Sinovi groma

Raven #2

by Giles Kristian, Mladen Jurčić (Translator)

Tko izda bratstvo, mrtav je…
Vikinški jarl Sigurd i njegovi ratnici napuštaju englesko kopno i ponovno se otiskuju na pučinu, ovoga puta u potjeri za izdajicom, saksonskim starješinom Ealdredom. S namjerom da caru Karlu Velikome proda vrijedan primjerak Svetog pisma i tako stekne nezamislivo bogatstvo, Ealdred se uputio na njegov dvor. Gavran i njegov vučji čopor polaze u potjeru za njim, a u srcima im plamti želja za osvetom. Mladi je ratnik među žestokim Nordijcima pronašao prijateljstvo i smisao postojanja, ali da bi preživio, morat će se služiti oštrim mačem i britkim umom. Pred njim su teške bitke i nepoznate opasnosti koje vrebaju na putu u srce kršćanskoga carstva, čiji stanovnici bezbožne ratnike nastoje izbrisati s lica Zemlje…
Okrutan, krvav roman, koji se čita u dahu – a nastavlja priču o Gavranu i njegovu vikinškom ratničkom bratstvu koja je započela uspješnicom Krvavo oko.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Fantasy, Adventure, Audiobook, Medieval

312 pages, Paperback

First published April 2, 2010

About the author

Giles Kristian's first historical novels were the acclaimed and bestselling RAVEN Viking trilogy – Blood Eye, Sons of Thunder and Odin’s Wolves. For his next series, he drew on a long-held fascination with the English Civil War to chart the fortunes of a family divided by this brutal conflict in The Bleeding Land and Brothers’ Fury. Giles also co-wrote Wilbur Smith’s No.1 bestseller, Golden Lion. In God of Vengeance (a TIMES Book of the Year), Winter’s Fire, and the Historical Writers’ Association Gold Crown shortlisted Wings of the Storm, he returned to the world of the Vikings to tell the story of Sigurd and his celebrated fictional fellowship. Lancelot was published to great acclaim and hit The Times bestseller charts at No. 3. It was also a Sunday Times bestseller. He followed Lancelot with Camelot, and his next novel, a thriller called Where Blood Runs Cold, was the Times' Thriller of the Month, and won the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize 2022. His next novel, Arthur, will be the final book in his Arthurian Tales. It will be published June 6th. Pre-order links here: https://linktr.ee/arthur_by_giles_kri...
To find out more about Giles: www.gileskristian.com
Follow Giles on Facebook and Twitter: @GilesKristian

Reviews

[William Gwynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I now have a YouTube channel that I run with my brother, called 'The Brothers Gwynne'. Check it out - The Brothers Gwynne

Sons of Thunder was a brilliant second instalment in the Raven series. Many series I have read have suffered at the hands of the “second book disease”, where the quality plummets. But not this! Memorable characters. Immersive world-building. Epic action sequences. Fantastic characters. What I've come to expect from Giles Kristian!

“Have you ever sailed in a longship? Not a stubby, robust knörr laden with trade goods and wallowing like a packhorse across the sea, but a sleek, deathly quick, terror-stirring thing – a dragon ship.”

Sons of Thunder follows on soon after the wrapping up of the previous novel. The role of Raven as a narrator in the present time becomes a firmer role, and wow were those moments epic! This book was full of goosebumps worthy scenes and brilliant moments.

Kristian’s prose is the same as usual, I’ve learnt to expect it now. Easy, accessible, rich with Norse goodness, and fluid. So easy to listen to on audiobook. Each time I snatch a moment or two, I’m instantly immersed back into this world of sea-faring and warrior exploits.

The Sons of Thunder wondered away from the blusterous British isles, turning towards France and the growing empire of Charlemagne and his Frankish warriors. The new land was presented wonderfully, with a wide array of locations. From the disgusting town of Paris, for prior to its flourishing days. Definitely not the city of love! To the turmoil of the sea and navigation of a Norse longboat.

