Sarah Broadhurst's view...
January 2010 Debut of the Month.
A really good yarn with constant changes of pace, action and drama as the Vikings sweep on England. It begins a trilogy of bloody and lusty adventures with a terrific hero. Wonderful escapist stuff.
Comparison: Bernard Cornwell, Conn Iggulden, Tim Severin.
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Synopsis
Raven: Blood Eye by Giles Kristian
For two years Osric has lived a simple life, apprentice to the mute old carpenter who took him in when others would have him cast out. But when Norsemen from across the sea burn his village they also destroy his new life, and Osric finds himself a prisoner of these warriors. Their chief, Sigurd the Lucky, believes the Norns have woven this strange boy's fate together with his own, and Osric begins to sense glorious purpose among this Fellowship of warriors. Immersed in the Norsemen's world and driven by their lust for adventure, Osric proves a natural warrior and forges a blood bond with Sigurd, who renames him Raven. But the Norsemen's world is a savage one, where loyalty is often repaid in blood and where a young man must become a killer to survive. When the Fellowship faces annihilation from ealdorman Ealdred of Wessex, Raven chooses a bloody and dangerous path, accepting the mission of raiding deep into hostile lands to steal a holy book from Coenwolf, King of Mercia. There he will find much more than the Holy Gospels of St Jerome. He will find Cynethryth, an English girl with a soul to match his own. And he will find betrayal at the hands of cruel men, some of whom he regarded as friends.
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Reviews
A gripping tale of action and treachery which splendidly conjures up the sounds, sights and smells of Dark Age Britain. It creates a believable world of men fighting, feasting and braving the sea, a time when the Christian and Norse gods were very real and very close in the thoughts of mankind. It leaves the reader keen for the sequel. Harry Sidebottom, author of Warrior of Rome Kristian's first novel is a rip-roaring viking saga in the glorious, blood-soaked tradition of Low's 'The Whale Road
and the Severin
'Viking'
trilogy. Raven is a complex, engaging hero, trying to carve a path through a world that is satisfyingly confusing while still retaining the bedrock of all good sagas: a woman to fight for
, a church treasure and a duplicitous priest. Fine, powerful, thrilling stuff! Manda Scott A powerful, lightning-paced tale of the Norsemen in England; an astonishing and riveting debut. Bernard Cornwell Plenty of interest for fans of Norse tales, with battles galore and the promise of more to come Daily Mail An unabashed carnival of bloodletting, betrayal and rough sex...Kristian has a knack for writing real blokes living their lives Daily Telegraph
About the Author
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Having Viking ancestors himself, Giles Kristian believes that the story of Raven has always been in his blood. Inspired by both his family history and his storytelling heroes, Bernard Cornwell and Conn Iggulden, Giles began writing this thrilling tale of an English boy’s coming of age amongst a band of marauding warriors from across the grey seas. Raven: Blood Eye was published to great acclaim and two further adventures have followed. Giles lives in Leicestershire where he writes full-time.
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Action / Adventure
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