In the wait for the return of Game of Thrones to our television sets Vikings has become one of my favourite series. Whether you watch it for the awesome fight scenes or just fancy watching for the buff-dudes with man-buns (not gunna lie that's half the appeal) there's a lot to love about this series. But the more I watch the more I wanted to discover about this fascinating ancient culture. From woman warriors to fascinating Gods and adventures of bloodlust, here are five books featuring Vikings stories you may want to check out.
Sea Road by Margaret Elphinstone. The story of an extraordinary woman Gudrid who recounts the exploration and discovery of the North Atlantic and North America. It is a world where the Old-Norse Gods are still called upon even as Christianity starts to gain favour. Gudrid recounts her story in richly haunting and atmospheric tones.
The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwall (Book #1 in The Saxon Stories/The Warrior Chronicles series) During the ninth century kingdom after English kingdom fell to the ruthless Danish invaders. Now the fate of England sits in one man's hands, the last remaining King. An epic adventure told from the eyes of a young warrior who straddles two worlds.
Blood Eye by Giles Kristian (Book #1 in the Raven series). Osric lives a simple life, apprentice to a mute carpenter who took him in when he no-where else to go. When Norsemen appear from across the sea and burn his village to the ground, Osric finds himself prisoner to these warriors. Their Cheif Sigurd believes Osric's fate is now interwoven with their own and he is taken in and renamed 'The Raven.' Osric is a natural warrior, but the Norse life is a brutal one where a young man must become a killer to survive.
Odinn's Child by Tim Severen. (Book #1 in the Viking series). Thorgils Leiffson is brought up on the shores of Greenland by a woman named Gudrug. Having inherited his mother's ability of second sight, Thorgils is also an intelligent and fast learning child whose mentors teach him the ancient ways and warn him of the invasion of Christ into their land of the 'Old Gods.' On the quest for adventure and wanderlust of his favoured god Odinn, Thorgil enters into a land of danger and discovery.
The Whale Road by Robert Low. Orm Rurikson becomes the newest unlikely member of the Fjord Elk, a warrior viking ship whose band of brothers ride the whale road in search of loot and plunder. Hired as relic hunters the 'Oathsworn' brothers are sent in search of a sword believed to have killed Christ. A tresure hunt that will lead them into deep and treacherous water.
Are you a Vikings fan?
No comments
Post a Comment