“It's difficult to hate a broken man, no matter the previous misdeeds.”

One moment I have to mention is the holmganga. Which means, duel. Sons of Thunder contained one of my favourite duels I have ever read! It was brutal, mesmerising and enchanting! I won’t go further into detail for fear of spoilers….

The cast of characters has increased slightly, but it was mostly spent cementing and expanding those introduced in Blood Eye. Kristian creates a wide diversity of characters each with different unique traits that define them. A wonderful band of warriors!

Overall, Sons of Thunder was everything that I wanted it to be! Brutal, immersive, unique, epic! What more can you ask for? Much as I said in my review of Blood Eye, I think you’ll really enjoy this series if you’re into Norse mythology/history or the Dark Ages.

5/5 STARS

[Edward Gwynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Check out my review for this fantastic book on Grimdark Magazine at: Grimdark Magazine

In the name of Odin, Sons of Thunder is a mind-blowing and shield-bashingly good book. The second instalment in the Raven series, Giles Kristian has crafted a rich tale that has everything you want in a book.

“A man who puts his hand into a wolf's mouth should not be surprised if he eats his next meal with just one hand”

Sons of Thunder picks up straight from Blood Eye, and wastes no time in setting sail into the dark ages. Osric ‘Raven’ is with the crew of Norse traders / marauders (depending on which mood takes them) as they seek vengeance and revenge upon the Saxon king, Ealdred. This tale abandons the Saxon land that we are familiar with from books of Bernard Cornwell, and crosses the sea to the land of the Franks, and the famous emperor Charlemagne.

I really cannot express how awe-inspiring and phenomenal the story-telling is. Kristian’s writing paints a picture so vivid that I can taste the sea air and mead, and see the shield-walls, dragon-ships and lice-infested beards. The characters are brilliant, with the formidable Sigurd, the witty Olaf, the dark Floki, and many others that nearly steal the show.

“A man's fate is always shrouded by fog”

The crew are such a high-point of this book. Their banter is hilarious, and the bond they share is real and emotional. The land is grim and dark, yet this band of men just make me wish I was pulling an oar beside them, counting the booty we had amassed and de-rusting my brynja with a sack of sand.

This fresh portrayal of the dark ages is easily among my favourite historical-fiction books. Giles Kristian is a genius at work, and his work has truly captured my attention, with little room for anything else. The pages are seeping with Norse history and information, the language is captivating, and scenes are breathtaking.

“You can go back the way you came, but that course in itself feels stale, for you merely re-live what has already been.”

5/5 - Grim, dark and bloody, there is plenty here for readers of fantasy to love. Please read these books, if it’s the first historical fiction series you read or the four hundredth. You won’t be disappointed.

[Laura Tenfingers · Rating 5 out of 5]

As good as the first time around! A bloody, nonstop adventure filled to the brim with Loki-cunning Vikings making their way through the wilds of 8th century Frankia.

I will admit it started very descriptive with a slow moving plot as he set up the time and place. I almost worried but my fears were quickly brushed aside by nonstop action and a whole shopping list of creative solutions to the seriously serious problems they ended up in.

I couldn't put it down and am dying to see what happens next in Odin's Wolves as I haven't read that one yet. Highly recommend.

[Stjepan Cobets · Rating 5 out of 5]

My rating 4.7

The second part of the Raven series, “Sons of Thunder (Raven # 2)” by Giles Kristian, is a great sequel, and the story simply draws you in to read it. The characters are very well worked out, and the story is superbly balanced.

King Ealdred, blinded by the acquisition of a holy book worth more than his entire kingdom, sacrificed his son and daughter and stole the ship Fjord Deer from Sigurd to sell the holy book. Blinded by wealth, the king flees to France to sell the holy book to Charlemagne, but underestimates the Nordic warriors and their desire for revenge. Jarl Sigurd, after a series of deceptions by King Ealdred, sets off in pursuit of the ship that the king has hijacked. The Raven was accepted by the Nordics as a full-fledged warrior and is increasingly respected, and Jarl Sigurd himself is very fond of him. But what is ahead of Raven and the wolf company is not only the hunt for King Ealdred but the entry into the Christian kingdom of Charlemagne, which aimed to destroy all the ungodly. One thing is for sure: the road they set out on will be bloody and full of battles.

