Publishing information: Hardback; 320pgs
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books; 20 June 2017
ISBN: 9780312372941
Possible series
Copy: Provided by publisher
Reviewer: Tyson
Amazon
Synopsis: "To the Danes, he is skraelingr; to the English, he is orcneas; to the Irish, he is fomoraig. He is Corpse-maker and Life-quencher, the Bringer of Night, the Son of the Wolf and Brother of the Serpent. He is Grimnir, and he is the last of his kind--the last in a long line of monsters who have plagued humanity since the Elder Days.
Drawn from his lair by a thirst for vengeance against the Dane who slew his brother, Grimnir emerges into a world that's changed. A new faith has arisen. The Old Ways are dying, and their followers retreating into the shadows; even still, Grimnir's vengeance cannot be denied.
Taking a young Christian hostage to be his guide, Grimnir embarks on a journey that takes him from the hinterlands of Denmark, where the wisdom of the ancient dwarves has given way to madness, to the war-torn heart of southern England, where the spirits of the land make violence on one another. And thence to the green shores of Ireland and the Viking stronghold of Dubhlinn, where his enemy awaits.
But, unless Grimnir can set aside his hatreds, his dream of retribution will come to nothing. For Dubhlinn is set to be the site of a reckoning--the Old Ways versus the New--and Grimnir, the last of his kind left to plague mankind, must choose: stand with the Christian King of Ireland and see his vengeance done or stand against him and see it slip away?
Scott Oden's A Gathering of Ravens is an epic novel of vengeance, faith, and the power of myth."
Scott Oden's A Gathering of Ravens is gathering a lot of steam in the grimdark reading community and with good reason as he tells a really dark and bleak story with a unique character, an orc. He is Grimnir, the last of his kind and he is out for vengeance against the Dane who slew his brother.
Grimnir is a compelling character, not just because he is an orc, although that helps, but because of the world Oden has created where the Norse Gods are slowly retreating into obscurity and the Christian god is gaining ground in Northern Europe and with the religion's rise, magic and the fae are in retreat as their power is dwindling from the world. Because the magic is waning in the world it is reflected in Grimnir's world view and places him in the center of the conflict as even the evocation of the word "Christ" can lessen affect of magic and the old ways. This makes Grimnir especially gruff when his companion, a young woman preparing to take the vow to become a nun, is always calling forth her "Nailed God" whenever she sees magic or proof of the old ways.
While the characters and magic system are especially good, Oden surpasses many other authors in his ability to create atmosphere. For that reason alone the book is worth reading. Drawing upon historical events and locations Oden is able to weave a tale that is easy to be conjured in the mind's eye and it easily became one of my favorite books of the year. If you like historical fiction, grimdark, and a good tale of revenge then look no further. A Gathering of Ravens deserves all the praise it is receiving and should be on more best of lists this year. Highly recommended.
Overall 8.5/10
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