What do you think?
Rate this book
Assassin's Creed #11
Assassin's Creed Valhalla : La Saga de Geirmund
Discover the epic adventure of legendary viking Geirmund Hel-hide in this new novel set in the world of Assassin's Creed Valhalla.
Mid-9th century.
The Viking attacks and invasions are shattering England's kingdoms.
Born into a royal lineage of Norwegian kings, Geirmund Hel-hide sets out for adventure to prove his worth as a Viking and a warrior.
A perilous journey across the sea brings him into contact with a being out of myth and grants him a mysterious ring that promises both great power and bitter betrayal.
As Geirmund rises in the ranks of King Guthrum's legendary army, he will have to use all his cunning to face the many dangers of a land ravaged by war . . .
Fighting alongside his band of loyal warriors, his path will soon lead him into a conflict as old as the gods themselves.
Mid-9th century.
The Viking attacks and invasions are shattering England's kingdoms.
Born into a royal lineage of Norwegian kings, Geirmund Hel-hide sets out for adventure to prove his worth as a Viking and a warrior.
A perilous journey across the sea brings him into contact with a being out of myth and grants him a mysterious ring that promises both great power and bitter betrayal.
As Geirmund rises in the ranks of King Guthrum's legendary army, he will have to use all his cunning to face the many dangers of a land ravaged by war . . .
Fighting alongside his band of loyal warriors, his path will soon lead him into a conflict as old as the gods themselves.
447 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 10, 2020
72 people are currently reading
1132 people want to read
About the author
Matthew J. Kirby
29 books464 followersMatthew Kirby was born in Utah, and grew up in Maryland, California, and Hawaii. As an undergraduate he majored in history, and then went on to pursue an M.S. in school psychology. For ten months out of the year he works with students, and during the rest of the year he writes. He and his wife currently live in northern Utah.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
December 24, 2020
A rather nice viking story, more or less based on true events, with a lot of twists and turns. What I didn't like (being one of the Bulgarian translators) is the fact that the reader is expected to be quite well versed in Old Norse, Old and/or Middle English, Norse mythology and the Viking Era, alternatively to do a lot of googling while reading, which can't be a lot of fun. Luckily, my Bulgarian readers will be spared most or all of that googling.
Another thing I didn't like was that the reader never really learns what happened to Hamund (we are only told he sailed with his brother, but I would have liked to know more). And the ending came rather abruptly in my opinion.
But even with the above shortcomings, the novel is worth a read, especially if you're a fan of Ragnar Lodbrok.
Another thing I didn't like was that the reader never really learns what happened to Hamund (we are only told he sailed with his brother, but I would have liked to know more). And the ending came rather abruptly in my opinion.
But even with the above shortcomings, the novel is worth a read, especially if you're a fan of Ragnar Lodbrok.
November 4, 2021
Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla: Geirmund’s Saga by Matthew J. Kirby is a video game tie-in novel based on Ubisoft’s game “Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla”.
Assassin’s Creed, for those that don’t know, is a game franchise that revolves around a group called “the Assassins,” in other cultures, they’re called “the Hidden Ones,” meanwhile they’re facing off against the Templars, who hide in plain sight. As a piece of Historical Science Fiction, some games a player will interact with figures of the past. Assassin’s Creed Three, for example, revolved around colonial America, and you met people like Paul Revere and George Washington. This novel is a tie-in to the newest entry in the franchise, Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, which revolves around the Vikings of yore landing in England for conquest and power.
Found in this novel is an adjacent story to the game. To die-hard fans of the franchise, this may be seen as a con. For a few years now, Assassin’s Creed hasn’t really been Assassin’s Creed to some. Odyssey received so much flack because it wasn’t even revolving around Assassins and Templars, and, seen here in both the game and book, it’s all just happening elsewhere. The story follows Geirmund Hel-hide, who doesn’t appear in the game. Geirmund’s Saga revolves around a quest for identity and is riddled with war as he works to help the Danes in their conquest of England, working to defeat the Saxon king and establish control of new land. There’s no real “assassinations,” nor is there a “Leap of Faith,” or a hidden blade in the standard sense. It is adjacent story to Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, which, already, is adjacent to the Assassins.
Something that I love about Assassin’s Creed media is its dedication to the time periods. I can see that so much research went into this novel that it really should be seen as the saga that it is. Even the references from the game are accurate and in accordance with Assassin’s Creed lore. It’s a massive bonus that this is, at its heart, a historical fantasy first, and an Assassin’s Creed Tie-in Novel second.
I’m feeling unsure if I’d consider this a con, as this allows people that don’t really know much about Assassin’s Creed to go into it and still get a story full of captivating characters and an enjoyable plot. But, as a diehard fan, I went through thinking “Okay, so is Geirmund going to do this?” In reference to some game-beat, and no, it doesn’t happen, or it does happen, but I’d have to go through six degrees of connection to decide on if what happened could really be considered Assassin’s Creed related. A murder in the night isn’t, to me, an assassination, but it may be to some.
Geirmund’s Saga is told from a third-person limited point of view, meaning that we only know of Geirmund’s thoughts and what Geirmund is seeing and feeling. I like this. Sometimes, third-person novels will jump to the villain’s perspective, revealing every dastardly thing or the whole plot, making it all feel null to me. I’m glad it stuck with the hero.
I will say that the character of Geirmund has a really interesting arc, that plays on the ideas of identity, religion, and making one’s own path. Everything about Norse beliefs revolve around fate, the Three-Spinners are brought up frequently, if a person dies it is fate that wills it so. Geirmund struggles with this thought, but has faith that the gods will make sure everything goes according to plan in their own weird Aesir way.
England is also a Christian country, so seeing this clash between Norse ideas and Christian doctrine is so intriguing, and it gets explored often throughout the 480 page novel. To Christians, a Norseman is a pagan, sent by the devil to rain hellfire to their holy land of England. To the Danes and Vikings, the Christians are just an obstacle, and their gods want them to overtake this land. I’ll admit, going into a book that’s a tie-in to a video game, I didn’t expect these ideas and I think that shows a fundamental bias to tie-in novels in general, as there’s really diamonds in the rough, like this and Matthew Stover’s “Revenge of the Sith” novelization.
I will say that while the plot is intriguing and the prose is so poetic and well-told, I think there’s parts throughout the book that dragged. Descriptions got to being so in-depth, and I would find myself skimming a little bit of it before catching myself and rereading it. I’m trying to find the balance of this in my writing, and I think you can describe a lot of stuff, but you may also have to hope that the reader’s imagination can fill in the blanks. The story isn’t saying something like “The Longboat was about 5 meters in length with long overarching wooden carvings,” it doesn’t get into the nitty gritty like a history book, but it does get really poetic in it’s language for something as simple as “It was a torrential downpour of rain.”
I’m glad, though, that the dialogue is really intriguing and realistic for the period. It’s almost Shakespearean at times in terms of wit. No spoilers, but the ending dialogue is like a hundred guns on the mantelpiece, and just now are they all going off. It was such an amazing payoff of wit. This falls into characters too, which are all pretty great and have their own use. Later on in the story it seems like it may get confusing with how many people join the roster, but it never really felt like it did. The only issue I had was that the names all felt similar to each other. I know, some of these are historical figures like Guthrum, but I’d find myself confusing character names like Skjalgi and Steinolfur with Sidroc and Styrbjorn. Just a lot of names that start with S, and I guess that’s hard for me, but maybe it isn’t for others.
All-in-all, though, I found Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Geirmund’s Saga to be an epic that stands on its own as a captivating story, separate from the AC game. I wonder if Geirmund will show up in the game’s future Downloadable Content, as I think some of the things seen here took place after the games ending, but I could be wrong. If you’re a fan of Assassin’s Creed, or you’re looking for an emotional, theme-filled, Viking Tale, this book is something that I’ll wholeheartedly recommend.
Assassin’s Creed, for those that don’t know, is a game franchise that revolves around a group called “the Assassins,” in other cultures, they’re called “the Hidden Ones,” meanwhile they’re facing off against the Templars, who hide in plain sight. As a piece of Historical Science Fiction, some games a player will interact with figures of the past. Assassin’s Creed Three, for example, revolved around colonial America, and you met people like Paul Revere and George Washington. This novel is a tie-in to the newest entry in the franchise, Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, which revolves around the Vikings of yore landing in England for conquest and power.
Found in this novel is an adjacent story to the game. To die-hard fans of the franchise, this may be seen as a con. For a few years now, Assassin’s Creed hasn’t really been Assassin’s Creed to some. Odyssey received so much flack because it wasn’t even revolving around Assassins and Templars, and, seen here in both the game and book, it’s all just happening elsewhere. The story follows Geirmund Hel-hide, who doesn’t appear in the game. Geirmund’s Saga revolves around a quest for identity and is riddled with war as he works to help the Danes in their conquest of England, working to defeat the Saxon king and establish control of new land. There’s no real “assassinations,” nor is there a “Leap of Faith,” or a hidden blade in the standard sense. It is adjacent story to Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, which, already, is adjacent to the Assassins.
Something that I love about Assassin’s Creed media is its dedication to the time periods. I can see that so much research went into this novel that it really should be seen as the saga that it is. Even the references from the game are accurate and in accordance with Assassin’s Creed lore. It’s a massive bonus that this is, at its heart, a historical fantasy first, and an Assassin’s Creed Tie-in Novel second.
I’m feeling unsure if I’d consider this a con, as this allows people that don’t really know much about Assassin’s Creed to go into it and still get a story full of captivating characters and an enjoyable plot. But, as a diehard fan, I went through thinking “Okay, so is Geirmund going to do this?” In reference to some game-beat, and no, it doesn’t happen, or it does happen, but I’d have to go through six degrees of connection to decide on if what happened could really be considered Assassin’s Creed related. A murder in the night isn’t, to me, an assassination, but it may be to some.
Geirmund’s Saga is told from a third-person limited point of view, meaning that we only know of Geirmund’s thoughts and what Geirmund is seeing and feeling. I like this. Sometimes, third-person novels will jump to the villain’s perspective, revealing every dastardly thing or the whole plot, making it all feel null to me. I’m glad it stuck with the hero.
I will say that the character of Geirmund has a really interesting arc, that plays on the ideas of identity, religion, and making one’s own path. Everything about Norse beliefs revolve around fate, the Three-Spinners are brought up frequently, if a person dies it is fate that wills it so. Geirmund struggles with this thought, but has faith that the gods will make sure everything goes according to plan in their own weird Aesir way.
England is also a Christian country, so seeing this clash between Norse ideas and Christian doctrine is so intriguing, and it gets explored often throughout the 480 page novel. To Christians, a Norseman is a pagan, sent by the devil to rain hellfire to their holy land of England. To the Danes and Vikings, the Christians are just an obstacle, and their gods want them to overtake this land. I’ll admit, going into a book that’s a tie-in to a video game, I didn’t expect these ideas and I think that shows a fundamental bias to tie-in novels in general, as there’s really diamonds in the rough, like this and Matthew Stover’s “Revenge of the Sith” novelization.
I will say that while the plot is intriguing and the prose is so poetic and well-told, I think there’s parts throughout the book that dragged. Descriptions got to being so in-depth, and I would find myself skimming a little bit of it before catching myself and rereading it. I’m trying to find the balance of this in my writing, and I think you can describe a lot of stuff, but you may also have to hope that the reader’s imagination can fill in the blanks. The story isn’t saying something like “The Longboat was about 5 meters in length with long overarching wooden carvings,” it doesn’t get into the nitty gritty like a history book, but it does get really poetic in it’s language for something as simple as “It was a torrential downpour of rain.”
I’m glad, though, that the dialogue is really intriguing and realistic for the period. It’s almost Shakespearean at times in terms of wit. No spoilers, but the ending dialogue is like a hundred guns on the mantelpiece, and just now are they all going off. It was such an amazing payoff of wit. This falls into characters too, which are all pretty great and have their own use. Later on in the story it seems like it may get confusing with how many people join the roster, but it never really felt like it did. The only issue I had was that the names all felt similar to each other. I know, some of these are historical figures like Guthrum, but I’d find myself confusing character names like Skjalgi and Steinolfur with Sidroc and Styrbjorn. Just a lot of names that start with S, and I guess that’s hard for me, but maybe it isn’t for others.
All-in-all, though, I found Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Geirmund’s Saga to be an epic that stands on its own as a captivating story, separate from the AC game. I wonder if Geirmund will show up in the game’s future Downloadable Content, as I think some of the things seen here took place after the games ending, but I could be wrong. If you’re a fan of Assassin’s Creed, or you’re looking for an emotional, theme-filled, Viking Tale, this book is something that I’ll wholeheartedly recommend.
September 29, 2021
Erstmal vorweg: man kann das Buch auch lesen, wenn man das Spiel noch nicht gespielt hat (so wie ich). Es gibt genau 3 Andeutungen zum Spiel, nämlich einen mysteriösen Orden (Kenner wissen, was gemeint ist); einen göttlichen Reif (könnte ein Edensplitter sein) und der Protagonist Eivor (im Buch weiblich). Eivor ist aber im Buch nur ein Nebencharakter.
Ansonsten hat mir die Geschichte wirklich gut gefallen.
Der Protagonist Geirmund ist sehr sympathisch, hat seine Stärken und Schwächen und man kann seine Beweggründe sehr gut nachvollziehen. Mit der Zeit wuchsen er und seine Heljarskinnar, mit denen er dann später in die Schlacht zieht, mir sehr ans Herz.
Die Geschichte ist sehr flüssig geschrieben, man hat keine Stolpersteine. Die Kapitel sind angenehm kurz/lang (je nachdem, was man darunter versteht).
Was mir gefehlt hat, war eine Karte, um sich im England des 9. Jahrhunderts etwas besser zurechtzufinden (hätte ich das Spiel gespielt, wüsste ich es wahrscheinlich besser) und ein Register, in dem die nordischen Begriffe erklärt werden, die im Buch vorkommen. Es wird zwar teilweise gesagt, aber wenn man mal was vergisst, wäre es schön gewesen, nachschlagen zu können.
So weit so gut, wirklich ein schöner Roman, der auch für sich als Historienroman mit fiktiven Elementen stehen könnte.