I would recommend the book to all lovers of the historical novel and the Vikings.

[Clemens Schoonderwoert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book in 2014, and its the 2nd volume of the wonderful "Raven" trilogy.

Raven, Sigurd and the Wolfpack have been betrayed by Ealdred of Wessex, and they are seeking revenge.

This Ealdred is heading towards Frankia and Emperor Charlemagne but the Wolfpack as a whole is hot on his heels, and they will do anything to revenge the wrong that has been done to them.

In Frankia and in and out of the river Sacauna, the Wolfpack will trap Ealdred and his men, and there will be a final reckoning, in which Sigurd challenges Mauger, who's Ealdred's bodyguard, in an ancient duel called the holmgang, meaning a fight to the death.

Raven will be betrayed again and left to rot, but due to his cunning and fighting prowess he will manage to break free, and wet his Viking blade with a lot more treacherous enemy blood, before rejoining his Fellowship.

Highly recommended, for this a tremendous addition to this excellent trilogy, and that's why I like to call this episode: "A Terrific Raven Sequel"!

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seal Stew Anyone?
I probably say this too often and now here I go again. Journey adventures. This is my favourite type of historical fiction. I loathe being stuck in the one place in a book, ie a castle, an army camp, a ship.
My imagination feeds on colourful journey adventures where the main characters travel from one exotic place to another, meeting one exotic person or groups of people after the other.
Somehow I think it hearkens back to the first time I saw Star Wars - the ultimate in journey adventures.
The Creature Cantina, and the adventures immediately before and after, are my favourite scenes in all of the Star Wars movies (Princess Leia/Jabba the Hut slave scenes from Return of the Jedi come a close second) and they imprinted upon me so much that even today, as an adult and no longer a kid, my reading and movie tastes are still influenced by that imprint.
This could be one of the reasons that the Vikings are my favourite journeyers of history and Viking adventures are my favourite types of historical fiction novel, after all, if you take out Luke Skywalker and the sci fi setting and replace with a Viking protagonist and an early European setting, these kinds of stories have a lot in common with the Star Wars adventures. But enough of that tangent, now on to Sons of Thunder.

Sons of Thunder was a fantastic journey adventure for me and is much improved on the first book in this series, Blood Eye. That is not surprising though. For numerous reasons. But mostly they are because Blood Eye was a coming of age for the character, Raven (I do not enjoy coming of age stories usually), and a debut for the author, Giles Kristian.
When I first read Blood Eye I wasn't won over, but I always thought that one day I would get to book two. It was a debut after all and I do like to give the debut book of a series some leeway. It is hard enough to find quality Viking era historical fiction and Kristian clearly knew how to write quality, he just had some kinks to iron out in regards to plots and character depth. Which I think he did successfully in Sons of Thunder.

Despite wanting to eventually get to book two I kept putting it off....until recently. I made myself reread book one. Rereading Raven: Blood Eye was the right move. I enjoyed it so much more and bumped it from 3 stars to 4.. It gave me the incentive to get to Raven: Sons of Thunder and I am so pleased I listened to my gut and gave the series another chance.

