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Viking I #4
The Bewitched Viking
BEWITCHED, BOTHERED, AND BEWILDERED ...
Even fierce Norse warriors have bad days. Holy Thor! 'Twas enough to drive a sane Viking mad, the things Tykir Thorksson was forced to do --- capturing a redheaded virago, putting up with the flock of sheep that followed her everywhere, chasing off her bumbling brothers. But what could a man expect from the sorceress who had put a kink in the King of Norway's most precious body part?
If that wasn't bad enough, his own skald was putting Tykir's embarrassing escapades into sagas for all posterity to laugh about. And he was beginning to realize he wasn't at all immune to the enchantment of brash red hair and freckles.
But he was not called Tykir the Great for nothing. Perhaps he could reverse the spell and hold her captive, not with his mighty sword, but with a Viking man's greatest magic: a wink and a smile.
Even fierce Norse warriors have bad days. Holy Thor! 'Twas enough to drive a sane Viking mad, the things Tykir Thorksson was forced to do --- capturing a redheaded virago, putting up with the flock of sheep that followed her everywhere, chasing off her bumbling brothers. But what could a man expect from the sorceress who had put a kink in the King of Norway's most precious body part?
If that wasn't bad enough, his own skald was putting Tykir's embarrassing escapades into sagas for all posterity to laugh about. And he was beginning to realize he wasn't at all immune to the enchantment of brash red hair and freckles.
But he was not called Tykir the Great for nothing. Perhaps he could reverse the spell and hold her captive, not with his mighty sword, but with a Viking man's greatest magic: a wink and a smile.
390 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 1, 1999
38 people are currently reading
842 people want to read
About the author
Sandra Hill
92 books1,313 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Sandra Hill is a graduate of Penn State and worked for more than 10 years as a features writer and education editor for publications in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Writing about serious issues taught her the merits of seeking the lighter side of even the darkest stories. She is the wife of a stockbroker and the mother of four sons.
This biography was provided by the author or their representative.
Sandra Hill is a graduate of Penn State and worked for more than 10 years as a features writer and education editor for publications in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Writing about serious issues taught her the merits of seeking the lighter side of even the darkest stories. She is the wife of a stockbroker and the mother of four sons.
This biography was provided by the author or their representative.
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January 15, 2013DID NOT FINISH
Maybe BAVR's lost her edge. I don't know.
But you guys. LOOK at that cover. That cover and this story have no redeeming factors.
I just can't. These Vikings are just too goddamn cheesy, and the jokes are just too goddamn lame. It doesn't help that the heroine's so obsessed with sheep that I'm starting to envision her as one.
You can't fool ME, Alinor!
Fuck it, I can't. You win, Sandra Hill. This time.
Maybe BAVR's lost her edge. I don't know.
But you guys. LOOK at that cover. That cover and this story have no redeeming factors.
I just can't. These Vikings are just too goddamn cheesy, and the jokes are just too goddamn lame. It doesn't help that the heroine's so obsessed with sheep that I'm starting to envision her as one.
You can't fool ME, Alinor!
Fuck it, I can't. You win, Sandra Hill. This time.
January 18, 2015
4 and ½ Stars - Unusual, Clever, Whimsical Viking Tale
This was my first by Sandra Hill. I had been putting off reading one of her stories since I learned most are fantasies. (I prefer straight historical romance.) But then I got a list from her that told me which of those she’d written were not fantasy (see list below). While this one is not fantasy, it is fanciful. And witty, at times funny and, while not a serious historical romance and sometimes modern sounding, it is also very entertaining.
Set in 952 AD, this is the story of Tykir Thorksson, a wealthy Viking trader in amber, who is sent by the King of Birka (present day Sweden) to find a redheaded witch who, the king is certain, has cursed his male part. The target of Tykir’s quest, Lady Alinor of Yorkshire has been thrice widowed and is done with men. She prefers to be left alone with her sheep. But her two ridiculous brothers want to betroth her once again, this time to a fat man Tykir dubs the Lord of Lard.
Alinor denies she is a witch and resists going with Tykir, but he gives her no choice and so she and her dog and some of her sheep follow Tykir into Northumbria and eventurally to see the king. In a clever story, Tykir comes to believe she is a witch when things happen he cannot explain.
It took me a while to get used to Hill’s style as she begins each scene with a line that forecasts what you’ll see (I thought it was someone’s thinking but it’s the narrator), but eventually I rather liked that feature. She does manage to drop in some historically interesting tidbits so that I could see she knew her subject well and had done much research for her story. The place names are all there, too. The characters are wonderfully drawn and some quite funny. Bolthor the Skald comes to mind with his silly verses.
If you like witty, off beat historical romances with extended love scenes, this is a good one. I suppose all of Hill’s may be similar. I would read another of hers, particularly Rurik’s story (The Blue Viking).
The list of her Viking romances that Hill says are not fantasy:
The Tarnished Lady
The Bewitched Viking
The Blue Viking
A Tale of Two Vikings
Viking in Love
The Viking Takes a Knight
The Norse King's Daughter
This was my first by Sandra Hill. I had been putting off reading one of her stories since I learned most are fantasies. (I prefer straight historical romance.) But then I got a list from her that told me which of those she’d written were not fantasy (see list below). While this one is not fantasy, it is fanciful. And witty, at times funny and, while not a serious historical romance and sometimes modern sounding, it is also very entertaining.
Set in 952 AD, this is the story of Tykir Thorksson, a wealthy Viking trader in amber, who is sent by the King of Birka (present day Sweden) to find a redheaded witch who, the king is certain, has cursed his male part. The target of Tykir’s quest, Lady Alinor of Yorkshire has been thrice widowed and is done with men. She prefers to be left alone with her sheep. But her two ridiculous brothers want to betroth her once again, this time to a fat man Tykir dubs the Lord of Lard.
Alinor denies she is a witch and resists going with Tykir, but he gives her no choice and so she and her dog and some of her sheep follow Tykir into Northumbria and eventurally to see the king. In a clever story, Tykir comes to believe she is a witch when things happen he cannot explain.
It took me a while to get used to Hill’s style as she begins each scene with a line that forecasts what you’ll see (I thought it was someone’s thinking but it’s the narrator), but eventually I rather liked that feature. She does manage to drop in some historically interesting tidbits so that I could see she knew her subject well and had done much research for her story. The place names are all there, too. The characters are wonderfully drawn and some quite funny. Bolthor the Skald comes to mind with his silly verses.
If you like witty, off beat historical romances with extended love scenes, this is a good one. I suppose all of Hill’s may be similar. I would read another of hers, particularly Rurik’s story (The Blue Viking).
The list of her Viking romances that Hill says are not fantasy:
The Tarnished Lady
The Bewitched Viking
The Blue Viking
A Tale of Two Vikings
Viking in Love
The Viking Takes a Knight
The Norse King's Daughter
March 4, 2016
Dengan begitu banyaknya novel historical yang didominasi karakter hero yang setipe, bisa menemukan novel Mrs Sandra Hill dengan karakternya yang anti mainstream itu adalah berkah tersendiri. Tipe garang dan jutek, bermasa lalu suram ataupun punya luka batin, itu sudah biasa. Tapi hero yang seksi tapi nakal, kocak dan punya pede berlebihan? Itu benar-benar harta karun.
Tykir Thorksson yang hebat, tampan dan mempesona, masih hangover parah ketika utusan sepupunya, Sang Raja Norse sendiri menyampaikan tugas penting super rahasia untuknya. Viking muda ini bisa dibilang sudah lelah berdagang tahun itu dan ingin segera mudik musim dingin untuk mengistirahatkan lututnya yang cedera di kampung halamannya, Dragonstead. Ketika tawaran uang, kuda perang dan budak cantik yang bisa berdenting dari lonceng-lonceng yang dipasang ditubuhnya tidak bisa menggoyahkan hati Tykir, dia menyandera Adam (putra angkat kakak tiri Tykir, Rain-Selik). Tykir terpaksa menyetujui tugas aneh bin ajaib itu, menangkap penyihir wanita yang sudah mengguna-gunai isi celana sang Raja.
Lady Alinor of Graycote lelah menghindari perjodohannya yang ke-4. Tapi saudara-saudaranya selalu menyodorkan para Lord kaya dan tua renta yang sudah hampir mati supaya mereka bisa memburu warisannya. Dia mungkin dipaksa menjadi pemburu harta tapi jelas bukan seorang penyihir, biarpun semua ciri tubuhnya menunjukan begitu. Berambut merah panjang, bermata hijau yang membius, bintik-bintik imut di wajah dan sekujur tubuhnya, kelakuan yang tidak begitu mirip Lady dan jangan lupa kawanan domba yang selalu protektif mengikutinya. Tapi Lady Alinor lebih cocok disebut pengusaha wanita, dia adalah penghasil woll bermutu paling tinggi di Normandia. Itulah sebabnya dia selalu menganggap domba-domba hasil mas kawin pernikahannya, adalah hartanya yang paling berharga.
Buku ini adalah hiburan segar saat kau membutuhkan tawa dalam buku-bukumu. Walau beberapa humor Mrs Hill berkesan slapstick dan mungkin bukan untuk sejuta umat, aku selalu ngakak heboh setiap membaca joke-joke dan kelakuan tengil semua karakter di buku-bukunya. Beberapa scene mungkin sudah jelas bukan scene yang mungkin terjadi di abad itu, tapi siapa yang perduli selama buku ini membuatku happy. Jangan salah menilai bahwa buku ini digarap asal-asalan dan cuma dagelan, Mrs Hill jelas melakukan riset tentang nama, tempat dan juga detail sejarah Norse. Dia sendiri mempunyai darah Norse jadi dia punya etika moral untuk memberikan sisi lain dari pejuang Viking untuk menghibur para pembacanya.
Pasangan h/h sangat menarik. Tykir karakter yang sudah kutunggu-tunggu sejak kemunculan pertamanya sebagai bocah cilik tampan yang haus kasih saying seorang ibu dan putus asa meraih perhatian ayahnya. Dia tipe yang tidak mengumbar luka batinnya, dia lebih suka menyimpannya rapat dibalik senyum seksi, perilaku menggoda dan selera kinky yang bisa menggetarkan gadis manapun. Untuk hal yang terakhir itu aku harus melakukan standing applause untuk otak nakal pria Viking yang kelewat kreatif ini (lonceng, baju harem, bahkan dia satu-satunya yang bisa membuat proses sesederhana seka badan saat demam tinggi menjadi pengalaman panas penuh potensi skandal).
