Egill was the chaotic highlight of the novel for me.
The arrival of the White Christ, and Christianity, also plays an important part in the narrative. Many generations of tradition and the Old Gods have suddenly been set aside for a new religion. Entire communities have been forced to change their beliefs or face the consequences. When these differing theologies come crashing together like this, the results are as you would expect, bloody.
The fantasy elements are handled very delicately. It’s only really in the final few chapters where these move to the fore. Kristjansson offers a suggestion of the fantastical at certain points throughout the narrative, but leaves these open to interpretation. I can imagine that this is going to prompt some vigorous reader debate. Some will undoubtedly relish the ambiguity in the writing, while others will probably loathe it. Personally, I rather enjoyed this subtle approach.
I’ve been very lucky with my reading so far in 2013. Once again, I find myself in the situation where another debut novel has blown me away. The writing is so self-assured. I was gripped from beginning to end, it feels like Kristjansson has been producing books like this for years. I’m a little bit in awe, but rest assured I’ll be keeping an eye out for this author’s next novel.
As an aside, I discovered that listening to the soundtrack for Game of Thrones season three while reading Swords of Good Men is a perfect accompaniment. It’s certainly stirring stuff, and fits with remarkably well with the novels themes.
Swords of Good Men is published by Jo Fletcher Books and is available from 1st August 2013. This is the first book in The Valhalla Saga. I will most definitely be back for more. Highly recommended.
The remote settlement of Stenvik is a hard place to survive, in fact, it’s positively Darwinian. The strong prosper and the weak suffer the consequences. Beset on all sides by forces that want to take control, the village chieftain also has to contend with internal power struggles. As events swiftly begin to spiral out of control, conflict is inevitable.
The writing on display has an evocative air. Be warned though, things get pretty damn graphic as the plot moves forward. There is a wonderfully savage chaos in the action scenes. Unsurprisingly, when violence does erupt, it is often swift and brutal. I know that war is a terrible thing, but I think the writing tapped directly into that primal bloodlust that resides somewhere in the dark recesses of my brain. There was part of me cheering when the Viking berserkers, The Twenty, arrived. When it comes to the battles, there is something wonderfully uncomplicated about it all. There is no thought required only action, the rules are staggeringly simple: kill or be killed.
As an effective counterpoint to all the mayhem of the battlefield, it was a nice surprise to discover that the novel also contains a plethora of more introspective moments. When characters are not engaged in trying to chop bits off of one another they ponder their existence. How do they fit into the grand scheme of things? What is it that makes someone good or bad? Audun Arngrimsson, the blacksmith, is a good example of this duality. He is a hard-working, practical man. Initially, he appears content just to mind his own business, keep to himself and avoid any undue attention. When pushed to extremes however, the other side of his nature is revealed. The internal conflict that exists within Audun perfectly illustrates the internal conflict that exists within all warriors, longing for peace but relishing the unrestrained madness that comes only during war.
The other character I really enjoyed was the Viking captain, Eigill Jotunn. Anyone who knows a little Norse mythology will not be shocked to discover he is described as a huge, mountain of a man. The vicious meeting between Audun and Egill was the chaotic highlight of the novel for me.
The arrival of the White Christ, and Christianity, also plays an important part in the narrative. Many generations of tradition and the Old Gods have suddenly been set aside for a new religion. Entire communities have been forced to change their beliefs or face the consequences. When these differing theologies come crashing together like this, the results are as you would expect, bloody.
The fantasy elements are handled very delicately. It’s only really in the final few chapters where these move to the fore. Kristjansson offers a suggestion of the fantastical at certain points throughout the narrative, but leaves these open to interpretation. I can imagine that this is going to prompt some vigorous reader debate. Some will undoubtedly relish the ambiguity in the writing, while others will probably loathe it. Personally, I rather enjoyed this subtle approach.
I’ve been very lucky with my reading so far in 2013. Once again, I find myself in the situation where another debut novel has blown me away. The writing is so self-assured. I was gripped from beginning to end, it feels like Kristjansson has been producing books like this for years. I’m a little bit in awe, but rest assured I’ll be keeping an eye out for this author’s next novel.
As an aside, I discovered that listening to the soundtrack for Game of Thrones season three while reading Swords of Good Men is a perfect accompaniment. It’s certainly stirring stuff, and fits with remarkably well with the novels themes.
Swords of Good Men is published by Jo Fletcher Books and is available from 1st August 2013. This is the first book in The Valhalla Saga. I will most definitely be back for more. Highly recommended.
June 2, 2014
At first I will admit it's not the historical for everyone. This is about war, fighting, a siege, death. You get the idea.
Ulfar comes with his cousin to Stenvik. And he is not the only one. King Olav is coming there too, and others to plunder and kill. But before that Ulfar falls for a mystery woman (yes those things can never end well). And we gets to see the tension in the city. It was a brutal time after all.
The raiders and King do not come at once. We get to see city life, the raiders planning and King Olav telling people his way or the highway. Yeah, I have never been a fan of those who say this religion is better, follow it or die. So I can't really be on his side then. Go back to your heathen ways Norway.
Ulfar, he was interesting. Because he starts of, not naive, but in a way yes. He grows and see the bloody side of things. It's not like he is a stranger to fighting but things will get messy in this town.
Vikings as they were. A time of Thor vs White Christ. Tensions in society and like always, people doing things they should not do.
And the end, rather evil wasn't it? I will not tell you but it certainly made me wonder what Ulfar is up to next.
Ulfar comes with his cousin to Stenvik. And he is not the only one. King Olav is coming there too, and others to plunder and kill. But before that Ulfar falls for a mystery woman (yes those things can never end well). And we gets to see the tension in the city. It was a brutal time after all.
