There's more to Vikings than beards, blood, and axes - Snorri Kristjansson gives you
the whole package. * Mark Lawrence, bestselling author of Prince of Fools *
[A] rousing Viking-themed historical fantasy . . . Kristjansson's sprawling cast of colorful characters and eye for historical detail lend this story gratifying verisimilitude * Publishers Weekly *
Very
engaging -
very vibrant and realistic . . . an
action-filled book with a
heart-stopping plot and
adrenalin-fuelled battle scenes. 9.8/10 * Fantasy-Faction *
The world feels
real and
lived in . . . Kristjansson's
humour is woven throughout the book in
subtle, yet fantastic ways . . . just about
everything you'd want in
an epic fantasy novel. an almost
unforgettable Viking saga . . . Kristjansson is
a force in the genre to be reckoned with. * Bookworm Blues *
A debut novel [that] has
blown me away. The writing is so self-assured, I was
gripped from beginning to end. I'm
a little bit in awe, but rest assured I'll be keeping an eye out for this author's next novel.
Highly recommended * The Eloquent Page *
Very much in the vein
of David Gemmell, it's
a Viking fantasy with a style not
unlike Joe Abercrombie. The prose is
quick, accomplished and action-packed. The actual action sequences here are literally breath-taking . . .
Swords of Good Men would make a brilliant action film * Wilders Book Review *
Fans of Gemmell will devour Kristjansson's books
* Spec on Spec Fiction *
The characters are
so realistic and captivating - recommend it to anyone who likes to read
a good Viking story. * Night Owl *
Kristjansson's writing was very similar to
Nathan Hawke's and
David Gemmell's -
there is no fluff. But, more like Hawke than Gemmell, Kristjansson
writes the violence with
gory detail, making the
action very fun to read - the kind of stuff you'd see on History's new show, Vikings * A Bitter Draft *
A
cracking yarn, (one that would make a great movie), filled with enough to satisfy any fan of Vikings and their mythology. The battle scenes are
a beauty to read;
chaotic, frenetic, gory, and not always with the expected outcome, they should
appeal to fans of heroic fantasy . . . leaves the reader
hungry for more * Starburst *
Sets a
scorching pace, is
packed with breathtaking action scenes, throws some
unexpected twists in there and ends with
a spectacular battle and an ending I didn't see coming. A strong debut that will please fans of Vikings, mythology, strategy and action * Draumr Kopa *
He keeps the
action pretty tight, gruesome and bloody . . .
great characterization and
an interesting world . . . Snorri Kristjansson has pulled off
a great feat with his writing * The Book Plank *
Kristjansson's
characterisation is outstanding. If you like
David Gemmell, you'll also like Kristjansson . . . He's not scared of a
body count, and he's not afraid of a good
old-fashioned cliff-hanger. His characterisation and world-building are hard to fault, and the
clash of Gods within the novel is captivating * Zoe Markham *
If you like
historical fiction and if you LOVE your
battles and blood - may the ending
surprise you as much as it did me * Fantasy Guide *
A
raucous and
gripping adventure * ZVAB.com *
There are plenty of
excellently realised and
memorable characters here. There are warriors and witches and where there are
warriors and witches, there will be warfare. There are
axes, broadswords and narrow escapes. Swords of Good Men is just about
everything you could possibly want and then some, from a
novel about the Vikings . . . this IS different. It's
powerful,
wonderfully imagined and
presented and I've got to admit; it feels like the
real thing * Speesh Reads *
A
decent, bloody, action-filled fictional Viking story. It has plenty of interesting elements:
Old Gods and
superstition, the
White Christ and
black magic,
berserkers and
assassins,
raiders and
outlaws, healers and
poisoners,
blood and
longships . . . you get the picture * The Half-Strung Harp *
A
brilliant, fast-paced debut . . . Snorri Kristjansson
brings something amazing to the tapestry of modern fantasy fiction - the
events, characters and world will stay with you whenever you're not reading. A
perfect book to pick up if all your fantasy fiction reads have started to feel like variations of the same book. * Spec On Spec Fic *
An
impressive debut and an
engrossing tale that
really shouldn't be missed. Recommended. * Speculative Book Review *
A
blood great Viking tale. Snorri manages to construct
an amazing fantasy novel which sets up a hopefully long series. Not for those afraid of blood (or Christians). * Pip's Book Reviews *
A fabulous debut and a gripping read, which I enjoyed so much I found myself putting off reading the final pages because I didn't want it to end. More please!
* Fantastical Librarian *
A
blistering debut novel. The Valhalla Saga
quickly had me hooked . . . the mix of
Viking lore, war and sorcery very appealing. * Geek Planet Online *
A terrific novel. If I had to sum it up in one word, that word would be "visceral". Kristjansson doesn't pad his book with fluff. In less than 300 pages, he manages to pack more story in than most writers. The battle scenes are choreographed with an eye to detail while still keeping the big picture in focus. You can hear the clang of iron on shield and the screams of the dying, feel the grip of the weapon slick with blood, smell the gore and offal, and experience the fear and betrayal.
* Adventures Fantastic *
There is a lot of
politics, gore, religious debate, love, and
much more. A
complex and page-turner of a plot. It's
brutal and bloody and gritty! It
rules! If you like
action,
Vikings, a bit of
blood, a slight spot of
magic and
complex plots, then get a hold of this. * Book Geek Says *
'A blistering debut novel ... the mix of Viking lore, war and sorcery very appealing' Geek Planet Online. * Geek Planet Online *
'A fabulous debut and a gripping read ... I didn't want it to end' Fantastical Librarian. * Fantastical Librarian *
'A very interesting and exciting story that was hard to put down. 5 stars!' Night Owl Sci-Fi. * Night Owl Sci-Fi *
'An action-filled book with a heart stopping plot and adrenaline fuelled battle scenes. 10 stars' Fantasy Faction. * Fantasy Faction *
'An impressive debut and an engrossing tale that really shouldn't be missed' Speculative Book Review. * Speculative Book Review *
'It's something new both stylistically and subject-wise (fantasy-lite Vikings written by one of their descendants), and certainly if your fantasy reading is starting to feel a bit samey you should give this one a go' Mark Lawrence, author of
Prince of Thorns. * Mark Lawrence *