Lady Alinor juga pasangan sepadan untuk Tykir, mereka seperti 2 anak kesepian yang saling menemukan dan saling menghibur setelah sama-sama bisa membuka hati. Perjuangan cinta mereka cukup berliku dan melumerkan hati. Ada kalanya aku ingin menampar pasangan ini karena terlalu keras kepala. Untungnya kemunculan bintang tamu (Selik-Rain, Eirik dan Adam) dari buku-buku sebelumnya memberikan obat kangen dan bisa membantu member dorongan keras untuk Tykir.
Ini adalah kisah manis, nakal dan kocak yang akan kurekomenkan untuk pecinta Viking dan fans berat series Viking I. Karena tanpa Tykir, hidupmu tak akan pernah lengkap. Aku tak sabar untuk lanjut dengan buku Adam (yeah si bocah tengil itu sekarang sudah dewasa) dan Ruric (sahabat Tykir yang banyak muncul di buku ini).
My Rating : 3.6/5
Tykir Thorksson yang hebat, tampan dan mempesona, masih hangover parah ketika utusan sepupunya, Sang Raja Norse sendiri menyampaikan tugas penting super rahasia untuknya. Viking muda ini bisa dibilang sudah lelah berdagang tahun itu dan ingin segera mudik musim dingin untuk mengistirahatkan lututnya yang cedera di kampung halamannya, Dragonstead. Ketika tawaran uang, kuda perang dan budak cantik yang bisa berdenting dari lonceng-lonceng yang dipasang ditubuhnya tidak bisa menggoyahkan hati Tykir, dia menyandera Adam (putra angkat kakak tiri Tykir, Rain-Selik). Tykir terpaksa menyetujui tugas aneh bin ajaib itu, menangkap penyihir wanita yang sudah mengguna-gunai isi celana sang Raja.
Lady Alinor of Graycote lelah menghindari perjodohannya yang ke-4. Tapi saudara-saudaranya selalu menyodorkan para Lord kaya dan tua renta yang sudah hampir mati supaya mereka bisa memburu warisannya. Dia mungkin dipaksa menjadi pemburu harta tapi jelas bukan seorang penyihir, biarpun semua ciri tubuhnya menunjukan begitu. Berambut merah panjang, bermata hijau yang membius, bintik-bintik imut di wajah dan sekujur tubuhnya, kelakuan yang tidak begitu mirip Lady dan jangan lupa kawanan domba yang selalu protektif mengikutinya. Tapi Lady Alinor lebih cocok disebut pengusaha wanita, dia adalah penghasil woll bermutu paling tinggi di Normandia. Itulah sebabnya dia selalu menganggap domba-domba hasil mas kawin pernikahannya, adalah hartanya yang paling berharga.
Buku ini adalah hiburan segar saat kau membutuhkan tawa dalam buku-bukumu. Walau beberapa humor Mrs Hill berkesan slapstick dan mungkin bukan untuk sejuta umat, aku selalu ngakak heboh setiap membaca joke-joke dan kelakuan tengil semua karakter di buku-bukunya. Beberapa scene mungkin sudah jelas bukan scene yang mungkin terjadi di abad itu, tapi siapa yang perduli selama buku ini membuatku happy. Jangan salah menilai bahwa buku ini digarap asal-asalan dan cuma dagelan, Mrs Hill jelas melakukan riset tentang nama, tempat dan juga detail sejarah Norse. Dia sendiri mempunyai darah Norse jadi dia punya etika moral untuk memberikan sisi lain dari pejuang Viking untuk menghibur para pembacanya.
Pasangan h/h sangat menarik. Tykir karakter yang sudah kutunggu-tunggu sejak kemunculan pertamanya sebagai bocah cilik tampan yang haus kasih saying seorang ibu dan putus asa meraih perhatian ayahnya. Dia tipe yang tidak mengumbar luka batinnya, dia lebih suka menyimpannya rapat dibalik senyum seksi, perilaku menggoda dan selera kinky yang bisa menggetarkan gadis manapun. Untuk hal yang terakhir itu aku harus melakukan standing applause untuk otak nakal pria Viking yang kelewat kreatif ini (lonceng, baju harem, bahkan dia satu-satunya yang bisa membuat proses sesederhana seka badan saat demam tinggi menjadi pengalaman panas penuh potensi skandal).
Lady Alinor juga pasangan sepadan untuk Tykir, mereka seperti 2 anak kesepian yang saling menemukan dan saling menghibur setelah sama-sama bisa membuka hati. Perjuangan cinta mereka cukup berliku dan melumerkan hati. Ada kalanya aku ingin menampar pasangan ini karena terlalu keras kepala. Untungnya kemunculan bintang tamu (Selik-Rain, Eirik dan Adam) dari buku-buku sebelumnya memberikan obat kangen dan bisa membantu member dorongan keras untuk Tykir.
Ini adalah kisah manis, nakal dan kocak yang akan kurekomenkan untuk pecinta Viking dan fans berat series Viking I. Karena tanpa Tykir, hidupmu tak akan pernah lengkap. Aku tak sabar untuk lanjut dengan buku Adam (yeah si bocah tengil itu sekarang sudah dewasa) dan Ruric (sahabat Tykir yang banyak muncul di buku ini).