The raiders and King do not come at once. We get to see city life, the raiders planning and King Olav telling people his way or the highway. Yeah, I have never been a fan of those who say this religion is better, follow it or die. So I can't really be on his side then. Go back to your heathen ways Norway.
Ulfar, he was interesting. Because he starts of, not naive, but in a way yes. He grows and see the bloody side of things. It's not like he is a stranger to fighting but things will get messy in this town.
Vikings as they were. A time of Thor vs White Christ. Tensions in society and like always, people doing things they should not do.
And the end, rather evil wasn't it? I will not tell you but it certainly made me wonder what Ulfar is up to next.
February 12, 2015
Swords of Good Men is a solid historical fantasy. Up until the last quarter of the books I was figuring on giving it 3 stars but the ending ramped things up. I plan to read the next book soon.
June 17, 2015
King Olav to his general, Finn: "Conviction, Finn, is worth a thousand swords of good men."
I enjoyed this novel well enough, though I thought it nothing extraordinary. It's basically three plots which eventually merge into one: one involving a small trading village, Stenvik, on the southern coast of Scandinavia; another, a band of outlaws that have come by sea and are led by a woman exhibiting strange powers, calling herself Skuld, after the Norn of the future; and the third, involving King Olav, who wishes to Christianize Scandinavia. In Norse mythology Skuld is also a personification of Hel, the goddess of death, as this 'Skuld' shows towards the end of the novel. There are echoes of Egil's Saga, an Icelandic saga of 1200's and of Beowulf. Many of the names seem to be lifted from the first work, particularly variations on the name of Egill Skallagrimmson, an anti-hero.
Into Stenvik arrive two cousins, Geiri and Ulfar. The latter had been involved in a brawl in his hometown, paid wergeld [money in reparation for a serious injury or death] to the family of the man whose arm he broke, and has been exiled for a period of time. He is protecting his cousin on their travels. Their story will now be tied up with that of the town. The story is pretty straightforward: setup and introduction of characters; planning of attack and defense against enemies; and the actual siege and aftermath. The ending was a bit melodramatic to me. It was easy reading. I thought it strange that only the people in the groups were given names. The people not in the groups were called by generic names only, e.g., pig farmer. Maybe this was a weak attempt on the author's part to differentiate?
The Scandinavian names per se didn't confuse me, but the identities of the characters did, as well as who belonged with what group. And there were so many names thrown at me. I got the idea there were several different factions both inside and outside the town who would clash at some point. I made a rough chart of who was with whom, to keep people straight. I had made such a list of the individuals for myself in Roman Wall: A Novel and that was very helpful. There were only three major women characters in this novel and I liked none of them.
I thought there was too much skulking around before the real action began, slower at first, then faster and faster. The siege and strategy used was exciting. I feel the love interest was just thrown into the mix, though it was a motive for some of the final action. Neither it nor the rest of the novel was badly written. I didn't like the way the story threw me quickly from one subplot to the other, some narrative lasting only a paragraph; it felt almost like the author was writing a screenplay. Some of the creative swear words made me laugh.
I enjoyed this novel well enough, though I thought it nothing extraordinary. It's basically three plots which eventually merge into one: one involving a small trading village, Stenvik, on the southern coast of Scandinavia; another, a band of outlaws that have come by sea and are led by a woman exhibiting strange powers, calling herself Skuld, after the Norn of the future; and the third, involving King Olav, who wishes to Christianize Scandinavia. In Norse mythology Skuld is also a personification of Hel, the goddess of death, as this 'Skuld' shows towards the end of the novel. There are echoes of Egil's Saga, an Icelandic saga of 1200's and of Beowulf. Many of the names seem to be lifted from the first work, particularly variations on the name of Egill Skallagrimmson, an anti-hero.
Into Stenvik arrive two cousins, Geiri and Ulfar. The latter had been involved in a brawl in his hometown, paid wergeld [money in reparation for a serious injury or death] to the family of the man whose arm he broke, and has been exiled for a period of time. He is protecting his cousin on their travels. Their story will now be tied up with that of the town. The story is pretty straightforward: setup and introduction of characters; planning of attack and defense against enemies; and the actual siege and aftermath. The ending was a bit melodramatic to me. It was easy reading. I thought it strange that only the people in the groups were given names. The people not in the groups were called by generic names only, e.g., pig farmer. Maybe this was a weak attempt on the author's part to differentiate?
The Scandinavian names per se didn't confuse me, but the identities of the characters did, as well as who belonged with what group. And there were so many names thrown at me. I got the idea there were several different factions both inside and outside the town who would clash at some point. I made a rough chart of who was with whom, to keep people straight. I had made such a list of the individuals for myself in Roman Wall: A Novel and that was very helpful. There were only three major women characters in this novel and I liked none of them.
I thought there was too much skulking around before the real action began, slower at first, then faster and faster. The siege and strategy used was exciting. I feel the love interest was just thrown into the mix, though it was a motive for some of the final action. Neither it nor the rest of the novel was badly written. I didn't like the way the story threw me quickly from one subplot to the other, some narrative lasting only a paragraph; it felt almost like the author was writing a screenplay. Some of the creative swear words made me laugh.
June 27, 2015
I read a lot of Viking books. A lot. Some are amazing adventures and still others are strange disappointments.
This one started out a little strange. It was unconventionally written and wasn't your average Viking adventure. Once I got used to the rapid POV changes it proved to get stranger by the minute. But in a good way.
Overall, it is a book about the old faith making one last stand against the white Christ's conquest of western society. King Olav and a strange fairy bitch are converging on a town called Stenvik; a place that doesn't truly hold the old gods or the white Christ. The two leaders are racing to Stenvik to claim it for their respective faiths. But the town's jarl had his own idea. And it gets very bloody.
Very entertaining and interesting. I recommend for historical fiction and fantasy fans both. But if you're looking for raiding Vikings and adventure, read "Blood Eye" or "The Whale Road."
This one started out a little strange. It was unconventionally written and wasn't your average Viking adventure. Once I got used to the rapid POV changes it proved to get stranger by the minute. But in a good way.
Overall, it is a book about the old faith making one last stand against the white Christ's conquest of western society. King Olav and a strange fairy bitch are converging on a town called Stenvik; a place that doesn't truly hold the old gods or the white Christ. The two leaders are racing to Stenvik to claim it for their respective faiths. But the town's jarl had his own idea. And it gets very bloody.
Very entertaining and interesting. I recommend for historical fiction and fantasy fans both. But if you're looking for raiding Vikings and adventure, read "Blood Eye" or "The Whale Road."
September 13, 2013
'Swords of Good Men' straddles that line between historical fiction and fantasy, there's a bit of magic in the tale so I'm going to go with calling it fantasy. I assume the rest of the stuff is historically accurate; and I'm certainly not going to argue authenticity with an Icelander whose veins flow with the blood of the Vikings. Set in the ~10th century when Christianity is striving with the followers of the old religion for the minds of the people this is the tale of a siege of a trading town somewhere in southern Norway. If this sounds dull then think again. With multiple viewpoints (sometimes confusing in the early parts) it builds the tension then shows the battle from all angles.
The writing style is straightforward and uncomplicated, the characters well delineated. A promising debut with a clear 'to be continued sign'.
The writing style is straightforward and uncomplicated, the characters well delineated. A promising debut with a clear 'to be continued sign'.
May 22, 2015
For some reason I couldn't get into this book. I'm not sure why, I wanted to like this book, and it seemed right up my alley. I could never get into the characters, I had a hard time remembering who was who and from where as it would quickly change settings and characters. I read half the book and decided I really didn't care to know how it ended and I stopped reading it. I don't think I've ever stopped halfway through a book before, I sure did try to like it, but it just never did anything for me.
July 18, 2016
El ocaso de Odín, una novela de ficción histórica que no está hecha para mí. La trama me ha resultado muy confusa durante toda la lectura, con un abundante número de personajes bastante planos que entorpecían aún más su lectura, y con un final que no me ha asombrado ni una pizca. Me da mucha pena darle una puntuación tan baja pero esta historia no me ha transmitido nada. 2,5/5 estrellas
March 27, 2021
Your choice to read.
I gave it 3* only cause the storyline was not half bad. What I didn't like was the layout of the read. Didn't like the way the format was presented by jumping around. You have all these characters in play an you don't know what there all about. So read at your own risk.
I gave it 3* only cause the storyline was not half bad. What I didn't like was the layout of the read. Didn't like the way the format was presented by jumping around. You have all these characters in play an you don't know what there all about. So read at your own risk.
March 27, 2015
Most of my favorite books have a clear main (or at least central) character. Whether they be historical figures like Genghis Khan or Attila the Hun, legendary names like Robin Hood or King Arthur, fictional character types like Uhtred or Tancred, or purely fantastic like Bilbo Baggins; at least I knew about whom the book was written.
This book was written much differently. Centering more around the town of Stenvik than anything else, the author introduced us to many, many characters. I found it difficult to keep up (and I'm no dummy, really!). I remember a certain episode of Seinfeld back-in-the-day in which they were talking during a movie. "Why did they kill him? I thought he was with them? Ohhh, he wasn't really with them!" That's how I felt here. I found myself flipping back several times to remind myself who somebody was or whom he was with. I didn't care for that.
I liked the Viking feel and the Scandinavian setting. The author did a great job of setting the scene, both environmentally and philosophically. I could put myself in the time and the place rather easily.
The writing style was quite challenging. Early in the book I commented that it felt more like a screenplay than a novel. The author bounces around between characters and venues often -- too often and too quickly; and frequently without warning. Once you get used to it, it's manageable; but it's tough to get used to.
As for the story itself, not bad. About 80% through, I was starting to care about the characters, I saw the story weaving together, and was beginning to think I might just pick up the next book in the trilogy. Then the ending kind of smacked me in the face with some very surprising events. While I generally appreciate the unexpected, the choices made by the author at the end of this book have left me indifferent to the rest of the story.
So I don't know. Decent book, not great. Unusual writing style; odd choices; too many characters with too little development; bizarre ending. If I do continue with the trilogy, it'll be a while.
This book was written much differently. Centering more around the town of Stenvik than anything else, the author introduced us to many, many characters. I found it difficult to keep up (and I'm no dummy, really!). I remember a certain episode of Seinfeld back-in-the-day in which they were talking during a movie. "Why did they kill him? I thought he was with them? Ohhh, he wasn't really with them!" That's how I felt here. I found myself flipping back several times to remind myself who somebody was or whom he was with. I didn't care for that.
I liked the Viking feel and the Scandinavian setting. The author did a great job of setting the scene, both environmentally and philosophically. I could put myself in the time and the place rather easily.
The writing style was quite challenging. Early in the book I commented that it felt more like a screenplay than a novel. The author bounces around between characters and venues often -- too often and too quickly; and frequently without warning. Once you get used to it, it's manageable; but it's tough to get used to.
As for the story itself, not bad. About 80% through, I was starting to care about the characters, I saw the story weaving together, and was beginning to think I might just pick up the next book in the trilogy. Then the ending kind of smacked me in the face with some very surprising events. While I generally appreciate the unexpected, the choices made by the author at the end of this book have left me indifferent to the rest of the story.
So I don't know. Decent book, not great. Unusual writing style; odd choices; too many characters with too little development; bizarre ending. If I do continue with the trilogy, it'll be a while.
