Trollbundet

Sagaen om Isfolket #1

by Margit Sandemo, Margrethe Lien (Translator)

(Description from the back of the book)
Første bok i SAGAEN OM ISFOLKET - etterkommerne til den onde Tengel, som hadde inngått en pakt med djevelen...

Silje Arngrimsdatter var bare bare sytten da pesten drepte alle slektningene hennes i 1581. Utsultet og forfrossen, og med to foreldreløse småbarn å ta hånd om, nærmet hun seg likbålene utenfor Trondhjem for å få litt varme i kroppen. Underlig nok var det bare én som hjalp Silje i nødens stund - en mann av Isfolkets ætt som Silje fant dyrisk og skremmende - og underlig tiltrekkende på samme tid...

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Historical Fiction, Audiobook, Fiction, Historical, Paranormal

255 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

About the author

Margit Sandemo was a Norwegian-Swedish historical fantasy author. She has been the best-selling author in the Nordic Countries since the 1980s, when her novel series of 47 books, The Legend of the Ice People, was published. She has also written many other book series such as Häxmästaren and Legenden om Ljusets rike.

Reviews

[Sonja Rosa Lisa ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dieses Buch ist mir einmal in einem YouTube-Video aufgefallen. Bei einer Regaltour wurde von diesem Buch bzw. der wunderschönen (Liebes-)Geschichte so geschwärmt, dass ich mir das Buch gemerkt und gebraucht gekauft habe.
Ich bin nicht ganz so begeistert wie die Leserin im Video, aber es war dennoch eine gute Lektüre für mich.
Zunächst einmal war die Geschichte aber so ganz anders als erwartet. Sie spielt im 16. Jahrhundert, wobei das bei mir gar nicht so wirklich angekommen ist. Sie hätte auch früher oder später spielen können.
Es war aber ein interessantes Setting, eine interessante Welt und die Liebesgeschichte war auch okay. Nicht umwerfend für mich, aber doch durchaus schön und vor allem mit wichtigen Aspekten.
Dieser erste Band der Reihe hat mich auf jeden Fall neugierig gemacht, so dass ich weiterlesen möchte.

[Marquise]

Someone who knows more about the fairy tale than me (yeah, believe it or not, those people exist! 😄) told me that Sandemo's novel (this and another to hunt down later) borrows the Beauty & Beast theme for a historical saga with a wee dash of fantasy set in old Norway. I don't need much convincing with B&B, so . . . into the pile it goes.

[Joanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This whole series is definitely a guilty pleasure for me... 47 volumes of a guilty pleasure. It's exactly the kind of overly sentimental, formulaic crap, with elements of fantasy thrown in and lots of sex scenes aimed at a)teenage girls and/or b) bored housewives, that I usually want to kill with fire but for some reason... I love it. Whole 47 volumes of it. I've read the whole series a couple of times, and certain individual volumes more than that. It's like eating a whole jar of peanut butter with a spoon. It can't be good for you, it's more than mildly disgusting, and it feels so GOOD! :) So I'll be reading it again.

[✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating: 2.5 stars. Up the review goes, down the rating flows.

A question, my Little Barnacles: you do not seriously think I read this book willingly, do you now? Oh, good. I thought it must have been pretty obvious to everyone that the MacHalos someone must have held me at gunpoint to force me to read this delightful story, but I wanted to make things clear for the most clueless decapods among you. Wouldn't want the puny humans my dear friends to think less of me because of my despicable reading choices of late one miserably dubious read and stuff.

To be disgustingly honest, I was bloody shrimping petrified wasn't too terrified at the thought of reading this book. I mean, really, how bad could it be? A fairly innocuous, 218 page long Fantasy saga type thing? And a Scandinavian cult classic which has been translated into 8+ languages at that? No biggie. I can totally do this and stuff. Or so I thought before realizing this was *shudders pre-emptively* heavy on the romance.



But a brave little shrimp I am so bravely soldier on—with a gun to my lovely little head, remember?—I did Go me and stuff . Aaaaaaand my being here writing these fascinating lines seems to indicate I survived the ordeal (as you Exceedingly Astute Bunch—EAB™—might have noticed). Much resistant to intense torture indeed I am. Granted, this little story here doesn't rate very high on the Shrimpy Scale of Godawful Crap (SSoGC™). I mean, I would even say it's nearly tolerable in a perilously non-suicidal way. Probably because it's one of those Old School Fantasy Things of Slightly Ancient Times Past (OSFToSATP™). Meaning it's much less aggressive than most of Today's Allergy-Inducing Fantasy Romance Stuff of Doom and Destruction (TAIFRSoDaD™). Okay, so there is *preemptive shuddering intensifies* romance in this story and it is as repulsive in its all-encompassing lovey dovey glory as one would expect, but it's kind of, you know, inoffensive and stuff. Sort of. Almost. Then again maybe not.



My thoughts exactly, you Babooned—ooops sorry about that—Monkeyed Bunch.

