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Where Vikings Roam #1
The Fox and The Hunter
Fate does not wait for you to be ready...
Elva lives a peaceful life with her tribe, practicing to one day become the noaidi—the shaman. Her peace is shattered when two viking earls arrive in the camp. Her grandmother, the current noaidi, is accused of witchcraft, and is taken away to stand trial before the tyrant king Olav. The punishment is death.
Elva is not ready to become the leader of her tribe, nor is she ready to let go of her grandmother. She is nowhere near strong enough to fight the vikings in Nidaros, but she has to try. She's an outcast in her own land, on a journey that will challenge her convictions, her faith and even her heart. Can Elva overcome the powerful enemy and rescue her grandmother?
Or will she add her name to the fallen?
Elva lives a peaceful life with her tribe, practicing to one day become the noaidi—the shaman. Her peace is shattered when two viking earls arrive in the camp. Her grandmother, the current noaidi, is accused of witchcraft, and is taken away to stand trial before the tyrant king Olav. The punishment is death.
Elva is not ready to become the leader of her tribe, nor is she ready to let go of her grandmother. She is nowhere near strong enough to fight the vikings in Nidaros, but she has to try. She's an outcast in her own land, on a journey that will challenge her convictions, her faith and even her heart. Can Elva overcome the powerful enemy and rescue her grandmother?
Or will she add her name to the fallen?
- GenresFantasy
206 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 12, 2018
4 people are currently reading
42 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 23, 2019
Set in northern Norway in the Viking age, The Fox and the Hunter explores difficult themes of a religious and political conflict. The clash of indigenous nature religion and monotheism is brutal and destroys lives.
The story's protagonist, Elva, is raised to replace her grandmother as the noaidi (shaman) of her tribe when the time comes. She hopes it won't happen anytime soon, but she may have no choice when a Viking earl accuses her grandmother of witchcraft, a practice punishable by death. Elva decides to do everything in her power to stop the execution.
I deeply believe in the power of brevity and I like focused narratives. It seems Linn Tesli shares my preferences. The story moves forward at a quick pace and doesn't focus on background static. Each scene serves something, Elva has a clearly defined goal (saving her grandmother), and the religious themes are well intertwined with the plot progression and interactions between her and secondary characters, especially with the Hunter (a young and naive son of a Viking Earl, who desires to be baptized).
I liked Elva's connection to nature and animals, and I found descriptions of shamanic rituals (communication with the spirit world) involving the use of a drum very suggestive. Her character arc is all about change. We observe as she slowly changes, hardens herself to the harsh realities of the Viking world, and becomes more, shall we say, cunning.
The Hunter, on the other hand, remains naive and doesn't learn from what he experiences. I mean, he wants to be baptized for some bizarre reason and even witnessing the acts of cruelty committed by overzealous "evangelists". I hope we get better insights into his psyche in the second book of the duology.
Because the story develops in a harsh, cold climate with little food supply it doesn't shy away from showing a grim reality of killing animals to survive. Many readers (me included) react badly to violence towards animals, so I feel they should know upfront what they're getting into. There's one shocking scene that enraged me but I can't discuss it. Damn spoilers.
Tesli has created a gritty and gruesome world in which violence happens but it’s never included for the sake of shock value (except, maybe, for that one scene). While the plot development is solid, there are a few weak points, including a few awkward sentences and the dialogue in certain scenes, where it feels unnaturally formal and stiff. Sure, a dialogue isn't exactly like speech in real life, but it should give the impression of actual, believable conversation. And here, characters' speech varied between nicely flowing and unbelievably formal.
Overall, though, The Fox and the Hunter is a solid, well-written, and engaging story I liked enough to read the sequel once it's published.
The story's protagonist, Elva, is raised to replace her grandmother as the noaidi (shaman) of her tribe when the time comes. She hopes it won't happen anytime soon, but she may have no choice when a Viking earl accuses her grandmother of witchcraft, a practice punishable by death. Elva decides to do everything in her power to stop the execution.
I deeply believe in the power of brevity and I like focused narratives. It seems Linn Tesli shares my preferences. The story moves forward at a quick pace and doesn't focus on background static. Each scene serves something, Elva has a clearly defined goal (saving her grandmother), and the religious themes are well intertwined with the plot progression and interactions between her and secondary characters, especially with the Hunter (a young and naive son of a Viking Earl, who desires to be baptized).
I liked Elva's connection to nature and animals, and I found descriptions of shamanic rituals (communication with the spirit world) involving the use of a drum very suggestive. Her character arc is all about change. We observe as she slowly changes, hardens herself to the harsh realities of the Viking world, and becomes more, shall we say, cunning.