Und jetzt wird es dann mal Zeit, das Spiel nachzuholen. Habe ja die anderen auch alle gezockt ;)
Ansonsten hat mir die Geschichte wirklich gut gefallen.
Der Protagonist Geirmund ist sehr sympathisch, hat seine Stärken und Schwächen und man kann seine Beweggründe sehr gut nachvollziehen. Mit der Zeit wuchsen er und seine Heljarskinnar, mit denen er dann später in die Schlacht zieht, mir sehr ans Herz.
Die Geschichte ist sehr flüssig geschrieben, man hat keine Stolpersteine. Die Kapitel sind angenehm kurz/lang (je nachdem, was man darunter versteht).
Was mir gefehlt hat, war eine Karte, um sich im England des 9. Jahrhunderts etwas besser zurechtzufinden (hätte ich das Spiel gespielt, wüsste ich es wahrscheinlich besser) und ein Register, in dem die nordischen Begriffe erklärt werden, die im Buch vorkommen. Es wird zwar teilweise gesagt, aber wenn man mal was vergisst, wäre es schön gewesen, nachschlagen zu können.
So weit so gut, wirklich ein schöner Roman, der auch für sich als Historienroman mit fiktiven Elementen stehen könnte.
Und jetzt wird es dann mal Zeit, das Spiel nachzuholen. Habe ja die anderen auch alle gezockt ;)
January 14, 2022
Poctivý vikinský příběh (dějově paralelní se hrou)
Geirmund má coby druhorozený syn severského krále Hjörra jen omezené možnosti… A pokud nehodlá strávit celý život ve stínu staršího bratra Hamunda či si neplánuje získat trůn násilím, zbývá mu jediné – vyrazit do světa, najít svůj osud jinde. Příležitost spatřuje v příchodu dánského jarla Guthruma lákajícího na invazi do Anglie, otci se však Geirmundovo rozhodnutí nelíbí a nesvěří mu ani vlastní loď ani družinu. Přesto se mladý princ nevzdává… S hořkostí v srdci opouští chladné rodné síně a za doprovodu pár věrných přátel nabízí Guthrumovi alespoň hrstku mečů. Má to ovšem háček: Geirmund ještě nikdy nikoho nezabil. Dokáže to, až přijde TA chvíle?
Připravte se na strhující dobrodružství, epické bitvy, souboj loajality a morálky, střety víry i mocenské intriky.
Kniha spadá pod frančízu Assassin's Creed, jež se zaměřuje primárně na historicko-akční hry (vyvíjené studiem Ubisoft) a jejich příběhy jsou natolik silné, že se jim dostalo i románové podoby. U nás se překladu chopilo nakladatelství FANTOM Print! – a čtenář, který se v tomto směru tolik neorientuje, může být z přehršle AC titulů „vedle jak ta jedle“. Pokud vás Geirmundova sága zaujala, ale bojíte se, že jí nepochopíte bez předchozího hraní nebo znalosti ostatních děl: není důvod. Ve skutečnosti je v tomto případě značka pouhou nálepkou…
Děj neobsahuje přítomnou linku (žádný Animus), vypráví čistě o Gerimundovi. Události se odvíjí paralelně s Valhallou (tzn. ve stejné době) a zatímco Gerimund se ve hře nevyskytuje, její ústřední postava Eivor si v knize střihne nějaké to cameo. K tomu přidejte narážku na tajemný řád – a to je asi tak všechno, co knihu se hrou pojí.
Rovněž musím upozornit, že označení „sága“ je zde užito v pravém slova smyslu (příběh s tematikou dávné skandinávské historie) a nikoliv v moderním pojetí à la knižní série. Geirmundova sága je samostatný román!
Knihu napsal Matthew J. Kirby, který je také autorem Young Adult trilogie Poslední potomci pojednávající o nové generaci asasínů. Upřímně, četla jsem první díl a strašně mi to nesedlo, dost z toho čpěla social-justice politika Ubisoftu (stejně jako z komixů od Anthonyho Del Cola a posléze Alexe Paknadela).
Ani Geirmundova sága nebyla ušetřena, kupříkladu aplikací etnické rozmanitosti… Viking s tmavou kůží přesto do příběhu skvěle zapadá, snad promyšleným původem (jeho otec si při nájezdech našel exotickou partnerku), nebo faktem, že v onom období rasismus vznikal, i když se sešli příslušníci dvou sousedících klanů. Geirmund čelí častým urážkám a své přízvisko Hel-hide (pekelná kůže) nenávidí, nakonec se ho však naučí přijmout a u ostatních jím namísto posměchu vzbuzuje respekt. Dokonce má prý být opravdovou historickou postavou (to se mi však nepodařilo dohledat).
Za největší klady považuji poutavý sloh (er-forma minulého času z Geirmundovy perspektivy), popisy navozující atmosféru i vystihující surovost války a v neposlední řadě dynamický, uvěřitelný děj. Ze čtení může bohužel vytrhávat velký počet poznámek pod čarou kvůli cizím pojmům (některé přišly vhod, spousta jich ale jen odkryla jiný název pro město/zemi), také se pravděpodobně dostaví orientační chaos (chybí mapa) a zmatek ve vedlejších postavách (ještě když mají podobná jména, u kterých navíc pořádně nevíte, jak je vyslovit).
Vyloženě originální příběh není: něco předvídáte, ale i tak dovede překvapit a celkově si ho nepochybně užijete. Některé charaktery včetně protagonisty projdou zajímavým psychologickým vývojem a v díle se též řeší společenská témata (kromě zmiňovaného rasismu i třebas konflikt pohanství a křesťanství, otázky vlastenectví či morální dilemata). Romantiku s erotikou tu nehledejte, zato se vám dostane napjatých vztahových dramat v rámci rodiny nebo armádního oddílu. Milovníci severské mytologie se mohou těšit na využití mnoha jejích aspektů (viz reference na norny, valkýry, ostatní říše jako Helheim, Niflheim, Múspellheim a spol.) a fanoušci seriálu Vikingové se setkají s potomky Ragnara Lothbroka.
Asasíni sice tentokrát zůstali u ledu, ale vzato kolem a kolem, Geirmundova sága je solidní historickou fantasy, která se skvěle hodí (nejen) na ukrácení dlouhých zimních večerů – ať už jste hru hráli, máte teprve v plánu si ji zahrát anebo jste prostě dostali chuť na kousek se severskými motivy.
(pozn. recenzentky: ano, opravdu se správně píše vikinský, nikoliv vikingský)
4,5/5*
Za recenzní e-book děkuji nakladatelství FANTOM Print!
Geirmund má coby druhorozený syn severského krále Hjörra jen omezené možnosti… A pokud nehodlá strávit celý život ve stínu staršího bratra Hamunda či si neplánuje získat trůn násilím, zbývá mu jediné – vyrazit do světa, najít svůj osud jinde. Příležitost spatřuje v příchodu dánského jarla Guthruma lákajícího na invazi do Anglie, otci se však Geirmundovo rozhodnutí nelíbí a nesvěří mu ani vlastní loď ani družinu. Přesto se mladý princ nevzdává… S hořkostí v srdci opouští chladné rodné síně a za doprovodu pár věrných přátel nabízí Guthrumovi alespoň hrstku mečů. Má to ovšem háček: Geirmund ještě nikdy nikoho nezabil. Dokáže to, až přijde TA chvíle?
Připravte se na strhující dobrodružství, epické bitvy, souboj loajality a morálky, střety víry i mocenské intriky.
Kniha spadá pod frančízu Assassin's Creed, jež se zaměřuje primárně na historicko-akční hry (vyvíjené studiem Ubisoft) a jejich příběhy jsou natolik silné, že se jim dostalo i románové podoby. U nás se překladu chopilo nakladatelství FANTOM Print! – a čtenář, který se v tomto směru tolik neorientuje, může být z přehršle AC titulů „vedle jak ta jedle“. Pokud vás Geirmundova sága zaujala, ale bojíte se, že jí nepochopíte bez předchozího hraní nebo znalosti ostatních děl: není důvod. Ve skutečnosti je v tomto případě značka pouhou nálepkou…
Děj neobsahuje přítomnou linku (žádný Animus), vypráví čistě o Gerimundovi. Události se odvíjí paralelně s Valhallou (tzn. ve stejné době) a zatímco Gerimund se ve hře nevyskytuje, její ústřední postava Eivor si v knize střihne nějaké to cameo. K tomu přidejte narážku na tajemný řád – a to je asi tak všechno, co knihu se hrou pojí.
Rovněž musím upozornit, že označení „sága“ je zde užito v pravém slova smyslu (příběh s tematikou dávné skandinávské historie) a nikoliv v moderním pojetí à la knižní série. Geirmundova sága je samostatný román!
Knihu napsal Matthew J. Kirby, který je také autorem Young Adult trilogie Poslední potomci pojednávající o nové generaci asasínů. Upřímně, četla jsem první díl a strašně mi to nesedlo, dost z toho čpěla social-justice politika Ubisoftu (stejně jako z komixů od Anthonyho Del Cola a posléze Alexe Paknadela).
Ani Geirmundova sága nebyla ušetřena, kupříkladu aplikací etnické rozmanitosti… Viking s tmavou kůží přesto do příběhu skvěle zapadá, snad promyšleným původem (jeho otec si při nájezdech našel exotickou partnerku), nebo faktem, že v onom období rasismus vznikal, i když se sešli příslušníci dvou sousedících klanů. Geirmund čelí častým urážkám a své přízvisko Hel-hide (pekelná kůže) nenávidí, nakonec se ho však naučí přijmout a u ostatních jím namísto posměchu vzbuzuje respekt. Dokonce má prý být opravdovou historickou postavou (to se mi však nepodařilo dohledat).
Za největší klady považuji poutavý sloh (er-forma minulého času z Geirmundovy perspektivy), popisy navozující atmosféru i vystihující surovost války a v neposlední řadě dynamický, uvěřitelný děj. Ze čtení může bohužel vytrhávat velký počet poznámek pod čarou kvůli cizím pojmům (některé přišly vhod, spousta jich ale jen odkryla jiný název pro město/zemi), také se pravděpodobně dostaví orientační chaos (chybí mapa) a zmatek ve vedlejších postavách (ještě když mají podobná jména, u kterých navíc pořádně nevíte, jak je vyslovit).
Vyloženě originální příběh není: něco předvídáte, ale i tak dovede překvapit a celkově si ho nepochybně užijete. Některé charaktery včetně protagonisty projdou zajímavým psychologickým vývojem a v díle se též řeší společenská témata (kromě zmiňovaného rasismu i třebas konflikt pohanství a křesťanství, otázky vlastenectví či morální dilemata). Romantiku s erotikou tu nehledejte, zato se vám dostane napjatých vztahových dramat v rámci rodiny nebo armádního oddílu. Milovníci severské mytologie se mohou těšit na využití mnoha jejích aspektů (viz reference na norny, valkýry, ostatní říše jako Helheim, Niflheim, Múspellheim a spol.) a fanoušci seriálu Vikingové se setkají s potomky Ragnara Lothbroka.
Asasíni sice tentokrát zůstali u ledu, ale vzato kolem a kolem, Geirmundova sága je solidní historickou fantasy, která se skvěle hodí (nejen) na ukrácení dlouhých zimních večerů – ať už jste hru hráli, máte teprve v plánu si ji zahrát anebo jste prostě dostali chuť na kousek se severskými motivy.
(pozn. recenzentky: ano, opravdu se správně píše vikinský, nikoliv vikingský)
4,5/5*
Za recenzní e-book děkuji nakladatelství FANTOM Print!
March 30, 2021
This was a very enjoyable read! Aside from all the words I struggled to pronounce 😂 I felt that this would give me a deeper insight into the world of Assassins creed Valhalla before I play the game.
This isn't normally a book I would pick up, but I love Viking culture and lore so I couldn't really go wrong here.
This tale follows Giermund, a younger twin who defies his family in search of his fate as his older Brother is in line for the throne. The storyline is very similar to that of the tv show 'Vikings', with a focus more on background characters rather than Ragnar and his sons, though they are often mentioned.
For anyone looking for a battle focused read with fate, Gods, and the mythical being the main focuses, I Think you would enjoy this book :)
This isn't normally a book I would pick up, but I love Viking culture and lore so I couldn't really go wrong here.
This tale follows Giermund, a younger twin who defies his family in search of his fate as his older Brother is in line for the throne. The storyline is very similar to that of the tv show 'Vikings', with a focus more on background characters rather than Ragnar and his sons, though they are often mentioned.
For anyone looking for a battle focused read with fate, Gods, and the mythical being the main focuses, I Think you would enjoy this book :)
November 20, 2020
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Geirmund’s Saga – Matthew J Kirby
This is a book that I purchased for myself, having all the other Assassin’s Creed main story line books.
I have read all those main books as well as having played all the Assassin’s Creed video games, so yes, I am a bit of a fan of the series and will try and do an unbiased review of this book.
The book follows the story of a young Viking called Geirmund, if you couldn’t already tell from the title. Geirmund is the second so of the King of Rogaland. His oldest brother Hamund would inherit the crown and the lands that went with it, leaving Geirmund nothing unless he struck out on the whale road to seek his own path and wealth.
Tired and frustrated with living in the confines of his father’s lands and rules, Geirmund finally decides to and leave and seek his own fate, the opportunity to leave his father’s lands and sail of the whale road came at the most fortuitous time for Geirmund.
So, fate sees Geirmund sets off with the famed Jarl Guthrum to England and a war to win the lands of Wessex, with dreams and hopes to earn wealth, reputation and lands.
Alas things did not go quite as Geirmund had planned, facing obstacles almost as soon as he overcomes one. But Geirmund does manage to earn a reputation and some small wealth and manages to gather a small band of loyal warriors to him.
Yet his fate has decreed he will suffer a great betrayal, that if Geirmund is not careful will costs him everything he has worked for. Geirmund must decided what sort of man he truly is.
For me this story was a great read but the only disappointing thing about it is that we barely see the main character from the game Eivor and there is no hint of assassins at all. So honestly, they might have well just called it “Geirmund’s Saga” rather than “Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Geirmund’s Saga”.
