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Raknar: The Northman
The heart of a Northman beats only for more blood.
Heir to the Bear Clan of Valheim, young Raknar anticipates the day he will become chief and lead his clan across the sea to pillage foreign shores. When his village is sacked, his clan put to the sword, Raknar must forge a new destiny, alone.
Captured during a raid on the Kingdom of Acheron, Raknar is enslaved by the diabolical Queen Zakara. She forces him to fight as a gladiator in the pits, but her true interest in Raknar lies in the fulfillment of a dark prophecy that will provide her an heir and unlock unworldly power.
Escaping to the exotic land of Byzantia, Raknar steals to survive, captures the heart of Princess Yabala, and is banished by the emperor for his impudence. Unable to win Yabala’s hand, he becomes a raider on the steppes, certain he will never see her again. But the gods have other plans for him. When Raknar learns that Queen Zakara has kidnapped Princess Yabala, Raknar must return to the dungeons of Acheron to face the queen and her fell sorceries once and for all.
The Northman is the first stand-alone novel set in the gritty Hystoria fantasy world.
This book contains graphic violence, profanity, and sexual content. It is intended for a mature audience. Reader discretion is advised.
Heir to the Bear Clan of Valheim, young Raknar anticipates the day he will become chief and lead his clan across the sea to pillage foreign shores. When his village is sacked, his clan put to the sword, Raknar must forge a new destiny, alone.
Captured during a raid on the Kingdom of Acheron, Raknar is enslaved by the diabolical Queen Zakara. She forces him to fight as a gladiator in the pits, but her true interest in Raknar lies in the fulfillment of a dark prophecy that will provide her an heir and unlock unworldly power.
Escaping to the exotic land of Byzantia, Raknar steals to survive, captures the heart of Princess Yabala, and is banished by the emperor for his impudence. Unable to win Yabala’s hand, he becomes a raider on the steppes, certain he will never see her again. But the gods have other plans for him. When Raknar learns that Queen Zakara has kidnapped Princess Yabala, Raknar must return to the dungeons of Acheron to face the queen and her fell sorceries once and for all.
The Northman is the first stand-alone novel set in the gritty Hystoria fantasy world.
This book contains graphic violence, profanity, and sexual content. It is intended for a mature audience. Reader discretion is advised.
314 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 21, 2022
9 people are currently reading
9 people want to read
About the author
Ryan W. Aslesen
36 books71 followersRyan Aslesen is a bestselling author based out of Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a former Marine officer, veteran of the War on Terror, and a graduate of Presentation College and American Military University. His military and work experience have made him one of the premier writers of military science fiction and fantasy. His bestselling Crucible and War's Edge series are highly regarded for their authenticity, explosive action, and military realism. When not writing or out protecting the world, you will find him spending quality time with his family.
Get a free ebook and sign up to receive exclusive content and updates at: www.ryanaslesen.com
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 6, 2023
I need more!!
This new series by Aslesen is my favorite!! This new cast of characters and far-off lands has everything! And I mean EVERYTHING!!! Suspense, action, romance, drama, and a dragon! I need more....when's the next book due out??!
This new series by Aslesen is my favorite!! This new cast of characters and far-off lands has everything! And I mean EVERYTHING!!! Suspense, action, romance, drama, and a dragon! I need more....when's the next book due out??!
May 2, 2023
This was my first time reading Ryan W. Aslesen, and I was impressed. The story line is grim and quite bloody, with non stop action. I would recommend it for fans of swords and sorcery.
September 24, 2022
Huzzah! Come, let us away to the bard who doth wax with dulcet tones. Alas, tonight we shall gather 'round the torrid hearth whilst bard Aslesen spins the most epic of yarns. Sprung forth from the loins of Northmen past, our hero Raknar doth never disappoint. Valiant warrior, consummate leader, ardent lover, pertinacious survivor, these are but precious few of our hero's attributes. So tonight, yes tonight, we lend the bard our ears and invoke the Muse to inspire our bard's imagination that, as a mighty steed dost carry onward, our bard may likewise relay the epic tale. Another drink, wench!
"Raknar: The Northman" is a 2022 release by Ryan Aslesen. This novel marks the author's first foray into the world of fantasy, in what I hope will become well-trodden soil in future books. The novel works well as a standalone but will leave you hungry for a (hopefully forthcoming) follow-up.
Though the author puts his own spin on it, the story of Raknar is a familiar one: the hero's journey. I can't really sum it up any better than the book's own back-cover synopsis other than to say the story is an intriguing mix of Conan, Spartacus, and Game of Thrones. With "Raknar: The Northman," Ryan Aslesen has created his own fantasy tour de force. In this new fictional world, violence, viscera, vice, sex, and magick abound. Raiding and thievery are the way of the world, and the fighting man is society's ideal specimen. The blood-soaked soil of Hystoria is fertile ground for the undying imagination of its creator. Raknar is pure awesomeness - and pure Aslesen.