To be disgustingly honest again, I think I was more annoyed by the saintly heroine than by the romantic BS. Saint Silje of the Seizure-Inducing Compassion (SSofSIC™), please pray for us, murderous shrimps! I swear, the girl is so bloody good, so fishing charitable and so shrimping warmhearted I got a horrendously atrocious rash all over my exoskeleton while reading this book. It got so bad that Dr. Prawn even had me transported to the ESC (Emergency Subaquatic Cave) via Equestrian Sea Monkey Express (ESME™)! I kid you not. I mean, the chick collects orphans as a hobby, for shrimp's sake! And keeps worrying about everyone's well-being! Friend or foe, it doesn't matter! The girl is so horrifyingly virtuous she'd rather give her food away and go hungry than see the vindictive, obnoxiously unpleasant populace suffer. What a blessing this young lady is to the neighborhood. And she is so beautifully naïve, too. It really is touching. And absolutely delightful.



Bloody shrimping hell, this chick wouldn't last two seconds in Shrimp Land. But hey, she sometimes has slightly impure thoughts gets, um, tingly all over at the thought of, um, churning butter with a certain someone, so I guess there might be hope for her yet. Then again maybe not. Because babies? Seriously? BABIES? EW EW EW YUCK YUCK YUCK and stuff.

So Saint Silje oozes so much fishing saintliness I nearly fell in a coma while reading this book. Nicely done and stuff. But you know what the real tour de force is here? Margi Sandemo managed the impossible. She found a way to distract me so I wouldn't succumb to Death by Romantic Crap (DbRC™). Yes she did. Cunning Scandinavian authors are cunning indeed. How did she do it, you ask? She had her book translated by the worst translator in the history of worst translators. Really, someone should give the person who—and I am using the term VERY loosely here—translated this book a medal or something. I'm sorry Person who Translated this Book and Who Shall Not Be Named Because I'm Lenient Like That (PwTtBaWSnBNBILLT™), but what you did here? Wow. It's such a crap job it makes Google Translate green with envy. Give my niece a Norwegian-English dictionary and I'm sure she'd do a better job of it. Even if she's only thirteen. And doesn't speak a single word of Norwegian. Or English, for that matter she is, however, superiorly intelligent because she obviously inherited my gloriously superior genes so QED and stuff . So yeah, I guess you could say the translation somewhat sucked. Not much, though. Just a tiny little bit. I mean, it's not like reading this story felt like reading a choppy high school textbook or anything. Oh no, nothing of the sort. And it could have been much worse. There could have been, I don't know, inconsistencies and repetitions and contradictions and stuff that didn't make sense and editing mistakes and, you know stuff. Yes, it definitely could have happened. Good thing that it didn't. Phew and stuff, that was close! A bit too close, actually.



See, even my malicious buddy Bela here is scared shrimpless at the though of how close we came to disaster here. That should give you a little pause and stuff.

» And the moral of this The MacHalos Keep Trying to Kill Me Dead with Their Ignominious Buddy Reads but ♫I'm Still Standing Yeah Yeah Yeah♫ Crappy Non Review (TMHKTtKMDwTIBRbISSYYYCNR™) is: thank fish this one was short! A longer version might have been the annihilative end of nefarious little me. And what a loss that would have meant to the Barnacled Community! Mass subaquatic suicide would have ensued, I'm sure.



[Pre-review nonsense]

Actual rating: 2.7564 stars.

This one rates extremely super high on the Richter Shrimper Scale of Allergy-Inducing Romances (RSSoAIR™). And yet I didn't die.



I know, I haven't quite recovered from the shock myself. I think it's the Horrifyingly Appalling Translation (HAT™) that saved me here. Must have distracted me from all the Repulsive Love Dovey Crap (RLDC™) and stuff.

➽ Full Fairly Ghastly Fantasy Romance + Woefully Calamitous Translation = I Must Have Died and Gone to Shrimpy Heaven or Something Crappy Non Review (FGFR+WCT=IMHDaGtSHoSCNR™) to come.

[Szaman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ej serio nie wiem jak to ocenić xD Bo niby obiektywnie nie zasługuje na wiele, ale z drugiej strony zasługuje na wszystkie gwiazdki tego świata xD Plus gwiazdka nostalgii, czyli no czuję opór dając mniej niż pięć.

Widzę teraz w Sadze źródła mojego antyklerykalizmu i feminizmu jakkolwiek śmiesznie to może zabrzmieć, ale tu się zaczęło myślenie, zastanawianie się i kwestionowanie. Czy to dlatego podczas mycia naczyń myślę o bezpośrednich powodach Wielkiej Schizmy w 1054? Niewykluczone lol

Styl: raczej prosty, ale zdarzają się naprawdę fajne zdania i konstrukcje.

