The First Name

Twilight of the Gods #1

by Dennis Schmidt

The Curse

Blackhearted Surt lay dying on the battlefield, screaming to the dark gods for vengeance against Borr Skullcracker, the Aesir warlord who had left him behind for raven food. And so the curse began...

On that day immortal Voden was conceived, born of Skullcracker and his captured bride, the warrior of destiny; healer and destroyer in the confrontation with the evil dark!

Genres: Fantasy

307 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

There is more than one author with this name

From Wikipedia: Dennis Arthur Schmidt was an American science fiction and fantasy author publishing from 1978 to 1990. Common threads in his books are religion, discipline and mystical enemies.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_S...

Reviews

[Brett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this trilogy more than 20 years ago, and it remains one of my favorites. Schmidt draws heavily from Norse, Babylonian, Greek and numerous other mythologies in a unique style that pays homage to those traditions while combining them in unique, interesting ways. I am still amazed that Schmidt was able to pack so much into these three volumes. Thematically rich without dense prose.

[Jeffrey Greek · Rating 2 out of 5]

You've gotta give credit to someone who manages to cram details from dozens of different world myths into one book... of course, in doing so, he spends roughly half the book in conversations between characters talking about the various details of the aforementioned world myths instead of advancing the plot.

That being said, it's not a BAD book, but it's not going to be entered into the fantasy hall of fame anytime soon either.

I've also read the second book in the trilogy and this review could stand for that one as well. I still plan to read the third installment, but it's not high on my priorities list.

Long story short: it's better than twilight.

[Matt Kelland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cheesy 80s sword & sorcery, but an unusual mix of Norse and Babylonian myth underpinning it.

[Edited review after reading the rest of the trilogy.]

Wow. This is one of the most unusual and adept retellings of Norse myth I have ever read. It's really quite astonishingly inventive, mixing in all sorts of mythologies and cultures in a truly unique way. I'm at a loss to understand why this wasn't hailed as one of the great works of 80s fantasy - I know I would have loved it when I was an anthropology student in Cambridge and a regular member of the Fantasy Society, Jomsborg.

If you like mythology, then this is a must-read series - if you can find it anywhere.

[Little Timmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic retelling and interpretation of the Norse gods saga. All the gods and monsters of myth are reset as new characters in a fantasy setting. Awesome trilogy. Highly recommended.

[James]

THE CURSE - Blackhearted Surt lay dying on the battlefield, screaming to the dark gods for vengeance against Borr Skullcracker, the Aesir warlord who had left him behind for raven food. - And so the curse began ... - On that day, immortal Voden was conceived, born of Skullcracker and his captured bride, the warrior of Destiny, healer and destroyer in the confrontation with the evil Dark!

[Stuart Parr · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this as a youth and was pleasantly surprised that this was much better than I thought it would be. Good pacing and plot. Better than your usual sword & sorcery affair. Well worth a read.

[Gregoire · Rating 3 out of 5]

lue la série en 1990 (trois opus), j'en ai gardé un excellent mais pas impérissable souvenir (du mal à me remémorer les détails) De la bonne fantaisie divertissante pour fan de mythologies nordiques