One of amazon.ca's 50 most essential Canadian books Guy Gavriel Kay's bestselling and most acclaimed novel yet is a powerful epic that evokes the Celtic, Anglo-Saxon, and Norse cultures of a thousand years ago. For generations, the Erlings of Vinmark have taken their dragon-prowed ships across the seas, raiding the lands of the Cyngael and Anglcyn peoples, leaving fire and death behind. But times change, and in a tale woven with consummate artistry, people of all three cultures find the threads of their lives ...
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One of amazon.ca's 50 most essential Canadian books Guy Gavriel Kay's bestselling and most acclaimed novel yet is a powerful epic that evokes the Celtic, Anglo-Saxon, and Norse cultures of a thousand years ago. For generations, the Erlings of Vinmark have taken their dragon-prowed ships across the seas, raiding the lands of the Cyngael and Anglcyn peoples, leaving fire and death behind. But times change, and in a tale woven with consummate artistry, people of all three cultures find the threads of their lives unexpectedly entwined. Making brilliant use of saga, song, and chronicle, Kay brings to life an unforgettable world balanced on the knife-edge of change.
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I am a huge fan of all of Kay's books that blend history and fantasy.They are what history would be if the the mythology were real. This book is no exception. If you love things Nordic and Celtic and Anglo-Saxon, this is the book for you. The characters are compelling and the story is utterly absorbing. I highly recommend this to lovers of historical fiction and light fantasy.
mbunce
Jan 8, 2008
Not a satisfying read for me.
I picked this book up on the recommendation of a list off of NPR. I've been stagnant in my fantasy lately and wanted to pick up something different from what I'm used to.
This book is set in a fantasy variety of Celts and Vikings. The setting is wholly to be compared to ancient Britain, France, and the old Roman Empire.
I didn't enjoy reading this book. The main problems for me were the lack of a hero I could cheer for. None of the characters were particularly heroic in my opinion and when I can't get into the characters I can't get into the book.
Also the narrative bounced around too much to where I'd just start to get into the story then the focus would change to another person or group of people. There were even a few times where the lives of very minor characters are described to their death then the story returns to its course.
The whole impression I got was that too much story tried to be told in too little space.
