The Waking of Angantyr by Marie Brennan
My Five Word TL:DR Review : An Old Norse Poem Reimagined
The Waking of Angantyr is based on a very old Norse poem that the author came across during her academic years. This reimagining clearly uses much of the original material but the author has taken a different path breathing new life into the story and delivering plenty of ‘blood and guts and vengeance’.
Now, firstly, I would say that this isn’t a soft and fluffy tale. The author promised blood and guts and she delivers on this aplenty. This is a saga set in a time and place that was harsh. Where Gods roamed amongst the common people and men and women longed to become heroes.
As the story begins we meet Hervor, a bondmaid on a less than prosperous homestead. Hervor isn’t the same as the other women she works alongside, she’s tall, strong and frequently given the heavy tasks, she’s not treated very well and has slowly come to the realisation that she will never be allowed to work off her ‘bond’ as is the custom. Hervor is cursed. She hears the voices of the dead and they’re frankly driving her crazy. When the opportunity to escape arises Hervor takes a chance, she needs to find a ‘blood’ witch to advise her how to help these ghosts to pass on. Without giving too much away, this will eventually become a tale involving vikings, witches, Gods, ghosts and treachery. Hervor will be tasked by her ancestors to avenge their deaths and more than that will be tasked by the Gods to help rid them of a vile sorcerer.
I will say that I love the way that Brennan writes such strong female characters who are frequently out of step with the period they have been born into. I mean, to be fair, I wouldn’t call Hervor an easy character to really fall in love with, but, this is a reflection of the period and her own determination to prove herself. She’s never been taught to fight or survive, she frequently feels fear but she doesn’t give up. I loved her persistence, she makes plenty of mistakes and this is her tragic story, tragic because her family suffered from deceit and treachery and were further burdened by a cursed sword – a sword that Hervor is about to take up.
What I really liked about this. The sense of place, the harshness of the environment and the general characteristics of the people. The period is really brought to life. The cold, the struggle to survive, the rush to weapons, violence is frequently the first response, life is cheap. Then we have the ghosts, the superstitions, the witches. And did I mention the vikings and the fact that Hervor manages to join them?
In some respects this is also a frustrating story. I did mention that Hervor’s family is cursed and this frequently works itself out in the form of death. So, becoming attached to people can be a fruitless endeavour. But this is a Norse saga. You have to pick this book up expecting tragedy and death -but also relentless heroics and strong willed characters determined to do the right thing. So, yes, frustrating, but in a way that feels relevant and natural to this particular story.
In reimagining this saga, Brennan has breathed new life into Hervor, making her story one of unbelievable courage. The writing is wonderful and there’s an almost cinematic quality to the descriptions of place and the events that unfold. I had just the easiest time imagining everything. I confess, I would like more tales from this period, I really enjoy the interactions with the Gods, the religion, the customs and the overall way of life with the relentless longing for deeds worthy of tall tales.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 4 of 5 stars
Can’t Wait Wednesday : The Waking of Angantyr by Marie Brennan
4 October 2023
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Can't Wait Wedesday, Marie Brennan, The Waking of Angantyr, Wishful Endings
“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly meme that was originally created by Breaking the Spine. Unfortunately Breaking the Spine are no longer hosting so I’m now linking my posts up to Wishful Endings Can’t Wait Wednesday. Don’t forget to stop over, link up and check out what books everyone else is waiting for. If you want to take part, basically, every Wednesday, we highlight a book that we’re really looking forward to. This week my book is: The Waking of Angantyr by Marie Brennan I was so happy and surprised when I saw that Marie Brennan had an upcoming release. By which I mean (because I can be a bit understated sometimes) I was totally thrilled. Here’s the cover and description:
From the bestselling author of A Natural History of Dragons comes a thrilling epic fantasy of treachery, lies and witchcraft.
The bondmaid Hervor is used to dead men whispering in her sleep. They’ve been doing it for as long as she can remember; it’s the living she has to watch out for. And when a new arrival at her holding triggers her into a berserker fury, she’s forced to flee the contract that enslaves her and into the arms of an uncertain future.
Unchained from the living, Hervor goes in search of a way to silence the dead, but it will take much more than grit and determination to make that happen. She’ll need the help of a ruthless Viking, an ailing jarl, a mad witch, and more―for the treachery that killed her ghosts isn’t nearly as dead as they are, and the path to peace must first traverse a river of blood.