With a lyrical and uniquely Saga driven writing style, Kristian can mesmerise the reader. I was mesmerised and that is no easy task. I read at night after a busy day and I get tired and bored easily, so I need to be mesmerised to hang in there.
I do not need high adventure on every page to mesmerise me and keep me awake. What I need is skilful writing backed up by vivid and transportive prose.
For example:

We tracked the coast slowly but steadily and at one point sailed right into a dirty cloud of biting gnats. They got into our mouths and down our tunic necks and even bit some of us on our eyeballs, which we all agreed was a very low thing to do. We roared at Olaf and Knut to tack us out of that Hel, but even when they tried, the movement of the wind across the sail was pitiful, and so we had to endure it, cowering under furs and skins like frightened women.
Afterward, we laughed about it, for when Svein huddled beneath a white reindeer skin, it looked as if a mountain of snow had dropped onto the deck. We laughed and we teased one another and we scratched, and when we saw three broad knorrs ploughing their own sea roads west and south, we knew we had come to the mouth of the Sicauna. Sure enough, we rounded a stubby peninsula on which dozens of houses sat coughing black smoke into the grey sky.
Once around that, Olaf said, we would see the river.
- from chapter ten

I am sure that if he keeps this up he will lure readers and fans for a lifetime. For it is books like these and writing like this that are a gleaming beacon for the genre of historical fiction. This Raven Saga is here to stay. I have no doubt.

The story itself is a journey adventure of a kind that, for the reasons already expressed, held immense appeal to me. It was not restricted to only Britain and its immediate surrounds, but branched out to other exotic and fascinating places such as Paris, France. An unexpected place to see our Viking crew turn up, but delightful all the same and I loved it. It was a lot of fun. In truth, the whole book was a lot of fun. For the same reasons that I find Robert Low's Oathsworn books a lot of fun. Humour, jollity, honesty, vitality and pagan naiveté all rolled into one.
Shockingly brutal and violent at times, it was all, to me, done in a natural way. It was not at all gratuitous and I never felt that the author was just trying to please the kind of audience who prefers gratuitousness over substance and quality. If I had detected it were that kind of book I wouldn't have been able to run away from it fast enough. It was tough and gutsy without falling into the cliche of being over pumped, cheesy, gore porn.

As for the title of this review? All I can say is that there is a seal and horseradish stew in this story that I will never forget. I am nearly gagging just thinking about it. Which gives credence to Giles Kristian's ability to create believable atmosphere.

As far as a rating goes, I have to give this book the full five stars out of five. For my tastes I could not fault it. A terrific Viking read that has left me hungering for the next book in the trilogy, Odin's Wolves.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book every bit as much as the first one. Giles Kristian has quickly become one of my favorite authors.
The story, the action, the detail...all so engaging! Have already started book three in the trilogy.
When I read this, I feel like I know the characters and am in their world. I can see the environment, and I can almost touch the main players. As their relationships grow and develop, I'm a part of the "Wolf Pack." I feel the loss of their deaths along with the honor of the manner of those deaths. Very few writers have done that for me.
Thank you, Mr. Kristian!

[Lia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better then the first book. Solid story telling. But, why only four stars? Simple, I did not like the main character (Raven). His selfish, arrogant, inconsiderate attitude was more fit for an antagonist then a protagonist.

Putting my dislike to the narrator of the story aside, I do find myself admiring the rest of the crews. Their roles were the ones that making this book an enjoyable read.

[Emelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

RTC for the trilogy

[John McDermott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid 3 star 🌟 Viking entertainment.
The depiction of the duel towards the start of the book was truly gripping, and although the rest of the book didn't quite hit those heights again, Sons of Thunder was still a good read.

[Amie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just Giles Kristian guaranteeing I have a lovely valentines day with that GK spice. I can take a break from being an independent career woman if he writes the man.

[S.J.A. Turney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I so enjoyed the first Raven book that I wasted little time launching into the second. It started just as I expected, launching into a continuation of the story from Blood Eye, with just as much 'oomph'. I was hooked.

However, Sons of Thunder is a different novel. Not what I expected and certainly not just a continuation of the story, though it does do that admirably too.

The first book had been a rip-roaring constant barrage of action and battle, heroics and betrayal, sneak attacks and audacious plans. Sons of Thunder built for only a couple of chapters on the same theme before sweeping all the plans from the table with surprise actions and decisions by the principal characters.