July 9, 2015
Moda na wikingów trwa od lat i nic nie wskazuje na to, by miała minąć w najbliższym czasie. Począwszy od starych filmów jak Wikingowie z 1958, który anachronizmy historyczne nadrabiał fajną rolą Kirka Douglasa, po bijący rekordy popularności serial History, którego trzeci sezon niedawno się zakończył. Wikingów możemy podziwiać na ekranie kinowym, telewizyjnym czy monitora komputerowego (wspomnieć można świetną niezależną grę RPG Banner Saga), a także na kartach książek.
Nieco ironicznie może to wygląda, ale chcąc się zmierzyć z tematem wikingów w literaturze nie sięgnąłem po świetny cykl „Wojny Wikingów” Cornwella (wszystko w swoim czasie), lecz po debiutancką książkę Snorriego Kristjanssona. Islandzki autor, który kilka lat swego życia spędził w Norwegii, a w chwili obecnej pomieszkuje w kraju Szekspira, zaczął pisarską karierę z przytupem, a przynajmniej taki pewnie miał zamiar. Zacząć od razu od cyklu powieści? W dodatku skonstruować wielowątkową historię o epickim starciu między zwolennikami starej wiary o zwolennikami nadciągającego chrześcijaństwa? Dla początkującego pisarza dość duże wyzwanie.
Anno Domini 996. Dwu młodych podróżników – Geiri, syn jednego z wikińskich władyków, i jego zapalczywy choć przy tym rezolutny kuzyn Ulfar przybywają po długiej podróży do Stenviku, bogatego miasta na zachodnim wybrzeżu Norwegii.
cd. recenzji: https://foxboox.wordpress.com/2015/07...
Nieco ironicznie może to wygląda, ale chcąc się zmierzyć z tematem wikingów w literaturze nie sięgnąłem po świetny cykl „Wojny Wikingów” Cornwella (wszystko w swoim czasie), lecz po debiutancką książkę Snorriego Kristjanssona. Islandzki autor, który kilka lat swego życia spędził w Norwegii, a w chwili obecnej pomieszkuje w kraju Szekspira, zaczął pisarską karierę z przytupem, a przynajmniej taki pewnie miał zamiar. Zacząć od razu od cyklu powieści? W dodatku skonstruować wielowątkową historię o epickim starciu między zwolennikami starej wiary o zwolennikami nadciągającego chrześcijaństwa? Dla początkującego pisarza dość duże wyzwanie.
Anno Domini 996. Dwu młodych podróżników – Geiri, syn jednego z wikińskich władyków, i jego zapalczywy choć przy tym rezolutny kuzyn Ulfar przybywają po długiej podróży do Stenviku, bogatego miasta na zachodnim wybrzeżu Norwegii.
cd. recenzji: https://foxboox.wordpress.com/2015/07...
August 16, 2016
Writing: 2
Story: 2
Satisfaction: 1
I was committed to finishing this book for bookclub and was sorry that I did so.
There has been enough scathing word play on the title so I'll skip that bit as tempting as it may be. Overall, this book falls flat in all ways. The prose is not engaging, the characters lack dimension, and the plotlines are both underdeveloped and unsatisfying.
To start with, it was difficult to keep all the characters straight since it seemed like every single character got both a name and a viewpoint, despite their importance in the story. Many characters have names that look pretty similar in print and I get it, we need the Nordic names but surely there are some that don't start with "S."
Along with the multiple viewpoints, there are many places where a POV only lasts for a couple paragraphs before switching to the next person. This might work well in battle scenes but as another quirk, for most of this book, the author skips the battle scene entirely. I distinctly recall one moment where there was a build up for a battle, then the next POV character talks about how bad the battle was. Annoying. There IS a large battle scene at the end but eh.
Motivations for most of the characters are unclear except for the protagonist who is suddenly and fervently madly in love with this chick - his motivation is to bang her obviously.
And then ending is weird, senseless, and terrible.
Story: 2
Satisfaction: 1
I was committed to finishing this book for bookclub and was sorry that I did so.
There has been enough scathing word play on the title so I'll skip that bit as tempting as it may be. Overall, this book falls flat in all ways. The prose is not engaging, the characters lack dimension, and the plotlines are both underdeveloped and unsatisfying.
To start with, it was difficult to keep all the characters straight since it seemed like every single character got both a name and a viewpoint, despite their importance in the story. Many characters have names that look pretty similar in print and I get it, we need the Nordic names but surely there are some that don't start with "S."
Along with the multiple viewpoints, there are many places where a POV only lasts for a couple paragraphs before switching to the next person. This might work well in battle scenes but as another quirk, for most of this book, the author skips the battle scene entirely. I distinctly recall one moment where there was a build up for a battle, then the next POV character talks about how bad the battle was. Annoying. There IS a large battle scene at the end but eh.
Motivations for most of the characters are unclear except for the protagonist who is suddenly and fervently madly in love with this chick - his motivation is to bang her obviously.
And then ending is weird, senseless, and terrible.
May 30, 2015
This is basically the Viking version of 300, full of epic acts of manly cunning and violence and manliness. It's full of richly drawn characters set in opposition to each other, and nicely written (though I found the cinematic-style intercutting of sometimes very short scenes to be rather disruptive to a smooth reading experience). In that regard, it's probably a four-star book.
However, there are only three female characters in the entire book: a woman in a man's job who's out-manning the men at it, a battered wife who is being rescued by a newly arrived warrior, and an evil enchantress. Out of curiosity, I looked up the history of King Olav who brought Norway forcibly to Christianity, and there was a note about a woman who refused to marry him if it meant giving up her own gods, was smacked for her temerity, and then proceeded to unify Olav's enemies against him. That is a story I'm interested in reading. Just saying.
