An hour or two into Viking Warrior and I’m thinking, “Oh great, just another hero’s journey adaptation with a 15 year-old protagonist.”
After the recent successes of countless mediocre YA novels with similar MOs I was not expecting much.
I just finished listening to the book and I have to say that I was wrong to have judged the book so harshly before completing it. I was absolutely right to peg it as a hero’s tale but that’s not terrible. Lots of good stories are hero’s tales.
Setting: This is a new environment for me, I haven’t reach any Viking historical fiction and thought it would be a bit of fun. After all, many of the books we read take place in distant lands that sound a lot like England. I enjoyed the setting because it forced me to consider how life in northern Europe in the Middle Ages must have differed from England and France.
Characters: The main character of the story is a young boy who has his life flipped upside down. The boy is tossed into a situation with a experienced mentor to guide him through the transition he has just made in his life. He grows to love the mentor but his time with the mentor is ultimately cut short. This is the story of Harry Potter and Dumbledore. Or is it Ender Wiggin and Mazer Rackham? Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi? Or is it ______ and ______? This was the only part of the story I didn’t like; the main characters were very formulaic in nature.
Story: I enjoyed the story. It was engaging, exciting and unexpected. The characters were put through many unique situations where I had to ask myself, “is this historically accurate?” because I didn’t believe it could be. The combat was detailed, intense and fast paced. Great story and a great set up for a series. Spolier alert: it’s a Viking version of the Count of Monte Cristo.
Narrator: This is my first time listening to a book read by Jeff Hays. In the beginning (when I was skeptical) I thought his voice wasn’t deep enough for the men and it was too deep for the women. However, as I continued to listen he won me over. He did a great job of keeping the story engaging and exciting and reflecting the tone of each scene in his reading. He is a good narrator and I look forward to listening to his future work.
All in all, I recommend Viking Warrior for the historical fiction fan who is interested in a fun Viking adventure.