Geirmund was definitely a well written character that I could actually imagine back in those times fighting for his fate and going through all the trials that Geirmund in the story went through. Vikings placed so much in reputation and honour, it’s something I honestly feel we could do more of in today’s world. But this story also makes me think about how hard and harsh life must have been back then, what it meant to truly be a Viking. Honestly, I’m not sure I would have made much of a shield maiden or been good at much else.
This is a book that I purchased for myself, having all the other Assassin’s Creed main story line books.
I have read all those main books as well as having played all the Assassin’s Creed video games, so yes, I am a bit of a fan of the series and will try and do an unbiased review of this book.
The book follows the story of a young Viking called Geirmund, if you couldn’t already tell from the title. Geirmund is the second so of the King of Rogaland. His oldest brother Hamund would inherit the crown and the lands that went with it, leaving Geirmund nothing unless he struck out on the whale road to seek his own path and wealth.
Tired and frustrated with living in the confines of his father’s lands and rules, Geirmund finally decides to and leave and seek his own fate, the opportunity to leave his father’s lands and sail of the whale road came at the most fortuitous time for Geirmund.
So, fate sees Geirmund sets off with the famed Jarl Guthrum to England and a war to win the lands of Wessex, with dreams and hopes to earn wealth, reputation and lands.
Alas things did not go quite as Geirmund had planned, facing obstacles almost as soon as he overcomes one. But Geirmund does manage to earn a reputation and some small wealth and manages to gather a small band of loyal warriors to him.
Yet his fate has decreed he will suffer a great betrayal, that if Geirmund is not careful will costs him everything he has worked for. Geirmund must decided what sort of man he truly is.
For me this story was a great read but the only disappointing thing about it is that we barely see the main character from the game Eivor and there is no hint of assassins at all. So honestly, they might have well just called it “Geirmund’s Saga” rather than “Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Geirmund’s Saga”.
Geirmund was definitely a well written character that I could actually imagine back in those times fighting for his fate and going through all the trials that Geirmund in the story went through. Vikings placed so much in reputation and honour, it’s something I honestly feel we could do more of in today’s world. But this story also makes me think about how hard and harsh life must have been back then, what it meant to truly be a Viking. Honestly, I’m not sure I would have made much of a shield maiden or been good at much else.
November 29, 2021
Poznaj różnicę pomiędzy dumą i honorem, oraz zapamiętaj, żeby w chwili śmierci trzymać broń w ręce.
"Saga Geirmunda" jest świetną przygodową powieścią o wikingach, którą polecam nie tylko fanom gry. Chociaż chciałabym wiedzieć, ilu ją przeczytało i nie miało potem ochoty przenieść się wirtualnie w ten świat, skoro można to zrobić! Czytałam i miałam ochotę grać, grałam, a potem miałam ochotę czytać. Fabuła Valhalli jest tak pomyślana, że można w tym uniwersum tworzyć kolejne i kolejne wątki bez wyszczególniania konkretnego. Wystarczy zmieścić się w tych ramach, w których Wikingowie najeżdżają Anglię, a jest to wiele plemion o różnych cechach charakterystycznych i tak samo jest po drugiej stronie konfliktu - Sasi są zróżnicowani, każde miasto może inaczej zareagować wobec nadciągającego zagrożenia.
Co mi się najbardziej podobało w tej książce? To, że pokazuje wojowników z Północy dokładnie takich, jakich chciałabym oglądać. Są poganami i barbarzyńcami, ale jednocześnie mają swoją filozofię, którą stosują na każdym kroku. Główny bohater, jeżeli akurat nie walczy otwarcie z całą armią albo przebiegle i po cichu niczym Loki, bo i tego i tego tutaj doświadczymy, co rusz wpada w moralną zagwozdkę. Jaką decyzję podjąć, żeby nie stracić twarzy, a równocześnie nie obrazić drugiego wojownika? Który postępek byłby bardziej honorowy? Czy to, co zrobię zapewni mi miejsce w Walhalli? Podobało mi się, że właśnie to życiowe credo wikinga było w powieści podkreślone, szczególnie podczas rozmów i starć z chrześcijańskimi duchownymi.
Ile jest Assassin's Creed w tym wszystkim? Jeżeli gracze narzekali, że w najnowszej odsłonie serii asasyńskości jest tyle, co kot napłakał, to w książce, cóż... płakał jeszcze mniejszy kotecek. Geirmund ma swoją historię, równoległą do wątku Eivor z gry, trochę szkoda, że nie wpleciono w to od początku knowania Templariuszy, ale z drugiej strony i tak czytało mi się to bardzo dobrze. Obawiam się tylko, że umieszczenie znanej marki w tytule może niepotrzebnie odstraszyć czytelników, którzy nie przepadają za taką rozrywką.
Bierzcie i czytajcie, nie uciekajcie od przeznaczenia!
"Saga Geirmunda" jest świetną przygodową powieścią o wikingach, którą polecam nie tylko fanom gry. Chociaż chciałabym wiedzieć, ilu ją przeczytało i nie miało potem ochoty przenieść się wirtualnie w ten świat, skoro można to zrobić! Czytałam i miałam ochotę grać, grałam, a potem miałam ochotę czytać. Fabuła Valhalli jest tak pomyślana, że można w tym uniwersum tworzyć kolejne i kolejne wątki bez wyszczególniania konkretnego. Wystarczy zmieścić się w tych ramach, w których Wikingowie najeżdżają Anglię, a jest to wiele plemion o różnych cechach charakterystycznych i tak samo jest po drugiej stronie konfliktu - Sasi są zróżnicowani, każde miasto może inaczej zareagować wobec nadciągającego zagrożenia.
Co mi się najbardziej podobało w tej książce? To, że pokazuje wojowników z Północy dokładnie takich, jakich chciałabym oglądać. Są poganami i barbarzyńcami, ale jednocześnie mają swoją filozofię, którą stosują na każdym kroku. Główny bohater, jeżeli akurat nie walczy otwarcie z całą armią albo przebiegle i po cichu niczym Loki, bo i tego i tego tutaj doświadczymy, co rusz wpada w moralną zagwozdkę. Jaką decyzję podjąć, żeby nie stracić twarzy, a równocześnie nie obrazić drugiego wojownika? Który postępek byłby bardziej honorowy? Czy to, co zrobię zapewni mi miejsce w Walhalli? Podobało mi się, że właśnie to życiowe credo wikinga było w powieści podkreślone, szczególnie podczas rozmów i starć z chrześcijańskimi duchownymi.
Ile jest Assassin's Creed w tym wszystkim? Jeżeli gracze narzekali, że w najnowszej odsłonie serii asasyńskości jest tyle, co kot napłakał, to w książce, cóż... płakał jeszcze mniejszy kotecek. Geirmund ma swoją historię, równoległą do wątku Eivor z gry, trochę szkoda, że nie wpleciono w to od początku knowania Templariuszy, ale z drugiej strony i tak czytało mi się to bardzo dobrze. Obawiam się tylko, że umieszczenie znanej marki w tytule może niepotrzebnie odstraszyć czytelników, którzy nie przepadają za taką rozrywką.
Bierzcie i czytajcie, nie uciekajcie od przeznaczenia!
October 25, 2020
Matthew J. Kirby brings the work of Assassin's Creed to entertaining and descriptive life. Perhaps for fans of this shared universe and inspiring to think about the stories behind popular characters and video game culture. Highly entertaining for fans of the game series and those who want an adventure on the page.
October 16, 2024
Książka jest pewnego rodzaju paradoksem bo jednocześnie jest książką wybitną i bardzo słabą, zależy kto i z jakiej strony popatrzy na jej tytuł i faktyczną zawartość.
Z perspektywy fana wikingów, wikińskich historii i wczesnego okresu średniowiecza jest to książka wybitna, historia Geirmunda jest cudowna, wciągająca i inspirująca w kwestii dążenie do celu i niezłomności mimo przeszkód jakie pojawiają się na naszej drodze. Klimat wikiński jest oddany perfekcyjnie i z pełnym przekonaniem (mimo że jest to dopiero moja druga książka z motywem wikingów) mogę powiedzieć że będzie jedną z moich ulubionych z wikingami w roli głównej.
Jednak z perspektywy fana Assassynów nie dostajemy właściwie nic konkretnego. Wątku Assassynów tutaj nie ma, a jest jedynie pewnego rodzaju artefakt (artefakty są charakterystyczne dla serii), jednak jeśli nie znałbym tytułu w życiu bym nie powiedział że książka ta należy do Assassyńskiej serii.
Takie podejście do książki która jest z uniwersum "Assassin's Creed" boli tym bardziej że książka jest na prawdę dobra, jednak brak "Assassyna" w "Assassynie" jest ogromnym minusem.
Z innych tematów to wkurza mnie brak mapki, zwarzywszy na to że opisy są bardzo szczegółowe oraz słowniczka pojęć i nazw wikińskich gdyż nie dla wszystkich oczywistym może być iż "Lunden" to "Londyn", a to i tak jest jedna z najprostszych nazw w książce.
Kolejne sprawy to zbyt mało opisów walki w zwarciu jak na książkę o dziejach wikingów oraz bardzo małe zaznaczenie tego jak ważny dla wikingów był seks (o scenach seksu już nawet nie wspominam bo ich nie było).
Za to duży plus jest dość spora ilość nawiązań do historii bądź wikińskich legend jak ta o wybitnym Ragnarze Lothbrook 'u i jego nie mniej znanych synach czyli Ubbie, Ivarze oraz Halfdanie.
Podsumowując, książka bardzo dobra jeśli postrzegać ją przez pryzmat tylko historii wikingów, jednak kiedy weźmie się od uwagę, iż książka ma w tytule "Assassin's Creed" można poczuć pewien niesmak. 4/5 gwiazdek to ocena godna tak dobrej książki o Wikingach z tak marnym wątkiem Assassynów.
Z perspektywy fana wikingów, wikińskich historii i wczesnego okresu średniowiecza jest to książka wybitna, historia Geirmunda jest cudowna, wciągająca i inspirująca w kwestii dążenie do celu i niezłomności mimo przeszkód jakie pojawiają się na naszej drodze. Klimat wikiński jest oddany perfekcyjnie i z pełnym przekonaniem (mimo że jest to dopiero moja druga książka z motywem wikingów) mogę powiedzieć że będzie jedną z moich ulubionych z wikingami w roli głównej.
Jednak z perspektywy fana Assassynów nie dostajemy właściwie nic konkretnego. Wątku Assassynów tutaj nie ma, a jest jedynie pewnego rodzaju artefakt (artefakty są charakterystyczne dla serii), jednak jeśli nie znałbym tytułu w życiu bym nie powiedział że książka ta należy do Assassyńskiej serii.
Takie podejście do książki która jest z uniwersum "Assassin's Creed" boli tym bardziej że książka jest na prawdę dobra, jednak brak "Assassyna" w "Assassynie" jest ogromnym minusem.
Z innych tematów to wkurza mnie brak mapki, zwarzywszy na to że opisy są bardzo szczegółowe oraz słowniczka pojęć i nazw wikińskich gdyż nie dla wszystkich oczywistym może być iż "Lunden" to "Londyn", a to i tak jest jedna z najprostszych nazw w książce.
Kolejne sprawy to zbyt mało opisów walki w zwarciu jak na książkę o dziejach wikingów oraz bardzo małe zaznaczenie tego jak ważny dla wikingów był seks (o scenach seksu już nawet nie wspominam bo ich nie było).
Za to duży plus jest dość spora ilość nawiązań do historii bądź wikińskich legend jak ta o wybitnym Ragnarze Lothbrook 'u i jego nie mniej znanych synach czyli Ubbie, Ivarze oraz Halfdanie.
Podsumowując, książka bardzo dobra jeśli postrzegać ją przez pryzmat tylko historii wikingów, jednak kiedy weźmie się od uwagę, iż książka ma w tytule "Assassin's Creed" można poczuć pewien niesmak. 4/5 gwiazdek to ocena godna tak dobrej książki o Wikingach z tak marnym wątkiem Assassynów.
February 24, 2023
Mă bucur să observ că în ultimul timp jocurile video nu mai sunt la fel de blamate de către publicul senior și că și-au găsit loc, încet-încetișor, în cultura contemporană, alături de cărți, filme și artă grafică. Fenomenul nu e deloc nou, doar că i-a luat câțiva ani să fie băgat în seamă și etichetat așa cum era nevoie. Dincolo de structura de gaming, unele dintre acestea au o poveste originală, adeseori complexă și foarte bine argumentată, iar aici nu pot să nu scot în evidență seriile „Grand Theft Auto”, cu gangsterii ei înarmați până-n dinți și dornici să verse cât mai mult sânge în timpul jafurilor, și „FarCry”, o odisee grafică ce te poartă de la un arhipelag misterios din mijlocul oceanului Pacific, până într-un univers preistoric, unde trebuie să-ți păzești tribul și să nimicești cât mai mulți sălbatici rivali, călare pe mamuți. Însă marea schimbare a venit odată cu „The Witcher”, jocul video care a dus atât la traducerea și promovarea romanelor lui Andrzej Sapkowski în întreaga lume, cât și la serialul de pe Netflix, extrem de apreciat de publicul cinefil.
Recenzia:
http://www.cartilemele.ro/2023/02/rec...
Recenzia:
http://www.cartilemele.ro/2023/02/rec...
January 10, 2021
As a book about a viking called Geirmund Hel-hide who goes a-viking in England, Geirmund's Saga is certainly a good read - but it lacks as an Assassin's Creed novel. A few times the protagonist of Valhalla, Eivor, gets name dropped and has quick cameos as do the Order and Hytham but for the most part we only follow Geirmund and his journey across England. A journey I personally found rather dull to read because although we get raids, see the different regions and hear/meet several characters also encountered in the game, Geirmund is of no proper consequence. It's also not helping much that a lot of his saga mirrors Eivor. If we had met Geirmund in the main game I might feel differently but so this novel was a bit pointless? Unless we get to see that piece of Eden again but realistically Ubisoft will properly forget about it like they did with other cool pieces in favor of the apples ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Rating: 2.5/5*
Rating: 2.5/5*
June 4, 2021
Je ne m'attendais pas du tout à autant aimer ce livre, mais j'ai beaucoup apprécié voyager aux côtés de Geirmund et de son armée. Même si l'influence d'Assassin's Creed est assez réduite, on retrouve quelques personnages comme Eivor, et ça fait plaisir. Mon seul bémol est que la fin était plutôt précipitée, et que j'aurais aimé avoir plus de détails et d'informations sur cette mystérieuse relique.