My Rating : 3.6/5
January 21, 2024
Tykir the Viking spends his time sailing and trading, come the winter months he rests back at his home in the valley. After the war, the wound he sustained is brutally painful during the colder months, so he needs to be done by then to properly rest.
One night whilst drinking a mead at the local watering hole 😂 he is requested to go on a conquest for the king.
The conquest - find the witch Ailnor, who turned the kings MANROOT askew 😂 yes you read that right!
Ailnor is NOT a witch, she did CURSE the king that his manroot would FALL OFF - but she was just mad, it wasn’t an actual curse since she isn’t ACTUALLY a witch. She is just a maiden who lives in the farmlands, constantly being sold off by her brothers as a bride to men with one foot in the ground.
Tykir accepts the conquest under false pretences but he will have to hurry to ensure he gets his work done and be back home before winter.
Tykir tracks down Ailnor and starts his journey BACK to the king much to her dismay 😂
Oh my gosh this book WAS HILARIOUS, what a funny, fun story … the banter and behaviour between Tykir and Ailnor was chefs kiss 😂 the side characters were great! The plot was great - I honestly just inhaled this, it was brilliant.
If you are ever feeling a tad adventurous and want to step out of your comfort zone I highly recommend this book 😂 it was so entertaining. It was picked by a member of my local book club👌
You will not expect to fall in love with these characters as much as you do
One night whilst drinking a mead at the local watering hole 😂 he is requested to go on a conquest for the king.
The conquest - find the witch Ailnor, who turned the kings MANROOT askew 😂 yes you read that right!
Ailnor is NOT a witch, she did CURSE the king that his manroot would FALL OFF - but she was just mad, it wasn’t an actual curse since she isn’t ACTUALLY a witch. She is just a maiden who lives in the farmlands, constantly being sold off by her brothers as a bride to men with one foot in the ground.
Tykir accepts the conquest under false pretences but he will have to hurry to ensure he gets his work done and be back home before winter.
Tykir tracks down Ailnor and starts his journey BACK to the king much to her dismay 😂
Oh my gosh this book WAS HILARIOUS, what a funny, fun story … the banter and behaviour between Tykir and Ailnor was chefs kiss 😂 the side characters were great! The plot was great - I honestly just inhaled this, it was brilliant.
If you are ever feeling a tad adventurous and want to step out of your comfort zone I highly recommend this book 😂 it was so entertaining. It was picked by a member of my local book club👌
You will not expect to fall in love with these characters as much as you do
December 29, 2016
Recommended by Joyce
HILARIOUS READ!
HILARIOUS READ!
September 16, 2013
Tykir Thorksson was just minding his own business recuperating from a night of too much revelry and drink. His head was pounding, his mouth was dry as wool, and there was some bothersome voice incessantly piercing his brain like needles. Somehow he knew it wasn't going away anytime soon. So lifting his head and pulling his mind from the mind-numbing fog, he concentrated on trying to decipher exactly what the pain-inducing voice was trying to say. And that was the beginning of the end for Tykir Thorksson and his so simple plans to end his long-absence from his beloved home, Dragonstead. Never did Tykir dream he would willinglly accept a request from his cousin, the King, to take off on a wild-goose-chase to retrieve some Saxon wench so she could repair the damage she had done by a well-placed curse on the King himself. A curse that, apparently, had inflicted some strange damage to a very dear body part. Tykir wasn't even sure he believed in witches. The King, however, did and since he is insisting on holding Adam, his half-sister's adopted son, as friendly hostage until said mission is complete, Tykir knows he has little choice.
Lady Alinor, had suffered too much at the callous interference of this bumbling Viking and his cohorts to just sit idly by at her own trial and not speak up for herself. If everyone else got to lay their claims of injustices down, then so did she! So she did just that . . . ."Kidnapping. Torture. Starvation. Seasickness. Assault by constant sexual looks. Improper touching." She should have known. This was a court full of imbeciles! This was really not going to end well for her. Well, she would just have to rely upon her reluctant "Guardian Angel," even if he insisted that was the last thing he would ever be to her. However, even against her will, her conscience kept nudging her with the real possibility that even her "Guardian Angel" would not be able to save her this time considering the most important thing to a man was the condition of his manpart. "It was the strangest experience of her life . . . a wildly preposterous trial in a wild land of wild, wild men."
I am still giggling! Sandra Hill has written a perversely entertaining story! Who knew Vikings could be depicted in such a humorously indulgent way? Well, I know now, and this little gem of a book has found its own special spot on my favorites shelf. This is the type of book to return to again and again, especially when a mood needs lightened and a smile has too long been absent from a face. I know it's an oldie, but please, please search the nooks and crannies of your local used bookstore or the shelves of your local Goodwill. I promise you won't be sorry. And once you find it, save it for that special time when a few laughs would not be remiss. Oh Sandra, thank you, thank you, thank you!