The Hunter, on the other hand, remains naive and doesn't learn from what he experiences. I mean, he wants to be baptized for some bizarre reason and even witnessing the acts of cruelty committed by overzealous "evangelists". I hope we get better insights into his psyche in the second book of the duology.
Because the story develops in a harsh, cold climate with little food supply it doesn't shy away from showing a grim reality of killing animals to survive. Many readers (me included) react badly to violence towards animals, so I feel they should know upfront what they're getting into. There's one shocking scene that enraged me but I can't discuss it. Damn spoilers.
Tesli has created a gritty and gruesome world in which violence happens but it’s never included for the sake of shock value (except, maybe, for that one scene). While the plot development is solid, there are a few weak points, including a few awkward sentences and the dialogue in certain scenes, where it feels unnaturally formal and stiff. Sure, a dialogue isn't exactly like speech in real life, but it should give the impression of actual, believable conversation. And here, characters' speech varied between nicely flowing and unbelievably formal.
Overall, though, The Fox and the Hunter is a solid, well-written, and engaging story I liked enough to read the sequel once it's published.
November 13, 2018
Masterfull tale of how the main character, the Sami girl Elva, takes a wrong turn and heads towards the path of darkness in her quest to save her grandmother from being burnt at the stake.
Bonus points for the heroic reindear ;-)
Highly recommended!
Bonus points for the heroic reindear ;-)
Highly recommended!
February 24, 2020
Here's a lyrical tale of a time period when Norsemen have abandoned the worship of the old gods and have become Christian to the point where it has become a crime to worship the old gods and considered "witchcraft" to practice traditional medicine or to employ the use or a shaman.
In the surrounding tribal areas, noiadi, or shamans are still respected and used. Elva is a young girl who inherits shamanic skills and will learn more from the elder women in her small tribe. On her mother's death, the grandmother is taken prisoner for using the old ways to save her. Elva begins a journey to save the old woman. Along the way she learns her strength and becomes a young woman. The reader journeys with her in this beautifully built world.
I really like the story and the style of song and prose interlaced because I write that way myself. Ioved learning about this Pre-Christian culture and can't wait for the next installment! Great Job!
In the surrounding tribal areas, noiadi, or shamans are still respected and used. Elva is a young girl who inherits shamanic skills and will learn more from the elder women in her small tribe. On her mother's death, the grandmother is taken prisoner for using the old ways to save her. Elva begins a journey to save the old woman. Along the way she learns her strength and becomes a young woman. The reader journeys with her in this beautifully built world.
I really like the story and the style of song and prose interlaced because I write that way myself. Ioved learning about this Pre-Christian culture and can't wait for the next installment! Great Job!
July 24, 2019
With beautiful descriptions and narrative, the author has created a moving story that has qualities of an ancient legend. Folklore and witchcraft mix in this heartbreaking story of a young girl's journey to save her grandmother - a journey that will take her to the limits of everything she can possibly endure. Highly recommend.
November 20, 2018
No spoilers.
My favorite part is the part with the spirits(the description says she is noaidi/shaman so it can`t count as a spoiler), and I hope the writer vil develop that more in the next book. Also I really like the relationship between Ylva and her grandmother.
I hope Elva will turn into something great in the next book. That´s a cliffhanger right there;).
If you like something that treads the threshold between realism and fantasy, then this should be a good fit.
My favorite part is the part with the spirits(the description says she is noaidi/shaman so it can`t count as a spoiler), and I hope the writer vil develop that more in the next book. Also I really like the relationship between Ylva and her grandmother.
I hope Elva will turn into something great in the next book. That´s a cliffhanger right there;).
If you like something that treads the threshold between realism and fantasy, then this should be a good fit.
November 17, 2018
I am IN this book, ticking a very important box on my bucket list.
Every man has a price, and this one is mine.
Every man has a price, and this one is mine.
November 13, 2018
A compelling story of love, magic and loss.
January 3, 2019
How wonderfull to visit the Viking age through the eyes of a Sami girl destined to be the next Noaidi.
Linn Tesli paints a vivid picture not commonly known to readers of Viking-age books, and with a lot of skill and imagination. I can’t wait for the continuation of the series. Elva’s fate is in the authors’ hands, and I imagine it won’t be easy going for the young Sami girl.
Linn Tesli paints a vivid picture not commonly known to readers of Viking-age books, and with a lot of skill and imagination. I can’t wait for the continuation of the series. Elva’s fate is in the authors’ hands, and I imagine it won’t be easy going for the young Sami girl.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews