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daja57's review
3.0
Harald Sigurdson sets off a-viking in charge of his own ship. He travels to Ireland, seeking fabled treasure. Battles and adventures ensue. With a variety of companions including Haro, Radbard and Giant Grummoch, Harald's travels take him to Jebel Tarik (Gibraltar) and thence to Miklagard (the Viking name for Byzantium, also known as Constantinople, now Istanbul).
This is a classic picaresque except that the main character is not a humorous trickster who survives on his wits but a defiant fighter whose main strategy is to threaten and bluster. Strangely, this seems to work. He is, perhaps, a typical Viking hero but I found him charmless.
There is a great deal of action in this book which presumably appealed to the young me (I first read this book as a pre-teen). The chronology moves in spurts: some days are treated in great detail, in other places weeks pass in a paragraph. This made the narrative feel jumpy and the adult me thought that much of the story was treated superficially. This, combined with my adult reaction to the character, made me rather indifferent to the story.
But I loved it as a kid!
This is a classic picaresque except that the main character is not a humorous trickster who survives on his wits but a defiant fighter whose main strategy is to threaten and bluster. Strangely, this seems to work. He is, perhaps, a typical Viking hero but I found him charmless.
There is a great deal of action in this book which presumably appealed to the young me (I first read this book as a pre-teen). The chronology moves in spurts: some days are treated in great detail, in other places weeks pass in a paragraph. This made the narrative feel jumpy and the adult me thought that much of the story was treated superficially. This, combined with my adult reaction to the character, made me rather indifferent to the story.
But I loved it as a kid!
naaytaashreads's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
3.0
" Now the battered Vikings had no heart left for anything but to huddle close to each other, in whatever shelter they could find, which was little enough. Even the stoutest stomached of them had been sick, and not a man but was frozen until he could hardly speak."
I did not enjoyed the sequel as compared to the first one.
However Henry's writing continues to amaze me and get me suck into the story telling.
I actually do enjoy the journey Harald has to take in with this one.
I feel like this was the time for his character to grow, see and learn by himself.
The adventures he went through, the things he sees, the friends and enemies he made.
I actually enjoyed the second half of the book more.
The dialogue continues to intrigued me and I am glad for he met the giant again.
I did not enjoyed the sequel as compared to the first one.
However Henry's writing continues to amaze me and get me suck into the story telling.
I actually do enjoy the journey Harald has to take in with this one.
I feel like this was the time for his character to grow, see and learn by himself.
The adventures he went through, the things he sees, the friends and enemies he made.
I actually enjoyed the second half of the book more.
The dialogue continues to intrigued me and I am glad for he met the giant again.
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