Romans: Suuper slow burn, totalnie wiem dlaczego się w sobie zakochali, chociaż ciężko mi powiedzieć kiedy. Also: TĘSKNOTA WIEZIE TĘ RELACJĘ i Zauroczenie jest trochę definicją mojego kryptonitu w romansie (po więcej zapraszam na odcinek Make Romance Great na wszystkich platformach podcastowych he he. He. Serio, słuchajcie, po angielsku też jestem zabawna). No bo jest tęsknota, jest samotny, odrzucony mężczyzna, jest zakazana miłość, no plis. Jestem w stanie też niechętnie, ale jakośtam zrobić krok nad tym age gapem, bo Tengel nie żeruje na młodości Silje, a ona, gdzieśtam sobie zdaje sprawę, że przede wszystkim szuka opieki i stałości w życiu.

Historycznie jest to uroczo anachroniczna książka, która w naiwny sposób próbuje nam sprzedać to, że wcale taka nie jest - super ze Tengel, wie, że dzieciom brakuje jakiegoś ważnego składnika w pożywieniu, ale I don't think so. Super, że wszyscy są po naszemu empatyczni, ale z drugiej strony ci inni są niesamowicie źli i głupi też po naszemu.

Margit Sandemo ma też pewną manierę, która pewnie, gdyby nie nostalgia, bardzo mnie teraz denerwowała, bo lubi mieć pewność, że CZYTELNICZKA WSZYSTKO ZROZUMIE. No Silje oczywiście nie mogła wiedzieć tego a tego. No pamiętajmy, że dobroć i zrozumienie powinny iść od tych i od tych, a tak nie jest! Jak miałam 16 lat to działało, teraz już nie tak bardzo, but still.

Nostalgia i tęsknota wiozą tę książkę, a ja daję się porwać bez walki.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

(English translation, paperback) A rather spooky cult classic in Europe, Spellbound is the first of 47 books in The Legend of the Ice People series, originally written in Swedish by the prolific Margit Sandemo. Fairly rich in European history -- particularly Scandinavian --- this paranormal romance series spans 400 years. Despite some erotic overtones (dream scenes, emerging sexuality, etc.) and one moderately explicit sex scene, I hesitantly tagged Spellbound as YA (but it captured this adult's interest).

The book is written in third person POV, transitioning from the heroine to the hero (also, some time is spent in Charlotte Meiden's head).

In my view, the best aspects of this book are the setting (including history and tone) and the characterization (especially of the heroine). The plot is solid -- spooky and suspenseful -- but not outstanding (yet). In translation, the writing is fine: The dialogue is fair but not fabulous (see translated excerpt below) and the setting nicely descriptive. There is little to no humor in this book. It feels almost epic, with lots of foreshadowing.

Main characters: Silje Arngrimsdotter, age 16  (Sill-yuh, similar to Celia), is an orphaned peasant with some education. Tengel of the Ice People, age ~32, is referred to as evil, a wizard, a wolf-man, thought to be inhuman -- but one of the good guys. In some ways, Tengel reminded me of the Goblin King in The Hollow Kingdom. (See my review).

Basic plot of this story and the series: In the 16th Century, when Denmark ruled Norway and rebels revolted, an orphaned teenage girl (Silje) and a social outcast (Tengel) gradually fall in love, even though he initially resists, loathing himself and unwilling to produce offspring to continue the cursed line. To save her life, he takes her --  and the two foundlings she has adopted --  to his village in the Barren Mountains, where the legendary Ice People live under the shadow of a curse. Long story short, Tengel and Silje begin a dynasty that must eventually -- by the end of the series -- destroy the approaching evil that threatens the entire world, for Tengel's ancestor made a pact with the devil, and that pact continues in every generation. The only way to break the pact is to dig up old Tengel's kettle and bones, but no one knows where they were buried.

The plot was consistent. I saw no major holes in it. The paranormal "world building" is situated in the history and folklore of Norway.

Setting:  This is a strength. ★ The story is set in Norway, 1581, moving from the city of Trondheim to Benedikt's farm at the foot of the glacial Barren Mountains, and finally straight up, into the shadowy mountains. The writing is descriptive and yet realistic; it is clear that Sandemo has done her homework. The opening scene feels grim, hopeless, and very sad, as an exhausted young Silje wanders the frozen, unwelcoming streets of Trondheim, seeking warmth from a huge bone-fire outside the western gate, where plague-riddled bodies burn. Sandemo weaves the plight of political rebels into the story, and the effects of the Protestant Reformation are apparent as a terrified Silje offers up Lutheran as well as Catholic prayers. Later, when the scene changes to Benedikt's farm, Sandemo describes how delighted Silje is to be given a cabin with wooden floors and glass windows. The creaking wooden wagon, the muddy track, the cavernous tunnel of ice, Dag's rich, finely woven swaddling -- it's all there. This attention to detail lends a sense of history and general authenticity, as did descriptions of the mindset; folks were generally superstitious and judgemental, burning "witches" and cursing babes born out of wedlock, etc.

Characterization: This is another strength ★ (particularly with respect to the heroine). Silje is the lone survivor of the plague that killed her entire family. The author does a nice job developing a layered character; Silje's actions demonstrate courage, compassion, intuition and some intelligence, but not pragmatism. Instead, she is an artist at heart, barely able to manage household chores and tend two children.

