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Northern Fire #1
Harbinger
Rulla, Dealer of Fates, has seen fit to bestow Her blessing on four babes - Cairn, Lars, Lora and Thay - for they are all born on the same night to different mothers. None of the folk of the Darnok clan have ever heard of such a thing. The birthing is made even stranger yet, for once they are safely delivered, the village seeress falls into a trance and chants a verse that hints at future glory. The mothers, finally lying asleep after their ordeals, might have tried to strike a different bargain with Rulla, for She is known as a hard bargainer who stains each rune of glory She hands out in blood.
As the children grow, the townsfolk see only hints of a possible remarkable fate. At sixteen, they are finally accepted into the rite of passage to adulthood; they are offered in tithe to the Sea Wolves, the clan that defends the folk, sails the world’s seas, raids foreign shores, and brings back plunder. Their spirits are high as they venture through the Demon’s Teeth and discover the world beyond the Boldring Mountains.
Ah, but other Gods also have a role to play in any great saga and Tanat the Rogue turns their world on its head one afternoon. The youths are cut-off from their new clan and must survive on their own wits. As they make for home, they encounter Elkor, a mis-shapen outcast who forces them to re-evaluate everything they ever understood about their identity.
Pursued by Korgash, a Straelish lord whose hatred of Elkor and Thorn People (what the Straelings call the Fjordlanders) is only surpassed by his ambition, they discover that they are ill-equipped to inherit the fate supposedly reserved for them and they wonder if prophesy is not all lies.
As the children grow, the townsfolk see only hints of a possible remarkable fate. At sixteen, they are finally accepted into the rite of passage to adulthood; they are offered in tithe to the Sea Wolves, the clan that defends the folk, sails the world’s seas, raids foreign shores, and brings back plunder. Their spirits are high as they venture through the Demon’s Teeth and discover the world beyond the Boldring Mountains.
Ah, but other Gods also have a role to play in any great saga and Tanat the Rogue turns their world on its head one afternoon. The youths are cut-off from their new clan and must survive on their own wits. As they make for home, they encounter Elkor, a mis-shapen outcast who forces them to re-evaluate everything they ever understood about their identity.
Pursued by Korgash, a Straelish lord whose hatred of Elkor and Thorn People (what the Straelings call the Fjordlanders) is only surpassed by his ambition, they discover that they are ill-equipped to inherit the fate supposedly reserved for them and they wonder if prophesy is not all lies.
- GenresFantasy
333 pages, Paperback
Published April 26, 2016
3 people are currently reading
852 people want to read
About the author
Ian H. McKinley
5 books52 followersIan McKinley, a Writers' Federation of New Brunswick "Prélude Emerging Writer" at the 2016 Frye Festival (Atlantic Canada's largest literary event), writes Fantastic Realism, fantasy in which alignments and/or collisions of human interests and values drive the narrative rather than clashes of pure good against ultimate evil. He released his second novel, Harbinger, Book One of Northern Fire, in April in advance of the Frye Festival.
Ian was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Ten days later, his parents dragged him off to live in Northern Ireland until the age of five. Then they dragged him back to Canada, to live in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan (Canada has interesting place names, many dealing with wildlife such as Moose Factory, Bear Beach, etc. or with body parts such as Elbow, Eyebrow [no, we're not having you on], or, dealing with both such as Moose Jaw). Of course, as soon as he breathed the pure Saskatchewan air, his blood turned the green of the Roughriders. It was a hard condition to avoid during the time of Ronny Lancaster and George Reed. Five years later, his parents dragged him off to Lethbridge, Alberta, where he spent the remainder of his youth and where he subsequently went to university.
Ian and his wife of 20 years, Josée Lanctôt, have a "modern" family that includes Sanja, adopted from an animal shelter and who is supposedly half labrador, half German shepherd. Both Ian and Josée are convinced that she has a third half ... cat! Together they all live in Bogotá, Colombia. They currently call Ottawa home base.
