Customer Reviews

Legend of the Last Vikings - Taklamakan

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Author John Halsted invites the reader to step into an adventure, packed with history, action, and drama. It's the end of the Viking age as the mysterious journey takes us along the silk route into China's notorious desert, where you may enter, but may not leave. A Viking saga introduces us to ancient people, hidden kingdoms, and lost tribes. A place where love blossoms, and danger becomes more intense as the Viking crew continue to travel. I highly recommend "Legend Of The Last Vikings: Taklamakan" to all those who enjoy historical adventures, combined with mystery, and action. As the journey continues across the European steppe, conflict, evil, and battle waits for the diverse crew. What are the Vikings up against, and do they find what they are looking for? Who will survive in a city that's ready to die? Who are the Lang Ren, and do they survive? Does the Viking crew find the answers to their questions, and who will win the battle? The story becomes a Masterpiece that is nothing short of 'a triumph.' The reader will experience an Adrenaline Rush as suspense and unstoppable action explode page-after-page in a world that's filled with romance, greed, and betrayal. Has the final clue to the Viking's quest been uncovered, and what plan do they have for the thieves and criminals? The author created a searing drama of courage in a shattering emotional experience you will never forget. This novel is filled with as much action as THE PATRIOT, and is as dramatic as DANCES WITH WOLVES, with Kevin Costner.

Wow... thank you so much for a fantastic book. Finished it last night after a marathon of reading it. After reading Cornwell, Giles Kristian, Robert Low & Tim Severin's viking sagas + a few others, I must say that your fantastic saga was a refreshing one in the way it was written, the story so unlike any of the others but still soo breathtaking, fun and interessting. I truly loved every second of it, found your alternate ending today which already printed out. My better half will just have to deal with me nosing down in the saga once again tonight :-)

I give 3 stars for above average to good, four for an extra good book, and five for exceptionally fantastic.

I thought this book was fantastic. The author did a great job of telling an unusual story, bringing to life the main character and his thoughts through his travels. There were several passages that I felt were well put and interestingly insightful -somewhat poetic and philisophical for the situation and time period - but not overpowering and demanding of too much intellect. I'm sorry for that description, but it just seemed to flow! Our hero had a sense of humor and character... someone I would have have enjoyed meeting.

Also, the cities, people and regions he traveled were well described. I found myself going to the internet to research history. When that happens, I know I have been drawn in - it has "Kindled" more than simply reading.

This is one of those books I would enjoy reading again... and would enjoy reading a follow-up to.

Wow... thank you so much for a fantastic book. Finished it last night after a marathon of reading it. After reading Cornwell, Giles Kristian, Robert Low & Tim Severin's viking sagas + a few others, I must say that your fantastic saga was a refreshing one in the way it was written, the story so unlike any of the others but still soo breathtaking, fun and interesting. I truly loved every second of it
I have just found your alternate ending today which I have already printed out. My better half will just have to deal with me nosing down in the saga once again tonight.
Odd Helge Gundersen

This really could have been a good yarn.

Unfortunately, it is in desperate need of a decent editor. Poor spelling and incorrect usage abound, which I found to be highly distracting. One example: "Quarterising" for "cauterising". Also, "Ibn" used as the first name for an Arab character; "Ibn" is a connective used in proper names meaning "son of", i.e. Ahab ibn Mohammed. It is not, in itself, a name.

I also don't really understand why writers of hisorical fiction find it necessary to contradict known facts: "Beket-Ata...I have used author's license and have had him living some seven humdred years ahead of his actual time." Why?

All in all, a huge disappointment and not recommended.

Normally, I will finish a book before reviewing it. This book is so lousy that I am just at Chapter Two and am already disgusted that I wasted my money on it. This author used to be a shipping clerk, and various other jobs before taking up writing this book. He should not have given up his day job. His grasp of history is ludicrous at best. He has Norsemen saying things that only a 20th Century person would say, and his knowledge of Norse history is laughable. For instance, he mentions a Norse regiment. The Viking Age Norse NEVER used such a word to describe a war-band. The word has its origin in Rome, but the Norse never used that designation. His writing is full of such nonsense. He mentions converting a knarr from four oars, to eight, and says that the extra cargo room was used for that. The cargo space in a knarr was below deck in the hull, so where did they mount these extra oars? He says they chose a knarr because they planned river travel. A knarr is a deep-water cargo vessel. A Norse drakkar, or Dragon ship, which is a war vessel, has a much shallower draft in the water than a knarr, and would be much better suited for river travel. In fact, drakkars were indeed used thousands of times on that very same river in real historical life. Drakkars were a very shallow-draft vessel, which is why they worked so well for raiding. You could take them up rivers, and beach them nearly anywhere. Because of their design, they tended to ride on top of the waves, versus cutting down into them. The list of glaring errors like this only shows that this author doesn't really understand Norse history at all. He even mentions that he did his research by email! What a pathetic joke! I will say that the plot is unique, and not a bad idea for a Viking book, but in this author's hands, it reads more like a cheap modern romance novel. If you care at all about historical realism in historical fiction, don't waste your money on this book. To the author; "go back to being a shipping clerk!"