I really enjoyed the first 150 pages or so but then it started to lose steam near the middle. This is a historical fiction novel that takes place in vikingera norway. Since the death of ragnvald eysteinssons father in battle. The halfdrowned king and the sea queen have been released. The half drowned king, linnea hartsuykers wonderful norse saga, is set prior to the end of the first millennium, significantly before the major explorations of the norse to the west, an era when anthropologists have traced their footprints to the edges of the north american continent. The book s fiercest magic shines in the characters of ragnvald and svanhild, as unforgettable a brother and sister duo as i can remember. The halfdrowned king, linnea hartsuyker s debut novel from harpercollins, is neither fantasy nor science fiction. Betrayed and left for dead by men in the pay of his greedy stepfather olaf, and rescued by a fisherman, ragnvald is determined to have revenge, claim his birthright and the woman he. Im currently reading an arc that i found at ala called the half drowned king by linnea hartsuyker. The first installment in a debut trilogy, the halfdrowned king tells the compelling story of the political intrigues, battles, and struggles for power that led to the rise of king harald the fairhaired, first king of norway, seen through the eyes of the young man who became his most trusted warrior and adviser. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Well, it might edge its way into fantasy, if one counts a single drowning vi. The half drowned king is the first in a planned trilogy that is a heavily fictionalized retelling of the saga of harald fairhair, which is one of the parts of the heimskringla, an icelandic saga written in the th century by snorri sturluson. The halfdrowned king was an indie next selection, a barnes and noble discover pick, and named the best historical fiction book of 2017 by the american library association.
Linnea hartsuyker brings myth and legend roaring to life in this superbly good pageturning saga of vikingera norway. Paula mclain, bestselling author of the paris wife and circling the sunan exhilarating saga of the vikings that conjures a brutal, superstitious, and thrilling ninthcentury world and the birth of a kingdomthe. She grew up in the woods outside ithaca, new york, studied engineering at cornell university, and received an mfa in creative writing from new york university. The first installment in a debut trilogy, the halfdrowned king tells the compelling story of the political intrigues, battles, and struggles for power that led to the rise of king harald the fairhaired, first king of norway, seen through the eyes of the young man. Paula mclain, bestselling author of the paris wife and circling the. But the book s fiercest magic shines in the characters of ragnvald and svanhild, as unforgettable a brother and sister duo as i can remember in recent literature. If you are reading this im hoping you read the first book the halfdrowned king. The halfdrowned king was an indie next selection, a barnes and noble discover pick, and named the best historical fiction book of 2017 by the. Aug 01, 2017 i really enjoyed the first 150 pages or so but then it started to lose steam near the middle. In volume two of the half drowned king trilogy, ragnwald, the glugglug royal of book 1, henceforth referred to as rags is off engaging in battles to secure as much of norway as possible for king harald, and suffers a bad oopsy when he is tricked into attacking haralds. Linnea hartsuyker is an exciting, original voice in historical fiction, and the halfdrowned king is nothing short of mesmerizing paula mclain lovers of epic rejoice.
Linnea hartsuyker is an exciting, original voice in historical fiction, and the halfdrowned king is nothing short of mesmerizing. The halfdrowned king audiobooks listen to the full series. At 20, hotheaded ragnvald is old enough to be a warrior and counted a manbut not old enough to see betrayal coming. Yes, i do that on occasion, and this time i was sweetly rewarded. The halfdrowned king by linnea hartsuyker smart bitches. Author of the halfdrowned king from harpercollins my. Linnea hartsuyker is an exciting, original voice in historical fiction, and the halfdrowned king. Ragnvalds sister svanhild has found the adventure she craves at the side of the rebel explorer solvi hunthiofsson, though not without a cost.
Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the halfdrowned king. Considering this book was about vikings, i was expecting quite of bit of action. The compelling story of the political intrigues, battles, and struggles for power that led to the rise of king harald the fairhaired, first king of norway, seen through the eyes of the young man who became his most trusted warrior and advisor. I was also surprised by the lack of action there was in the halfdrowned king. The halfdrowned king, linnea hartsuykers wonderful norse saga, is set prior to the end of the first millennium, significantly before the major explorations of the norse to the west, an era when anthropologists have traced their footprints to the edges of the north american continent. The halfdrowned king is the first in a planned trilogy that is a heavily fictionalized retelling of the saga of harald fairhair, which is one of the parts of the heimskringla, an icelandic saga written in the th century by snorri sturluson. The golden wolf saga harpercollins is a trilogy of novels about the rise of the first king of norway in the viking age of exploration. Giovanni boivin, the bookloft, great barrington, ma. The epic viking saga begun in the halfdrowned king continues with this. This is linnea hartsuykers debut novel, and i very much hope that she has several more stories to tell, because the halfdrowned king is a great read. A very unusual story, born of the authors own viking ancestry, the halfdrowned king is historical fiction one of my favorite genres.