Expected publication date: October 2023
Friday Face Off : a beast, something cuddly, or a fur covering
12 February 2021
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Books by Proxy, Friday Face off, Marie Brennan, Turning Darkness Into Light
Here we are again with the Friday Face Off meme created by Books by Proxy . This is a great opportunity to feature some of your favourite book covers. The rules are fairly simple each week, following a predetermined theme (list below) choose a book (this doesn’t have to be a book that you’ve read), compare a couple of the different covers available for that particular book and choose your favourite. Future week’s themes are listed below – if you have a cover in mind that you’re really wanting to share then feel free to leave a comment about a future suggested theme. I’ve also listed events that take place during the year, that I’m aware of, so you can link up your covers – if you’re aware of any events that you think I should include then give me a shout. This week’s theme:
Furry – a beast, something cuddly, or a fur covering
Sooooo, what was I thinking of with this one! Anyway, I did have a few covers that I could use but I’ve gone for a more recent read and a book that I know for certain I’ve not used before. Not to mention an author that I really like: Turning Darkness Into Light by Marie Brennan:
It’s down to colour choice more than anything with this one, plus, okay, these little suckers aren’t covered in fur, but, come on, they are cuddly, and they do grown into beasts. My favourite:
I’ve updated the list now to include themes for next year. If you know of an event that’s coming up let me know and I’ll try and include covers that work for the event itself so that you can link up to the Friday Face Off and, as always, if you wish to submit an idea then leave me a comment – or if you’d like to host a week then simply let me know. Also, I would just mention that it’s very possible that some of these might be repeats from previous FFOs although I have tried to invent more ‘open ended’ prompt that can be interpreted differently and also prompts that relate to emotions. Finally, don’t struggle with any of these, this is meant to be a fun way of highlighting books. If you can’t come up with a book you think fits for a particular week use a freebie – perhaps a recent read for example:
Next week – Serpentine – could be a snake, could be a snake-like font, could be a snakeskin style cover
2021
February
19th – Serpentine – could be a snake, could be a snake-like font, could be a snakeskin style cover
26th – A book with ‘Magic’ in the Title
March
5th – March is named for the Roman God of War – a Roman style cover or a cover with a God or Gods or simply a book about war
12th – Middle Grade – choose whatever pleases you
19th – Ruin or derelict, old and worn, could be the book itself, a building, a place
26th – A picture within a picture
April
2nd – A train or tram – travelling down the track, could be old style, futuristic, overhead, down below.
9th – Cartoonish or graphic
16th – I have to have it – a cover that gave you ‘grabby hands’
23rd – Your current read (if it has covers to compare) or any recent read
30th– A series that you love – highlight all the books in the series
May
Month of Wyrd and Wonder
7th – A Series where the cover changed midway through – which style do you prefer most
14th – The earliest fantasy you recall reading – or the first fantasy book you really loved, maybe the book that kickstarted your love of fantasy
21st – The Top Hat
28th – The Hood
June
4th – The nose boop – any animal, or human, with a close up shot.
11th – A cover that annoyed you and why
18th – Out of Perspective, or make you feel a bit dizzy
25th – Upside down, back to front or topsy turvy
July
2nd – A book with a landscape you’d like to visit
9th – A Wicked Grin
16th – Books with ‘book’ in the title
23rd – A Black Hole – could be in the universe or going deep into the ground
30th – Chaos – maybe too much going on in this one
August
6th – “They cluck their thick tongues, and shake their heads and suggest, os so very delicately!” – The Motel
13th – A favourite holiday read
20th – Dressed to kill (could be literally someone dressed to kill, or someone dressed up for a big night out
27th – Sunbathing or on the beach
September (RIP event)
3rd – 1920s feel, noir detective
10th – I’m Henry the Eighth I am – let’s look at Kings or other Emperors/rulers
17th – Books with ‘Murder’ in the title
24th – A favourite thriller
October
1st – A Halloween read
8th – Chills – anything at all that almost makes you too scared to pick up the book (your own pet hate)
15th – Your favourite book of magic
22nd – Books with ‘Queen’ in the title
29th – Must be gothic
November – Sci Fi Month
5th – Your earliest sci-fi read or the first sci-fi you reviewed
12th – A book with ‘star’ in the title
19th – Futuristic vista
26th – A Black Hole – in the universe or going deep into the ground
December
3rd – Windswept, the classic figure, stood majestically, with wind blowing out in a fetching way
10th – A fairytale retold
17th – Winter Solstice approaching – anything cold and seasonal
24th – All things fire – red hair, red covers, fire breathing dragons, simply fire?
