I don't think we have had a book review in this blog before now. While I have read through enough books to be this close to getting kicked out of my house, I have not come across a fellowship like these Norsemen since the LOTR series. And I had to write about it!
How I found Raven: Blood Eye book:
I think it is only right to start at the beginning. I go to these once-a-year book sale, where they try to find new homes for already used books. I have come back from these sales with hoards as big as 9 to 14 kgs... all in books. I mostly delved into Stephen King or war or crime-based books and that was the plan when I went to the November 2023 sale. However, nothing felt interesting to me. I had 3 books in my hand and I had no conviction to spend my limited budget on them. Then, my wondering eyes fell on a book called Pirata by Simon Scarrow. I was like I anyway like Black Sails and Pirates of the Caribbean, might as well give it a try. And before I knew I had picked up a bunch of books from a genre that I wasn't familiar with reading. And that was how the first book of the series, Raven: Blood eye came home with me.
How I went on to read it:
I read Pirata first based on the thinking that if I don't like this one... I will not like any of them. I know. I know. They are not all same authors nor are the stories same. I fully agree. But when you plan on diving head-first into something unfamiliar you have to start at a place where your heart feels right and that was what I did. To my surprise... I went page by page with growing eagerness such that I didn't want to see Telemachus end his journey. However, every book has a last page. And when that day came, I had to follow the high I was feeling with another voyage.
Into the journey of Raven and the Norsemen in search of Silver and Fame:
When the author was explaining Abbotsend before Abbotsend's literal end, I thought this was a lost cause. I love reading through lines detailing the minutest of information required to complete the picture in the reader's mind (as any Stephen King enthusiasts would approve), but I felt it to be too slow of a start. That was until Sigurd (my second favorite character) landed with Serpent and Fjord Elk in the wee hours.
As I read on hooked tooth and nail in the voyage that the blood eye boy was making, I was wagering for him to be the death of the Norse Jarl. However, the author has a way with the characters presented that you have to either love them enough to enjoy their company (Sigurd, Olaf, Bram Bear, Svein the Red) or you have to despise them to the core (Asgot the Godi, Glum, and Ealdormen Eldred). To my surprise, Father Egrifth surely added to the pun. There are also mentions of ancient Norwegian Gods like Aesir, Frejya, and Odin (of course). Most of the time they are used in battle cries or in moments when man knows that he would need the hand of God to take the next breath. Nonetheless, they are also slickly thrown around in jokes.
The character build-ups and different sheildwall moments, surely had me excited and edged to see where things go. You promise your sword and accept the toils of a seafarer for silver and an opportunity to be in the tales of men long after you have joined your brothers at the mead table in Valholl waiting for the day of Ragnarök. But most of all, the humor of the Norseman and the comparison of everything to hairy ball sacks and smelly farts were what lighten the mood of a difficult and ruff seafarers life. You will feel as if you are there sitting on the sea chest on the Serpent listening to these men tossing around insults to humor the lashing of the sea.
What I loved the most in the Raven series:
As mentioned previously, LOTR holds a special place in my heart. For one major reason, the same reason why Frodo was able to complete his journey. The Loyalty of the men in the fellowship. The same could be observed amongst the Norsemen and their ever-growing oath brothers which saw Wessexmen, Danes, Blumen, and then Greeks in them. A rather odd litter as if it wasn't already eye-catching to have a Man of cloth and a teenage girl travel with men who spoke the language of sword and spears.
I often find myself drawn to the concept of Loyalty. If I had to mention a real-life event, I would say Band of Brothers by Stephen Ambrose book correctly portrays the brotherhood amongst men who joined the 101st Airborne Division for an extra 50 bucks. For those of you who are not aware of this war-based literature, it is based on real-life paratroopers. There is an HBO series under the same name.
Getting back to the topic of Loyalty a trait that is rare in today's day and age and people who live by this trait often find themselves fallen in some shrewd man's cunny. Hence, I enjoy it more in books where the narrative could be controlled by the narrator. And I'm glad that Raven and Sigurd's wyrds were roped together by the norns as that was one hell of a journey.
Not me completely ignoring the one female character in the series:
Do not be mistaken, there are plenty of mentions of women. However, Cynethryth (I'm pretty sure even after finishing 3 books, I have never taken her name correctly even once), or as I called her Cynth was the one female character consistently present from book 1. However, her turn for the dark due to what the sisters' did to her in Frankia kind of put me off from liking her character much. I wish she had a more powerful storyline since the men around her had storylines that outmuscled hers. Sköll was a nice touch though.
The character I liked the most:
Sigurd and Olaf are the duo holding second place but the first place... I must say there is some dark seidr on me because every one of my favorite character ends up dying in their storyline. Either the authors hate me or I'm just ill-fated. There are a bunch of deaths ("a bunch" is a massive understatement) that really hurts. But when your favorite character dies, that sometimes makes me want to stop reading with my head yelling "Is there no justice in the world?" And there isn't! Even after seeing the Golden city of Miklagard, Svein the Red had to die. Why sir? Please tell me, why? Couldn't he have made it through like Bjrani?
Ya, the big man who often got joked about how powerful his farts were and one of the first ones to warm up to Raven after Sigurd, was my favorite character. His character building was so warm and funny. How could I not like him? Rest in Peace Svein the Red.
I could go on writing about each character and every aspect that had me tied to this series but that would be way long. I would like to end by saying that this is a journey that every bookworm MUST make. As I still hear Bram Bear humoring others by pulling Svein's leg and sending a roaring laughter amongst the oath brothers of Jarl Sigurd.
