Customer Reviews

A Mankind Witch (Shadow of the Lion)

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There are now three volumes in the Heirs of Alexandria Series, beginning with Shadow of the Lion. Unlike the first two, A Mankind Witch is not written jointly by David Freer and his two jolly collaborators, Eric Flint and Mercedes Lackey. This actually makes for a better book, since Freer is well known for tightly plotted, spare writing while the first two volumes were classic BFF (big fat fantasy).

What is very cool about this book is the way Freer simply drops us into the Milieu, without any explanation and avoids almost all infodumping throughout the book.

Like the first two novels, it is interesting on a different level if you know enough Original Time Line history to figure out who some of the characters are, like Loyola and his original band of Jesuits in the first two books, or Khaireddin Barbarossa in this one.

Even if you don't know any history, and are reading this book on the level of fantasy, rather than alternate history (both of which it supports famously well) you'll find lots of depth. Freer weaves both the Beowulf and Hamlet stories together to make a real adventure that races like the rapids in a river to its startling conclusion.

Read this book. This is Dave Freer's real breakout solo novel, and he deserves a much wider following.

Walt Boyes
The Bananaslug. at Baen's Bar

What happens when a skeptical Barbary corsair, a man of science and astronomy, is captured and made a thrall in Norway? What happens when a people who live life full of mythology are confronted with someone who's not afraid of spirits, curses, and otherworldly things, for he doesn't believe in them? What happens when uncanny plots are then put into motion?

A Mankind Witch is about the clash of worlds and cultures on many levels, and it's a fun read on many levels.

A Mankind Witch is part of the Heirs of Alexandria series, a fantastical alternate history in which magic works, and the famed Library of Alexandria never burned. But don't despair if you haven't read the other very good books in this series, _This Rough Magic_, and _The Shadow of the Lion_. A Mankind Witch stands very well on its own.

This book reads very well as a fantastical look at Norse Mythology, complete with Odin, trolls, dwarves, kobolds, elves, and witches. You can't go wrong putting Grieg on the soundtrack and settling in for a good read. Readers who have little or no acquaintance with Norse Mythology will very much enjoy this book without needing any deeper knowledge of the history behind it.

The book also reads very well as a satirical alternate history. As you recognize different people, you may find yourself snickering uncontrollably, and then reading to find how these people end up working together.

If you read it on both levels, and add in a further level of song and story, this is so very much fun. I'd swear that Mr. Freer used Grieg's _Hall of the Mountain King_ to help him pace the book - it starts quickly, and maintains the tension clear to the finale. I highly recommend this book.

In the third book in the Heirs of Alexandria series Dave Freer goes out on his own and does an outstanding job with it. He introduces a new protagonist, Cair, whose jaundiced view of everything magic is at odds with everything going on around him in the world that he has just been made a Thrall (slave) in. The book takes place in the cold Norse lands and for those with no knowledge of the mythology or the places it is weaved into the plot so you discover it with Cair as he goes along.

An incredible solo novel in the midst of collaborations with powerhouses Eric Flint and Mercedes Lackey, it is a must read for those who have enjoyed the first two novels in the series as well as for those who haven't but are fans of mythology and/or alternate history.

The only thing wrong with the book is that it ended, which just leaves me wanting more.

Outwardly an adventure story, this yarn holds enough wheels within wheels to make it a mystery story as well. Freer is good at making you like the protagonists while not overdoing the dastardlines of their adversaries. And yes, they are dastardly enough, but in a way that makes sense all the way to the finish line.

The main protag isn't at least initially someone you'd bring home to show your parents, but as the story unfolds so does the gems hidden within the man. The same goes for the other new protags, while the established charachters from the previous books in this series (The Shadow of the Lion, This rough magic) lends continuity. This is needed since the setting in the old Norse lands brings about a radical departure from sophisticated Venice.

For a foreigner, Freer has a firm grasp of the norse mythos, and his slight departures from what used to be common lore in the scandinavian area will work very well with all but the most nit-picky readers. In fact, some of Freer's interpretations are actually superior to the traditional stuff as the story often explores what's behind the surface of the myth.

I'd urge anyone to pick this one up, preferably together with the earlier books in the series.

I was very excited to see the first Freer solo-title since the Forlorn. In reading this book, I found the classic hallmarks of a Dave Freer book: likeable characters easy to identify with, a constant hum of adventure, a wealth of detail seamlessly integrated into the story, and the layered structure of his humor that so smoothly carries the deeper satire and irony.

A Mankind Witch is a breath of fresh air as it injects a cynic into a world obsessed with magic. The adventures of Cair as he exploits superstition and leverages technology against the mystical creates a running tension that is keeps the reader wondering how it will all pan out in the end.

Definitely a read worth owning.

Someday (soon, i hope) people will look at this book and talk about it in the same way they do other touchstones of the genre. They will use this book as a litmus test for newer authors, newer stories and characters. From first to last there is not a part of this book done at anything less than an excellent level. The wordsmithery, the story structure and the deft execution of turning points in the story would individualy make the story worth reading, together they make the story a rare find.

...but the other reviewers have already discussed the high points of this book. As I've come to expect, Dave's writing is technically superior, with tight plotting, deft dialogue, wry characterization, an anti-hero with unsuspected inner nobility, and a happy ending. Add in the well-researched workings of Norse mythology -- which taught me more, and I like that -- and you have another winning combination. That's why I bought not one, not two, but three copies of the hardcover book: so I could corru- er, spread the wealth to other people. This is someone to share with your friends, so they don't miss out on the fun.

After reading A Mankind Witch, I felt the need to write my first review of a book since high school. A stand-alone novel in the Heirs of Alexandria series, AMW gives us some further adventures of Manfred and Erik as well as introducing new characters such as Cair, a lovable rogue who is a master of illusion and whose biggest sucker is himself. As a solo novel, AMW shows how much of what I love about this series is what Freer puts into it. I look forward to more of his books, and hope that one set in Vinland will be in the works.

I did not know that this was part of a series when I picked it up. A Mankind Witch does a relatively good job of standing alone.

The book did start out very slowly, perhaps because it was giving readers of the series a glimpse of the characters that they know, and getting them involved in the new plot. It took a number of scenes for this story to get started.

The basic plot is the protagonist is enslaved, earns the respect of his master/mistress, saves the day. The protagonist, in this case, is more of an anti-hero. His relationship with his mistress is not developed well, and some of it is weakly explained by magic, but it is necessary to the furtherance of the plot.

The background is an alternate history of the Holy Roman Period, actually dated at 1538, magic works, and the Barbary Pirates are just getting organized. Christianity has been spreading, but the old gods are still worshiped and have power, and the world of Norse beliefs, particularly the realm of Jotunheimen. The story takes place in an alternate Scandinavia.

Cair, our protagonist and a corsair captain, is enslaved and becomes somewhat enamored of Signy, a "princess" of Scandinavia. He is small, and older than many, and thus is picked on, until he takes on the guise of a worker of magic using his knowledge of science and native intelligence. He personally does not believe in magic. After a while, he begins to serve Signy as best he can, using his reputation.

Signy's half brother, Vortenbras, has designs on the Empire, and takes advantage of the theft of an artifact to start planning attacks, which must wait until Yule so he won't break a treaty with the said empire.

In order to head off hostilities, Charles Fredrik (possibly analogous to Charles V) sends his nephew Manfred and his niece Francesca to deal with the Danes, and eventually to deal with Vortenbras. Manfred is accompanied by his bodyguard, Erik Hakkonsen.

From there a tale of magic, mistrust, and mayhem takes off. It took me three attempts to start reading the story, and when I got started I enjoyed it. There was enough of a mystery, and enough twists throughout the tale, that it held my attention. The end was almost predictable though the path to arrive was convoluted.

There are elements of mystery, adventure, innovation, and light horror in this tale.

I enjoyed the book, well in this case the eBook, and would recommend it as light reading for those interested in Norse mythology and the possible interaction of Christianity (after the reformation) with the Scandinavian beliefs.

Dave Freer's A MANKIND WITCH tells of one Manfred and his Icelandic bodyguard who journey into a world of trolls and ice to find a magic pagan relic. Add a stubborn princess believed to be a witch and murderess and a captured pirate and you have solid, fast-paced adventure.