Ian is a career diplomat with Canada's foreign ministry who has served abroad in Colombia, Kenya, Zimbabwe and at the Canadian Mission to the United Nations in New York. He speaks English, French and Spanish.
More importantly than being a civil servant, Ian fancies himself as an author. He is also a proud fan of the Canadian Football League's Saskatchewan Roughriders and Liverpool Football Club of the English Premier League. As soccer increases its beachhead in North America, Ian has broadened his support for football clubs to include the Vancouver Whitecaps of Major League Soccer and the Ottawa Fury of the North American Soccer League.
In addition to appreciating sports, Ian enjoys travelling, sports, canoeing and camping in remote areas, gastronomy, music, cinema, and, gaming with his friends.
If you follow Ian's Twitter feed, (@McKinleyWriting) you will know he also retweets in support of foundations that assist animals as well as the fight against cancer. Ian is a proud member of the Writers' Federation of New Brunswick as well as the Sunburst Award Society for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic.
Ian was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Ten days later, his parents dragged him off to live in Northern Ireland until the age of five. Then they dragged him back to Canada, to live in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan (Canada has interesting place names, many dealing with wildlife such as Moose Factory, Bear Beach, etc. or with body parts such as Elbow, Eyebrow [no, we're not having you on], or, dealing with both such as Moose Jaw). Of course, as soon as he breathed the pure Saskatchewan air, his blood turned the green of the Roughriders. It was a hard condition to avoid during the time of Ronny Lancaster and George Reed. Five years later, his parents dragged him off to Lethbridge, Alberta, where he spent the remainder of his youth and where he subsequently went to university.
Ian and his wife of 20 years, Josée Lanctôt, have a "modern" family that includes Sanja, adopted from an animal shelter and who is supposedly half labrador, half German shepherd. Both Ian and Josée are convinced that she has a third half ... cat! Together they all live in Bogotá, Colombia. They currently call Ottawa home base.
Ian is a career diplomat with Canada's foreign ministry who has served abroad in Colombia, Kenya, Zimbabwe and at the Canadian Mission to the United Nations in New York. He speaks English, French and Spanish.
More importantly than being a civil servant, Ian fancies himself as an author. He is also a proud fan of the Canadian Football League's Saskatchewan Roughriders and Liverpool Football Club of the English Premier League. As soccer increases its beachhead in North America, Ian has broadened his support for football clubs to include the Vancouver Whitecaps of Major League Soccer and the Ottawa Fury of the North American Soccer League.
In addition to appreciating sports, Ian enjoys travelling, sports, canoeing and camping in remote areas, gastronomy, music, cinema, and, gaming with his friends.
If you follow Ian's Twitter feed, (@McKinleyWriting) you will know he also retweets in support of foundations that assist animals as well as the fight against cancer. Ian is a proud member of the Writers' Federation of New Brunswick as well as the Sunburst Award Society for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
December 29, 2018
From the start, this novel throws us head-first into a rich realm of gods and Nordic men and women. I can feel the cold, the furs, and the tradition. It was almost overwhelming, evoking the feel of an Icelandic epic of men and deeds without necessarily providing us with any kind of depth. And after the fact of reading the novel, I find that it was okay. I did scratch my head and wonder what I was getting myself into, however.
Further into the text, things smooth out nicely, focusing more on the four children of destiny and the ornate sword named Harbinger. This is NOT a regular fantasy giving into all the old tropes of sword and sorcery, instead focusing on magical realism, evocative bloody raids, adventure, and loss. The mysticism is subdued even if it is explored wonderfully.
All told, the author has a fantastic grip on the description, complex storytelling, and even a smooth subtlety not limited to original poetry.
It's well worth the trip if you love cold climes and nordic adventures. :) Much better than some I've read and enjoyable throughout.
Further into the text, things smooth out nicely, focusing more on the four children of destiny and the ornate sword named Harbinger. This is NOT a regular fantasy giving into all the old tropes of sword and sorcery, instead focusing on magical realism, evocative bloody raids, adventure, and loss. The mysticism is subdued even if it is explored wonderfully.
All told, the author has a fantastic grip on the description, complex storytelling, and even a smooth subtlety not limited to original poetry.
It's well worth the trip if you love cold climes and nordic adventures. :) Much better than some I've read and enjoyable throughout.
September 7, 2018
Classic epic fantasy with a number of the usual clichés - four babes born the same special night in one small town, prophecies in poems, and uniquely named weapons with one of them, an elaborately designed long sword, Harbinger, being the title to the book. If anything disappointed me, it was the first chapter where the author decides to name a host of places, gods, historical events and half the people in town! My advise to a reader would be to skim past all those names (in other words, don't try to remember them, there's WAY too many) until later in the book when the characters are actually part of the action. Once you get past the first chapter the story rolls along well. One can tell the author has spent some considerable time doing research before writing this work as the Nordic theme is well represented and detailed. (One might think it's a real Viking saga) I especially enjoyed the second half of the book when the four are now young adults and their away from home adventure begins. The realism of what occurs is excellent - no unbelievable things occurring. This is the first part of a series and is not stand alone as it ends with an unfinished story so you'll need to read the next book(s) to finish the tale.
May 23, 2016
What would a nordic saga really look, from the POV of real protagonists? This book is the answer. Ian McKinley delivers a world full of passion, of tangible adventure and danger, of characters lost and found through friendship and hardships. Fantastic realism is a new, more adult take on fantasy, that serves as a bridge for fantasy and historical fiction lovers.
My rating is more based on personal bias. I liked more Gallows Gem of Prallyn for the mediterranean quality of its setting, that for me is more appealing than the cold norse-like setting of Harbinger.
My rating is more based on personal bias. I liked more Gallows Gem of Prallyn for the mediterranean quality of its setting, that for me is more appealing than the cold norse-like setting of Harbinger.
July 7, 2017
well-researched and full of rich detail, Harbinger has stuck with me in the year since I had the pleasure to Beta Read it. McKinley has written a compelling coming of age story with some truly wonderful elements of adventure, myth, and a few surprising twists and turns. Recommended for those who enjoy historical fantasy in the vein of Miles Cameron's Red Knight.
March 4, 2020
A compelling adventure in the old Norse tradition with a gradual change of perspective. Very Enjoyable.
October 29, 2017
review to follow
February 7, 2017
New Brunswick's resident writer of fantastic realism, Ian H. McKinley, has just released Harbinger, Book 1 of the Northern Fire series. It is firmly rooted in Nordic myth and legend, a time of swords, spears, axes, bow and arrow and fearless sea raiders that pillage enemy villages along the coasts and fjords of the Northlands.
Four Children of Destiny
Four children are born in the village on Darknight (the winter solstice) marking them as special and destined for greatness, according to the villagers and seers among them. Harbinger (which is the name given to an unusual sword found by one of the children) traces the lives of the four (Lars, Thay, Cairn and Lora) as they grow, learning the ways of the village and the wills of the various gods they worship. all learn to handle the various weapons of the day for the village, being on the coast could be at the mercy of the Sea Wolves without warning. The Sea Wolves are a little bit pirate, a little bit coast guard in that while they may give protection to a village that provides them with supplies and young men to train, they raid enemy villages and cart off spoil and men to serve as slaves at the oars.
When the four become of age they are given to the Sea Wolves by their parents (some of whom are former Sea Wolves themselves) to train and to become better Fjordlanders. While the Sea Wolves are off on a raiding expedition, the four are left behind to guard the three boats. The raid goes terribly awry and a lone survivor makes it back to the four instructing them to set fire to the boats and escape for their lives:
Lars clenched his teeth, heaved in a deep breath, nodded and hissed, "Aye, I'll light a northern fire." An odd look crossed Lora's face and she said, "It'll set the world ablaze."
The four escape in the remaining boat and this is the true start of the adventures to follow as the sea takes them far from home and brings them ashore in a place they had only ever heard of, trying to survive as strangers in a strange land with varying customs, language and a healthy fear of the "Thorn People" as Fjordlanders are known as in these parts. Their fortunes improve somewhat when they come across the outcast Elkor, a bitter and disfigured man falsely labelled by the ignorant populace as a necromancer.
Conclusion
I truly enjoyed reading this book, and while I am not a fan of the wizards and warriors type of fantasy, Harbinger is closer to reality, aside from the place names which are realistic enough in their own right. Mr McKinley's writing style is solid and detailed, yet pleasurable to read. He has concocted a mythopoeic story of the first rank and one that will have you highly anticipating Book 2 of Northern Fire: The Winter Wars, due in November 2017.
Four Children of Destiny
Four children are born in the village on Darknight (the winter solstice) marking them as special and destined for greatness, according to the villagers and seers among them. Harbinger (which is the name given to an unusual sword found by one of the children) traces the lives of the four (Lars, Thay, Cairn and Lora) as they grow, learning the ways of the village and the wills of the various gods they worship. all learn to handle the various weapons of the day for the village, being on the coast could be at the mercy of the Sea Wolves without warning. The Sea Wolves are a little bit pirate, a little bit coast guard in that while they may give protection to a village that provides them with supplies and young men to train, they raid enemy villages and cart off spoil and men to serve as slaves at the oars.
When the four become of age they are given to the Sea Wolves by their parents (some of whom are former Sea Wolves themselves) to train and to become better Fjordlanders. While the Sea Wolves are off on a raiding expedition, the four are left behind to guard the three boats. The raid goes terribly awry and a lone survivor makes it back to the four instructing them to set fire to the boats and escape for their lives:
Lars clenched his teeth, heaved in a deep breath, nodded and hissed, "Aye, I'll light a northern fire." An odd look crossed Lora's face and she said, "It'll set the world ablaze."
The four escape in the remaining boat and this is the true start of the adventures to follow as the sea takes them far from home and brings them ashore in a place they had only ever heard of, trying to survive as strangers in a strange land with varying customs, language and a healthy fear of the "Thorn People" as Fjordlanders are known as in these parts. Their fortunes improve somewhat when they come across the outcast Elkor, a bitter and disfigured man falsely labelled by the ignorant populace as a necromancer.
Conclusion
I truly enjoyed reading this book, and while I am not a fan of the wizards and warriors type of fantasy, Harbinger is closer to reality, aside from the place names which are realistic enough in their own right. Mr McKinley's writing style is solid and detailed, yet pleasurable to read. He has concocted a mythopoeic story of the first rank and one that will have you highly anticipating Book 2 of Northern Fire: The Winter Wars, due in November 2017.
February 1, 2017
wow! this book is a gem. I'm usually not a big fan of sea stories. I get lost in the technical language related with boats so unless the story is soo compelling that what happens to the boat and how the boat behaves or how the characters navigate in the boat and with the boat, I usually don`t like those stories. But, Ian in his first novel, has described the scene of a pirate ship attacking a merchant ship in such a matter that this first chapter in the Gallows Gem of Prallyn is probably my all time favorite chapter. So, every chance I get, I ask for more of that chapter. Little did I know that the Harbinger delivers such promise and more. The first part of this book is set in a village Viking-like village and follows the lives of 4 extraordinary children who develop in adolescents. Through their childhood, we learn to love the village but when the teens embark on a Viking ship, the story ascend to another level. I have felt those waves, that storm and I have feared with the characters the rocky outcrops of the devil's teeth. In the third part of the book, the teens explore a new world, a new culture and decide to embrace it with the help of a new character. I am anxiously waiting for the next book.
What I really like about Ian's writing is his female characters. They are found through out his stories, without any special status, as if it is perfectly normal for one or two or more of the soldiers to be women, or a few priests to be female. The person in charge of the village's defence system? the mother of one of the teens. It is presented with such normalcy that I've not encountered yet. In all other books with strong female characters, all authors make an attempt to make female characters special. Not Ian, the female characters could be interchanged by men and any man character can also be a female and that's kind of a cool to be found in cultures and civilizations created by an author (male or female).
So, chop-chop Ian get back to the computer, pen, paper and finish the second book please. thank you.
