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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
ODIN COMES OF AGE,
This review is from: Twilight of Gods: The First Name (Mass Market Paperback)
How is this series not more popular?[NO SPOILERS] I've read quite a bit of fantasy in my lifetime and this little-known series is the only one I've read that fully integrates most of the great mythology of the world. While this first book deals mostly with Norse mythology, the later books add Oriental and even Middle-Eastern mythology to the picture. But coming back to this first book, it starts off with the story of how Voden (Odin) came to be conceived by his barbaric father. How the Aesir (Voden's people) are threatened by the horse-riding Jotun to the north and the forest-folk Vanir to the south. Of these the Jotun are the greatest threat. The question the Aesir must answer is: How best to defend themselves when they're pinched between two enemies? As a side plot, there is an up-and-coming sorcerer named Surt, with his bodyguard Jormungand. One despises Voden's father, Borr Skullcracker, the other respects him. Together they travel into dark places of great evil, seeking out the "Utukki Limnuti", a "Necronomicon"-like text that will allow Surt to become even more powerful and come a bit closer to his grisly goals. That pretty much sets the tone for the novel without revealing too much. There are some good adventures, gory battles, plotting and scheming and a few gratuitous scenes that bring this novel well into rated "R" territory. The plot is very straight-forward, with almost no major plot twists to speak of. What then, holds the story together? At its heart it's a coming-of-age novel that is told so convincingly, you would almost believe that this was really how Odin/Voden grew up, if you knew nothing of Norse mythology. Mythology buffs will be greatly rewarded by all the references, which are amply listed in a glossary in the back. In addition, there are MANY parallels to the famous WHEEL OF TIME series. Female Seidar-Magic, serpents eating their own tails, beginnings and endings, a character that gradually goes mad with his uncontrollable power, wolf dreams, ravens and ruined cities with black histories. Finally, the characters--since most of them are based of mythology to begin with--are really easy to identify. Watching Voden transform is particularly interesting. Yet not all is worthy of praise in this novel. The dialogue is often so over-the-top as to remind one of a cheesy Saturday-morning fantasy-themed cartoon. While the writing in general is nothing award-winning, I was also expecting an ending line with a little more punch. As is, the novel ends like a half-hearted goodbye wave. In the end though, this is still a good book to read and I can tell you that the sequel is even better.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderfully Enthralling,
By A Customer
This review is from: Twilight of Gods: The First Name (Mass Market Paperback)
This Series was very enlighting. It turns the old myths into a mind blowing, entertaining tale that makes you blood rush
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