It's cool to see all the traits we love about Aslesen's other works find their way into a fantasy novel. I've certainly never read any fantasy as hard-boiled as "Raknar," so in that way, the novel very easily finds its niche. The tone of War's Edge and Crucible translate surprisingly well to this very different setting, something of which I was dubious before reading the book; but, alas, I was proven wrong.
Many fantasy novels that tell a story as epic and far-reaching as "Raknar" are easily twice or thrice the length of Aslesen's book (looking at you, Robert Jordan and Patrick Rothfuss!). I appreciate economy of storytelling that Aslesen employs. He proves you can tell an epic tale without the bloat. However, the story feels a little disjointed. So much time gets cut out of the narrative that you sometimes feel jerked through the story, and don't get ample time to luxuriate in the world or get to know the characters. I would also argue that Raknar is not the author's most interesting character. In many ways, Raknar is similar to the alpha-male protagonists from the author's other books but seems a little more flimsily constructed. Like Conan the Barbarian, Raknar has a penchant for violence and sex, but there isn't much to say beyond that. While the events that happen to Raknar are interesting, he just kind of embraces the suck and tries to get even. I felt the supporting characters were actually the most interesting. In particular, Sir Aldric, Yabala, Zia, Mortas, and Zakara are all very well done. Hopefully, some of these characters will play a part in future books.
"Raknar" is well-written, with an enjoyable literary flair that works well within the genre. It's nice to see Aslesen bring his substantial writing chops to bear on something very different from the rest of his oeuvre. Vocabulary, turns of phrase, and period patois were all very well done. Dialogue was similarly effective, with a coarse elegance.
Cognoscenti will agree that "Raknar: The Northman" is 300 pages of the most exciting fantasy you'll ever read. With this successful new venture Aslesen proves he can run with the best in any genre and there is no literary land he cannot conquer. How exciting to be living in the Aslesian Epoch! Long live the King!
"Raknar: The Northman" is a 2022 release by Ryan Aslesen. This novel marks the author's first foray into the world of fantasy, in what I hope will become well-trodden soil in future books. The novel works well as a standalone but will leave you hungry for a (hopefully forthcoming) follow-up.
Though the author puts his own spin on it, the story of Raknar is a familiar one: the hero's journey. I can't really sum it up any better than the book's own back-cover synopsis other than to say the story is an intriguing mix of Conan, Spartacus, and Game of Thrones. With "Raknar: The Northman," Ryan Aslesen has created his own fantasy tour de force. In this new fictional world, violence, viscera, vice, sex, and magick abound. Raiding and thievery are the way of the world, and the fighting man is society's ideal specimen. The blood-soaked soil of Hystoria is fertile ground for the undying imagination of its creator. Raknar is pure awesomeness - and pure Aslesen.
It's cool to see all the traits we love about Aslesen's other works find their way into a fantasy novel. I've certainly never read any fantasy as hard-boiled as "Raknar," so in that way, the novel very easily finds its niche. The tone of War's Edge and Crucible translate surprisingly well to this very different setting, something of which I was dubious before reading the book; but, alas, I was proven wrong.
Many fantasy novels that tell a story as epic and far-reaching as "Raknar" are easily twice or thrice the length of Aslesen's book (looking at you, Robert Jordan and Patrick Rothfuss!). I appreciate economy of storytelling that Aslesen employs. He proves you can tell an epic tale without the bloat. However, the story feels a little disjointed. So much time gets cut out of the narrative that you sometimes feel jerked through the story, and don't get ample time to luxuriate in the world or get to know the characters. I would also argue that Raknar is not the author's most interesting character. In many ways, Raknar is similar to the alpha-male protagonists from the author's other books but seems a little more flimsily constructed. Like Conan the Barbarian, Raknar has a penchant for violence and sex, but there isn't much to say beyond that. While the events that happen to Raknar are interesting, he just kind of embraces the suck and tries to get even. I felt the supporting characters were actually the most interesting. In particular, Sir Aldric, Yabala, Zia, Mortas, and Zakara are all very well done. Hopefully, some of these characters will play a part in future books.
"Raknar" is well-written, with an enjoyable literary flair that works well within the genre. It's nice to see Aslesen bring his substantial writing chops to bear on something very different from the rest of his oeuvre. Vocabulary, turns of phrase, and period patois were all very well done. Dialogue was similarly effective, with a coarse elegance.
Cognoscenti will agree that "Raknar: The Northman" is 300 pages of the most exciting fantasy you'll ever read. With this successful new venture Aslesen proves he can run with the best in any genre and there is no literary land he cannot conquer. How exciting to be living in the Aslesian Epoch! Long live the King!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews