Scan barcode
cebege's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
yanailedit's review against another edition
3.5 rounded up. Expect graphic descriptions of wounds.
A story that successfully draws upon its inspiration, sources, and obligatory references. It can’t be an easy job to write for a giant franchise, but Kirby pulls it off very well and with a commendable amount of writing craft finesse. I would have loved this as a teenager.
If you know your Norse mythology, viking culture (the real historical and hotly debated deal, not the weird bullshit macho culture gets off on), skaldic traditions, and Tolkien, then this will be an enjoyable read that reminds you of all these inspirations often. I read it side by side with Crossley-Holland’s Norse Myths: great pair. Now I’m looking forward to rereading LoTR and digging into Children of Ash and Elm by N. Price, The Far Traveler and The Real Valkyrie by N. M. Brown.
Kirby’s pacing is steady (to the point where I wish he would stretch the suspenseful lulls more for some needed drama) and his characters are likable. Still, I wish a bit more of Geirmund had been dug into, but that’s ok.
It was cool to see Eivor and she was characterized well; perhaps the only time she didn’t come across the way you would have expected her to was the last time she is seen in the novel, but I can appreciate why that had to be that way.
Overall my expectations were way lower and I ended up having a wee trip down reading nostalgia lane.
A story that successfully draws upon its inspiration, sources, and obligatory references. It can’t be an easy job to write for a giant franchise, but Kirby pulls it off very well and with a commendable amount of writing craft finesse. I would have loved this as a teenager.
If you know your Norse mythology, viking culture (the real historical and hotly debated deal, not the weird bullshit macho culture gets off on), skaldic traditions, and Tolkien, then this will be an enjoyable read that reminds you of all these inspirations often. I read it side by side with Crossley-Holland’s Norse Myths: great pair. Now I’m looking forward to rereading LoTR and digging into Children of Ash and Elm by N. Price, The Far Traveler and The Real Valkyrie by N. M. Brown.
Kirby’s pacing is steady (to the point where I wish he would stretch the suspenseful lulls more for some needed drama) and his characters are likable. Still, I wish a bit more of Geirmund had been dug into, but that’s ok.
It was cool to see Eivor and she was characterized well; perhaps the only time she didn’t come across the way you would have expected her to was the last time she is seen in the novel, but I can appreciate why that had to be that way.
Overall my expectations were way lower and I ended up having a wee trip down reading nostalgia lane.
dparty6's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
k4iiden's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
notarobot's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
loxleyhall's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
booknotes_athina's review
3.0
The book is set in the world of Assassin's Creed Valhalla and we follow the story of Geirmund Hel-Hide, who is a legendary Viking. I enjoyed reading this book. Books set in the Assassin's Creed universe are my favourites since they are always action-packed and sometimes they feel like reading a historical fiction book instead of a game novelization.
It is a nice Viking story with many battle scenes and a lot of travelling. One thing that I didn't like is the fact that there is no mention of Assassins anywhere in the book. There is a slight mention of Templars without mentioning their name and that's it. I wish we had seen more of it.
astoriasrequiem's review against another edition
4.0
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.
thelittlebookishnerd's review against another edition
5.0
I was instantly hooked! The world-building and character development were great. I felt like I was on an epic journey with Geirmund and his war-band. The battle scenes were descriptive for the action and energy, but not overly gory.
I am a fan of the Assassin's Creed franchise, but I'm not able to play the games because of a physical disability. Geirmund's Saga let me be immersed in the world and I loved it. You don't need to know the Assassin's Creed games to enjoy it. I highly recommend Geirmund's Saga to Assassin's Creed fans, but also fans of the Vikings era.
Thank you to NetGalley and Aconyte Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I am a fan of the Assassin's Creed franchise, but I'm not able to play the games because of a physical disability. Geirmund's Saga let me be immersed in the world and I loved it. You don't need to know the Assassin's Creed games to enjoy it. I highly recommend Geirmund's Saga to Assassin's Creed fans, but also fans of the Vikings era.
Thank you to NetGalley and Aconyte Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
nightwing's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
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.
More...