January 11, 2022
Surprisingly well written, my first ever book based on a video game series.
With that in mind, I didn't have any high expectations, and was pleasantly surprised to find this one really entertaining.
Cool extra read, if you're into AC Valhalla and you want to get another fix of the ultimate viking fantasy.
I especially loved the way fights and battles were written, it gives you a great feeling of action.
With that in mind, I didn't have any high expectations, and was pleasantly surprised to find this one really entertaining.
Cool extra read, if you're into AC Valhalla and you want to get another fix of the ultimate viking fantasy.
I especially loved the way fights and battles were written, it gives you a great feeling of action.
September 11, 2021
“‘Show me a man who is never afraid, and I’ll show you a fool.’”
ASSASSIN’S CREED VALHALLA: GEIRMUND’S SAGA by Matthew J Kirby—’Introducing Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Geirmund’s Saga sets the scene for Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, the latest game in the world-conquering series by Ubisoft.’
I read somewhere there may be an expansion pack letting players play on either side.
*squeeeee*
‘Mid-9th Century CE. The Viking attacks and invasions are shattering England’s kingdoms. Born into a royal lineage of Norwegian kings, Geirmund Hel-hide sets out for an adventure to prove his worth as a Viking and a warrior. A perilous journey across the sea brings him into contact with a being out of myth and grants him a mysterious ring that promises both great power and bitter betrayal.’
Where or where to begin with this review,’ she mutters to herself as she resists the urge to set aside this tablet and plunge headfirst into the world of Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla on my daughters PS4.
Having never played the game, I asked her to acquaint me with the storyline within, which doesn’t appear to be in line with this book—a fact that did not put me off of reading it, either.
As a huge fan of the show VIKINGS and Norse Mythology, my Norwegian lineage on me Pops side (both my kids are over six feet tall and tower over me), I could not wait to read this book!
If you’re a fan of the show and/or Norse history, then you will know who Ragnar Lodbrok is and his many sons (Björn Ironside—My Heart!).
*ahem*
Sorry, I was thinking about one of the last episodes of VIKINGS.
*sniff*
As mentioned above, the book is set in the Mid-9th Century CE, wherein Ragnar’s son, Halfdan, is King of Northumbria, and Hjörr Halfsson, King of Avaldsnes, is father to Geirmund Hjörrsson, the lead character in this book whose life this story is centered around.
The book started really well, though a slow burn; immediately pulled me in and eager to see how this saga would unfold as we follow Geirmund on his journey to England, which is somewhat similar to that of Ragnar’s—an aspect of the narrative that has me on this fence with this book?
Possibly. That, and I wish the Kirby fleshed-out scenes a little more.
Overall, not a fan favorite, but a book I recommend.
Thank you, NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Inc., for loaning me an eGalley of ASSASSIN’S CREED VALHALLA: GEIRMUND’S SAGA in the request for an honest review.
ASSASSIN’S CREED VALHALLA: GEIRMUND’S SAGA by Matthew J Kirby—’Introducing Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Geirmund’s Saga sets the scene for Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, the latest game in the world-conquering series by Ubisoft.’
I read somewhere there may be an expansion pack letting players play on either side.
*squeeeee*
‘Mid-9th Century CE. The Viking attacks and invasions are shattering England’s kingdoms. Born into a royal lineage of Norwegian kings, Geirmund Hel-hide sets out for an adventure to prove his worth as a Viking and a warrior. A perilous journey across the sea brings him into contact with a being out of myth and grants him a mysterious ring that promises both great power and bitter betrayal.’
Where or where to begin with this review,’ she mutters to herself as she resists the urge to set aside this tablet and plunge headfirst into the world of Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla on my daughters PS4.
Having never played the game, I asked her to acquaint me with the storyline within, which doesn’t appear to be in line with this book—a fact that did not put me off of reading it, either.
As a huge fan of the show VIKINGS and Norse Mythology, my Norwegian lineage on me Pops side (both my kids are over six feet tall and tower over me), I could not wait to read this book!
If you’re a fan of the show and/or Norse history, then you will know who Ragnar Lodbrok is and his many sons (Björn Ironside—My Heart!).
*ahem*
Sorry, I was thinking about one of the last episodes of VIKINGS.
*sniff*
As mentioned above, the book is set in the Mid-9th Century CE, wherein Ragnar’s son, Halfdan, is King of Northumbria, and Hjörr Halfsson, King of Avaldsnes, is father to Geirmund Hjörrsson, the lead character in this book whose life this story is centered around.
The book started really well, though a slow burn; immediately pulled me in and eager to see how this saga would unfold as we follow Geirmund on his journey to England, which is somewhat similar to that of Ragnar’s—an aspect of the narrative that has me on this fence with this book?
Possibly. That, and I wish the Kirby fleshed-out scenes a little more.
Overall, not a fan favorite, but a book I recommend.
Thank you, NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Inc., for loaning me an eGalley of ASSASSIN’S CREED VALHALLA: GEIRMUND’S SAGA in the request for an honest review.
Read
January 31, 2021NOTE: I received this as a free copy via Aconyte Books & Ubisoft for an honest review. This is also a SPOILER FREE review.
I love Assassin's Creed. The third entry in the series was my first rated M game, Black Flag's ending always makes me cry, and I've logged countless hours on Odyssey while in College, playing off and on in the world of Greece. I read up on the lore, I imagine future games in the series, and sometimes, I imagine stories that I'd love to one day write in the future. But I had never really taken a dive into the literary adaptations of the games' stories, no matter how bad I'd love to write about an Assassin from any point in history. I think the only time I've ever really done that was when I read a chunk of Matthew J. Kirby's Last Descendants series of YA books, but I only reached a hundred pages into it before I lost it while moving into a new house.
But now, I crack open a book from the same author, and, as a preface - I want, nay, need to go back and read Kirby's earlier works. Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Geirmund's Saga blew it out of the water for me.
Assassin's Creed, for those that don't know, is a game franchise that revolves around a group called "the Assassins," in other cultures, they're called "the Hidden Ones," meanwhile they're facing off against the Templars, who hide in plain sight. As a piece of Historical Science Fiction, some games a player will interact with figures of the past. Assassin's Creed Three, for example, revolved around colonial America, and you met people like Paul Revere and George Washington. This novel is a tie-in to the newest entry in the franchise (at the time of posting), Assassin's Creed: Valhalla, which revolves around the Vikings of yore, landing in England for conquest and power.
Found in this novel is an adjacent story to the game. To die-hard fans of the franchise, this may be seen as a con. For a few years now, Assassin's Creed hasn't really been Assassin's Creed to some. Odyssey received so much flack because it wasn't even revolving around Assassins and Templars, and, seen here in both the game and book, it's all just happening elsewhere. The story follows Geirmund Hel-hide, who doesn't appear in the game. Geirmund's Saga revolves around a quest for identity and is riddled with war as he works to help the Danes in their conquest of England, working to defeat the Saxon king and establish control of new land. There's no real "assassinations," nor is there a "Leap of Faith," or a hidden blade in the standard sense. It is adjacent to Assassin's Creed: Valhalla, which, already, is adjacent to the Assassins.
Something that I love about Assassin's Creed media is its dedication to the time period. I can see that so much research went into this novel that it really should be seen as the saga that it is. Even the references from the game are accurate and in accordance with Assassin's Creed lore. It's a massive bonus that this is, at its heart, a historical fantasy first, and an Assassin's Creed Tie-in Novel second.
I'm feeling unsure if I'd consider this a con, as this allows people that don't really know much about Assassin's Creed to go into it and still get a story full of captivating characters and an enjoyable plot. But, as a diehard fan, I went through thinking "Okay, so is Geirmund going to do this?" In reference to some game-beat, and no, it doesn't happen, or it does happen, but I'd have to go through six degrees of connection to decide on if what happened could really be considered Assassin's Creed related. A murder in the night isn't, to me, an assassination, but it may be to some.
Geirmund's Saga is told from a third-person limited point of view, meaning that we only know of Geirmund's thoughts and what Geirmund is seeing and feeling. I like this. Sometimes, third-person novels will jump to the villain's perspective, revealing every dastardly thing or the whole plot, making it all feel null to me. I'm glad it stuck with the hero.
I will say that the character of Geirmund has a really interesting arc, that plays on the ideas of identity, religion, and making one's own path. Everything about Norse beliefs revolve around fate, the Three-Spinners are brought up frequently, if a person dies it is fate that wills it so. Geirmund struggles with this thought, but has faith that the gods will make sure everything goes according to plan in their own weird Aesir way.
England is also a Christian country, so seeing this clash between Norse ideas and Christian doctrine is so intriguing, and it gets explored often throughout the 460 page novel. To Christians, a Norseman is a pagan, sent by the devil to rain hellfire to their holy land of England. To the Danes and Vikings, the Christians are just an obstacle, and their gods want them to overtake this land. I'll admit, going into a book that's a tie-in to a video game, I didn't expect these ideas and I think that shows a fundamental bias to tie-in novels in general, as there's really diamonds in the rough, like this and Matthew Stover's "Revenge of the Sith" novelization.
I will say that while the plot is intriguing and the prose is so poetic and well-told, I think there's parts throughout the book that dragged. Descriptions got to being so in-depth, and I would find myself skimming a little bit of it before catching myself and rereading it. I'm trying to find the balance of this in my writing, and I think you can describe a lot of stuff, but you may also have to hope that the reader's imagination can fill in the blanks. The story isn't saying something like "The Longboat was about 5 meters in length with long overarching wooden carvings," it doesn't get into the nitty gritty like a history book, but it does get really poetic in it's language for something as simple as "It was a torrential downpour of rain."
I'm glad, though, that the dialogue is really intriguing and realistic for the period. It's almost Shakespearean at times in terms of wit. No spoilers, but the ending dialogue is like a hundred guns on the mantelpiece, and just now are they all going off. It was such an amazing payoff of wit. This falls into characters too, which are all pretty great and have their own use. Later on in the story it seems like it may get confusing with how many people join the roster, but it never really felt like it did. The only issue I had was that the names all felt similar to each other. I know, some of these are historical figures like Guthrum, but I'd find myself confusing character names like Skjalgi and Steinolfur with Sidroc and Styrbjorn. Just a lot of names that start with S, and I guess that's hard for me, but maybe it isn't for others.
All-in-all, though, I found Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Geirmund's Saga to be an epic that stands on its own as a captivating story, separate from the AC title. I wonder if Geirmund will show up in the game's future Downloadable Content, as I think some of the things seen here took place after the games ending, but I could be wrong.
If you're a fan of Assassin's Creed, or you're looking for an emotional, theme-filled, Viking Tale, this book is something that I'll wholeheartedly recommend.
I love Assassin's Creed. The third entry in the series was my first rated M game, Black Flag's ending always makes me cry, and I've logged countless hours on Odyssey while in College, playing off and on in the world of Greece. I read up on the lore, I imagine future games in the series, and sometimes, I imagine stories that I'd love to one day write in the future. But I had never really taken a dive into the literary adaptations of the games' stories, no matter how bad I'd love to write about an Assassin from any point in history. I think the only time I've ever really done that was when I read a chunk of Matthew J. Kirby's Last Descendants series of YA books, but I only reached a hundred pages into it before I lost it while moving into a new house.
But now, I crack open a book from the same author, and, as a preface - I want, nay, need to go back and read Kirby's earlier works. Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Geirmund's Saga blew it out of the water for me.
Assassin's Creed, for those that don't know, is a game franchise that revolves around a group called "the Assassins," in other cultures, they're called "the Hidden Ones," meanwhile they're facing off against the Templars, who hide in plain sight. As a piece of Historical Science Fiction, some games a player will interact with figures of the past. Assassin's Creed Three, for example, revolved around colonial America, and you met people like Paul Revere and George Washington. This novel is a tie-in to the newest entry in the franchise (at the time of posting), Assassin's Creed: Valhalla, which revolves around the Vikings of yore, landing in England for conquest and power.
Found in this novel is an adjacent story to the game. To die-hard fans of the franchise, this may be seen as a con. For a few years now, Assassin's Creed hasn't really been Assassin's Creed to some. Odyssey received so much flack because it wasn't even revolving around Assassins and Templars, and, seen here in both the game and book, it's all just happening elsewhere. The story follows Geirmund Hel-hide, who doesn't appear in the game. Geirmund's Saga revolves around a quest for identity and is riddled with war as he works to help the Danes in their conquest of England, working to defeat the Saxon king and establish control of new land. There's no real "assassinations," nor is there a "Leap of Faith," or a hidden blade in the standard sense. It is adjacent to Assassin's Creed: Valhalla, which, already, is adjacent to the Assassins.
Something that I love about Assassin's Creed media is its dedication to the time period. I can see that so much research went into this novel that it really should be seen as the saga that it is. Even the references from the game are accurate and in accordance with Assassin's Creed lore. It's a massive bonus that this is, at its heart, a historical fantasy first, and an Assassin's Creed Tie-in Novel second.
I'm feeling unsure if I'd consider this a con, as this allows people that don't really know much about Assassin's Creed to go into it and still get a story full of captivating characters and an enjoyable plot. But, as a diehard fan, I went through thinking "Okay, so is Geirmund going to do this?" In reference to some game-beat, and no, it doesn't happen, or it does happen, but I'd have to go through six degrees of connection to decide on if what happened could really be considered Assassin's Creed related. A murder in the night isn't, to me, an assassination, but it may be to some.