Suddenly I found I was reading more of an epic journey than an action fest. The story slowed into a languid, highly atmospheric and often tense journey, bringing the reader into an intimate understanding of what life would be like among the brotherhood of Sword-Norse aboard their dragon ships. I will say straight away that this was a surprise direction as far as I was concerned for the story to take, though in no bad way. Indeed, it lent a new freshness and interest to the tale.

I did, however, wonder really where the tale was going to go. I found myself thinking ahead and trying to see how the story might pan out, never quite able to work it all out.

And then, again, somewhere around two thirds of the way through the book, the direction changed once more, and suddenly the pace was breakneck, every bit as exciting and action-packed as Blood Eye. Indeed, I would say that Giles packed into a third of this book as much excitement as there had been in the first novel of the series, an achievement for which I doff my cap to him.

The story leaps and turns and twists in so many unexpected ways that I find it hard to describe how much I enjoyed it, and it builds to the very end to a moment that will be a defining one in the saga for me; one of those 'Lo, do I see my father' moments from 13th Warrior (thanks Giles). It sets up the third tale beautifully and makes it almost impossible to pause before launching into that book (which I have just done).

The characters continue to entertain and build, some departing their life in appropriate manners, other previous unknowns coming to the fore. Raven himself continues to become stronger and more sure, and my personal fave remains Floki.

The highlight of the book for me was (without spoilers) the manner in which the Norsemen reacted and adapted to what was, for them, a thoroughly alien environment. It was masterfully done.

Now: On with Odin's Wolves...

[Mr. Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A much stronger second novel. Suns of Thunder is everything the first book is but much, much better. This time the author nails it.

The story picks up immediately on the heals of the previous book. Raven, Sigurd, Cynethryth, and the Fellowship are chasing after the treacherous Saxon, Ealdred, and, more, importantly, the jewel encrusted sacred book written (I believe) by Saint Jerome. Ealdred gets captured (of course) and instead of killing him outright the Vikings make the decision to instead use him in a daring plot to sell the holy book to none other than Charlemagne. Excellent stuff.

Of course, this is a story about Vikings so there is lots of blood and lust and pagan rites. The duel between Ealdred's champion Mauger and Sigrud was a page-turner. The budding relationship between Raven and Cynethryth was well done and utterly believable. The visits to Aix-la-Chapelle and Paris were great.

What I liked best about this book was how it captured the spirit of the era (or at least it captured what I imagined that spirit to be). There is the tension between the old Gods (Odin et al) and the new God of the civilized lands, the White Christ. There is the fierce code of honor shared by pagan Norseman and Christian Saxon or Frank alike. There is the decay of the old Roman world being wiped away by a new, more brutal world.

I did have a few minor complaints. The main one being the authors insistence on calling the Saxon inhabitants of Britain "Englishmen." My history is pretty rusty but I am fairly positive that England didn't emerge as an identity until Alfred the Great and the supremacy of the Saxon kingdom of Wessex over the Angles and Jutes. I know, it's pretty, but every time the author mentioned Raven speaking in English or translating things into English for others it broke my immersion into an otherwise fun little story.

A solid four stars. (Three and a half for the story, writing and characters and a big half point bonus for being about Vikings. Who doesn't love a good Viking story?)

[T.D. McKinnon · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Sons of Thunder’ is a rollicking 9th century adventure, and the continuing story of Raven, in the sequel to ‘Raven: Blood Eye’.

Giles Kristian obviously loves this period in history as, I must admit, do I. In first person narrative he takes the reader with him on his adventures with his band of 9th century Norsemen, brigand, pirate raiders; of course they sound much nobler if you call them Vikings.

To be fair, in 9th century Europe, the options were fairly limited; for the most part subsistence farming, those who lorded it over them, or raiders who fairly indiscriminately took what they wanted wherever they found it.

The author spins a believable yarn and, freely admitting he is a Bernard Conrwell devotee, it is little wonder there are signs of the master in his writing. That is not to take anything away from Giles Kristian as he does have his own style. It is my first look at his work and I found the story, although the second in a trilogy, stood on its own. I will now go back and read the first of the trilogy.

