thecaptainsquarters's profile picture

thecaptainsquarters 's review for:

All the Horses of Iceland by Sarah Tolmie
4.0

Ahoy there me mateys!  I received a copy of this historical fantasy novella eArc from NetGalley in exchange for me honest musings . . .

Horses were me first love before the sea stole me heart.  And I loved Iceland when I visited there.  So of course this novella was a must read.  And I truly enjoyed it.

This story is set in the 9th century and follows Eyvind of Eyri as he travels from Helmgard to Mongolia with a trading caravan.  Once there he finds sturdy horses and aims to bring them back to Iceland.  This is a slow paced journey that has the feeling of the parts of the Icelandic sagas that I have read.

The horses are in the later portion of the story but the main takeaway is Eyvind's journey and the people and different cultures he meets along the way.  I found Eyvind to be a thoughtful and lovely character.  There are evocative magical elements dealing with ghosts and other beliefs.  Overall the writing style was wonderful and loved it.  I just wish it had been a little longer because it ended too quickly.

I will certainly be trying more of this author's work.  Arrrr!