Primarily, Sandemo portrays Silje as compassionate.  From the first chapter, her kind ♥ is exposed.  For example, even though she is starving, freezing, and homeless, she cannot ignore a despairing toddler (Sol Angelica), wailing at the side of her mother, lying dead in the street. Nor can she deny the pitiful cries of an abandoned infant, even though she fears he is a myling, the spirit of an abandoned and unbaptized child, forced to roam the earth wailing for a decent burial (Scandinavian folklore).  Ignoring her superstitions, Silje gathers the cold infant into her arms, and -- not knowing the newborn's gender, wrapped as he is in rich fabrics -- declares:

"I have found thee in the darkness of night. Therefore I baptize thee Dag, if thou art a boy. Thou wast left to die. I know not when. Therefore I baptize thee Liv, if thou art a girl.

This same compassionate heart that warms to tiny Dag gives Silje the ability to see lovable qualities in an ugly -- but tender, protective, and sexy -- hero the rest of the world calls evil, and to befriend the most repulsive old crone (!!!) I have ever met between the bindings of a book (*shuddering*). That's why I was almost moved to tears when the old hag revealed her futile hope that the baby she'd "midwifed" into the world would be named after her. Silje intuitively knew old Hanna's heart, and despite her revulsion, named her firstborn child Liv Hanna.

That part at the end, with Hanna, was probably the most moving scene in the book, because for one brief segment the author did more showing than telling (a general weakness in the narrative).

Translation effects: According to reviews, something is lost in the translation, so the dialogue isn't quite as good. So they say, but I didn't notice it. Here is an example of the dialogue, where Tengel is trying to convince Silje that he is not good husband material:

"Look at me!" he yelled. "Do humans look like me? When I see my reflection on the surface of a pool it repels me. Look at these burning eyes, slanted and narrow, like those of a cat. The predator's jaw with powerful teeth and this coarse hair, better suited to a horse's mane. Have you ever seen anything so hateful?"

Silje's voice trembled slightly. "I will admit that I was frightened by your appearance at first, but now, for some reason I cannot explain, I find you very...well, I just cannot explain it. I enjoy looking at you. I look forward to seeing you when you are away. Besides, you have been very good to the children and me..."

He stood up suddenly, saying, "Ha! I am not always an angel.

Quibbles: In addition to the general "telling" of emotions, rather than showing them via actions, tone of voice, and body language, I felt a bit disappointed in the love scene. After so much sexual tension, I wanted something more. I also felt a bit disappointed in how Tengel seemed to "give up" when the birthing went south, and death seemed imminent. But since his own mother died giving birth to him (due to his pointy shoulders), his attitude of hopelessness made sense.

The next book: The story ends with enough teasers that I want to read book 2. The old crone, Hanna, sees the future in the glowing embers right after Silje gave birth. Other teasers include the scrying mosaic window and the somehow important sketchbook that Benedikt the Painter gave to Silje. I am curious about how the three children develop in future books: Sol Angelica, Dag Meiden, and Liv Hanna (Sol Angelica, especially).

Bottom line: This is not great literature -- nor is the translated writing astounding --  but it's captivating. I got into the historical setting, loved the main characters and several of the secondary characters, and felt sufficiently spooked by the paranormal aspects. I want to read book two, but I may wait until the entire series has been translated into English.

Edition: I read the paperback, but I think Kobo has it in ebook. Spellbound is 255 pages, with the lines of text spaced well apart, so it's a quick and easy read. My copy bears an author autograph (sweet!) and arrived in excellent condition from The Book Community, via Amazon.  I noted a handful of typos.

[Celise · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars I don't know what came over me, but this made me feel things. Buddy read with the lovely MacHalo group!

Winter 1581, Norway. 16-year-old Silje stumbles away from her plague-ridden village, leaving her dead family behind. Having collected two abandoned children, she stumbles into a forest seeking warmth and sustenance. She encounters there a demonic yet captivating wolf-man, one of the Ice People from the Shadow Mountains whom Silje has been raised to fear.

Just a quick note: This isn't YA, the heroine is just young.

This really exceeded my expectations.

Originally published in Danish (right?) in 1982 and translated into English in 2008, Spellbound is a classic Nordic historical fiction-fantasy series. While known more as a fantasy novel as far as I can tell, I think this is more prominently a romantic historical fiction epic with supernatural elements. It reads like something out of a dark European fairytale for much of it, with themes like evil spirits and witchcraft, but is also very much grounded in its time period and setting. While there are some old fashioned ideas of good vs evil, the religious superstition doesn't ruin anything and lends to the wintery atmosphere. Mostly though, the focus is on the romance.

I kind of loved that. Our love interest, Tengel of the (cursed) Ice People, isn't your typical swoon-worthy guy, but that's kind of what makes him swoon-worthy? Think of the Beast from Beauty & the Beast but less hairy and decidedly more human. Silje (I'm just sticking with "Cilia" on this one) is kind of modest and virtuous and blah blah because she was raised that way, but her attitude towards sex isn't boring and I actually thought she was pretty interesting for a girl of her time. She has some naive notions and is very much a Thank-God-you-were-here-to-save- me- My-hero damsel but to be honest it didn't bother me so much. Go figure.

The translation is a little poor in spots but I found it easy to look past by the end because the story was so compelling.

What I was not expecting was to finish the book, read the quick excerpt for the next one, and see a list of the entire 47 BOOKS IN THE SERIES.*Imagines having to track down another 46 obscure English translations, considers whether this is maybe only a one-star book afterall.*

[Beate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is where it all started. With this book. Both for the author, and for me, as the reader.

This is where Margit Sandemo started writing a series of books that was unlike anything else at the time. We have to keep in mind this is early 1980's, and supernatural books with a slight erotic twist weren't all that common.

I didn't get around to read these books until more than a decade later. I was still a kid when these books came out. Later I was holding off reading these because they were a "saga". To me it sounded like an educational series of books. Something school-like. But then I was out for a couple weeks, ill, and a friend borrowed me her books. All 47 of them. So I started reading, and I was hooked from the very first page.

Since then I've read the whole series at least 3 times, and I've connected with the various characters. Some more than others. Some I still remember vividly, some not so much. Getting to follow a family through the generations, and a magical family at that, is something special. Especially when you have the constant fight between the good and the bad, some family members turn out really bad. Some family member just plain refuse to die, even hundreds of years later.

These books is what turned me to this genre, and I haven't stopped reading it since. These are the books that made me think "I want to be able to write too" - and I have tried writing. But I cannot spin a world like Margit Sandemo can. She is the Master. I've been lucky enough to meet Ms Sandemo a couple times, and this woman is so special it makes me feel very humble.

Other than Norwegian and Swedish, I don't know what other languages it has been translated into. But if you can, read these books. Even if they were written 30 years ago, they never go out of style. They're timeless. Check with family and friends to see if anyone has these books. Even if they're hard to get hold of, try. They are worth it.

[Icey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened it on Audible and the narrator did such a splendid job that I felt myself immersed in the story, swimming in Norway and the land of Ice People.
I so much love the setting of this story, it feels a bit mysterious+historical+spooky fairytale (if you know what I mean). The chemistry between the main characters is surprisingly good, though the plot rushed a bit at the end (around 90%), overall it’s really entertaining.

[Elena]

In Experiences in translation Umberto Eco argues that translation should be considered a literary genre in itself, an art form in its own right: he knew something about it, given that the semiologist turned author translated himself one of the most untranslatable books of all times, Raymond Queneau's Exercices de style (which in fact Eco didn’t translate at all but rewrote from scratch, thus proving the point he made elsewhere: that a translator is, for all intents and purposes, the co-author of the book he translated).

But, despite the fundamental part that translators play into our cultural lives, their profession remains largely in the shadows: could you name the translator of your favorite Japanese novel? Or the one that made it possible for you to read Tolstoy? Just like when in movies you only notice the editing when it’s badly done and the sequences don’t make any sense (that’s when I take notice of it, anyway), a translator's work often takes the spotlight when something's off with it.

This long digression to say that:
❶ I'm grateful to Anna Halager, who translated book #1 of the long-lived fantasy saga The Legend of the Ice People by Norwegian-Swedish author Margit Sandemo;
❷ but the translation was awful.

I blame the rather bad quality of the writing on the translator because I can't imagine that a best-selling, beloved author like Sandemo apparently is could write a book where everyone is either despondent or compassionate, all the time, sometimes more than once in the same sentence. The writing felt awkward, repetitive and sometimes obscure; some passages simply didn't make any sense and more than once a sentence would pop up contradicting something that had been previously said.

But if you can get past it (my MacHalo buddies Sh3lly and Celise weren't bothered by the the translation/writing so it's entirely possible that it's just me) the story is absolutely charming. I'm a sucker for fairytales and Sandemo's style reminded me a bit of Christian Andersen's - but where she truly shines is in the historical setting. Both the world she recreates - 16th century Norway - and the characterization of the people who inhabited it are truly stunning. I love the atmosphere she brings to life - a frozen countryside ravaged by the plague, superstitious and fearful of every shadow, but where you can still find generous people and heartwarming little moments of true friendship. The happy ending, tinged with foreboding, is simply perfect - so much so that, despite my complaints, I'll be definitely reading more of this (veeery) long series.

[minyard]

Po przeczytaniu tej książki ponownie po bez mała 15 latach, zaczynam rozumieć swoje skrzywienie psychiczne. Połknięcie całej Sagi w wieku gimnazjalnym musiało się jakoś na człowieku odbić i dla świętego spokoju wolę tego zbyt dogłębnie nie analizować.

Z jednej strony mam wrażenie, że pamiętałam z tego tomu bardzo dużo, z drugiej było trochę tak, jakbym odkrywała tę historię na nowo. Zacieram łapki na przygodę, jaką będzie czytanie Sagi w całości po raz drugi.

🩵

[Ophilia Adler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jag kan inte säga jag kommer fortsätta serien just nu. Kanske vid ett senare tillfälle. Tyckte den var ok, helt klart ett guilty pleasure. Men inget så jag kände "wow, måste avsluta". Läst en fjärdedel o lät den ligga i nästan 2 månader innan jag faktiskt avslutade den.

[Moony (Captain Mischief) MeowPoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I`ve heard people liking these books alot and now i can say that i actually understand what they are talking about. Bitten by the bug as one would say. I just hope i`ll like the other books as well :) I adored Silje, Dag, Tengel, Sol, Hanna, Bendikt and more. It was written easy and nice, so it was very nice to follow the story in a relaxing sort of way.

[Silje]

This is pure nostalgia ❤

[Barbarzynka · Rating 3 out of 5]

a ja tam lubię tę bajkę ;)

[Latające książki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saga o Ludziach Lodu tak dumnie brzmi, prawda? Usłyszałam o niej parę lat temu i jedną z jej cech było to, że nie dało się jej już nigdzie dostać w wersji papierowej, aby pięknie się prezentowała na półce. Jednak w końcu zdobyłam parę jej części.

Niekoniecznie wiedziałam też czego mam się po niej spodziewać, ale po pierwszej części jestem naprawdę zadowolona. Jest rok 1581, a w północnej Norwegii w okolicach Trondheim panuje zaraza, która zabiera ze sobą tysiące osób. Wszędzie palą ciała, a zwłoki zalegają na ulicach. Młoda, szesnastoletnia Silje straciła całą swoją rodzinę. Błąkając się w okolicy miasta znalazła malutką dwuletnią dziewczynkę i płaczące niemowlę. Silje zaopiekowała się nimi w tym trudnym czasie, aż wreszcie ktoś zajął się Silje. W przypływie odwagi pomogła pewnemu tajemniczemu mężczyźnie uratować jego druha przed śmiercią. Nieznajomy o przerażającym wyglądzie zwierzoczłeka, chodzący w skórze wilka zapewnił jej miejsce do życia z rodziną znajomego artysty oraz opiekę Ludzi Lodu.

Jesteśmy na północy pośród śniegów i gór. Książka jest bardzo krótka, to zaledwie jeden epizod w życiu Silje, jednowątkowy, ale mimo to autorka bardzo wyraźnie i zgrabnie zarysowała nam ówczesną sytuację polityczną obszaru. Wiara chrześcijańska dominuje, ale ludzie nie zapomnieli o rodzimych wierzeniach i tajemniczych stworach. Wkrótce Silje będzie się musiała zmierzyć z własnym strachem. Od lat karmiono ją opowieściami i o groźnych, przeklętych Ludziach Lodu, parających się mroczną magią pochodzącą od złego Tengela i zamieszkujących „Krainę Mroku” pomiędzy wysokimi górami.

Silje jest bardzo ciekawą bohaterką. Jest odważna i wojownicza, ale posiada też duszę artystki i wielkie serce które kazało je zająć się sierotami. Tytuł książki w idealny sposób oddaje to, co się w niej dzieje. Bo to właśnie o zauroczenie i miłość w niej chodzi. Dziewczyna dorasta i poznaje zupełnie nowe pragnienia i uczucia pożądania. Uczy się też odróżnić zauroczenie od miłości. Jednak odniosłam wrażenie, że bohaterowie ze zbyt wielką bezpośredniością mówią o tym co czują. Nieco zabrakło mi subtelności w ich relacjach. Język jest stylizowany na starodawny, średniowieczny z zachowaniem wszystkich tytułów i form grzecznościowych nie do końca sprzyja budowaniu romantycznej atmosfery.

Gdyby to była jedna osobna książka, a może nawet trylogia, to pewnie przyczepiłabym się do zbyt powierzchownego opisania niektórych kwestii, ale Saga o Ludziach Lodu liczy sobie aż 47 części, więc pewnie niektóre kwestie się jeszcze rozwiną. Bardzo mi się ta książka spodobała. Jest też bardzo klimatyczna i zapowiada coś naprawdę dobrego, bo to jedynie wstęp do sagi. Naprawdę polecam wszystkim pasjonatom kultury nordyckiej i dalekiej północy.

http://latajace-ksiazki.blogspot.com/...

[Miku · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kiedy człowiek grzebie w odmętach wszystkiego co ma w domu to trafia na różne rodzynki. Trafiłam na tę sagę, zobaczyłam 47 części, każda z nich ma średnio 250 stron i miałam takie - ja tego nie przeczytam? Potrzymajcie mi herbatę.

Mamy 1581 rok i zarazę, zbierającą ogromne żniwo w ludziach. Główna bohaterka, Silje, zostaje sama na świecie i błąka się, żeby zdobyć pożywienie oraz miejsce do ogrzania. Natrafia najpierw na jedną dziewczynkę, płaczącą nad zmarłą matką, a potem na porzucone niemowlę i je przygarnia. Błąkając się po lesie, w pewnym momencie, natrafia na miejsce tortur i człowieka, który ma właśnie być łamany kołem. Ni stąd, ni zowąd pojawia się, za dziewczyną, inny mężczyzna, który obiecuje żywność i ogień, jeśli Silje pójdzie na miejsce kaźni i powie, że ten torturowany mężczyzna to jej mąż, a przygarnięte dzieci są wspólne oraz pokaże list, który niby wyjmie z jego ubrań. Dziewczyna się zgadza i tak otwieramy sagę.