However, there are only three female characters in the entire book: a woman in a man's job who's out-manning the men at it, a battered wife who is being rescued by a newly arrived warrior, and an evil enchantress. Out of curiosity, I looked up the history of King Olav who brought Norway forcibly to Christianity, and there was a note about a woman who refused to marry him if it meant giving up her own gods, was smacked for her temerity, and then proceeded to unify Olav's enemies against him. That is a story I'm interested in reading. Just saying.
March 14, 2015
Maybe the wrong time for me and this book, but I didn't connect at all. Didn't gel with the characters, didn't enjoy the structure of the novel. I think other people would love it, but we didn't work out.
August 30, 2015
Honestly, I tried several times to read this book. I wanted to like it. It was just mind-numbingly boring.
March 23, 2016
Slow paced and detailed in world building actions and thoughts of the characters getting much faster as the story progresses. A good reminder that not all gods were benign and merciful.
July 30, 2013
Swords of Good Men is written by the Icelandic, living in London author Snorri Kirstjansson. It’s the first in the Valhalla Saga and also features as Snorri Kristjansson’s debut. When I encountered the blurb of this book on the website of Jo Fletcher it was immediately a book that I wanted to read. I haven’t had the chance to read more into the Scandinavian inspired types of stories after I finished Runemarks and Runelight so I was really looking forward to emerge once again in this part Norse history, part mythical experience. And an experience it proved to be!
Swords of Good Men is a Viking inspired story that takes place in Norway 996 AD. From the prologue onwards this story really throws you right there in the middle the story. A great set of characters and an interesting world. You are readily introduced to a lot of characters that each play their own part in the storyline. For me the introduction to each of these character did seem a little fast, especially by some of the things that happened. Because certain actions that are made remain obscure until much later in the book. Having to just accept these facts might be hard for some readers as it can be quite off putting. However for me it worked quite well actually. And even more so were the chapters and the alternating paragraph, highlighting different characters each time, in them. As you get to follow each storyline, there is always an introduction to where those events were happening, like in Stenvik itself or on the North Sea etc. This especially produced a great sense when armies were on the march and you felt them nearing Stenvik. Furthermore Snorri Kristjansson produced a great pacing by alternating the storylines. He keeps the action pretty tight, gruesome and bloody.
Within the story of Sword of Good Men you follow three initially separate storylines, one that takes place in Stenvik, one of a marauding fleet of Vikings and the last of King Olav Tryggvason, who is spreading the religion of the White Christ. Now within these three storyline you get introduced to a lot of different characters that each really have their own personality. Though some might have been more unique that others, they were al great to read about. In Stenvik, you follow the adventures of Ulfar, Harald, Audun and Sigurd mostly. In the prologue and earlier on in the story there is a lot of focus on Ulfar himself, but the reason for this remains to be guessed, since it didn’t feel that his character would be that important.. just yet. Luckily later you learn more about what Ulfar might be destined to do. Which produced a great tie-in with all the earlier events. Audun was a real cool character to read about, from the synopsis the parts of “leading a secret and solitary life” really got me curious, and what Audun does in the ending is pretty cool stuff, and though it might not be that original, I don’t really care frankly because it fitted well into the story itself. This blacksmith knows how to handle a hammer! The other two characters Harald and Sigurd mostly play a part in the town politics. Stenvik is ruled/coordinated by Sigurd, Harald has a lot of bottled up rage that he lets loose on villagers and his wife...
The second storyline focuses on the Viking part. Now I reread several parts of the book to get to know whether there was any motiviation as to what they wanted out of Stenvik and couldn’t quite get the reason why they ventured to it in the first place. There is nice interlude at the end of the book that finally reveals their motivation, but a few hints thrown in their earlier on might have produced a better rounded story, it now like they just went without cause. That aside, this storyline was just chockfull of barbaric, brutal, gruesome, bloody and viscous Viking action. Snorri Kristjansson really puts these warrior in the spotlight by describing them, how they looked, war regalia and the like, but also their foul language and their bold actions. As you get to learn more about the force they are assembling with the different legendary chieftains like Egill Jotunn and his band of Berserkers really gave these vivid images in my imagination. Blood soaked warrior swinging double headed axes, rampaging! Well I can say that with the Vikings introduced this book isn’t lacking any action!
The third storyline focuses on a crusade set into motion by King Olav Tryggvason who spreads the word of the White Christ. The Christian believe. Still in the age of the Nordic gods: Thor, Odin and Freya. He has a task set out for him and trying to convert village after village and he has set his goals to reach Stenvik and convert those heretics, or let them die by his army. King Olav is utterly convinced that his god is the sole one and shows this by a set of bold moves when trying to win villagers over to his cause, though there is nice emphasis on this part of the book. There is shift halfway as the story more focuses on the Vikings and the villagers Stenvik themselves. There isn’t really any action until the book nears it finish. But this part was crucial to the storyline as in the end you see all three collide with each other. In the final battle.
In the end of the book is was great to see that a lot of the things in each storyline were connected. Swords of Good Men might have felt “chaotic” by jumping from place to place and storyline to storyline. Although I must say, no stress, that it felt goodly chaotic, once you are really into this story it just doesn’t seem to let you go. The ending feels pretty good and solid and Snorri Kristjansson neatly lets the major storylines connect with each other, finally seeing the bigger picture of it all. What also falls to notice is the bold writing of the plot, a lot of people die, even important characters die. It does come to show that Snorri Kristjansson isn’t afraid of surprising and shocking (in a good way) the reader. And even more so is the introduction of the Nordic gods that are influencing (speculating here) people to rise up for their own cause and fight the White Christ. I hope to see more of these influences in the second book. It really transformed the story from only Viking fighting to the more mythical side, especially once I learned to full plans of Skuld. Good stuff right there.