Geirmund's Saga is told from a third-person limited point of view, meaning that we only know of Geirmund's thoughts and what Geirmund is seeing and feeling. I like this. Sometimes, third-person novels will jump to the villain's perspective, revealing every dastardly thing or the whole plot, making it all feel null to me. I'm glad it stuck with the hero.
I will say that the character of Geirmund has a really interesting arc, that plays on the ideas of identity, religion, and making one's own path. Everything about Norse beliefs revolve around fate, the Three-Spinners are brought up frequently, if a person dies it is fate that wills it so. Geirmund struggles with this thought, but has faith that the gods will make sure everything goes according to plan in their own weird Aesir way.
England is also a Christian country, so seeing this clash between Norse ideas and Christian doctrine is so intriguing, and it gets explored often throughout the 460 page novel. To Christians, a Norseman is a pagan, sent by the devil to rain hellfire to their holy land of England. To the Danes and Vikings, the Christians are just an obstacle, and their gods want them to overtake this land. I'll admit, going into a book that's a tie-in to a video game, I didn't expect these ideas and I think that shows a fundamental bias to tie-in novels in general, as there's really diamonds in the rough, like this and Matthew Stover's "Revenge of the Sith" novelization.
I will say that while the plot is intriguing and the prose is so poetic and well-told, I think there's parts throughout the book that dragged. Descriptions got to being so in-depth, and I would find myself skimming a little bit of it before catching myself and rereading it. I'm trying to find the balance of this in my writing, and I think you can describe a lot of stuff, but you may also have to hope that the reader's imagination can fill in the blanks. The story isn't saying something like "The Longboat was about 5 meters in length with long overarching wooden carvings," it doesn't get into the nitty gritty like a history book, but it does get really poetic in it's language for something as simple as "It was a torrential downpour of rain."
I'm glad, though, that the dialogue is really intriguing and realistic for the period. It's almost Shakespearean at times in terms of wit. No spoilers, but the ending dialogue is like a hundred guns on the mantelpiece, and just now are they all going off. It was such an amazing payoff of wit. This falls into characters too, which are all pretty great and have their own use. Later on in the story it seems like it may get confusing with how many people join the roster, but it never really felt like it did. The only issue I had was that the names all felt similar to each other. I know, some of these are historical figures like Guthrum, but I'd find myself confusing character names like Skjalgi and Steinolfur with Sidroc and Styrbjorn. Just a lot of names that start with S, and I guess that's hard for me, but maybe it isn't for others.
All-in-all, though, I found Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Geirmund's Saga to be an epic that stands on its own as a captivating story, separate from the AC title. I wonder if Geirmund will show up in the game's future Downloadable Content, as I think some of the things seen here took place after the games ending, but I could be wrong.
If you're a fan of Assassin's Creed, or you're looking for an emotional, theme-filled, Viking Tale, this book is something that I'll wholeheartedly recommend.
June 18, 2021
Ostatnimi czasy Ubisoft przyzwyczaił nas już do corocznych premier kolejnych odsłon serii. I jeśli się nie mylę, Valhalla była dopiero trzecią grą o asasynach, która wyszła po dwóch latach. Oczywiście skoro powstała gra, to wiadomo, że ktoś na zlecenie firmy musiał napisać równie książkę, którymi również byliśmy od jakiegoś czasu rozpieszczani. Choć nie wiem, czy to słowo jest tutaj adekwatne, zważywszy na wątpliwą jakość niektórych powieści spod szyldu Assassin's Creed. Pojawiały się wśród nich jednak, książki dobre i bardzo dobre. Czy "Saga Geirmunda" się do nich zalicza? Zapraszam na moją opinię na temat tej historii.
Na początku uprzedzam, że w Valhallę nie grałem, zatem nie wychwyciłem wszystkich powiązań między grą, a książką. Na pewno w powieści pojawia się Eivor, czyli główna bohaterka z gry (w grze mamy możliwość wyboru płci Eivor). "Saga Geirmunda" opowiada o, któż by się spodziewał, Geirmundzie, młodym wojowniku z Rogalandu, który ma dosyć pokojowego życia oraz bycia młodszym bratem, który nie ma szans na zostanie królem. Z tego powodu postanawia wziąć udział w łupieżczej wyprawie, by zdobyć sławę i bogactwa. Okazja pojawia się dosyć szybko, gdy na dwór przybywa Guthrum, jarl jednego z królów, wojujących w Anglii.
Więcej z fabuły nie zdradzę, ale powiem Wam, że jest naprawdę ciekawa i fajnie poprowadzona. Dzieje się dużo, ale jednocześnie nie ma przesytu akcji, dynamiczne wydarzenie są dobrze przeplatana razem ze spokojniejszymi epizodami. W niektórych momentach miałem wrażenie, że autor poszedł trochę na skróty, ale nie był to jakiś mocny defekt. Najbardziej bolało mnie to, że według mnie zbyt często okrojone zostały opisy walk oraz bitew. W takiej powieści jest to jednak coś ważnego i nie powinno być pomijane. Fajne jest także ukazanie wielkiego podboju Anglii przez wikingów z perspektywy młodego, szeregowego wojownika, który pnie się w hierarchii. Podobały mi się relacje Geirmunda z innymi bohaterami, szkoda, że jest to tylko jedna powieść, a nie na przykład trylogia, gdyż dzięki temu niektóre z relacji mogłyby się fajnie rozwinąć i jeszcze bardziej się pogłębić.
Skoro jesteśmy już przy bohaterach. Geirmunda naprawdę da się lubić, jest honorowy, waleczny, sprytny, ale i roztropny. Nie chcę Wam spoilerować jego dokonań, ale naprawdę warto o nich poczytać. Co do innych postaci, może sam sobie to wmawiam, ale miałem wrażenie jakby zostali stworzeni na kanwie postaci z serialu "Wikingowie". W ogóle czytając tę powieść, często wracałem myślami do jednego z moich ulubionych seriali. Trzeba jednak przyznać, że autor, nawet jeśli wzorował się na tej serii, to niektóre postaci i wydarzenia zaczerpnął z sag wikińskich i nie zmieniał ich, tak jak Michael Hirst, twórca "Wikingów". Mamy zatem synów Ragnara Lodbroka z imionami z sag, a nie tak jak rozpromował ich serial.
Niestety, powieść ma również wady. Najpoważniejszym zarzutem jest to, że książka równie dobrze mogłaby nie mieć w tytule "Assassin's Creed", choć wiadomo, że wtedy gorzej by się sprzedawała. No bo co tu jest wspólnego z Asasynami? Eivor z gry, wspomnienie o jakimś zakonie, czyli pewnie Templariusze i chyba jeden z Tych, Którzy Byli Przed Nami, a przynajmniej tak mi się zdaje.
Reasumując, "Assassin's Creed: Valhalla. Saga Geirmunda" to całkiem fajna historyczna przygodówka, ukazująca najazd Wielkiej Armii Pogan na Anglię z perspektywy zwykłego wojownika. Do tego jest to powieść o odnalezieniu swojego miejsca na świecie, ambicji, żądzy, władzy oraz honorze. Ponadto, jest to podróż dosłowna, jak i metaforyczna, lecz by przekonać się dlaczego, sięgnijcie po tę książkę, którą mogę wystawić rekomendacje.
Po wieęcej recenzji zapraszam na mojego bloga chomiczkowe.recenzje.blogspot oraz Instagrama @chomiczkowe.recenzje
Na początku uprzedzam, że w Valhallę nie grałem, zatem nie wychwyciłem wszystkich powiązań między grą, a książką. Na pewno w powieści pojawia się Eivor, czyli główna bohaterka z gry (w grze mamy możliwość wyboru płci Eivor). "Saga Geirmunda" opowiada o, któż by się spodziewał, Geirmundzie, młodym wojowniku z Rogalandu, który ma dosyć pokojowego życia oraz bycia młodszym bratem, który nie ma szans na zostanie królem. Z tego powodu postanawia wziąć udział w łupieżczej wyprawie, by zdobyć sławę i bogactwa. Okazja pojawia się dosyć szybko, gdy na dwór przybywa Guthrum, jarl jednego z królów, wojujących w Anglii.
Więcej z fabuły nie zdradzę, ale powiem Wam, że jest naprawdę ciekawa i fajnie poprowadzona. Dzieje się dużo, ale jednocześnie nie ma przesytu akcji, dynamiczne wydarzenie są dobrze przeplatana razem ze spokojniejszymi epizodami. W niektórych momentach miałem wrażenie, że autor poszedł trochę na skróty, ale nie był to jakiś mocny defekt. Najbardziej bolało mnie to, że według mnie zbyt często okrojone zostały opisy walk oraz bitew. W takiej powieści jest to jednak coś ważnego i nie powinno być pomijane. Fajne jest także ukazanie wielkiego podboju Anglii przez wikingów z perspektywy młodego, szeregowego wojownika, który pnie się w hierarchii. Podobały mi się relacje Geirmunda z innymi bohaterami, szkoda, że jest to tylko jedna powieść, a nie na przykład trylogia, gdyż dzięki temu niektóre z relacji mogłyby się fajnie rozwinąć i jeszcze bardziej się pogłębić.
Skoro jesteśmy już przy bohaterach. Geirmunda naprawdę da się lubić, jest honorowy, waleczny, sprytny, ale i roztropny. Nie chcę Wam spoilerować jego dokonań, ale naprawdę warto o nich poczytać. Co do innych postaci, może sam sobie to wmawiam, ale miałem wrażenie jakby zostali stworzeni na kanwie postaci z serialu "Wikingowie". W ogóle czytając tę powieść, często wracałem myślami do jednego z moich ulubionych seriali. Trzeba jednak przyznać, że autor, nawet jeśli wzorował się na tej serii, to niektóre postaci i wydarzenia zaczerpnął z sag wikińskich i nie zmieniał ich, tak jak Michael Hirst, twórca "Wikingów". Mamy zatem synów Ragnara Lodbroka z imionami z sag, a nie tak jak rozpromował ich serial.
Niestety, powieść ma również wady. Najpoważniejszym zarzutem jest to, że książka równie dobrze mogłaby nie mieć w tytule "Assassin's Creed", choć wiadomo, że wtedy gorzej by się sprzedawała. No bo co tu jest wspólnego z Asasynami? Eivor z gry, wspomnienie o jakimś zakonie, czyli pewnie Templariusze i chyba jeden z Tych, Którzy Byli Przed Nami, a przynajmniej tak mi się zdaje.
Reasumując, "Assassin's Creed: Valhalla. Saga Geirmunda" to całkiem fajna historyczna przygodówka, ukazująca najazd Wielkiej Armii Pogan na Anglię z perspektywy zwykłego wojownika. Do tego jest to powieść o odnalezieniu swojego miejsca na świecie, ambicji, żądzy, władzy oraz honorze. Ponadto, jest to podróż dosłowna, jak i metaforyczna, lecz by przekonać się dlaczego, sięgnijcie po tę książkę, którą mogę wystawić rekomendacje.
Po wieęcej recenzji zapraszam na mojego bloga chomiczkowe.recenzje.blogspot oraz Instagrama @chomiczkowe.recenzje
April 4, 2024
What events will unfold, side by side with the ones told by the game this book is based on, and will they match them, in terms of epicness?
One could say that the themes presented by this work are the same as the ones offered by the game, therefore we’ve got companionship, loyalty, trust, and honor, especially between the members of Geirmund’s crew, which mirror those of Eivor’s Raven Clan, plus war, between the Saxons and the Vikings, and diplomacy, which is often employed by the latter to make strategic alliances, at times even with the former, by exploiting their internal conflicts.
The story doesn’t begin in England, but rather, in Scandinavia, exactly like the game does, and we’re introduced to Geirmund, the protagonist, and his brother, while they’re trying to fend off a pack of wolves. The former demonstrates his strong willpower, by carrying his wounded brother all the way back to the nearest settlement. He’s then given the chance, by a Dane, Guthrum, to go raid England alongside him, and he takes it. However, due to his mixed heritage, he’s not trusted by the crewmen of said Dane, therefore he’s tossed out of the longship traveling to England. He survives, and gains a powerful artifact from a deity. Eventually, he joins back with Guthrum, is assigned his own crew, after he proves his strategic intelligence, and starts taking over territories in England. All is well for him, however, he was foretold a betrayal by a seer, and he will have to face it, with the outcome not being established, and thus up to him to determine…
There wasn’t a single sequence that had Geirmund interact with Christians I didn’t enjoy, mostly due to the fact that, thanks to his tactful approaches, he manages to strike alliances with them. In fact, in part due to them, he manages to take out an entire legion of assassins, sent after him, while only having a handful of crewmen at his side, by tricking them, via the aid of a monk he had previously saved. Additionally, the duel at the end, against Guthrum, was terrific, in particular due to the fact that he ends up winning against his foe, who was equipped with an artifact that made him invincible, by using a rusty bronze knife he got before leaving for England. That was one heck of a Chekhov’s gun, for sure.
It’s amazing how well this game respects the source material, so much so that it made me want to go and play Assassin’s Creed Valhalla all over again, even though I’ve replayed it mere months ago. It even excels over it, in certain ways, especially when it comes to Geirmund’s crew, which isn’t composed of generic Viking warriors, instead they’ve all got their own unique personalities, reasons to fight, and even fighting styles and weapons. Geirmund’s personal hero’s journey was also perfectly portrayed, since we see him go from a somewhat competent, but still green fighter, to a seasoned warrior.
In conclusion, I recommend reading this novel only after having played the game, since, that way, it’ll be easier to understand certain characters and references, and it will also make the reading experience that much more satisfying and smoother. That said, it’s a shame we didn’t get a proper rematch between Geirmund, and the Dane from Guthrum’s crew who won his sword in a duel against him. In fact, he ends up dying in battle, and Geirmund is thus given back his sword by the brother of the now deceased warrior, out of sheer respect.
One could say that the themes presented by this work are the same as the ones offered by the game, therefore we’ve got companionship, loyalty, trust, and honor, especially between the members of Geirmund’s crew, which mirror those of Eivor’s Raven Clan, plus war, between the Saxons and the Vikings, and diplomacy, which is often employed by the latter to make strategic alliances, at times even with the former, by exploiting their internal conflicts.