What I really like about Ian's writing is his female characters. They are found through out his stories, without any special status, as if it is perfectly normal for one or two or more of the soldiers to be women, or a few priests to be female. The person in charge of the village's defence system? the mother of one of the teens. It is presented with such normalcy that I've not encountered yet. In all other books with strong female characters, all authors make an attempt to make female characters special. Not Ian, the female characters could be interchanged by men and any man character can also be a female and that's kind of a cool to be found in cultures and civilizations created by an author (male or female).
So, chop-chop Ian get back to the computer, pen, paper and finish the second book please. thank you.
June 8, 2022
The review of the printing proofs has come to an end, for good or ill!
Well, my rating is obviously biased, but with that admission out of the way, can you blame someone for thinking that their creative energies over several years have turned out well?
A couple of observations: I have read each and every part of this book so many times that I no longer know what it's like to come across for the first time. Also, it's only existed as an entity separate from The Winter Wars (to come) for a relatively short time. Thus, when I think of it, I see the story and the arc of the characters reaching to the final page of the entire Northern Fire work.
The above said, I think this is a better book than The Gallows Gem of Prallyn. It's a different style of book, for one thing. Rather than having a wagon wheel of storylines like spokes that come together over the length of the novel, it is linear in time and place, and follows a more manageable number of main characters. This makes it an easier, quicker read. More importantly, for me this was a more personal story, with reflections on the nature of our personal ambitions and the societies in which we live.
I very much hope everyone enjoys it as much as I do.
Well, my rating is obviously biased, but with that admission out of the way, can you blame someone for thinking that their creative energies over several years have turned out well?
A couple of observations: I have read each and every part of this book so many times that I no longer know what it's like to come across for the first time. Also, it's only existed as an entity separate from The Winter Wars (to come) for a relatively short time. Thus, when I think of it, I see the story and the arc of the characters reaching to the final page of the entire Northern Fire work.
The above said, I think this is a better book than The Gallows Gem of Prallyn. It's a different style of book, for one thing. Rather than having a wagon wheel of storylines like spokes that come together over the length of the novel, it is linear in time and place, and follows a more manageable number of main characters. This makes it an easier, quicker read. More importantly, for me this was a more personal story, with reflections on the nature of our personal ambitions and the societies in which we live.
I very much hope everyone enjoys it as much as I do.
March 3, 2016
Imagine preparing for something your entire life, only to have it swept away in an instant. The saga of Lora, Thay, Cairn and Lars' struggle to survive in a hostile land weaves traditional fantasy elements - destiny, heroism - with empathy and gritty realism. Not only the central characters, but everyone depicted has depth, complexity, and a unique voice. There are no hordes of faceless foes here throwing themselves forward to be slaughtered, no global struggle subjugating everyone to a single narrative. Harbinger is something new, and very difficult to put down.
December 29, 2016
A brilliant story of friendship and adventure.
I really enjoyed this book, the second McKinley novel I have read. In this novel, he sends four friends on a treacherous journey through an achingly beautiful landscape in a tale of friendship and discovery. With skillful storytelling he weaves exciting sword fights, loss, humor, poetry and more in this thoroughly enjoyable piece.
I really enjoyed this book, the second McKinley novel I have read. In this novel, he sends four friends on a treacherous journey through an achingly beautiful landscape in a tale of friendship and discovery. With skillful storytelling he weaves exciting sword fights, loss, humor, poetry and more in this thoroughly enjoyable piece.
May 10, 2023
A well written novel with a really nice fantasy setting where you follow the struggle of young yet to come heroes. How they will prove themselve to their community and themselves. Really like to learn about them and how the Northlander people live. Easy to read for a casual reader like me.
June 17, 2017
Engaging page-turner with compelling characters in a harsh and fantastic setting. Can't wait for the sequel to continue the adventure.
October 29, 2018
3.5 stars. Review to come!
February 27, 2019
"This is a terrific novel by a talented storyteller. I was captivated from the first page. I am anxious for Book 2 and hope to be first in line when it becomes available."
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews