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God of Vengeance The Rise of Sigurd 1 Giles Kristian 9780593066188 Books

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God of Vengeance The Rise of Sigurd 1 Giles Kristian 9780593066188 Books

Giles Kristian's novel, God of Vengeance, is a gripping tale that had me hooked from the first page. The story centers on Sigurd, a young warrior whose family is betrayed and killed by their own king. Left with a few loyal friends and a bag of hack silver, Sigurd must find a way to gather a war band capable of taking on his powerful enemies and avenge his family. In other words, he must achieve the seemingly impossible.

The plot moved quickly and rarely slowed. But as much as it kept me entertained, the characters truly made the story. Kristian's character descriptions felt true and interesting. Though there were many to keep track of, each felt unique and memorable. Their often humorous interaction was the perfect balance to the savageness of the mission they shared. At times, they reminded me of the characters in The Dirty Dozen -- misfits and outcasts all, but with a courageousness that was at once intriguing, endearing and sad. By the climax of the novel, I was thoroughly invested in their success, and a bit depressed when one of them fell to the sword.

I look forward to following Sigurd and his merry band of misfits through even more well-told adventures!


Tags : God of Vengeance: The Rise of Sigurd 1 [Giles Kristian] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. <b>The author of the bestselling Raven </i>saga returns to recount the early days of Sigurd and his Fellowship in a thrilling Viking tale of honour,Giles Kristian,God of Vengeance: The Rise of Sigurd 1,Bantam Press,0593066189,Fiction Historical

God of Vengeance The Rise of Sigurd 1 Giles Kristian 9780593066188 Books Reviews

Excellent historical novel about Sigurd, young "Viking" son & brother whose family is murdered by treachery. His sister is taken during the raid on their home. He vows to rescue his sister and take vengeance for his family's murders.The story is about this journey, the people he meets along the way his development as a leader.
The author has done his homework and researched the period and culture of the characters. There's plenty of detail to hold one's interest and desire to read the 2nd novel in the series.
I had to force myself to finish the book. It was violent, gory and had a lot of action but somehow I was bored with it. I didn’t see any originality in the plot, the writing was not exciting and I was not engaged. I frankly didn’t care much for the black and white characters that were more of the caricatures then real people.
I thought the Story was good. The book paid attention to historical details. The description of the scenery was vivid. I read the whole thing and was satisfied with the ending.

I thought the characters were interesting, but somewhat cliched. There was the huge, but sweet and big hearted warrior, the craggy warrior, who was literally the uncle who did not lead but was always scolding. Then the hero--young but forceful and smart. But I didn't feel like I really knew them. Even Sigurd seemed two dimensional and generic. Perhaps if there had been more dialog beyond them exchanging good natured insults about each other's lack hygiene and bodily functions.

I also tended to skip through many pages that covered short periods of time but seemed bogged down in detail that did nothing to advance the story or reveal anything interesting about the characters .

Sigurd, the hero was remarkably boring. He did many interesting things, but for some reason I felt no affection for him and he didn't have a lot personality.

I am a big fan of Cornwell's Saxon chronicles, and I can see its influence in this book. But those books sparkle with many unique and fascinating characters.

I won't say don't read it. If you like complicated and bloody fight scenes, there are many of them.
A reasonably well written Viking tale, with a story plot that is a bit slow in its flow but not overly tedious.

If I have a complaint it's that there are too many Norse phrases or words. I am not well versed in all the old references, so have no idea whether these are the author's creation or well-established words. Over time you figure out what they mean, but initially they may be confusing. Likewise following names can become somewhat difficult. Perhaps this was all for authenticity, but trying to keep all the characters straight can also be trying.

That said, the book held my attention enough to push through to the finish without my usual skipping about reading several books at the same time. That in me is a mark that the book was interesting enough and flowed well enough that I stayed with it to the end rather than skip about to other books. Normally I read 2-3 books at a time, moving from one to the next when I get tired of one. There are important books to read but they can't keep me continually engaged; I just get tired. History can be like that sometimes.

Finally, I may be a bit harsh in the rating. I would in reality have made this about a 3.5 star book, but such a rating doesn't exist.
Sigurd, the youngest son of a viking lord, is the lone survivor of his clan and embarks on a rough odyssey of vengeance on those powerful men who betrayed his father and slaughtered his kin. He gathers unlikely shield companions and sets on his murderous path with grim resolve. The author has done his research and plunges readers into a very authentic scandinavian saga rich with mythological imagery, hard-edged humor, powerful sentiments and relentless action. Looking forward to the next book in the series!
This is a good Viking book. The author has a keen understanding of Norse history, culture, religion, language and warfare, and he manages to convey it all through a compelling, yet fairly predictable, story. In fact, there's so much authenticity in this book, that I don't see how someone who's not a Vikingphile could manage to penetrate it. My favorite element of the book was the dialogue and how Kristian captures the Norsemen's fatalistic sense of humor. I liked how the characters were constantly quipping, insulting each other and egging each other on. Their personalities seemed true to modern Scandinavian people I have known, except with the Viking-age brutality added back in. I felt like I got to know most of Sigurd's crew and I felt invested in their respective fates.

My only complaints are that the story-line is basically another variation on the coming of age/revenge tale and the main antagonists are not very developed.
Giles Kristian's novel, God of Vengeance, is a gripping tale that had me hooked from the first page. The story centers on Sigurd, a young warrior whose family is betrayed and killed by their own king. Left with a few loyal friends and a bag of hack silver, Sigurd must find a way to gather a war band capable of taking on his powerful enemies and avenge his family. In other words, he must achieve the seemingly impossible.

The plot moved quickly and rarely slowed. But as much as it kept me entertained, the characters truly made the story. Kristian's character descriptions felt true and interesting. Though there were many to keep track of, each felt unique and memorable. Their often humorous interaction was the perfect balance to the savageness of the mission they shared. At times, they reminded me of the characters in The Dirty Dozen -- misfits and outcasts all, but with a courageousness that was at once intriguing, endearing and sad. By the climax of the novel, I was thoroughly invested in their success, and a bit depressed when one of them fell to the sword.

I look forward to following Sigurd and his merry band of misfits through even more well-told adventures!