The story doesn’t begin in England, but rather, in Scandinavia, exactly like the game does, and we’re introduced to Geirmund, the protagonist, and his brother, while they’re trying to fend off a pack of wolves. The former demonstrates his strong willpower, by carrying his wounded brother all the way back to the nearest settlement. He’s then given the chance, by a Dane, Guthrum, to go raid England alongside him, and he takes it. However, due to his mixed heritage, he’s not trusted by the crewmen of said Dane, therefore he’s tossed out of the longship traveling to England. He survives, and gains a powerful artifact from a deity. Eventually, he joins back with Guthrum, is assigned his own crew, after he proves his strategic intelligence, and starts taking over territories in England. All is well for him, however, he was foretold a betrayal by a seer, and he will have to face it, with the outcome not being established, and thus up to him to determine…
There wasn’t a single sequence that had Geirmund interact with Christians I didn’t enjoy, mostly due to the fact that, thanks to his tactful approaches, he manages to strike alliances with them. In fact, in part due to them, he manages to take out an entire legion of assassins, sent after him, while only having a handful of crewmen at his side, by tricking them, via the aid of a monk he had previously saved. Additionally, the duel at the end, against Guthrum, was terrific, in particular due to the fact that he ends up winning against his foe, who was equipped with an artifact that made him invincible, by using a rusty bronze knife he got before leaving for England. That was one heck of a Chekhov’s gun, for sure.
It’s amazing how well this game respects the source material, so much so that it made me want to go and play Assassin’s Creed Valhalla all over again, even though I’ve replayed it mere months ago. It even excels over it, in certain ways, especially when it comes to Geirmund’s crew, which isn’t composed of generic Viking warriors, instead they’ve all got their own unique personalities, reasons to fight, and even fighting styles and weapons. Geirmund’s personal hero’s journey was also perfectly portrayed, since we see him go from a somewhat competent, but still green fighter, to a seasoned warrior.
In conclusion, I recommend reading this novel only after having played the game, since, that way, it’ll be easier to understand certain characters and references, and it will also make the reading experience that much more satisfying and smoother. That said, it’s a shame we didn’t get a proper rematch between Geirmund, and the Dane from Guthrum’s crew who won his sword in a duel against him. In fact, he ends up dying in battle, and Geirmund is thus given back his sword by the brother of the now deceased warrior, out of sheer respect.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 4, 2021
https://popkulturowykociolek.pl/recen...
Akcja powieści przenosi nas do połowy IX wieku. Geirmund Heloskóry (młodszy syn norweskiego władcy Hjorra), ciągle pozostaje w cieniu starszego brata, który został wyznaczony na następcę tronu. Dotyka go również pewnego rodzaju ostracyzm społeczny wynikający z jego przeszłości i wyglądu. Nic więc dziwnego, że marzy mu się odniesienie wielkiej chwały i rozsławienie swojego imienia. Najlepsza ku temu możliwość pojawia się wraz z planowaną wyprawą do Anglii, gdzie każdy będzie mógł zdobyć bogactwa i honory. Sprzeciwienie się ojcu i wyruszenie na wielką wyprawę pod dowództwem Danów, będzie dla niego początkiem prawdziwej przygody, która przyniesie mu albo wielkie zaszczyty, albo śmierć.
Akcja powieści skupia się tutaj na losach wspomnianego już Geirmunda. Autor dobrze rozpisuje jego przygody, które obejmują dość spory kawałek czasu. Dzięki temu czytelnik ma okazję śledzić jak zadziorny i pewny siebie młodzian, staje się prawdziwym i doświadczonym wojownikiem. Widzimy tutaj jego mozolne wspinanie się po szczeblach „kariery”, zjednywanie sobie nowych ważnych sojuszników i jednocześnie przysparzanie równie potężnych wrogów.
Główny bohater został tutaj na tyle dobrze rozpisany, że trudno nie jest mu kibicować i z wypiekami na twarzy obserwować jego kolejne niebezpieczne przygody. Do tego wszystkiego dochodzi świetnie ukazane tło wydarzeń. Autor należycie przygotował się do pisania powieści i umiejętnie oddaje on zarówno klimat tamtego okresu, jak i działania Wikingów. Na plus należy również zaliczyć pokazanie starć pomiędzy ideami chrześcijańskiej Anglii i nordyckimi doktrynami. Najlepiej zostało to przedstawione w dość intrygującej (chociaż trochę za krótkiej) relacji pomiędzy głównym bohaterem a pewnym bogobojnym kapłanem.
Do zalet książki należy również zaliczyć jej dynamiczność. Przejawia się ona zarówno w ekscytujących walkach, jak i pewnej dozie tajemniczości i „fantazyjności” niektórych wątków.
Fabuła potrafi być intrygująca i opowiedziana w naprawdę dobrym stylu. Niestety, ale pojawiają się w niej również pewne przydługawe i kompletnie niepotrzebne fragmenty, które niczego istotnego nie wnoszą do samej opowieści. Pewne rozczarowanie powieścią mogą również odczuwać wielcy fani gry. Przedstawiona tutaj historia nie ma zbyt wiele wspólnego z serią Assassin’s Creed. Równie dobrze można było zrezygnować z tej nazwy w tytule powieści. Jeśli więc ktoś liczy na literackie wprowadzenie do gry lub rozszerzenie uniwersum, to niczego takiego tutaj nie znajdzie.
Akcja powieści przenosi nas do połowy IX wieku. Geirmund Heloskóry (młodszy syn norweskiego władcy Hjorra), ciągle pozostaje w cieniu starszego brata, który został wyznaczony na następcę tronu. Dotyka go również pewnego rodzaju ostracyzm społeczny wynikający z jego przeszłości i wyglądu. Nic więc dziwnego, że marzy mu się odniesienie wielkiej chwały i rozsławienie swojego imienia. Najlepsza ku temu możliwość pojawia się wraz z planowaną wyprawą do Anglii, gdzie każdy będzie mógł zdobyć bogactwa i honory. Sprzeciwienie się ojcu i wyruszenie na wielką wyprawę pod dowództwem Danów, będzie dla niego początkiem prawdziwej przygody, która przyniesie mu albo wielkie zaszczyty, albo śmierć.
Akcja powieści skupia się tutaj na losach wspomnianego już Geirmunda. Autor dobrze rozpisuje jego przygody, które obejmują dość spory kawałek czasu. Dzięki temu czytelnik ma okazję śledzić jak zadziorny i pewny siebie młodzian, staje się prawdziwym i doświadczonym wojownikiem. Widzimy tutaj jego mozolne wspinanie się po szczeblach „kariery”, zjednywanie sobie nowych ważnych sojuszników i jednocześnie przysparzanie równie potężnych wrogów.
Główny bohater został tutaj na tyle dobrze rozpisany, że trudno nie jest mu kibicować i z wypiekami na twarzy obserwować jego kolejne niebezpieczne przygody. Do tego wszystkiego dochodzi świetnie ukazane tło wydarzeń. Autor należycie przygotował się do pisania powieści i umiejętnie oddaje on zarówno klimat tamtego okresu, jak i działania Wikingów. Na plus należy również zaliczyć pokazanie starć pomiędzy ideami chrześcijańskiej Anglii i nordyckimi doktrynami. Najlepiej zostało to przedstawione w dość intrygującej (chociaż trochę za krótkiej) relacji pomiędzy głównym bohaterem a pewnym bogobojnym kapłanem.
Do zalet książki należy również zaliczyć jej dynamiczność. Przejawia się ona zarówno w ekscytujących walkach, jak i pewnej dozie tajemniczości i „fantazyjności” niektórych wątków.
Fabuła potrafi być intrygująca i opowiedziana w naprawdę dobrym stylu. Niestety, ale pojawiają się w niej również pewne przydługawe i kompletnie niepotrzebne fragmenty, które niczego istotnego nie wnoszą do samej opowieści. Pewne rozczarowanie powieścią mogą również odczuwać wielcy fani gry. Przedstawiona tutaj historia nie ma zbyt wiele wspólnego z serią Assassin’s Creed. Równie dobrze można było zrezygnować z tej nazwy w tytule powieści. Jeśli więc ktoś liczy na literackie wprowadzenie do gry lub rozszerzenie uniwersum, to niczego takiego tutaj nie znajdzie.
January 31, 2021
NOTE: I received this as a free copy via Aconyte Books & Ubisoft for an honest review. This is also a SPOILER FREE review.
I love Assassin's Creed. The third entry in the series was my first rated M game, Black Flag's ending always makes me cry, and I've logged countless hours on Odyssey while in College, playing off and on in the world of Greece. I read up on the lore, I imagine future games in the series, and sometimes, I imagine stories that I'd love to one day write in the future. But I had never really taken a dive into the literary adaptations of the games' stories, no matter how bad I'd love to write about an Assassin from any point in history. I think the only time I've ever really done that was when I read a chunk of Matthew J. Kirby's Last Descendants series of YA books, but I only reached a hundred pages into it before I lost it while moving into a new house.
But now, I crack open a book from the same author, and, as a preface - I want, nay, need to go back and read Kirby's earlier works. Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Geirmund's Saga blew it out of the water for me.
Assassin's Creed, for those that don't know, is a game franchise that revolves around a group called "the Assassins," in other cultures, they're called "the Hidden Ones," meanwhile they're facing off against the Templars, who hide in plain sight. As a piece of Historical Science Fiction, some games a player will interact with figures of the past. Assassin's Creed Three, for example, revolved around colonial America, and you met people like Paul Revere and George Washington. This novel is a tie-in to the newest entry in the franchise (at the time of posting), Assassin's Creed: Valhalla, which revolves around the Vikings of yore, landing in England for conquest and power.
Found in this novel is an adjacent story to the game. To die-hard fans of the franchise, this may be seen as a con. For a few years now, Assassin's Creed hasn't really been Assassin's Creed to some. Odyssey received so much flack because it wasn't even revolving around Assassins and Templars, and, seen here in both the game and book, it's all just happening elsewhere. The story follows Geirmund Hel-hide, who doesn't appear in the game. Geirmund's Saga revolves around a quest for identity and is riddled with war as he works to help the Danes in their conquest of England, working to defeat the Saxon king and establish control of new land. There's no real "assassinations," nor is there a "Leap of Faith," or a hidden blade in the standard sense. It is adjacent to Assassin's Creed: Valhalla, which, already, is adjacent to the Assassins.
Something that I love about Assassin's Creed media is its dedication to the time period. I can see that so much research went into this novel that it really should be seen as the saga that it is. Even the references from the game are accurate and in accordance with Assassin's Creed lore. It's a massive bonus that this is, at its heart, a historical fantasy first, and an Assassin's Creed Tie-in Novel second.
I'm feeling unsure if I'd consider this a con, as this allows people that don't really know much about Assassin's Creed to go into it and still get a story full of captivating characters and an enjoyable plot. But, as a diehard fan, I went through thinking "Okay, so is Geirmund going to do this?" In reference to some game-beat, and no, it doesn't happen, or it does happen, but I'd have to go through six degrees of connection to decide on if what happened could really be considered Assassin's Creed related. A murder in the night isn't, to me, an assassination, but it may be to some.
Geirmund's Saga is told from a third-person limited point of view, meaning that we only know of Geirmund's thoughts and what Geirmund is seeing and feeling. I like this. Sometimes, third-person novels will jump to the villain's perspective, revealing every dastardly thing or the whole plot, making it all feel null to me. I'm glad it stuck with the hero.
I will say that the character of Geirmund has a really interesting arc, that plays on the ideas of identity, religion, and making one's own path. Everything about Norse beliefs revolve around fate, the Three-Spinners are brought up frequently, if a person dies it is fate that wills it so. Geirmund struggles with this thought, but has faith that the gods will make sure everything goes according to plan in their own weird Aesir way.
England is also a Christian country, so seeing this clash between Norse ideas and Christian doctrine is so intriguing, and it gets explored often throughout the 460 page novel. To Christians, a Norseman is a pagan, sent by the devil to rain hellfire to their holy land of England. To the Danes and Vikings, the Christians are just an obstacle, and their gods want them to overtake this land. I'll admit, going into a book that's a tie-in to a video game, I didn't expect these ideas and I think that shows a fundamental bias to tie-in novels in general, as there's really diamonds in the rough, like this and Matthew Stover's "Revenge of the Sith" novelization.
I will say that while the plot is intriguing and the prose is so poetic and well-told, I think there's parts throughout the book that dragged. Descriptions got to being so in-depth, and I would find myself skimming a little bit of it before catching myself and rereading it. I'm trying to find the balance of this in my writing, and I think you can describe a lot of stuff, but you may also have to hope that the reader's imagination can fill in the blanks. The story isn't saying something like "The Longboat was about 5 meters in length with long overarching wooden carvings," it doesn't get into the nitty gritty like a history book, but it does get really poetic in it's language for something as simple as "It was a torrential downpour of rain."
I'm glad, though, that the dialogue is really intriguing and realistic for the period. It's almost Shakespearean at times in terms of wit. No spoilers, but the ending dialogue is like a hundred guns on the mantelpiece, and just now are they all going off. It was such an amazing payoff of wit. This falls into characters too, which are all pretty great and have their own use. Later on in the story it seems like it may get confusing with how many people join the roster, but it never really felt like it did. The only issue I had was that the names all felt similar to each other. I know, some of these are historical figures like Guthrum, but I'd find myself confusing character names like Skjalgi and Steinolfur with Sidroc and Styrbjorn. Just a lot of names that start with S, and I guess that's hard for me, but maybe it isn't for others.
All-in-all, though, I found Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Geirmund's Saga to be an epic that stands on its own as a captivating story, separate from the AC title. I wonder if Geirmund will show up in the game's future Downloadable Content, as I think some of the things seen here took place after the games ending, but I could be wrong.
If you're a fan of Assassin's Creed, or you're looking for an emotional, theme-filled, Viking Tale, this book is something that I'll wholeheartedly recommend.
I love Assassin's Creed. The third entry in the series was my first rated M game, Black Flag's ending always makes me cry, and I've logged countless hours on Odyssey while in College, playing off and on in the world of Greece. I read up on the lore, I imagine future games in the series, and sometimes, I imagine stories that I'd love to one day write in the future. But I had never really taken a dive into the literary adaptations of the games' stories, no matter how bad I'd love to write about an Assassin from any point in history. I think the only time I've ever really done that was when I read a chunk of Matthew J. Kirby's Last Descendants series of YA books, but I only reached a hundred pages into it before I lost it while moving into a new house.
But now, I crack open a book from the same author, and, as a preface - I want, nay, need to go back and read Kirby's earlier works. Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Geirmund's Saga blew it out of the water for me.
Assassin's Creed, for those that don't know, is a game franchise that revolves around a group called "the Assassins," in other cultures, they're called "the Hidden Ones," meanwhile they're facing off against the Templars, who hide in plain sight. As a piece of Historical Science Fiction, some games a player will interact with figures of the past. Assassin's Creed Three, for example, revolved around colonial America, and you met people like Paul Revere and George Washington. This novel is a tie-in to the newest entry in the franchise (at the time of posting), Assassin's Creed: Valhalla, which revolves around the Vikings of yore, landing in England for conquest and power.
Found in this novel is an adjacent story to the game. To die-hard fans of the franchise, this may be seen as a con. For a few years now, Assassin's Creed hasn't really been Assassin's Creed to some. Odyssey received so much flack because it wasn't even revolving around Assassins and Templars, and, seen here in both the game and book, it's all just happening elsewhere. The story follows Geirmund Hel-hide, who doesn't appear in the game. Geirmund's Saga revolves around a quest for identity and is riddled with war as he works to help the Danes in their conquest of England, working to defeat the Saxon king and establish control of new land. There's no real "assassinations," nor is there a "Leap of Faith," or a hidden blade in the standard sense. It is adjacent to Assassin's Creed: Valhalla, which, already, is adjacent to the Assassins.
Something that I love about Assassin's Creed media is its dedication to the time period. I can see that so much research went into this novel that it really should be seen as the saga that it is. Even the references from the game are accurate and in accordance with Assassin's Creed lore. It's a massive bonus that this is, at its heart, a historical fantasy first, and an Assassin's Creed Tie-in Novel second.
I'm feeling unsure if I'd consider this a con, as this allows people that don't really know much about Assassin's Creed to go into it and still get a story full of captivating characters and an enjoyable plot. But, as a diehard fan, I went through thinking "Okay, so is Geirmund going to do this?" In reference to some game-beat, and no, it doesn't happen, or it does happen, but I'd have to go through six degrees of connection to decide on if what happened could really be considered Assassin's Creed related. A murder in the night isn't, to me, an assassination, but it may be to some.
Geirmund's Saga is told from a third-person limited point of view, meaning that we only know of Geirmund's thoughts and what Geirmund is seeing and feeling. I like this. Sometimes, third-person novels will jump to the villain's perspective, revealing every dastardly thing or the whole plot, making it all feel null to me. I'm glad it stuck with the hero.
I will say that the character of Geirmund has a really interesting arc, that plays on the ideas of identity, religion, and making one's own path. Everything about Norse beliefs revolve around fate, the Three-Spinners are brought up frequently, if a person dies it is fate that wills it so. Geirmund struggles with this thought, but has faith that the gods will make sure everything goes according to plan in their own weird Aesir way.
England is also a Christian country, so seeing this clash between Norse ideas and Christian doctrine is so intriguing, and it gets explored often throughout the 460 page novel. To Christians, a Norseman is a pagan, sent by the devil to rain hellfire to their holy land of England. To the Danes and Vikings, the Christians are just an obstacle, and their gods want them to overtake this land. I'll admit, going into a book that's a tie-in to a video game, I didn't expect these ideas and I think that shows a fundamental bias to tie-in novels in general, as there's really diamonds in the rough, like this and Matthew Stover's "Revenge of the Sith" novelization.
I will say that while the plot is intriguing and the prose is so poetic and well-told, I think there's parts throughout the book that dragged. Descriptions got to being so in-depth, and I would find myself skimming a little bit of it before catching myself and rereading it. I'm trying to find the balance of this in my writing, and I think you can describe a lot of stuff, but you may also have to hope that the reader's imagination can fill in the blanks. The story isn't saying something like "The Longboat was about 5 meters in length with long overarching wooden carvings," it doesn't get into the nitty gritty like a history book, but it does get really poetic in it's language for something as simple as "It was a torrential downpour of rain."
I'm glad, though, that the dialogue is really intriguing and realistic for the period. It's almost Shakespearean at times in terms of wit. No spoilers, but the ending dialogue is like a hundred guns on the mantelpiece, and just now are they all going off. It was such an amazing payoff of wit. This falls into characters too, which are all pretty great and have their own use. Later on in the story it seems like it may get confusing with how many people join the roster, but it never really felt like it did. The only issue I had was that the names all felt similar to each other. I know, some of these are historical figures like Guthrum, but I'd find myself confusing character names like Skjalgi and Steinolfur with Sidroc and Styrbjorn. Just a lot of names that start with S, and I guess that's hard for me, but maybe it isn't for others.
All-in-all, though, I found Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Geirmund's Saga to be an epic that stands on its own as a captivating story, separate from the AC title. I wonder if Geirmund will show up in the game's future Downloadable Content, as I think some of the things seen here took place after the games ending, but I could be wrong.
If you're a fan of Assassin's Creed, or you're looking for an emotional, theme-filled, Viking Tale, this book is something that I'll wholeheartedly recommend.
July 26, 2021
Geirmund é um Viking que faz parte de uma família numerosa, que tem diversas atividades importantes como caçar.
A história começa com uma caçada que não correu como ele esperava mas que o seu instinto de sobrevivência levou a melhor e conseguiu sobreviver a todo o custo.
No seu retorno a casa, boas novas surgem e fazem Geirmund pensar se não seria melhor pensar numa vida diferente, em que não teria tantas regras e num reino diferente, com a possibilidade de ter uma vida de conquistas.
Mesmo com oposição, Geirmund acaba por decidir-se por um destino diferente do que lhe foi reservado, o que leva a sua família a que pense que é uma espécie de traição.
Durante a sua jornada, ele acaba por entender que fora da sua terra, todos pensam em conquistar novas terras, independentemente do que se faça para isso acontecer.
O seu destino acaba por mudar, porque encontra algo que o faz ver o mundo de uma forma diferente, dando a Geirmund um pensamento diferente.
Geirmund acaba por ir parar a um local diferente, onde vive um povo que ele não esperava encontrar.
O destino o favorece, no sentido em que reencontra aliados e consegue conquistar uma fama por si mesmo e arranjar companheiros de batalha para o acompanhar.
Geirmund tem aliados mas nem todos concordam com a sua forma de agir e isso leva a que algumas pessoas demonstrem que não o querem próximo de um cargo de poder ou com algum favorecimento.
No entanto, o que vai afetar esta situação é algo do passado, que aconteceu antes de toda esta viagem, de todos estes contratempos.
A religião e família são tópicos tão importantes que são esses mesmos que regulam algumas das relações entre aliados, tendo em conta que a paz e derramamento de sangue são duas situações muito diferentes e podem-se lidar de uma diferente para cada ato da vida.
Este livro de fala não só de conquistas territoriais, mas também de conquistas honrosas, em que Geirmund cria um nome e fama para si e faz com que o reconheça como uma pessoa louvável e de confiança, até da parte dos deuses.
A história começa com uma caçada que não correu como ele esperava mas que o seu instinto de sobrevivência levou a melhor e conseguiu sobreviver a todo o custo.
No seu retorno a casa, boas novas surgem e fazem Geirmund pensar se não seria melhor pensar numa vida diferente, em que não teria tantas regras e num reino diferente, com a possibilidade de ter uma vida de conquistas.
Mesmo com oposição, Geirmund acaba por decidir-se por um destino diferente do que lhe foi reservado, o que leva a sua família a que pense que é uma espécie de traição.
Durante a sua jornada, ele acaba por entender que fora da sua terra, todos pensam em conquistar novas terras, independentemente do que se faça para isso acontecer.
O seu destino acaba por mudar, porque encontra algo que o faz ver o mundo de uma forma diferente, dando a Geirmund um pensamento diferente.
Geirmund acaba por ir parar a um local diferente, onde vive um povo que ele não esperava encontrar.
O destino o favorece, no sentido em que reencontra aliados e consegue conquistar uma fama por si mesmo e arranjar companheiros de batalha para o acompanhar.
Geirmund tem aliados mas nem todos concordam com a sua forma de agir e isso leva a que algumas pessoas demonstrem que não o querem próximo de um cargo de poder ou com algum favorecimento.
No entanto, o que vai afetar esta situação é algo do passado, que aconteceu antes de toda esta viagem, de todos estes contratempos.
A religião e família são tópicos tão importantes que são esses mesmos que regulam algumas das relações entre aliados, tendo em conta que a paz e derramamento de sangue são duas situações muito diferentes e podem-se lidar de uma diferente para cada ato da vida.
Este livro de fala não só de conquistas territoriais, mas também de conquistas honrosas, em que Geirmund cria um nome e fama para si e faz com que o reconheça como uma pessoa louvável e de confiança, até da parte dos deuses.
June 2, 2021
*Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with an early copy in exchange for an honest review.*
3.5 stars
I have not played this Assassin’s Creed game but I have played three of the earlier ones, so I am familiar with the basic lore.
The story is simple: Geirmund is dissatisfied with his life as a second son and joins the raiders who’ve set their sights on conquering England. He forms a band of warriors and together they travel all over the foreign terrain in search of silver, land, and battles.
One thing I really like is that the slow pace didn’t bore me. Twenty percent passes before they even reach England and I still enjoyed it. The author’s very good at making a nothingburger plot quite engaging.
Since the plot is straightforward, the problems have nowhere to hide. It’s missing depth, meaning and those extra bits that transform it from a sequence of events, to a lush, full story. It’s one quest in the grand scheme and instead of standing strong on its own, it highlights the fact that all the important action and information is unfolding elsewhere. That’s not to say nothing happens; plenty of action plays across the pages. But because this is an Assassin’s Creed inspired book, I think it’s the wrong type of action.
I know the games have changed a lot since I played them, but what made them cool was the sneaking, climbing, stabbing, intriguing and sense of camaraderie. I saw Assassin’s Creed in this book’s title and immediately had those expectations, which were subsequently assassinated from a haystack (that’s a game reference).
Check out the rest of my review here:
https://damselinthelibrary.wixsite.co...
3.5 stars
I have not played this Assassin’s Creed game but I have played three of the earlier ones, so I am familiar with the basic lore.
The story is simple: Geirmund is dissatisfied with his life as a second son and joins the raiders who’ve set their sights on conquering England. He forms a band of warriors and together they travel all over the foreign terrain in search of silver, land, and battles.
One thing I really like is that the slow pace didn’t bore me. Twenty percent passes before they even reach England and I still enjoyed it. The author’s very good at making a nothingburger plot quite engaging.
Since the plot is straightforward, the problems have nowhere to hide. It’s missing depth, meaning and those extra bits that transform it from a sequence of events, to a lush, full story. It’s one quest in the grand scheme and instead of standing strong on its own, it highlights the fact that all the important action and information is unfolding elsewhere. That’s not to say nothing happens; plenty of action plays across the pages. But because this is an Assassin’s Creed inspired book, I think it’s the wrong type of action.
I know the games have changed a lot since I played them, but what made them cool was the sneaking, climbing, stabbing, intriguing and sense of camaraderie. I saw Assassin’s Creed in this book’s title and immediately had those expectations, which were subsequently assassinated from a haystack (that’s a game reference).
Check out the rest of my review here:
https://damselinthelibrary.wixsite.co...
February 7, 2021
Received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
A historical fiction novel focusing on Geirmund, a brave and stubborn Viking warrior that is trying to find his own destiny. No previous understanding of the Assassin's Creed games are required to read this novel, nor does one need to be expertly versed in history to read it. I think it does help to at least have played the game beforehand so you can picture some of the characters easier.
Now, this is *exclusively* a historical fiction novel, I can't quite understand the whole "let's slap an Assassin's Creed label on this book!" idea because....nothing from the present-day parts of the game appear. It's literally just about Gerimund. Eivor, the main character in AC: Vallhalla does appear a couple of times but in pretty small doses. That's about it.
The action scenes were well written and the atmosphere definitely felt very Viking-like. I'd say the dialogue could be a bit stilted at times, but it's not a huge problem and doesn't take you out of the book. The characters came off a bit flat sometimes, the one priest named John was my favorite because of his dialogue with Geirmund. How does a priest try to convert a Viking? Not very successfully.
This is a good historical fiction that is true to the brutal Viking lifestyle, but not a great Assassin's Creed novel, if that makes any sense.
A historical fiction novel focusing on Geirmund, a brave and stubborn Viking warrior that is trying to find his own destiny. No previous understanding of the Assassin's Creed games are required to read this novel, nor does one need to be expertly versed in history to read it. I think it does help to at least have played the game beforehand so you can picture some of the characters easier.
Now, this is *exclusively* a historical fiction novel, I can't quite understand the whole "let's slap an Assassin's Creed label on this book!" idea because....nothing from the present-day parts of the game appear. It's literally just about Gerimund. Eivor, the main character in AC: Vallhalla does appear a couple of times but in pretty small doses. That's about it.
The action scenes were well written and the atmosphere definitely felt very Viking-like. I'd say the dialogue could be a bit stilted at times, but it's not a huge problem and doesn't take you out of the book. The characters came off a bit flat sometimes, the one priest named John was my favorite because of his dialogue with Geirmund. How does a priest try to convert a Viking? Not very successfully.
This is a good historical fiction that is true to the brutal Viking lifestyle, but not a great Assassin's Creed novel, if that makes any sense.