Najbardziej zaskakujące było dla mnie pierwsze wrażenie, bo spodziewałam się czegoś co będzie napisane językiem pamiętającym moich rodziców, a niekoniecznie wpisującym się w następną generację. Jednak autorka pisze tę historię niewydumanym językiem, nie używa górnolotnych słów, przekazuje tyle ile jest potrzebne i nie wchodzi w dygresję. Jednak jeśli jeszcze raz przeczytam, że ktoś jest piękny/ładny lub ma piękną/ładną twarz to chyba oszaleję. Niestety takie stwierdzenia szybko ustawiły mnie do pionu i przeczuwałam w którą stronę ta historia pójdzie. I nie myliłam się. Na późniejszym etapie zrobił się z tego romans z elementami fanstyki. Na minus mogę wpisać lekką nienaturalność w dialogach pod kątem zalotów. Z jednej strony bohaterowie w sprawach seksualnych są na nie i zachowują się w sposób ograniczony, cnotliwy, a z drugiej dialogi są zbyt otwarte i bezpośrednie.

Ciekawa jestem jak to dalej pójdzie, ze względu nawet na ilość tomów. Czas pokaże.

[Emiliya Bozhilova · Rating 3 out of 5]

Това е началото на поредица от … 47 (!) книжки! Ах, тези авторки от 70-те и 80-те, които пишеха кратки, самостоятелни, непретенциозни, пълни с луди (направо откачени) приключения поредици. Който си спомня за невероятната Анжелик, ще се сети за какво става въпрос.

Тук започва ударно - с чумата, опустошаваща Норвегия през 1581 г. Момиче, единственото оцеляло по чудо от цялото си семейство, среща по пътя си две изоставени деца, красив нехранимайко, тъмен загадъчен субект във вълча кожа (само наметната) и църковен художник във все по-свиващия се “пазар” на реформаторските църкви. Напук на изтрещяващите хрумки на моменти, на адски модерните думички в абсолютно противоречив с 16-ти век, се оказа симпатично приключенско романтъзи. Поне следващите части с тези герои ще си струват.

3,5⭐️

[Rhuddem Gwelin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Den var oväntad spännande och intressant. Huvudpersonerna är sympatiska och mysigt erotiska, fast lite för mycket ödödlig kärlek för min smak. Det var kul att ha läst denna klassiker men jag vet inte om jag orkar med alla 47 i serien, för att inte nämna hennes två andra. Får se.

[Seltella · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5

[zack · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sagan om Isfolket är en sådan där klassiker man har hört mycket om men inte riktigt orkat ta sig tid att ens snegla på – typ som Grottbjörnens folk. Speciellt med tanke på att det finns ungefär femtio böcker i denna serie. Men när jag hittade första boken på Myrorna för en guldpeng var det svårt att inte påbörja det stora (snarare långa) äventyret om isfolket. Nu kommer den svåraste delen: att få tag på resten av serien.

Efter att Siljes familj dött i pesten i 1500-talets Norge tvingas hon ut på gatan för att göra plats åt en ny och frisk familj. Men det dröjer inte lång tid innan hon hittar en egen liten familj; en tvåårig flicka som vägrar att lämna sin mors döda kropp – och tillsammans med flickan hittar hon en liten bebis lämnad åt sitt öde i skogen. De tre beger sig vidare för att hitta ett ställe att överleva på när de stöter på en man med en rovdjursblick som får honom att verka vara hälften människa, hälften djur. Han övertalar henne att rädda en ung man som snart ska avrättas och som tack fixar han med boende åt henne och barnen på en liten gård. Men det dröjer inte länge förrän hon inser att gården ligger precis vid foten av de berg som det sägs att isfolket bor i... det fyller henne med en skräck men även med undran och nyfikenhet – och så är det den där mannen; till hälften människa, till hälften odjur som inte riktigt vill lämna hennes tankar. Vem är han egentligen?

Även om Trollbunden knappast klarar sig upp på listan av mina topp 100 böcker så var det ett riktigt nöje att läsa denna bok. Den kändes som en lite typisk 80-tals bok med kärlek som tema... faktiskt så kändes det lite som en 80-tals romantisk erotik utspelat på 1500-talet. Möjligen inspiration till Edward och Bellas svårighet att hålla sig ifrån varandra i Twilight-serien? Beskrivningar om Siljes attraktion till rovdjursmannen tar upp flera sidor.

Men den är även genuint intressant. Jag vill veta vad som händer näst. Kanske är det en effekt av det faktum att jag vet att böckerna kommer utspela sig under drygt fyra hundra års tid? Antagligen. Det ska bli spännande att se vart historien tar isfolket.

Jag skulle nog rekommendera denna bok under en regnig eftermiddag eller dylikt. Den är en klassiker av en anledning.

[Emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 STARS

I’ve a friend who loves this series, she’s been on me for years to read it and (against better judgement) I finally gave in. And at first I was pleasantly surprised! The mystery surrounding the ice people intrigued me—they seemed to have a certain fey quality to them, and I couldn’t wait to learn more!

Enters the first awkward sexual comment (from an old man, whose trousers apparently still “could become rather tight”). And sexual advance. And reluctant sexual awakening. Hot and steamy dreams about our mystery man, leading to self pleasure steeeeeeeped in shame.

And then it’s all down hill from there... plot is gone and has been replaced by smut typical for the 1980s: hairy chests (and legs, his thighs were apparently hairy as a faun’s), blushing (yet dripping wet) virgins, and quite a few penis euphemisms.

I love historical fiction, I love fantasy, I’m all here for sex-positivity, and I really don’t mind a bit of smut, but 80s “erotica” (with men so hairy and well-hung they simply weren’t made for virgins *gasp*) that completely takes over the plot? Not my cup of tea!

[Isabel · Rating 4 out of 5]

My mother started collecting this series in the 1980's when she was a teenager and when I entered my teens they became one of my favorite series.

The series starts in 1581 in Trondheim, Mid-Norway with Silje, Charlotte, Sol, Dag, Henning and Tengel. Silje is a sixteen year old girl who has lost her entire family and home to the plague and wanders the streets of Trondheim looking for food and warmth, and even though she can't feed or warm herself she decides to take in the two orphans she finds. Luckily for them, they meet a mysterious man in wolfs clothing by the crematorium fire, who asks Silje if she is willing to save another life. In return she would get food and a place to live.

This was the first time I read this story in English and in an audio version. It was a bit odd listening to the English translation, due to the Norwegian names/ places and the Norwegian sayings that was translated into English.

This book was one of the first books which was categorized as a housewife porn (husmor porno) in Norway.

[Rebecca Wahlstedt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best books I've ever read! Love, love, love it =D It's the first book in a series with 47 books!! But I love all of them. And now it's being translated into English. I recomend everyone in the world to read atleast the first book. It has alot of ingredients: fantasy, love, secrets, passion, evil.

[Marika Lövström · Rating 2 out of 5]

Svårt att säga något om boken. Nu är den läst. Kommer inte läsa den igen och jag har läst några sämre och många bättre.

[Agnieszka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mój własny, osobisty guilty pleasure. Nie mam złudzeń, że nie jest to ksiazka tak wybitna żeby oceniać ją na 5⭐️ ale mam to gdzieś. W przypadku tej serii jestem ślepa i głucha na głos rozsądku.

Uwielbiam historię Silie i Tengela, czytałam ją wielokrotnie i do dziś łapie mnie mocno za serce. Pierwsze tomy tej sagi są moimi ulubionymi i wracam do nich regularnie czasem tylko we fragmentach, a czasem czytając/słuchając cała opowieść.
Bardzo nie polecam audiobooka.

[Janika Puolitaival · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ensimmäisen 15 sivun aikana on ruttoon kuolleita, kaksi hylättyä lasta, aatelisneidon äpärä, pyövelin kidutukselta pelastettu ah niin kaunis nuorukainen. Siihen sitten salaliittoa paholaisen kanssa kuorrutuksena kaikelle. Aivan liikaa kaikkea ja luokattoman huono suomennos. Vaikea uskoa että joskus pidin tästä sarjasta teininä. Kuraa.

[Tatyana Naumova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Побольше бы скабрезностей, но и так неплохо!

[Lisa Bondeson · Rating 3 out of 5]

VAD ÄR DET HÄR. Det är så jävla dåligt vilket gör det bra??? Kan eventuellt bli att jag läser en till

[Gaspard Grei · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bok 3 i Bokbadet, tema 'kiosklitteratur/husmorporno'. Første bok av slektskrøniken Sagaen om Isfolket. Silje Arngrimsdatter blir lokka inn i kjærleiken med vondskapen sjølv, og vi rivest mellom skam og begjær. Handlinga er først umiskjenneleg platt, men etter kvart breier Isfolket-verda seg utover og byrjar likne på En sang om is og ild/Game of Thrones (Utgårdsfjellene som North of the Wall; Tengel som John Snow; Silje som Daenerys).

Språkmessig er boka ei katastrofe, stappfull av flosklar og kjensler grunne som påskefjæra. Boka har nesten berre dialog eller indre tankar, og handlinga elles er skildra utan stemning (litt som ein vikingsaga). Frampeika er altfor tydelege, kjenslene framstår tilgjorde og overuttrykte. I pornoscenene kjem dette godt til rette, dog.

Kampen mellom det gode og det vonde, mellom skam og kjærleik, kan ein finne mye betre i andre bøker. Men om du treng noko lettlese og pirrande tjafs, er dette definitivt det du treng. To stjerner i staden for ein pga. litt godt driv i handlinga mot slutten.

Mi no avdøde demente mormor hadde slukt alle 46 bøkene rått.