Title: The Sword (Oddny Einarsdottir Book 1)
Author: Lilypearl Colman
Publisher: Printwrite Press
Published Date: 25th December 2023
Page Count: 342
ASIN: B0CQYHN6WR
Price: £2.39 (eBook)
Reviewer: Gwendoline SK Terry (22nd March 2024)
Blurb
Previously published as Oddný Einarsdóttir: The Sword by Lilypearl Colman.
Oddny thought she could put it all behind her: the slavery and that brute sea-king, Örlygr Thrasason, who had dashed every hope for her bright future that summer day when he kidnapped her at sea. Before then, she had anticipated nothing more in life than reunion with her father; a vast new world to explore on his estate in Iceland. Instead, that long-awaited voyage had led her straight into Örlygr’s bed.
She is not the only one to crave retribution for Örlygr’s far-reaching crimes. Now this young merchant has shown up from nowhere, Vermundr Grenjatharson, with plans to avenge his family’s honor. At last, Oddny’s smoldering rage and hate find an opportunity for retribution as she helps stage Vermundr’s fatal ambush. But in the following months, Oddny realizes bitterly that freedom is something more than what his sword could give. For she already carries Örlygr’s child.
The Sword begins the saga of Oddny Einarsdottir, a Norwegian girl struggling to redefine herself after three shattering years in bondage. Passion, resilience, love and vengeance unfold against a rich backdrop of medieval slavery, civil war and the day-to-day life of 10th century Norway ̶ all seen through a woman’s eyes.
Review
Grizzly and grim, The Sword is a fantastic tale that does not stray from the gruesome truth of life, particularly a woman’s, in 10th-century Norway. This has everything I look for in Norse/Viking historical fiction – it’s gritty, it’s dark, and it’s so realistic.
Told in a unique voice that I admittedly found hard to get into at the start. Told in a unique voice that I admittedly found hard to get into at the start. For instance, the section of chapter 3 where Oddný went to pen the birds was confusing. I couldn’t tell if the author was referring to Oddný being assaulted by Örlygr and his men or the thrall. I’m almost certain it was the thrall, but rather than differentiate, the author just refers to the victim as “she”. The scene of the attacked woman was immediately followed by Oddný’s memory of her foster father being killed, which led to my confusion. With no clear distinction, I can’t tell if that scene was about Oddný or the thrall. I had to reread that section of the chapter multiple times to understand. EDIT: Upon second reading, it was clear that it was Oddny being raped, not Geira or Thordis. I must’ve been tired when I read this section. >.<
By the time I was 25% of the way through, however, the prose was flowing, and I was hooked. I struggled a little with the dialogue between the characters, but the story itself was stunning, richly detailed, exciting, and heart-wrenching. When Valmundr appeared, I breathed an audible sigh of relief, elated that Oddný’s suffering was close to its end. The violence in this novel is gory and visual, while the love scenes are graphic to a point before fading to black.
At first, I didn’t like Kjartan for the way he forced himself on Oddný, regardless that she ended up liking him afterwards, but his death broke my heart. I was almost cheered aloud when he threw the dagger at Örlygr, and my heart raced when it seemed he had the upper hand over the evil leader. His brutal death was heart-wrenching, and at that moment I was dismally hopeless. It had been a long time since I wished for a character’s death as strongly as I wanted Örlygr dead.
I’m still so impressed by the realism in the pages of this novel. All characters are morally grey, flawed individuals – my favourite type. I really enjoyed this story and am eager to read the next in this series.
I forgot to mention how fantastic and detailed the index and educational illustrations at the end of the book were. Really nice addition. Throughout the novel, it was obvious how well-researched the novel was, and it was great to have a bit more information to look at.
gwensalir 