April 4, 2021
This novel should only be read as a companion to the game that comprises it's namesake. It adds interesting backround detail to certain charactors and events throughout the entire bredth of the base AC Valhalla narrative, although this also acts as a major hinderence to the charactors and overall pacing of the book. AC Valhalla takes place over a multiple years and takes roughly 40-60 hours to finish the main campaign, this book is set over the same time period and this decision on the part of Ubisoft or the author doesnt allow for the reader to grow attached to many of the charactors, as it seems the vast majority of the development and interactions happen off the page. Despite a good opening chapter that allows the books origional charactors to breathe and another set within the town of Ravensthorpe from the main game, there weren't any standouts here. The rest can be summerised as fast paced viking action, which doesnt translate as well to the page as it does to a video game.
In summery, Geirmunds Saga doesn't contain many original ideas, lacks in charactor and intriguing plot. But does add some depth to certain charactors and locations within the main valhalla experience. It isn't a must read, but if you like valhalla's main game and would like more from this specifc time period within AC's world, i'd reconmend at least trying it.
In summery, Geirmunds Saga doesn't contain many original ideas, lacks in charactor and intriguing plot. But does add some depth to certain charactors and locations within the main valhalla experience. It isn't a must read, but if you like valhalla's main game and would like more from this specifc time period within AC's world, i'd reconmend at least trying it.
September 20, 2022
Anglia połowa IX wieku wikingowie najeżdżają i pustoszą tereny chrześcijan. Wielka armia pogan na czele z królem Danów Halfandem próbuje podbić Wessex gdzie po śmierci brata królem zostaje przebiegły Alfred...
Nasza saga zaczyna się dużo wcześniej w Avaldsnes. Syn króla Hjörra - Geirmund zwany Heloskórym wbrew woli ojca wyrusza wraz jarlem Guthrumem na podbój Angli.
Jako drugiego syna nic go nie czeka w rodzinnym mieście. Geirmund wyrusza więc na spotkanie z przeznaczeniem.
Podczas rejsu załoga chce złożyć go w ofierze, wiking postanawia wyskoczyć za burtę by oszczędzić rozlewu krwi. W odmentach oceanu spotyka pradawna istotę która daruje mu wielki dar - mistyczną bransoletę, źródło wielkiej mocy. Uratowany Geirmund trafia do Angli, gdzie zaczyna swą podróż zdobywcy.
Nasuwa sie pytanie czy gracze czytają książki i czy czytacze grają w gry?
Ja uważam ze tak, jestem tego świetnym przykładem. Assassin's Creed jest jedną z gier w którą ostatnio pogrywam.
W grze rozgrywamy sagę Eivor z Klanu Kruka, którą również spotkamy na katrach powieści.
Jestem jak najbardziej na tak, traktuję to jako dodatek do gry, gdzie możemy poznać kolejne przygody tak popularnych ostatnio Wikingów. Cieszę się, że mogłam poznać historię także od strony książki. Polecam każdemu bez wyjątku
Nasza saga zaczyna się dużo wcześniej w Avaldsnes. Syn króla Hjörra - Geirmund zwany Heloskórym wbrew woli ojca wyrusza wraz jarlem Guthrumem na podbój Angli.
Jako drugiego syna nic go nie czeka w rodzinnym mieście. Geirmund wyrusza więc na spotkanie z przeznaczeniem.
Podczas rejsu załoga chce złożyć go w ofierze, wiking postanawia wyskoczyć za burtę by oszczędzić rozlewu krwi. W odmentach oceanu spotyka pradawna istotę która daruje mu wielki dar - mistyczną bransoletę, źródło wielkiej mocy. Uratowany Geirmund trafia do Angli, gdzie zaczyna swą podróż zdobywcy.
Nasuwa sie pytanie czy gracze czytają książki i czy czytacze grają w gry?
Ja uważam ze tak, jestem tego świetnym przykładem. Assassin's Creed jest jedną z gier w którą ostatnio pogrywam.
W grze rozgrywamy sagę Eivor z Klanu Kruka, którą również spotkamy na katrach powieści.
Jestem jak najbardziej na tak, traktuję to jako dodatek do gry, gdzie możemy poznać kolejne przygody tak popularnych ostatnio Wikingów. Cieszę się, że mogłam poznać historię także od strony książki. Polecam każdemu bez wyjątku
June 27, 2025
Это первая книга серии Assassin’s Creed, которую я прочитал. Я немного ожидал от автора https://matthewjkirby.com/kirbside/?p...
Начал он неплохо , но быстро выдохся и дочитывал я без всякого интереса. Кажется его талант крепнет на вольном материале. В принципе , неплохо показано датское вторжение в Британию https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_H... и, что главная особенность викингов: их готовность в любое время перейти от вторжения к междоусобице. Всякий раз, когда Кирби приближается к каким-то игровым событиям, его талант совсем слабнет и читать это уныло. Гейрмунн (был реальный прототип , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geirmun...) такой многонациональный викинг по маме из https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bjarmaland . Тут маленькая сова была отлично натянута на огромный глобус и по одному этому факту Гейрмунн стал "цветным", дажё чОрным https://www.blackhistorymonthnorway.n...
Тяжело. Также, поскольку в игре добавлены жено-викинги здесь это тоже присутствует и ужасно режет глаз.
В целом история о том как второй сын мелкого конунга выходит в люди. Получилось слишком быстро, реалистично, если бы сюжет как-то по сроку был растянут лет на 5-10. А так много неправдопобного.
Начал он неплохо , но быстро выдохся и дочитывал я без всякого интереса. Кажется его талант крепнет на вольном материале. В принципе , неплохо показано датское вторжение в Британию https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_H... и, что главная особенность викингов: их готовность в любое время перейти от вторжения к междоусобице. Всякий раз, когда Кирби приближается к каким-то игровым событиям, его талант совсем слабнет и читать это уныло. Гейрмунн (был реальный прототип , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geirmun...) такой многонациональный викинг по маме из https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bjarmaland . Тут маленькая сова была отлично натянута на огромный глобус и по одному этому факту Гейрмунн стал "цветным", дажё чОрным https://www.blackhistorymonthnorway.n...
Тяжело. Также, поскольку в игре добавлены жено-викинги здесь это тоже присутствует и ужасно режет глаз.
В целом история о том как второй сын мелкого конунга выходит в люди. Получилось слишком быстро, реалистично, если бы сюжет как-то по сроку был растянут лет на 5-10. А так много неправдопобного.
October 23, 2021
Der Einstieg in das Buch fiel mir nicht ganz so leicht, obwohl der Schreibstil doch recht einfach ist und man gut beim Lesen voran kommt. Es sei auch hier gesagt das ich die Alten Bücher nicht gelesen habe, die Spiele immer nur mal kurz angespielt habe, aber ich einfach einen Faible für Vikinger und Nordische Sagen/Märchen/Geschichten habe. Die Story bekam an einigen stellen auch richtig fahrt und mir gefiel immer mehr der flotte Schreibstil.
Ich hab mir zwar doch etwas mehr "Action" gewünscht bzw. erwartet alles in allem hatte ich aber sehr Spaß beim lesen und hab auf jeden fall auch Lust bekommen die Spiele nun wirklich mal zu spielen :)
Für Fans der ersten Stunde denke ich sicherlich ein muss, alleine wegen des "Sammeln wegens" ^^ Ob hier viel neues dabei ist oder es sich komplett an die Spiele oder vorherigen Reihen anlehnt kann ich leider nicht sagen.
Einen Minus Punkt habe ich jedoch, das Cover gefällt mir persönlich gar nicht. Die Zeichnungen find ich zu "Kantig" und ungenau und hätte mir hier mehr Farbe und mehr Detail gewünscht. Es wirkt auf mich eher wie eine Skizze.
Ich hab mir zwar doch etwas mehr "Action" gewünscht bzw. erwartet alles in allem hatte ich aber sehr Spaß beim lesen und hab auf jeden fall auch Lust bekommen die Spiele nun wirklich mal zu spielen :)
Für Fans der ersten Stunde denke ich sicherlich ein muss, alleine wegen des "Sammeln wegens" ^^ Ob hier viel neues dabei ist oder es sich komplett an die Spiele oder vorherigen Reihen anlehnt kann ich leider nicht sagen.
Einen Minus Punkt habe ich jedoch, das Cover gefällt mir persönlich gar nicht. Die Zeichnungen find ich zu "Kantig" und ungenau und hätte mir hier mehr Farbe und mehr Detail gewünscht. Es wirkt auf mich eher wie eine Skizze.
February 8, 2022
This is the only Assassin's Creed book that missed 5 stars from me. The author is obviously very skilled and I enjoyed his use of language, descriptions etc. However the content lacks many aspects you would expect from an AC book. Throughout the whole book, there was only one assassination. All the other kills occurred in combat. It's fair to say the absence of assassinations is to blame on the Viking theme, since even AC: Valhalla the Game did lack on that aspect, but then I would expect to get some Viking vibes from the book such as extreme gore, sexuality etc. yet it failed on that also. There wasn't even a kiss on the lips in the book let alone sex, rape etc.
I think this is not the ideal genre for this author. He should write slow-paced novels on more serious topics.
On the bright side, I liked how he managed to get some characters from the game involve in the story such as Birna, Randvi, and Eivor.
To sum it up, I did not get that satisfaction I got from the previous AC books after turning the final page. It wouldn't get more than 3 stars from me had I not been a great fan of AC.
I think this is not the ideal genre for this author. He should write slow-paced novels on more serious topics.
On the bright side, I liked how he managed to get some characters from the game involve in the story such as Birna, Randvi, and Eivor.
To sum it up, I did not get that satisfaction I got from the previous AC books after turning the final page. It wouldn't get more than 3 stars from me had I not been a great fan of AC.
December 29, 2023
Fazia um tempo que eu não lia uma campanha de guerra tão intrigante assim. Muito legal como o autor conseguiu juntar os movimentos históricos da invasão dinamarquesa à Inglaterra, ao mesmo tempo em que abordou as nuances do conflito religioso entre cristãos e pagãos.
Com um ponto de vista focado em Geirmund, ele deixa em aberto várias questões, que seriam interessante de se observar, como por exemplo, o ponto de vista dos saxões com toda essa guerra; além do ponto de vista dos dinamaqueses que perderam suas terras, também em invasões.
Para quem já jogou Assassin's Creed, sinto dizer, mas não há nada aqui que se conecte aos jogos, a não ser meia dúzia de citações e uma aparição aqui e ali da Eivor. Para quem nunca jogou, a história desperta a curiosidade tanto sobre o folclore da série, quanto sobre o funcionamento do místico na história; querendo, ou não, Völund aparece duas vezes na história, e se não me engano, Odin aparece no jogo. Ao mesmo tempo, temos todo o credo cristão também representado aqui. Minha dúvida é: o que são os deuses? Como o místico se mistura à realidade, e à tecnologia avançada do jogo?
Com um ponto de vista focado em Geirmund, ele deixa em aberto várias questões, que seriam interessante de se observar, como por exemplo, o ponto de vista dos saxões com toda essa guerra; além do ponto de vista dos dinamaqueses que perderam suas terras, também em invasões.
Para quem já jogou Assassin's Creed, sinto dizer, mas não há nada aqui que se conecte aos jogos, a não ser meia dúzia de citações e uma aparição aqui e ali da Eivor. Para quem nunca jogou, a história desperta a curiosidade tanto sobre o folclore da série, quanto sobre o funcionamento do místico na história; querendo, ou não, Völund aparece duas vezes na história, e se não me engano, Odin aparece no jogo. Ao mesmo tempo, temos todo o credo cristão também representado aqui. Minha dúvida é: o que são os deuses? Como o místico se mistura à realidade, e à tecnologia avançada do jogo?
May 22, 2022
Geirmundova sága je výpravnou historickou fikcí, zasazenou do světa vikingů, kde lze narazit na mnoho historických postav a reálií. Jako veliká fanynka seriálových Vikingů jsem si čtení velice užívala, Geirmund byl až na kost pravý vůdce, nejednal ukvapeně, každé své rozhodnutí nejprve zvážil a pro své muže byl skvělým velitelem. Jeho rozpravy s knězem Johnem mi v mnohém připomínaly rozhovory Ragnara Lothbroka s Athelstanem ze seriálové verze.
Časově je děj knihy zasazen do 9. století, tedy do doby, kdy na řadu s dobýváním přišli Ragnarovi synové - Ubba, Ivar a Halfdan.
Kdyby kniha nespadala pod Assassin's Creed universum, vůbec bych si příběh nespojila s řádem asasínů. V knize je pouze na dvou místech zmínka o jakémsi mocném a vlivném řádu, jehož prsty jsou dlouhé. Toť vše - žádní templáři, žádný Animus, žádná linka ze současnosti. Na jednu stranu by mohl titul uspět u fanoušků historických příběhů, kteří chtějí čistě heroický příběh bez moderních zásahů, na straně druhé může být kniha pro fanoušky Assassin's Creed určitým zklamáním.
Více v recenzi zde: https://www.recenzarium.cz/l/assassin...
Časově je děj knihy zasazen do 9. století, tedy do doby, kdy na řadu s dobýváním přišli Ragnarovi synové - Ubba, Ivar a Halfdan.
Kdyby kniha nespadala pod Assassin's Creed universum, vůbec bych si příběh nespojila s řádem asasínů. V knize je pouze na dvou místech zmínka o jakémsi mocném a vlivném řádu, jehož prsty jsou dlouhé. Toť vše - žádní templáři, žádný Animus, žádná linka ze současnosti. Na jednu stranu by mohl titul uspět u fanoušků historických příběhů, kteří chtějí čistě heroický příběh bez moderních zásahů, na straně druhé může být kniha pro fanoušky Assassin's Creed určitým zklamáním.
Více v recenzi zde: https://www.recenzarium.cz/l/assassin...
February 19, 2021
Matthew J. Kirby writes the best Assassin's Creed books. They can easily stand alone (you don't need any knowledge of the AC world), they are easily read and rich in detail without being overwhelming. This one was no exception. Though honestly, I didn't find the Danes all that likable. The fact that they had no qualms breaking their word because it was given to a Christian, Geirmund's attitude towards John at the end - the priest was defending his country and his king from invaders, for cryin' out loud! - that they didn't see a murder for a murder as long as they thought they had a good reason for offing that person (see Geirmund's killing of Fasti)... Yeah, Alfred's cause was much closer to my heart than Geirmund's, that's for sure.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews