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A review by loreofthebooks
The Golden Wolf by Linnea Hartsuyker
3.0
In this epic conclusion Harald is still king, and Ragnvald is still his adviser. Both he and and his sister Svanhild are doing their best to protect the kingdom. When Svanhild's daughter, Freydis is kidnapped, Svanhild follows her and this sets in motion a series of events. Meanwhile, Ragnvald has to contend with his own sons and their choices...
I will say, I liked this book a lot. I cried. I laughed. I cheered. I went through a range of emotions...but it didn't feel as good as the previous two in some ways. Perhaps it is because I got attached to the earlier characters.
This one essentially adds more POVs (the children of the protagonists) and intermixes them. It was done really well, and I think it showed how things change between one generation and the next. At the same time with all that switching about, I don't think it gave the characters arcs so much as it was to push the story to the conclusion of the original Norse saga. So in certain ways, the characters themselves left me unfulfilled.
On the other hand, the plot was really good overall. There was a lot going on, political machinations, love interests, everything all tied in together. And it worked. You were constantly guessing at what was going to happen next (unless you know the original saga, and then you might not). Of course, as this author was following the saga loosely, some things did stay the same. And we all might be a little bitter about what happens to some of our favorite characters.
I'm going back to the characters for a second -- I didn't like either Svanhild or Ragnvald in this book as much as I liked them previously. I found them almost unbearable at parts, and I'm not sure if that was the intention or not. I wonder if it was, to an extent, because you were cheering more for their children than for them...a transition of power?
Honestly this book is a heavy one. And it gives you a lot to think about. I was concentrating on it so much I didn't even take notes on it, instead I just read it.
Overall, a good book, but I don't think nearly as powerful as the previous two.
I will say, I liked this book a lot. I cried. I laughed. I cheered. I went through a range of emotions...but it didn't feel as good as the previous two in some ways. Perhaps it is because I got attached to the earlier characters.
This one essentially adds more POVs (the children of the protagonists) and intermixes them. It was done really well, and I think it showed how things change between one generation and the next. At the same time with all that switching about, I don't think it gave the characters arcs so much as it was to push the story to the conclusion of the original Norse saga. So in certain ways, the characters themselves left me unfulfilled.
On the other hand, the plot was really good overall. There was a lot going on, political machinations, love interests, everything all tied in together. And it worked. You were constantly guessing at what was going to happen next (unless you know the original saga, and then you might not). Of course, as this author was following the saga loosely, some things did stay the same. And we all might be a little bitter about what happens to some of our favorite characters.
I'm going back to the characters for a second -- I didn't like either Svanhild or Ragnvald in this book as much as I liked them previously. I found them almost unbearable at parts, and I'm not sure if that was the intention or not. I wonder if it was, to an extent, because you were cheering more for their children than for them...a transition of power?
Honestly this book is a heavy one. And it gives you a lot to think about. I was concentrating on it so much I didn't even take notes on it, instead I just read it.
Overall, a good book, but I don't think nearly as powerful as the previous two.