Lady Alinor, had suffered too much at the callous interference of this bumbling Viking and his cohorts to just sit idly by at her own trial and not speak up for herself. If everyone else got to lay their claims of injustices down, then so did she! So she did just that . . . ."Kidnapping. Torture. Starvation. Seasickness. Assault by constant sexual looks. Improper touching." She should have known. This was a court full of imbeciles! This was really not going to end well for her. Well, she would just have to rely upon her reluctant "Guardian Angel," even if he insisted that was the last thing he would ever be to her. However, even against her will, her conscience kept nudging her with the real possibility that even her "Guardian Angel" would not be able to save her this time considering the most important thing to a man was the condition of his manpart. "It was the strangest experience of her life . . . a wildly preposterous trial in a wild land of wild, wild men."
I am still giggling! Sandra Hill has written a perversely entertaining story! Who knew Vikings could be depicted in such a humorously indulgent way? Well, I know now, and this little gem of a book has found its own special spot on my favorites shelf. This is the type of book to return to again and again, especially when a mood needs lightened and a smile has too long been absent from a face. I know it's an oldie, but please, please search the nooks and crannies of your local used bookstore or the shelves of your local Goodwill. I promise you won't be sorry. And once you find it, save it for that special time when a few laughs would not be remiss. Oh Sandra, thank you, thank you, thank you!
February 13, 2017
Ughhhh this book was tedious. Boring. Stupid. What a waste of time...
February 7, 2011
Absolutely great discovery, that an older woman told me about in a thrift store. I was leary, and these are hard to find. I was so surprised & now I am chasing this new author. She is older, but is definitely NOT lacking in the romance at all!! Funny as hell! Great story; not cheesy! I laughed so hard sometimes, I was crying! Seriously! I hope all her books are like this!
These vikings chasing a which because a curse she made when she was mad, find a red headed freckled girl, who they think is so ugly because of all the fire hair and freckles! Hilarious!
There is a glossary of terms in the back, so you won't get confused. It is very Norweigen, but similar to the highlander books in the personality sense. I am scandinavian, and know my family history, so I've heard of the disgusting foods before--ewww!!
These vikings chasing a which because a curse she made when she was mad, find a red headed freckled girl, who they think is so ugly because of all the fire hair and freckles! Hilarious!
There is a glossary of terms in the back, so you won't get confused. It is very Norweigen, but similar to the highlander books in the personality sense. I am scandinavian, and know my family history, so I've heard of the disgusting foods before--ewww!!
February 22, 2014
It was your typical silly Sandra Hill book but I actually didn't find this book as annoying as her other books
Follow me!
Follow me!
March 16, 2011
3.5 stars.... The sexual tension between Tykir and Alinor is both hawt and hilarious! Alinor is no virgin, she has been married three times before. But when Tykir gives her her first real kiss, she is lost to him (although she doesn't figure it out quite as quickly as we do).
Tykir has lost everyone he has ever loved. With that in mind, he refuses to even consider that his heart just might be feeling something for the red-haired, freckled witch that is his captive.
A fun, quick read with more storyline than actual intercourse (a good thing in my book)!
Tykir has lost everyone he has ever loved. With that in mind, he refuses to even consider that his heart just might be feeling something for the red-haired, freckled witch that is his captive.
A fun, quick read with more storyline than actual intercourse (a good thing in my book)!
December 27, 2022
The beginning, the sheep, the dogs and witchy things were fun,
but the sex parts are too rape-y,
(the whole 'you are wet so you must be consenting' is more than a little nauseating and triggery)
and for a non-serious silly romance book it dips unnecessarily into real and decidedly not-fun rape, murder, and slavery.
Also the ending is badly constructed and weird. I don't understand what was the point of bringing the episode with brothers in the end for them to just walk away for no real reason a few pages later. It's completely unbelievable that they would just say 'well, out plans are ruined and we can go away now' after all the trouble they went through. Feels like the whole episode and the poor boy's death really just shouldn't have been in the book.
but the sex parts are too rape-y,
(the whole 'you are wet so you must be consenting' is more than a little nauseating and triggery)
and for a non-serious silly romance book it dips unnecessarily into real and decidedly not-fun rape, murder, and slavery.
Also the ending is badly constructed and weird. I don't understand what was the point of bringing the episode with brothers in the end for them to just walk away for no real reason a few pages later. It's completely unbelievable that they would just say 'well, out plans are ruined and we can go away now' after all the trouble they went through. Feels like the whole episode and the poor boy's death really just shouldn't have been in the book.
September 29, 2019
I almost DNFed this multiple times. I wish I had. This is now the 5th (?) Sandra Hill book I’ve read (not counting the the one that I did DNF), and only ONE of those earned a 4 star from me. The rest were 3’s, which I gave for effort more than anything. It had its mildly amusing moments, and interesting history here and there, but nothing that made me even remotely eager to read more. I think it’s time to throw in the towel. These books just aren’t for me.
June 16, 2025
The first 60% of the book was so boring and hard to get through. Last 40% a bit more interesting but the one exciting plot twist fizzled out in a few pages. The humor is just annoying and all the side characters added little beyond dumb comments. Didn’t really find myself rooting for anyone here but the sheep
April 29, 2021
Witty
Alinor is forced to go with viking Tykir to remove a curse on his cousin a king man root. All believe she is a witch. Once there he is charged to keep her for the winter.
Love the book witty amd steamy.
Alinor is forced to go with viking Tykir to remove a curse on his cousin a king man root. All believe she is a witch. Once there he is charged to keep her for the winter.
Love the book witty amd steamy.
May 15, 2024
Researching the Viking Slave Trade and I'm recommended Fabio on the front cover ushering me forward. I don't just want to read this book, I need to read this book, and finding a physical copy with this exact cover is a pain in the arse. Please Scandinavian Fabio, please send me a copy...
June 12, 2017
I read this book when it first released and I have read it many times since. I still laugh out loud at the jokes and dialogue in this book. Love me some corny Vikings haha!
July 1, 2017
Spectacular book!
Enjoyed greatly kind humor and story line - bravo!
Thank you for wonderful time :)
Enjoyed greatly kind humor and story line - bravo!
Thank you for wonderful time :)
March 6, 2021
Always a good read.
December 10, 2021
The best
I have been reading these wonderful books in sequence per Amazon. This has been my vey favorite with all the laughs, cry’s, and all the characters.
I have been reading these wonderful books in sequence per Amazon. This has been my vey favorite with all the laughs, cry’s, and all the characters.
January 22, 2022
Fantastical
Very good author that captures and holds my heart. I love a good story with a strong plot. This was a not typical love story.
Very good author that captures and holds my heart. I love a good story with a strong plot. This was a not typical love story.
December 31, 2023
I enjoyed this book, but the constant time jumps weren't my favorite.
April 24, 2024
Reread. I again found this story very fascinating & quite funny.
June 10, 2019
First off, that cover is hilariously, terribly bad. With a capital T! I cracked up seeing it because the cover on my book costs look anything like that.
Needed something to read while hanging out at my parents pool this weekend and found The Bewitched Viking at the Dollar General hoping for a fun, quick read. I was a little let down, it wasn't as funny as I was hopping it would be.
The characters weren't too terrible, Alinor was probably my favorite and for the first two-thirds-ish of the book I thought "there's no way these Vikings are this dumb" about accusing Alinor of being a witch. It does get better, the last fourth or fifth of the book was the strongest, with the best parts in my opinion but I will admit to skimming through some pages and chapters in the middle. The first handful of pages were pretty funny but quickly lost it's listed for me as well.
All in all it wasn't a bad read for a couple of hours at the pool but that's about it.
Needed something to read while hanging out at my parents pool this weekend and found The Bewitched Viking at the Dollar General hoping for a fun, quick read. I was a little let down, it wasn't as funny as I was hopping it would be.
The characters weren't too terrible, Alinor was probably my favorite and for the first two-thirds-ish of the book I thought "there's no way these Vikings are this dumb" about accusing Alinor of being a witch. It does get better, the last fourth or fifth of the book was the strongest, with the best parts in my opinion but I will admit to skimming through some pages and chapters in the middle. The first handful of pages were pretty funny but quickly lost it's listed for me as well.
All in all it wasn't a bad read for a couple of hours at the pool but that's about it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 27, 2011
An outspoken Saxon gentlewoman can't catch a break, especially if she doesn't meet beauty standards for her time and is accused of witchcraft. All Alinor wants is to continue tending her sheep farm and producing high-grade wool fabric to support herself in a quiet respectability. All her brothers wish to do is marry her off to the highest bidder for whatever bride-price their thrice-widowed sister can command. All the Norse King Anlaf wants is for Alinor to remove an alleged curse she placed upon his private parts when he sacked a convent.
Tykir Thorksson, minor Norse nobility, amber merchant, and retired soldier, is content with single life as well. He is none too pleased with Anlaf's command to abduct a Saxon witch to Norway, but what is he to do when Anlaf holds his nephew as a "friendly hostage" as a surety? After the lengthy, event-ridden journey to Anlaf's court, Tykir expects to be free of his duty to the plainspoken, intractable Saxon who draws his eye despite her homely looks. He just never imagined he might not want to be free of his duties just yet.
I've read this novel a couple of times over the years. Before writing this review, I'd intended to skim the book and "refresh my memory." Yeah, right. I ended up reading the whole work again.
"The Bewitched Viking" is the novel that set Sandra Hill's name on my autobuy list after my first read back in the late 90's.
Ironically, I almost skipped this book due to what I considered cheesy cover art and my ambivalence concerning the more comic focus on this novel. My two earlier Hill reads, "The Reluctant Viking" and "The Outlaw Viking," featured more angst and drama emphasizing the harsh times in which Viking culture thrived. The blurb on "The Bewitched Viking" struck me as too far a departure from Hill's earlier work.
This book is SO MUCH FUN to read. Hill took so many situations that often play out as bleak, dramatic, and frightening in the historical romance genre, twisted them into a lengthy joke, and invited us all to laugh with her. The story avoids feeling "spoofy" thanks to rich character development and meticulous attention to setting/world-building.
I laugh aloud when I read this book, and some of my greatest memories are connected to that. I recall people staring at me on the bus for laughing at my book. I even read parts of it to my husband so we could laugh together. I would LOVE an audio version of this book. I would love a film version of this book. It tickled my funny bone and the effect was often amplified by the sheer unexpectedness of it. Hill has the right "formula" in terms of not overwhelming readers with "stupid humor" or gratuitous laughs, she just knows how to slip in a little sense of the ridiculous at just the right time and in just the right amount to enliven the read without damaging the story's credibility.
As far as the romance goes Hills delivers the goods, crafting erotic tension, emotional vulnerability, and genuine passion between Tykir and Alinor. Both hero and heroine are three-dimensional, fascinating characters. They have good moments, not so good moments, and bad moments. Together, they're right as rain. The obstacles standing in the way of their relationship are solid and not easily overcome.
Love scenes are spicy erotic. I've read hotter in terms of explicit language and content, but I've rarely read better. Brief warning: the novel does contain hints of coercion/"forced seduction" so readers who dislike that type of storyline may be put off. While the elments are present, they are very subtle, and I felt the story confirmed the heroine's consent well before the couple consummates their relationship.
In short, I love this book. I'm crazy about this book. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a funny, sexy love story. This is Hill at the height of her storytelling powers.
Tykir Thorksson, minor Norse nobility, amber merchant, and retired soldier, is content with single life as well. He is none too pleased with Anlaf's command to abduct a Saxon witch to Norway, but what is he to do when Anlaf holds his nephew as a "friendly hostage" as a surety? After the lengthy, event-ridden journey to Anlaf's court, Tykir expects to be free of his duty to the plainspoken, intractable Saxon who draws his eye despite her homely looks. He just never imagined he might not want to be free of his duties just yet.
I've read this novel a couple of times over the years. Before writing this review, I'd intended to skim the book and "refresh my memory." Yeah, right. I ended up reading the whole work again.
"The Bewitched Viking" is the novel that set Sandra Hill's name on my autobuy list after my first read back in the late 90's.
Ironically, I almost skipped this book due to what I considered cheesy cover art and my ambivalence concerning the more comic focus on this novel. My two earlier Hill reads, "The Reluctant Viking" and "The Outlaw Viking," featured more angst and drama emphasizing the harsh times in which Viking culture thrived. The blurb on "The Bewitched Viking" struck me as too far a departure from Hill's earlier work.
This book is SO MUCH FUN to read. Hill took so many situations that often play out as bleak, dramatic, and frightening in the historical romance genre, twisted them into a lengthy joke, and invited us all to laugh with her. The story avoids feeling "spoofy" thanks to rich character development and meticulous attention to setting/world-building.
I laugh aloud when I read this book, and some of my greatest memories are connected to that. I recall people staring at me on the bus for laughing at my book. I even read parts of it to my husband so we could laugh together. I would LOVE an audio version of this book. I would love a film version of this book. It tickled my funny bone and the effect was often amplified by the sheer unexpectedness of it. Hill has the right "formula" in terms of not overwhelming readers with "stupid humor" or gratuitous laughs, she just knows how to slip in a little sense of the ridiculous at just the right time and in just the right amount to enliven the read without damaging the story's credibility.
As far as the romance goes Hills delivers the goods, crafting erotic tension, emotional vulnerability, and genuine passion between Tykir and Alinor. Both hero and heroine are three-dimensional, fascinating characters. They have good moments, not so good moments, and bad moments. Together, they're right as rain. The obstacles standing in the way of their relationship are solid and not easily overcome.
Love scenes are spicy erotic. I've read hotter in terms of explicit language and content, but I've rarely read better. Brief warning: the novel does contain hints of coercion/"forced seduction" so readers who dislike that type of storyline may be put off. While the elments are present, they are very subtle, and I felt the story confirmed the heroine's consent well before the couple consummates their relationship.
In short, I love this book. I'm crazy about this book. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a funny, sexy love story. This is Hill at the height of her storytelling powers.
Read
July 28, 2011I'd sort of like to give The Bewitched Viking more stars because Sandra Hill didn't bastardise the workd bloody in it (she didn't use it at all that I noticed) but I can't bring myself to.
As with her other books, it was light fluff, sort of fun and made me smile a few times. I'd certainly never call her books hilarious but I recognise that humour differs however I suspect that people who are used to talking straight get less humour from her books that people who prefer to speak in euphemisms.
It was pleasant enough with the requisite feisty to the point of irritation woman, beligerant, alpha male with a tender centre, conflict, forced "romance", misunderstanding, split up and ultimate marriage that come standard in her books.
I give extra points for the woman not being virginal. However she acted as naive as one which allowed the hero to properly educate her sexually with his magnificent bodily talents, so I'll take them right back again.
Not bad for train trash or a beach read but not one I'd enthusiastiaclly recommend either. It'll never be considered great literature; but to Sandra Hills credit, she's not even pretending to aim for that, just putting out pleasant to read, somewhat humerous viking romances. Full marks for honest writing that pleases herself.
As with her other books, it was light fluff, sort of fun and made me smile a few times. I'd certainly never call her books hilarious but I recognise that humour differs however I suspect that people who are used to talking straight get less humour from her books that people who prefer to speak in euphemisms.
It was pleasant enough with the requisite feisty to the point of irritation woman, beligerant, alpha male with a tender centre, conflict, forced "romance", misunderstanding, split up and ultimate marriage that come standard in her books.
I give extra points for the woman not being virginal. However she acted as naive as one which allowed the hero to properly educate her sexually with his magnificent bodily talents, so I'll take them right back again.
