Skeins Unfurled

by K.M. Vanderbilt

When the murder of a god shatters a thousand years of peace, chaos reigns among the known worlds. Even the Norns, blinded and stripped of their powers, cannot see how it will end. Left without guidance, some gods choose to make their own fates. Others cannot. Old ties are torn apart while new ones are forged. And amidst that tenuous balance, ancient secrets emerge. War looms on the horizon. In a struggle where battle lines constantly shift and allies just as quickly become enemies, nothing is sacred. For some, the end comes sooner than Ragnarok.

396 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 1, 2016

About the author

The author known as Vanderbilt is an avid smoker and lover of the written word. She lives with her hetero life-mate, single offspring, and a derpy canine in the urban sprawl of Colorado Springs, CO, but dreams about relocating to Neptune in the next fifty years. In the meantime, she writes.

Reviews

[misplacedselchie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is filled with mythology in such a fantastic way, but be warned...take what you know and leave it at the door. Vanderbilt completely reweaves mythology in this book in a beautiful way.

This book is filled with a diverse and complex plot that will keep you turning the pages. As I said before, forget what you know about mythology while you read this book and enjoy the story that she is weaving for you. I’ll admit, the beginning was a little difficult but once you get past the prologue, the ball really starts to roll and before you know it you’ll be completely invested in this book. You will laugh, and cry, and rage with the best of them.

My favorite part of Skeins Unfurled was that at times, it was hard to tell who was a bad guy and who was supposed to be the good guy. Vanderbilt really delves into that grey area that makes you question different moral standings. There are quite a few of those decisions that leaders may have to make that seem questionable from other points of views. You may find yourself completely disagreeing with an action one character makes until you get to a chapter that follows them around and you learn the reasoning behind it. I had many moments of “….well DAMN, when you put it THAT WAY….”

I’m super excited to see how the rest of this series progresses.

[Bethlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This tale took me a few attempts to get started, but once I did, I couldn't put it down. I highly recommend it! It's a daring story from start to finish and I can't wait to read more from this author.

[Ivy · Rating 4 out of 5]

First: if you know anything at all about Norse mythology, you should disband that knowledge before reading this book. And you should read this book, by a landslide. But, K.M. Vanderbilt has taken creative license, as fiction authors do. It's brilliant, but it can be hard to digest if you're a mythology-buff.

Second: You'll be sucked in immediately. I had a hard time pulling myself from the book when I needed to. If I hadn't had it on my computer, I would've ended up immersed on my phone the few times I had to be away. The sheer imagery starts from the very first sentence and doesn't let up in the least. Trust me, just read the book.

Third: Going from POV to POV was nerve-wracking. Honestly, I kept expecting right as the tension got high that the story would cut to another POV, but I was greatly pleased to be wrong in this regard. Nothing annoys me more, and K. M. Vanderbilt gets my regard there. When the tension is high, they stay with the tension and, a lot of the time, suspense. I was on the edge of my seat, literally and figuratively, turning page after page to see what would happen.

Fourth: It's hard to know who to root for, at times. You start out liking these characters, but then find later that you...don't. And vice versa. There's a moral ambiguity to them all, which keeps you on your toes. I had some definite favorites and some definite...not. But, over all, each character was their own person. Well-developed and amazingly written.


Over all, I recommend this book. There were terms I didn't understand (there's a glossary in the back! It was just a bit inconvenient for me, being on computer and all), and some things that happened that I couldn't quite get the scope of. But, over all, I loved reading Skeins Unfurled. It was beautiful and heart-wrenching.

[Lee French · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is aptly named. The threads of the plot, all tightly woven at the beginning, unravel until it's unclear what matters and what doesn't, and what the central conflict is. The writing itself is rich and delightful. The plot is somewhat confusing. it follows several characters, many of whom are obviously modeled on their namesakes from mythology, and all of whom are trying to push their will on some part of the multiverse.

I had a very difficult time determining who to feel sympathetic for, who the actual main characters are, and who should be labeled a bad guy. This is a story with flexible and gray morality, which is appealing in itself, but makes the characters challenging to suss out. I further found it confusing that the place labeled Midgard had little in common with Viking era Earth. Obviously, this is a fantasy tale, but with it using Earth-sourced religions, I expected it to use Earth as the basis. Dodriki is clearly not Earth.

The book felt like it would have made much more sense had the Breadth Key series come first and this been offered afterward as a backstory for the world. As a minor point, it amused me to see that a prequel had a prologue.

Overall, I recommend this for people who enjoy

[Daryl Ball · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tugging at the source material available of many European myths and blending them tightly together, Skeins Unfurled is rich with character development, world creation, and unexpected links between characters and events. The world it takes place in feels real, and the action sequences pull you in. Nothing can be taken for granted in the book as the plot unfolds, with even the most seemingly minor detail becoming important later on, and you are bound to be caught off guard more than once. As a story it can seemingly stand on its' own but also plants a strong foundation for the series that is to follow it

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

SOLID 4.5 stars!! I'll admit, I wasn't sure what to think as I read (skimmed, sort of) the first few chapters.
Then Freyr crosses to Midgard... And things start to make sense. I loved the characters: Vatten, Emise, and all the rest. I found it fascinating, the way Vanderbilt contrasted Loki's attempt at reinstating worship, as opposed to the way Freyr went about it. Rather cool! And the ending literally took my breath away! I would DEFINITELY be interested in the rest of the series!

[Christy Mann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am in awe of this book. A mash-up of mythological entities from all walks, some I know and love and some I have never heard of, are brilliantly brought together and pulled apart just as well. I loved the way each of the myths played into how they all ended up in one place at the same time, and the story that unfolded from there was hard for me to walk away from. I highly recommend this read.