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schpeidy's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.75
dualmon's review
1.0
Aborted. The Long Ships was a way better version of this story. This was way too sappy for me.
groovemonkey's review against another edition
3.0
Just...so...friggin’...cheesy. A main character with no flaws. Fainting damsels who exist only to be love interests.
The story is kind of entertaining but falls flat. It contains some interesting historical flavor, but a few bizarre anachronisms make me doubt the accuracy of all the other historical tidbits.
I kept waiting for it to live up to the 5-star hype, but there’s really nothing in here that deserves it. Am I just becoming a curmudgeon in my old age?
The story is kind of entertaining but falls flat. It contains some interesting historical flavor, but a few bizarre anachronisms make me doubt the accuracy of all the other historical tidbits.
I kept waiting for it to live up to the 5-star hype, but there’s really nothing in here that deserves it. Am I just becoming a curmudgeon in my old age?
michaela_g's review against another edition
4.0
Louis L'Amour, best known for his American westerns, recounts the 12th-century escapades of Mathurin Kerbouchard, a clever young Celtic man ravenous for adventure, knowledge, and passion while on a personal mission to discover his father’s fate (and save him, should he still be alive). His sweeping journey takes him to Córdoba, a city renowned for its enlightenment at the time, through Europe and the Russian steppes to Constantinople and Persia.
~~~~~~~~~~
This book was some good swashbuckling fun! It is so over the top, and Kerbouchard nearly faultless, but if you go in expecting and embracing this for the genre it is, it is quite enjoyable. Kerbouchard is a protagonist you want to root for because he’s so full of life and heart. The book has a good many quotes and lines that had me laughing out loud as well.
“
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This book was some good swashbuckling fun! It is so over the top, and Kerbouchard nearly faultless, but if you go in expecting and embracing this for the genre it is, it is quite enjoyable. Kerbouchard is a protagonist you want to root for because he’s so full of life and heart. The book has a good many quotes and lines that had me laughing out loud as well.
“
papidoc's review against another edition
4.0
A bit of a departure for L'Amour, but still characterized by his wonderful style and research. This historical novel set in times of intellectual re-birth and growth, and amid the adventures of a young viking, Kerbouchard, is a rip-roaring good yarn. It follows him in his quest for knowledge, love, martial skill, and his father through ancient lands and cultures. Cultures in which knowledge is revered and others where it is threatened. As has been true for past L'Amour novels, this one inspired me to read more serious work on those lands and times. It's good reading!
robbie's review
adventurous
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
There's not much to this book with its fairly simple writing and somewhat meandering plot, and it's full of sexism, but damn if the adventure and historical details don't draw me in just like they did in high school. The life of adventure, casual study, and sense of exploration is so appealing to me that I just can't get this book out of my heart.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Slavery, Sexism, and Violence
Minor: Alcohol, Fatphobia, and Sexual harassment
rarchar's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
jenzbookshelf's review against another edition
2.0
12th century historical fiction novel. Good example of the Hero's Journey. Also shows the importance of a liberal arts education and life-long learning.
jessicamusch's review against another edition
2.0
I found this difficult to follow and the female characters too simplistic and clearly suffering from the male gaze perspective.
Much of the book was info dumps about history and I became increasingly annoyed as the protagonist met historical figures and historical events - eg the use of gun powder at the end was just too neat.
There were a few clever quotes I wrote down from this book, in particular I liked the quotes about learning:
- Money can be lost or stolen, health and strength may fail, but what you have committed to your mind is yours forever.
- A book is less about what it says than what it makes you think.
Much of the book was info dumps about history and I became increasingly annoyed as the protagonist met historical figures and historical events - eg the use of gun powder at the end was just too neat.
There were a few clever quotes I wrote down from this book, in particular I liked the quotes about learning:
- Money can be lost or stolen, health and strength may fail, but what you have committed to your mind is yours forever.
- A book is less about what it says than what it makes you think.
azaehringer's review against another edition
2.0
This book reads like The Arabian Nights. A series of micro-crises that come about out of nowhere and yet get solved a page later. There is a significant disconnect with the events in this book that makes each following event seem as if it's just another night at Shahryār's bedside. Another half-finished story with no real point. Kerbouchard as a pirate. Kerbouchard as a student. Kerbouchard as a merchant. etc.