Not bad for train trash or a beach read but not one I'd enthusiastiaclly recommend either. It'll never be considered great literature; but to Sandra Hills credit, she's not even pretending to aim for that, just putting out pleasant to read, somewhat humerous viking romances. Full marks for honest writing that pleases herself.
May 8, 2013
I picked this book up from the library for research purposes because my next novel delves into the Viking era in Britain. The cover represented on Goodreads is not the cover on the version I borrowed, however the one I had was still pretty groan-worthy. That, the title and the description on the back cover had me fully prepared not to like it.
Well, I was wrong. I’ve given it three stars, meaning I liked it. I did, I liked it. I wasn’t expecting to, but there it is. Sandra Hill has a unique sense of humour that had me chuckling throughout. While the romantic passages are cheesy, while it is a bit overwritten in places, and while the situations in which the two main characters find themselves are unbelievable and unrealistic, I liked it anyway. I liked the interaction between Tykir and Alinor. I liked the way their animosity towards one another was presented. I liked the way the typical ‘bad guy’ characters never really developed into villains and, in the end, became loveable characters in their own rights.
It’s a fluffy, light read, but highly enjoyable. I’m glad I picked it up.
Well, I was wrong. I’ve given it three stars, meaning I liked it. I did, I liked it. I wasn’t expecting to, but there it is. Sandra Hill has a unique sense of humour that had me chuckling throughout. While the romantic passages are cheesy, while it is a bit overwritten in places, and while the situations in which the two main characters find themselves are unbelievable and unrealistic, I liked it anyway. I liked the interaction between Tykir and Alinor. I liked the way their animosity towards one another was presented. I liked the way the typical ‘bad guy’ characters never really developed into villains and, in the end, became loveable characters in their own rights.
It’s a fluffy, light read, but highly enjoyable. I’m glad I picked it up.
December 31, 2021
Another great book by Sandra Hill.
Tykir just wants people to leave him alone so he can harvest amber and return to his home of Dragonstead in the Norse country.
Alinor just wants her idiot brothers to leave her alone so she can continue to raise the sheep that make her the finest wool in all of Northumbria.
But there is always a hitch. When Alinor "curses" a certain king's "manroot" to fall off and then said king gets a kink in his ... "manroot" ... well said King thinks that Alinor is a witch. He sends a messenger out to get Tykir and asks him to find the witch and bring her back to him.
Tykir doesn't want to ... but then the messenger lets poor Tykir know that the king is holding Adam (his adopted nephew) as a friendly hostage. What's a good Viking to do?
Go out and kidnap the witch that is ... problem? Alinor is NOT a witch.
Hilarity ensues.
A great read. Not as good as some of Hill others but this was an early novel in her series (Viking I). They all seem to get better in time.
Tykir just wants people to leave him alone so he can harvest amber and return to his home of Dragonstead in the Norse country.
Alinor just wants her idiot brothers to leave her alone so she can continue to raise the sheep that make her the finest wool in all of Northumbria.
But there is always a hitch. When Alinor "curses" a certain king's "manroot" to fall off and then said king gets a kink in his ... "manroot" ... well said King thinks that Alinor is a witch. He sends a messenger out to get Tykir and asks him to find the witch and bring her back to him.
Tykir doesn't want to ... but then the messenger lets poor Tykir know that the king is holding Adam (his adopted nephew) as a friendly hostage. What's a good Viking to do?
Go out and kidnap the witch that is ... problem? Alinor is NOT a witch.
Hilarity ensues.
A great read. Not as good as some of Hill others but this was an early novel in her series (Viking I). They all seem to get better in time.
April 4, 2014
Sandra is one of my all time favorite authors you know why? Because she makes me laugh so hard I tear up. This is one of the best stories I ever read and it sealed my fate as a die Hard Sandra Hill fan. Ok so here is a small description the heroine lady Alinor is an intelligent woman who's only misfortune is being born in the wrong time period when women had no rights and with two idiot brothers who relish in selling ahhh marrying her off to very old men about to die so that they can manage her estates after her husbands die oh and she is also not considered pretty which is why she isn't 'marriageable' to a young man.
The hero's, Tykir only misfortune is he is related to an overbearing cousin who's also a king. The King is suffering from a malady which he blames on a 'curse' that he says Lady Alinor placed on him when he was visiting a nunnery where lady Alinor was taking refuge from her idiot brothers he blackmails his cousin to fetch the lady to remove the curse. This story takes the reader on an adventure they will not soon forget.
The hero's, Tykir only misfortune is he is related to an overbearing cousin who's also a king. The King is suffering from a malady which he blames on a 'curse' that he says Lady Alinor placed on him when he was visiting a nunnery where lady Alinor was taking refuge from her idiot brothers he blackmails his cousin to fetch the lady to remove the curse. This story takes the reader on an adventure they will not soon forget.
June 19, 2010
Sandra Hill never ceases to amuse me and this one was no different. Tykir was both funny and bold and so masculine he makes you want to lick him. Our heroine, the Lady Alinor, is stubborn, fun and a strong lead. The fact that neither of them back down an inch is what starts many of their arguments but seeing as how their fights always get resolved the reader can't complain. As always, her side characters are so alive that they make you hate and love them just as much as the leads. Overall a definite favourite. Sandra Hill is still one of the only people who can make me touch a historical novel.
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