Paula mclain, bestselling author of the paris wife and circling the sun. The final volume, the golden wolf, will be published by harpercollins on august, 2019. Rich with battles, love stories, and the breathtaking landscapes of norway, the halfdrowned king is a mustread for fans of literary fiction, adventure tales, and wellpaced storytelling. Somehow, i cant give a story glorifying revenge and sacrifice five stars, although i considered it. The halfdrowned king, linnea hartsuykers debut novel from harpercollins, is neither fantasy nor science fiction. Like many second books in a trilogy, this one can get bogged down trying to put all. This made the book feel even more slow moving and meticulous. The halfdrowned king is so rich in cultural detail that you gain an understanding of how the people in that time period lived, and what they believed. Linnea hartsuyker is an exciting, original voice in historical fiction, and the half drowned king is nothing short of mesmerizing. Drawing from the icelandic sagas, the halfdrowned king takes inspiration from the true story of ragnvald of maer, the right hand man of king harald fairhair, first king of all norway, and his sister, svanhild, as she tries to find freedom in a society where the higher her brother rises, the greater her worth as a political pawn. In her first novel, hartsuyker brings to life the savage world of the viking warriors of ninthcentury norway. She builds a riveting thriller and a love story from her research and infuses it with great story telling. When a book is billed as a historical epic set in ninthcentury norway, with the evocative title the halfdrowned king, there are certain expectations. The halfdrowned king book saint paul public library.
But, reading it, i found myself comparing it to nicola griffiths hild, a novel similarly set in pre. The halfdrowned king audiobook by linnea hartsuyker. The first installment in a debut trilogy, the halfdrowned king tells the compelling story of the political intrigues, battles, and struggles for power that led to the rise of king harald the fairhaired, first king of norway, seen through the eyes of the young man who became his most trusted warrior and advisor. I will immediately be reading the two sequels of this trilogy. Handpicked recommendations to other books that have a similar writing style or theme to the halfdrowned king.
Drawing from the icelandic sagas, the half drowned king takes inspiration from the true story of ragnvald of maer, the right hand man of king harald fairhair, first king of all norway, and his sister, svanhild, as she tries to find freedom in a society where the higher her brother rises, the greater her worth as a political pawn. Linnea hartsuyker is an exciting, original voice in historical fiction, and the halfdrowned king is nothing short of mesmerizing paula mclain. Citation formats are based on standards as of july 2010. The halfdrowned king by linnea hartsuyker, paperback barnes. After hes nearly killed in a plot orchestrated by his stepfather, ragnvald swears allegiance first to king hakon, then to king harald, hoping to win enough power to take back the land thats rightfully his. The halfdrowned king book snoisle libraries bibliocommons.
The halfdrowned king by linnea hartsuyker goodreads. The halfdrowned king book the seattle public library. The halfdrowned king plano public library system overdrive. Linnea hartsuyker the first book in a viking trilogy telling the compelling story of the political intrigues, battles, and struggles for power that led to the rise of king harald the fairhaired, first king of norway. Paula mclain, bestselling author of the paris wife and circling. The sea queen is the second of linnea hartsuykers halfdrowned king trilogy ive also seen it listed as the golden wolf saga. Aug 03, 2017 the halfdrowned king, linnea hartsuykers debut novel from harpercollins, is neither fantasy nor science fiction. A book like that should deliver great deeds by hardened warriors, kings cloaked in furs, great feasts, harrowing sea voyages and brutal battles. At the beginning of the book, ragnvald is thought murdered and drowned, instigated by.
Six years after the halfdrowned king, ragnvald eysteinsson is now king of sogn, but fighting battles for king harald keeps him away from home, as he confronts treachery and navigates a political landscape that grows more dangerous. The trilogy charts the rise of harald and how he became the first king of norway in the 9th century. Aug 25, 2017 i have to admit that i chose this book because of, well, vikings. The halfdrowned king is an essential new novel for fans of the medieval novels of bernard cornwell, the characterdriven tudor novels of hilary mantel or the violent fury of game of thrones. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, especially on the heels of visiting the viking settlements in newfoundland last summer. Ragnvalds sister svanhild has found the adventure she craves at the side of the rebel explorer solvi. Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. The halfdrowned king by linnea hartsuyker, paperback. I have to admit that i chose this book because of, well, vikings. The first installment in a debut trilogy, the half drowned king tells the compelling story of the political intrigues, battles, and struggles for power that led to the rise of king harald the fairhaired, first king of norway, seen through the eyes of the young man who became his most trusted warrior and advisor. A novel the golden wolf saga book 1 kindle edition by linnea hartsuyker author. The halfdrowned king audiobooks listen to the full.
The halfdrowned king golden wolf trilogy, book 1 by linnea hartsuyker book cover, description, publication history. Linnea hartsuyker can trace her family lineage back to the first king of norway, and this inspired her debut novel, the halfdrowned king, the first book in her trilogy about the vikings, which was published in the united states and six other countries. If you havent, there are some minor spoilers ahead regarding the first book. Ragnvald eysteinsson, the son and grandson of kings, grew up believing that he would one day take his dead fathers place as chief of his familys lands. A novel the golden wolf saga book 1 kindle edition by hartsuyker, linnea. The halfdrowned king book central rappahannock regional.
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