Swords of Good Men is definite recommendation if your looking for a story hinted with Norse mythology and if your into bold, bloody and violent fighting it’s even more up your alley. But it is not only fighting that takes place, on the whole Swords of Good Men also shows great characterization and a interesting world. The beginning of the book might have take a bit getting used but once I was into Swords of Good Men this book read away in a few strokes. Snorri Kristjansson has pulled of a great feat with his writing, producing three great storylines that neatly collide into one in the end. This book has a lot of great brutal fighting scenes that all come to fruition in the final raid on Stenvik where you see how inventive people can get! But it’s not solely the fighting that makes this book great, in the town of Stenvik and among the Viking tribes there is also a lot of internal politics that show a nice diversity on the side. This book is just the right length and with the last sentence of the story (not epilogue) I’m already guessing how this story might be picked up, Snorri Kristjansson leaves this book open with a nice classic cliffhanger. Swords of Good Men is a well rounded story that shows a lot of promise to be explored later on.
originally posted athttp://thebookplank.blogspot.com/2013/07/swords-of-good-men.html
Swords of Good Men is a Viking inspired story that takes place in Norway 996 AD. From the prologue onwards this story really throws you right there in the middle the story. A great set of characters and an interesting world. You are readily introduced to a lot of characters that each play their own part in the storyline. For me the introduction to each of these character did seem a little fast, especially by some of the things that happened. Because certain actions that are made remain obscure until much later in the book. Having to just accept these facts might be hard for some readers as it can be quite off putting. However for me it worked quite well actually. And even more so were the chapters and the alternating paragraph, highlighting different characters each time, in them. As you get to follow each storyline, there is always an introduction to where those events were happening, like in Stenvik itself or on the North Sea etc. This especially produced a great sense when armies were on the march and you felt them nearing Stenvik. Furthermore Snorri Kristjansson produced a great pacing by alternating the storylines. He keeps the action pretty tight, gruesome and bloody.
Within the story of Sword of Good Men you follow three initially separate storylines, one that takes place in Stenvik, one of a marauding fleet of Vikings and the last of King Olav Tryggvason, who is spreading the religion of the White Christ. Now within these three storyline you get introduced to a lot of different characters that each really have their own personality. Though some might have been more unique that others, they were al great to read about. In Stenvik, you follow the adventures of Ulfar, Harald, Audun and Sigurd mostly. In the prologue and earlier on in the story there is a lot of focus on Ulfar himself, but the reason for this remains to be guessed, since it didn’t feel that his character would be that important.. just yet. Luckily later you learn more about what Ulfar might be destined to do. Which produced a great tie-in with all the earlier events. Audun was a real cool character to read about, from the synopsis the parts of “leading a secret and solitary life” really got me curious, and what Audun does in the ending is pretty cool stuff, and though it might not be that original, I don’t really care frankly because it fitted well into the story itself. This blacksmith knows how to handle a hammer! The other two characters Harald and Sigurd mostly play a part in the town politics. Stenvik is ruled/coordinated by Sigurd, Harald has a lot of bottled up rage that he lets loose on villagers and his wife...
The second storyline focuses on the Viking part. Now I reread several parts of the book to get to know whether there was any motiviation as to what they wanted out of Stenvik and couldn’t quite get the reason why they ventured to it in the first place. There is nice interlude at the end of the book that finally reveals their motivation, but a few hints thrown in their earlier on might have produced a better rounded story, it now like they just went without cause. That aside, this storyline was just chockfull of barbaric, brutal, gruesome, bloody and viscous Viking action. Snorri Kristjansson really puts these warrior in the spotlight by describing them, how they looked, war regalia and the like, but also their foul language and their bold actions. As you get to learn more about the force they are assembling with the different legendary chieftains like Egill Jotunn and his band of Berserkers really gave these vivid images in my imagination. Blood soaked warrior swinging double headed axes, rampaging! Well I can say that with the Vikings introduced this book isn’t lacking any action!
The third storyline focuses on a crusade set into motion by King Olav Tryggvason who spreads the word of the White Christ. The Christian believe. Still in the age of the Nordic gods: Thor, Odin and Freya. He has a task set out for him and trying to convert village after village and he has set his goals to reach Stenvik and convert those heretics, or let them die by his army. King Olav is utterly convinced that his god is the sole one and shows this by a set of bold moves when trying to win villagers over to his cause, though there is nice emphasis on this part of the book. There is shift halfway as the story more focuses on the Vikings and the villagers Stenvik themselves. There isn’t really any action until the book nears it finish. But this part was crucial to the storyline as in the end you see all three collide with each other. In the final battle.
In the end of the book is was great to see that a lot of the things in each storyline were connected. Swords of Good Men might have felt “chaotic” by jumping from place to place and storyline to storyline. Although I must say, no stress, that it felt goodly chaotic, once you are really into this story it just doesn’t seem to let you go. The ending feels pretty good and solid and Snorri Kristjansson neatly lets the major storylines connect with each other, finally seeing the bigger picture of it all. What also falls to notice is the bold writing of the plot, a lot of people die, even important characters die. It does come to show that Snorri Kristjansson isn’t afraid of surprising and shocking (in a good way) the reader. And even more so is the introduction of the Nordic gods that are influencing (speculating here) people to rise up for their own cause and fight the White Christ. I hope to see more of these influences in the second book. It really transformed the story from only Viking fighting to the more mythical side, especially once I learned to full plans of Skuld. Good stuff right there.