Having said all of the above I would also like to say that one of the areas he differs from Bernard Cornwell is in the liberal use of (what the author obviously believes would have been in general use at the time) abusive swearing or cursing in the dialogue. In my humble opinion, one or two here and there for effect would have sufficed.

On the whole an excellent tale and just how I like my stories of that period: raw and bloody. Anyone who enjoys Bernard Corwell’s ‘Saxon Stories’ will love Giles Kristian’s ‘Sons of Thunder’ and I give it four stars.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's ages since I read Raven Book 1, I thought I'd have terrible trouble remembering what had happened. It didn't matter at all - and it wasn't long before I was fully immersed in this tale. The characters are great and the odd reference to the past reminded me of the previous book.
A great second book, lots of action, lots of details. So what happens next??
I wish I didn't have so many great books to read right now, already downloaded on to my kindle, or I would buy Raven 3 and lose myself some more!

just listened to this on Audible - just as good second time around and it's rare I'll read a book twice.

[Marko Vasić · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brutalno! Prvi deo je bio proba - vredi li nastaviti dalje sa čitanjem. Ovaj drugi deo je "zakovao". Očigledan je uticaj Kornvelovog rada na Kristiana, ali odmakao se on od svog uzora. Odličan pripovedač. Savršeno drži pažnju i nema bačenih stranica. Krvave, detaljno opisane bitke i, očekivano, dalja razrada odnosa između hrišćana i nordijaca. Zanimljivo je i što je Kristian odstupio od ustaljenog šablona kome su pisci ovog žanra skloni, a to je putovanje vikinga u smeru: Norveška/Danska/Švedska/Finska - Rusija - Konstantinopolj. Naime, u ovom delu, Gavran krvavooki i njegova posada su se sa Francima sukobili i trgovali sa Karlom Velikim, a to je Kristian vrlo lepo dočarao, da sam uživao. Retko nastavljam da čitam sledeći deo odmah nakon završenog prethodnog, ali ovde će tako biti.

[Cam B · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing was definitely better than the first book, it read better, flowed better and felt more comfortable. However, it lacked the bloodlust of the first book, which was the only one of few reason I decided to keep reading.

I enjoyed it, but it just didn’t keep me interested.

I would still recommend the series to people who enjoy Viking inspired fiction.

[Bruno · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the second book in trilogy,I was questioning myself should I write something about the plot,while not spoiling anything for the readers.Since this was the first time I actually started to read books as a part of a sequel or trilogy,I will only advise you to read it after you're done with the first book.As a standalone title,I would be difficult to understand it and that is all I will write for it.For me,personally,this book was a bit weaker,overall,than it's predecessor,but that does not ruin my view on this saga,as a whole. Understandable,the first book was excellent.There were so much side stories and it never felt anything rushed,giving the plot and so many characters to introduce.But,what amazes me the most in this second book is time we get to meet those characters in depth,as well as introducing new ones.As they grow,we became so fond of them,but to know them,we need to look at them as humans in a time of peace,just as we watch them as warriors when the moment for battle calls.There is an old saying:patience is a virtue,and I agree with it.If someone thinks like they feel disconnected from what made Vikings so popular or notorious in this book,trust me. You haven't seen anything yet,until you get to the final part of trilogy. In the meantime,relax and enjoy reading the second part.Who knows.You may find it as the best in the trilogy or something that you like in it.Although it is not my most favorite,I appreciate it as it is.

[Liviu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent follow up to the author's Raven: Blood Eye debut; I actually re-read that first and i was even more impressed with it since I saw how the viking world created there was immersive and pitch perfect.

Sons of Thunder continues the same, taking off where Blood Eye ended following the band of adventurers led by Jarl Sigurd and containing our narrator, Odin-marked Raven, as well as several unlikely companions including an English girl, a priest that made his life-mission to convert Sigurd and Raven (and then the felloswhip), as well as a Christian English warrior. This time they make their way to the land of the franks and to Charlemagne's court, visiting a muddy and still village-like Paris of 800 AD and the glittering Aix la Chapelle aka Aachen the glittering capital of the western empire.

On the way they have the usual adventures, great duels, cunning tricks, great banter and blood curling happenings, while the book keeps the "no putting down" breakneck pace of the first volume.

Next seems to be Constantinople...

A strong A and the series is among the best adventure historical fiction with a tinge of the supernatural today

[Valentina Morgana la fata · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, as much as I liked this second installment of the series I must say I found it tremendously slow in some points, so slow it took me more than I thought to finish it.
Anyway, as in the first book, I appreciated the attention to details and the way the author described the weapons and the clothes of the Norsemen and the franks, it made everything more realistic.
Still in love with Sigurd, I really appreciated his fight with the Englishman and the way Raven acted, even if after I was worried sick for him.
I don't like the female character, Raven's love interest, (I'll never remember her name) which is not a news, but I must say that after all is a well constructed character for the time and culture.
For the rest, strange as it is, Raven is not between my favorite characters so I don't have to say anything about it, but I do love Penda, truly a nice played card.

[Shane Findlay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as excellent as I’ve remembered. 5⭐️

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

“So haul up the anchor. Raise the old battered sail. Tomorrow’s labor is far away, and the night stretches before us like the starlit ocean on a spring night, So… we are away…”

Another tale of Raven begins. This time Sigurd the Lucky and his crew venture the Frankia and hope to receive silver beyond their imaginings due to a holy book , which they will sell to Emperor Karolus. GK really knows how to write a sea-sweeping saga. You feel like your on the dragon boat with the Norsemen.
He has amazing description and dialogue.
“_ I swear on my father’s sword that I will come for you. Whatever hole you crawl into I will come for you, and even death will not save you. I will come, and I will cut slices of meat from you but I will not let you die. I will cut you and put fire to the wounds so that you cannot bleed to death, and when you are out of your mind with pain and hunger and misery, you will eat the rancid flesh I have taken from you, and still you will not die. You will eat your own prick, scoff down your balls and your tongue, and then, Ealdred, I will let your daughter see you, and if you still have a scrap of honor left in your rotten soul, you will at last die of shame.” This is so much better than any cursing tirade! Chilling.
There’s so much imagery.
“ Take your men and leave this place, Alcuin before it is too late. A man who puts his hand I. A wolf’s mouth cannot be surprised when he is eating his next meal one-handed.”
I so enjoyed reading this second installment of the Raven trilogy. If you love Norse-inspired dark age historical fiction, this is for you. If you enjoy Bernard Cornwell books, then you should read this.

[Richard Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic

Once again the Raven and his Fellowship squeeze life out of the seats of their pants and live to row another day to fill their journey chests. I can’t wait to read the next book of the saga!

[Yuri · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's cool, but my mind wandered to other books on my TBR while reading.
I might read continue this trilogy some day, but now it's time for something different.

[Tom Mott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. On to Odin's Wolves. Skol!

[Mr Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spectacular. Honestly this series is something else.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story and characters, but the author sure does like using similes. Here are a few examples:

“Then perhaps that explains why our jarl’s luck is dripping away like snot from a troll’s nose.”

Mauger drew his great sword and roared like the opening of Hel’s gates.

We looked at one another like half-wit trolls.

“For three pounds of silver the old bitch would have climbed aboard and humped you dray as a dead man’s fart!”

…one slip and your boat with make a bid for freedom faster than an Irish thrall slathered in goose fat…

We slipped and fell and slithered in the mud like new lambs in their mother’s birth fluids…

…but the pride at being made Fjord-Elk’s steersman was as blatant as a horse’s hard-on.

I hoped Sigurd would pick the monk up then and cast him overboard like a pail of piss.

…my feet were wet as Ran’s cunny.

…though for all their rich catch the father and son looked as miserable as two monks with a pretty whore.

My head felt like an anvil being pounded by Volund’s hammer, and my mouth tasted like a dead dog’s balls…

Let them grown soft like a rotting apple.

…he said in a voice that clutched my heart like an icy fist.

“Raven rides like a sack of rocks on a goat!”

Smelling money, they were over us like flies on raw meat.

The jarl was standing before the churchmen like a wolf among sheep.

…and I was snarling like a beast and shaking the priest like a hound with a hare.

…and so I was up that wall like a cut up the side of a butter churn.

…our oars beat like wings.

…we all curled up and slept like dead men.

I struggled up like an old man.

..imagining the Franks greedily grasping for that floating silver like old men at whores’ tits.

…then stood as a ragged skein of geese cut southwest, screeching like a loose wheel on Thor’s chariot.

…watching us with parched sunken eyes like dogs waiting beside the mead bench to be fed.

When we left our fjords in the north, we were empty like a sail on a still day.

We had nothing but our own boasting, which filled my hall like farts…

[Paul Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was only a few pages into the first book of this series that I knew I would be reading the second one, Raven Sons of Thunder; an excellent decision. Once again the author has crafted a superb tale of Sigurd the Lucky and his Sword Norse wolf pack. In this installment, Raven, Sigurd and the rest of the crew have their sights set on making a deal with the King of the Franks, Karolus/Charlemagne, by selling him a valuable Christian relic that will make them richer than they can imagine. This requires them to journey deep into the kingdom of The Franks, a perilous undertaking given the pervading atmosphere of fear and hatred between the followers of The White Christ and the heathen Norse.

The story is replete with fierce action scenes filled with the brutality fueled by bigotry and the remorseless seeking of revenge. The author's descriptive powers are on full display throughout the adventure not only in the battles fought but also in the many scenes depicting life in 9th century France. I was particularly amused by one scene that takes place in a tavern in which a Christian monk is hearing confessions from a couple English warriors who are now in the service of Sigurd. While confessing their sins, a couple bare breasted whores are doing their utmost to tempt the newly absolved warriors. Made me chuckle at the ironic nature of the situation.

The climatic ending of the story kept me up past my normal bedtime but it was worth the loss of sleep and certainly whetted my appetite for book 3, Odin's Wolves. So sally forth with Raven and Sigurd and enjoy the journey.

[Robin Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vikings...A period that just screams to me to read it, if Rome is blood and sandals, then Vikings is Sea , Sword and sudden violence.
My exposure to Viking historical fiction has been limited so far, but I'm trying to catch up, I thought Robert Low had managed to reach the pinnacle of the sub genre with the oathsworn, and then out comes the raven series to take it one step further.
The writing has true power and pace, but what also come over is a true love of the subject and the characters that the author is writing. With this series i did something i have never done before i waited until all 3 books were out before starting them and read them back to back, so by the end of book three i felt part Viking, I felt exhausted, and i had felt the kindred spirit of the crew, the losses, the pain and the loves, such is the power of Giles Kristians writing.
as debut series go this is up there as one of the better i have read, and i will be looking out eagerly for what comes next.

Very highly recommended. (Parm)

[Luna Berry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really struggled to get through this one. Firstly, it was very slow in parts, unlike the first novel where you just had to read another chapter to find out what happened, with this, I was reluctantly reading each chapter hoping for something to happen. Secondly, there were WAY too many similes in this novel. Every other paragraph in fact and I was rolling my eyes towards the end. Thirdly, the Norsemen referenced their Gods an awful lot and as much as I respect the authors knowledge and I do like learning through historical fiction, it got a little sickly towards the end. Number four on my list is the overriding plot, who is Raven? I was hoping for something in this book to explain this, to keep me connected to him, but I found him a tad annoying actually, and struggling to understand why the Norsemen didn’t just kill him off!

I will read the third book but I can’t say I’m rushing to it....