31st – What’s your catnip – if it’s on a cover you have to pick it up
Driftwood by Marie Brennan
My TL:DR Five Word Review: My oh my. How unusual.
What a strange and strangely unique story this was. On the face of it, it’s a world with different countries colliding together and then shrinking before disappearing from existence completely. A story brought together by different inhabitants from all those countries recounting their own stories, all centering around one particular character, a character called Last who is known simply because he’s been around longer than anyone else. It’s an odd concept, this group of people sitting around recounting their own tales, it feels like a meeting of strangers at a funeral all sharing stories of the deceased, which is also kind of fitting when you consider that each of the worlds here are about to pop out of existence. And, at the same time as being a totally fictional place cram packed with imaginative and quirky details this can also be taken as an allegory, maybe of the history of the world or perhaps a look at disappearing civilisations. It’s not as though we haven’t discovered our share of civilisations that have become extinct and it’s a fascinating part of the world’s history and this particular book takes a look at the way stories are shared and passed down from one generation on to the next until finally they’re so fundamentally changed or parts of them completely forgotten that that particular time and place is eventually lost to us.
So, this story really highlights the way we tell our stories. Short story collections don’t usually work for me but this one did and that’s because it’s not a typical anthology, it’s a complete story told by a number of different people and in that respect it works very well. This is a world that contains multiple worlds, it’s like a collection of all the disappeared civilisations, an imagining that brings them together, jostling for position, almost like flotsam bobbing randomly upon the waves before being sucked into a vortex.
The writing is good, it’s crisp and there is no wastage. To be honest it surprised me that it pulled me into the story because it isn’t really character focused (although Last is the main thread throughout) and I do like my stories to be character led. It’s difficult to get to grips with the characters when they’re discovered in this way and yet I find myself in the strange position of liking Last and in fact I think he could totally be the star of his own show if the author decided to tell his story.
In terms of world building. Well, I had no problem picking this one up and running with it. It’s like if you imagine all the fairy tales ever told belonging to one world, like the Neverending Story, if you like, they’ve all come together for their last gasp before blinking out of existence. And like the Neverending Story there is no shortage of worlds and people – they’re not deeply dwelled upon but they are quite fascinating and sketched in a way that is entertaining and curious all at once.
In terms of criticisms. Well, I can imagine that this might not appeal to everyone in fact I’m the first to confess that when I started this I had that horrible sinking feeling that it simply wasn’t going to be my cup of tea. It certainly doesn’t follow a traditional format and in some respects it feels like a precursor to something else – I certainly hope so. It’s not a swords and sorcery style story, in fact it’s really not a traditionally told story at all – but I find that it worked for me on this particular occasion and even more so because of the style, creativity and ability to make me ponder. I like a good ponder.
Overall, I’d give this 4 out of 5 stars
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
Can’t Wait Wednesday : Driftwood by Marie Brennan
11 March 2020
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Can't wait Wednesday, Driftwood, Marie Brennan, Wishful Endings
“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly meme that was originally created by Breaking the Spine. Unfortunately Breaking the Spine are no longer hosting so I’m now linking my posts up to Wishful Endings Can’t Wait Wednesday. Don’t forget to stop over, link up and check out what books everyone else is waiting for. If you want to take part, basically, every Wednesday, we highlight a book that we’re really looking forward to. This week my book is : Driftwood by Marie Brennan. Shut the front door and give me this book, ahem, please. Pretty please even with cherries and sprinkles and cream.
Who is Last?
Fame is rare in Driftwood–it’s hard to get famous if you don’t stick around long enough for people to know you. But many know the guide, Last, a one-blooded survivor who has seen his world end many lifetimes ago. For Driftwood is a strange place of slow apocalypses, where continents eventually crumble into mere neighborhoods, pulled inexorably towards the center in the Crush. Cultures clash, countries fall, and everything eventually disintegrates.
Within the Shreds, a rumor goes around that Last has died. Drifters come together to commemorate him. But who really was Last? Lying liar, or heroic savior? A mercenary, a charlatan, a legend? A man, an immortal–perhaps even a god?
Discover Marie Brennan (The Memoirs of Lady Trent)’s incomparable Driftwood, a realm of fragments cohered into a myth that encompasses realities.
Due for publication: July 2020
Books and travelling with Lynn 