Swords of Good Men is definite recommendation if your looking for a story hinted with Norse mythology and if your into bold, bloody and violent fighting it’s even more up your alley. But it is not only fighting that takes place, on the whole Swords of Good Men also shows great characterization and a interesting world. The beginning of the book might have take a bit getting used but once I was into Swords of Good Men this book read away in a few strokes. Snorri Kristjansson has pulled of a great feat with his writing, producing three great storylines that neatly collide into one in the end. This book has a lot of great brutal fighting scenes that all come to fruition in the final raid on Stenvik where you see how inventive people can get! But it’s not solely the fighting that makes this book great, in the town of Stenvik and among the Viking tribes there is also a lot of internal politics that show a nice diversity on the side. This book is just the right length and with the last sentence of the story (not epilogue) I’m already guessing how this story might be picked up, Snorri Kristjansson leaves this book open with a nice classic cliffhanger. Swords of Good Men is a well rounded story that shows a lot of promise to be explored later on.
originally posted athttp://thebookplank.blogspot.com/2013/07/swords-of-good-men.html
March 27, 2017
I haven’t dished out a 5 star review in what feels like a while. And longer still for a debut. In my earlier days I was a little too eager to dole a 5 out to any book I enjoyed, but one rainy British day I decided that 3 stars was a good book, 4 stars was a really good book, and 5 stars blew me away in one manner or another. Swords of Good Men earned the 5 because it essentially ticked all my ‘Awesome’ buttons. I will now elaborate on a few of those buttons:
Pace: The book isn’t a long distance runner, it’s a sprint, pretty much right from the off. The pace is breakneck, and from what I can gather that has been one of the reasons people were a little put off by it. Not me! Nope — because it was done in such a way that kept the story fast but not confusing. When all is said and done this is a book about a big battle (more accurately, a siege) over a relatively short period of time. For how much is going on there is a moderately small cast given all that is going on and we get to see the battle from every side of the fight. Yes, chapters (or rather, sections within chapters) are short, some as small as a single paragraph, but for me that recreated the urgency and panic one would expect in those circumstances, it made it real, and that got a big thumbs up from the literature student in me.
Characterisation: The majority of the story takes place in the Viking town of Stevnik. Therefore it would be quite easy to paint the characters in similar colours. But Snorri has a wonderfully wide-ranging cast, and though there is no shortage of ‘tough as leather’ Vikings, there are too some welcome surprises. Snorri, through his characters, manages to recreate a siege mood quite Gemmellesque in nature (as in I have only come across the like in books like Legend and Waylander – high praise from me). So as well as guts and glory we get some strong emotion.
Action: Fuck loads of it! But what I found most often bringing a smile to my face was not the more traditional one on one of two seemingly indestructible characters, but the clever manoeuvres and tricks that are involved in siege craft. I smiled a LOT. Snorri would be a bitch to beat in a poker game I’d warrant.
The ending: Well . . . in the interest of keeping this spoiler free I won’t say much. What I will say is that I have two favourite genres: Fantasy and Historical fiction. Swords of Good men, for the most part, feels like the latter. But the subtleties of the former aren’t fully brought to bear until the end. And what a bloody (literally) end it is! If Snorri should ever read this please know that the end of the book got a standing ovation from me.
So! If you want to read a Viking fantasy written by a Viking fantasy author, look no further!
Great book.
Pace: The book isn’t a long distance runner, it’s a sprint, pretty much right from the off. The pace is breakneck, and from what I can gather that has been one of the reasons people were a little put off by it. Not me! Nope — because it was done in such a way that kept the story fast but not confusing. When all is said and done this is a book about a big battle (more accurately, a siege) over a relatively short period of time. For how much is going on there is a moderately small cast given all that is going on and we get to see the battle from every side of the fight. Yes, chapters (or rather, sections within chapters) are short, some as small as a single paragraph, but for me that recreated the urgency and panic one would expect in those circumstances, it made it real, and that got a big thumbs up from the literature student in me.
Characterisation: The majority of the story takes place in the Viking town of Stevnik. Therefore it would be quite easy to paint the characters in similar colours. But Snorri has a wonderfully wide-ranging cast, and though there is no shortage of ‘tough as leather’ Vikings, there are too some welcome surprises. Snorri, through his characters, manages to recreate a siege mood quite Gemmellesque in nature (as in I have only come across the like in books like Legend and Waylander – high praise from me). So as well as guts and glory we get some strong emotion.
Action: Fuck loads of it! But what I found most often bringing a smile to my face was not the more traditional one on one of two seemingly indestructible characters, but the clever manoeuvres and tricks that are involved in siege craft. I smiled a LOT. Snorri would be a bitch to beat in a poker game I’d warrant.
The ending: Well . . . in the interest of keeping this spoiler free I won’t say much. What I will say is that I have two favourite genres: Fantasy and Historical fiction. Swords of Good men, for the most part, feels like the latter. But the subtleties of the former aren’t fully brought to bear until the end. And what a bloody (literally) end it is! If Snorri should ever read this please know that the end of the book got a standing ovation from me.
So! If you want to read a Viking fantasy written by a Viking fantasy author, look no further!
Great book.
November 3, 2020
Ich habe eine etwas schwierige Vorgeschichte mit Wikinger-Romanen. Als ich 2015 begann, mich in diesem Subgenre herumzutreiben, hoffte ich, endlich meine Tür zur historischen Fiktion zu finden. Leider waren diese Experimente nicht von Erfolg gekrönt. Deshalb beschloss ich, mich für einen letzten Versuch in die Hände eines echten Nordmannes zu begeben: Snorri Kristjánsson, ein in Island geborener Schriftsteller, der einige Jahre in Norwegen lebte, bevor er mit seiner Frau nach Schottland zog. Sein Debütroman „Swords of Good Men“ sollte es besiegeln – entweder, er würde mich für die Wikinger gewinnen oder verlieren.
Nach zwei Jahren auf Reisen mit seinem Cousin Geiri Alfgeirsson zieht es Ulfar Thormodsson zurück nach Schweden. Noch eine letzte Station müssen sie absolvieren, bevor sie heimkehren: die westnorwegische Hafenstadt Stenvik, deren Fürst Sigurd Aegisson dem norwegischen König Olav Tryggvason die Treue schwor. König Olav ist ein fanatischer Anhänger des Weißen Christengottes und entschlossen, sein Reich bis zum letzten Mann zu missionieren, notfalls mit dem Schwert. Seine Armee nähert sich Stenvik von Osten; er plant, den Hafen einzunehmen, um seinen Feldzug fortzuführen. Von ihrem Lehnsherrn haben die Männer und Frauen nichts zu befürchten – wohl aber von dem Bund legendärer Krieger, der schwor, die alten Götter und Gebräuche zu bewahren. Angeführt von einer mysteriösen Frau mit rätselhaften Kräften segeln sie mit über 60 Schiffen nach Stenvik, um die Stadt zu erobern und Olavs Armee aufzulauern. Plötzlich finden sich Ulfar, Geiri und ganz Stenvik in einer brutalen Belagerung wieder und müssen ausharren, bis König Olavs Truppen eintreffen. Doch Zwietracht und Verrat schwächen die Reihen der Verteidiger, bis nicht mehr eindeutig ist, ob der Feind vor den Mauern steht – oder dahinter.
Okay, das war’s. Ich werde zukünftig nicht mehr gezielt nach Wikinger-Literatur suchen. Wie kommt es, dass dieses grundsätzlich spannende Thema offenbar ausschließlich von Schriftsteller_innen behandelt wird, denen das Talent fehlt, um ihre Geschichten mitreißend, logisch und überzeugend zu erzählen? Gut, ich habe lediglich drei Wikinger-Romane gelesen und gebe zu, dass meine Stichprobe entsprechend klein ist, aber ich war von allen dreien enttäuscht, auch von „Swords of Good Men“. Das Buch hat durchaus Potential, das Snorri Kristjánsson jedoch nicht zur Entfaltung bringen konnte, was wirklich schade ist, weil er sich eine faszinierende Epoche aussuchte, in der die Königreiche des Nordens einen Wandel durchlebten. Der Auftakt der „Valhalla Saga“ spielt 996 nach Christus und fällt damit genau in die Zeit der Christianisierung Norwegens. Der religiöse Konflikt, der als Initiator der Geschichte fungiert, ist folglich plausibel, authentisch und zum Teil sogar historisch belegt, denn Olav Tryggvason war damals tatsächlich König von Norwegen, dessen christliche Missionierung als ausgesprochen grausam und unnachgiebig galt. Es ist vorstellbar, dass er auf Widerstand in der Bevölkerung stieß, obwohl ich keine Hinweise darauf finden konnte, dass es den Kriegerbund, den Snorri Kristjánsson beschreibt, jemals gab. Das Problem mit der Darstellung dieses Konflikts in „Swords of Good Men“ besteht für mich darin, dass dieser gar nicht stattfindet. Der Kriegerbund, der den alten Glauben verteidigt, greift das (scheinbar) fiktive Stenvik an, nicht Olavs Armee. Stenvik ist König Olav längst nicht treu ergeben, die Einwohner_innen verehren heimlich noch immer das Götterpantheon um Odin. Fürst Sigurd unterwarf sich Olav lediglich, um seine Stadt zu schützen. Das heißt, wir erleben in diesem Buch nicht den Zusammenprall zweier Glaubenssysteme, sondern eine Art Stellvertreterkrieg, der meiner Meinung nach unlogisch ist, weil die Eskalation hätte vermieden werden können. Der Kriegerbund wird von einer Frau namens Skuld angeführt, die über paranormale Fähigkeiten verfügt. Unter anderem kann sie Menschen magisch manipulieren. Warum ist es dann nötig, Stenvik gewaltsam zu erobern? Wieso stachelt sie die Stadt nicht gegen den Lehnsherrn auf, der sowieso unbeliebt ist? Für mich ergab die Handlung daher von Vorneherein keinen Sinn und Kristjánssons unstrukturierte, erratische Erzählweise verschloss mir darüber hinaus den Zugang. Die Lektüre stresste mich, weil die Geschichte unter viel zu vielen unmotivierten Perspektiv- und Ortswechseln leidet. Diese Sprunghaftigkeit hinderte mich daran, Bindungen zu den zahlreichen Figuren aufzubauen; alles ging so schnell und ist so oberflächlich gestaltet, dass ich sogar Schwierigkeiten hatte, sie auseinanderzuhalten. Ihre Schicksale berührten mich nicht, was dazu führte, dass mich auch die blutigen Schlachtszenen kalt ließen, denn ich kann nicht mit Figuren fühlen, die mir fremd sind. Ebenso unbeeindruckt war ich vom Ende des Trilogieauftakts, das mir nicht überzeugend erschien und meinen Entschluss festigte, die „Valhalla Saga“ abzubrechen.
Es besteht ein Unterschied zwischen einer temporeichen und einer unruhigen Geschichte. Leider scheint Snorri Kristjánsson dieser Unterschied nicht bewusst gewesen zu sein, als er „Swords of Good Men“ schrieb. Er glaubte offenbar, dass viele Wechsel im Setting und der Perspektive Voraussetzung für eine rasante Handlung sind. Sind sie nicht. Ich denke, hätte er sich auf wenige Perspektivcharaktere beschränkt, statt im Minutentakt ruckhaft von einer Figur zur nächsten zu springen, hätte ich die Mängel bezüglich der Logik verschmerzen können. Unlogisch, aber unterhaltsam kann ich aushalten – unlogisch und unzugänglich hingegen nicht.
Das Experiment „Wikinger-Romane“ ist gescheitert. Ich bedauere, dass es Snorri Kristjánsson nicht gelang, das Ruder herumzureißen und mich für dieses Subgenre zu gewinnen. Ich will nicht ausschließen, dass ich noch mal ein entsprechendes Buch lesen werde, aber meine zielgerichtete Recherche ist hiermit beendet.
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