Series Review - The Viking's Trilogy (Odinn's Child, Sworn Brother, and King's Man) by Tim Severin (Age 16+ - 10/10 stars)
Review by Rebecca WilsonIf you are fascinated by the subject of Vikings you should check out Rebecca's blog at: http://www.soulchaserbecky.blogspot.com/
And if you would like to read about more Norse Fantasy Rebecca has written a guide for us here: The Fantasy Guide to Norse Fantasy
I class this fantastic trilogy as essentially a fictional bible to the world of the Vikings and their era of the dark ages. I say this because you are introduced to the world right at the height of the Vikings strength and shown through many adventures how far their influence reaches across the globe, how strong their presence is felt at key battles and how much of an impact they have made on people from all kinds of countries defining history in battle as well as trade. The detail is so rich yet finely woven into a story it is like the best Viking history lesson on earth, you have so much fun following the characters on their travels, encounters and experiences you don't realise how much you learn and how many stereotypes and disbeliefs are shattered until you reach the glorious end. This trilogy really is a MUST READ for any fan of the era and of the great Viking people.
It starts with the character of Thorgils Leifsson in the year 999ad just at the beginning when Vikings begin to make a climactic presence upon the lands of Anglo-Saxons. But the journey with Thorgils doesn't begin there for you follow him as he grows up under various mentors to Iceland, Greenland and even Vinland (North America) before he is swept back to Ireland and caught up in a great and mighty battle.
When he escapes he finds himself in Dark Age London and enthralled in the presence of Aelfgifu, wife of Knut the Great, rule of England. Of course this affair is doomed and he flees to return to his friends in Iceland only to meet up with the great legendary Grettir the strong where he gets caught up in Grettir's famous legend of isolation, curses and out-laws. Alone agin Thorgils travels further North West into the land of early Russia and follows a great river which will lead him to Miklagard, the mighty trading city. His experience there then lures him to Constantinople (early Istanbul) and the Holy Roman Empire.
Finally finding friends once more and creating some kind of home Thorgils joins the elite Varangian lifeguard, the protectors of the Holy Roman Emperor himself and under the leadership of the mighty Harald Sigurdsson. Thorgils and his fellow guard warriors using brutal cunning to defend the Byzantine ships from Arab pirates and he soon joins the campaign to recover Sicily from the Saracens. When Harald Sigurdsson is finally declared King of Norway, Thorgils is given a secret mission to as an emissary of alliance to Duke William of Normandy to coordinate an invasion of England! Yet a dream warns Thorgils of the Dukes treacherous ways and he must travel undetected through England to warn Harald before the ultimate defeat of the Vikings at Stanford Bridge.
About Rebecca
Want to adventure throught the lands of the Vikings? The height of the Vikings is an amazing period of time and there is a lot of great fiction that is based on historical facts from that period and place. Rebecca Wilson has written a guide to the genre and to some of the best works in the genre.If you are fascinated by the subject of Vikings you should check out her blog at: http://www.soulchaserbecky.blogspot.com/
You can follow her on Twitter @soulchaserbecky.
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