rnbhargava 's review for:

Vinland Saga, Volume 4 by Makoto Yukimura

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious relaxing sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This is the spectacular end to the first arc. This volume is mostly about how Thorfinn, Askeladd and Canute react to and interact with power plays in the Royal Court against King Selwyn. It’s a brutal, violent ride full of political intrigue, rashness and brutal violence.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Trafficking, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Dysphoria, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Vinland Saga is straight up like a mishmash of all of your favorite historic epics/medieval-ish fantasy series in regards to the character types in it. As such, they show things like violence against women, a certain amount of basically homophobia & slandering of women regarding a character that shifts from being thought of as quite feminine (in the worst demeaning ways) to being a power player. They also show plentiful violence and in some cases how characters came to their attitudes on violence. At points, this volume is all about political power plays that lead to the repercussion that is extreme violence. Betrayals and rash decision making is all around. Where the story ultimately leads, and is teased in this volume, upon the conclusion of this first arc couldn’t be more different than where we’ve been. I’ve become addicted to this story, the cruel, brutal historical epic that is Vinland Saga. I need to find the rest of the volumes I haven’t bought yet.