Acquired Book By: I had to re-arrange my plans during #WyrdAndWonder – as I was going to read all the lovely books by Edale Lane I had purchased either ahead or during of the event this year during May – except to say, my month held its own fair share of woes – from health, to work to all the little unexpected things that go wrong which add up to lost hours to read and blog! *le sigh* However, I chose to reveal my thoughts on behalf of “Heart of Sherwood” and “Walks With Spirits” during Wyrd And Wonder as I felt it was quite an interesting bookend: the first and the latest by Edale Lane. However, the hours did not yield to finishing of the second novel. I had begun to read the fourth novel of the Night Flyer series as well but realised the hours were limited and I wouldn’t get the chance to read the fifth – so I’ve pushed those readings into Summer which melted into Autumn readings.
As a small update: I’ll be listening to the audiobook for “Walks With Spirits” whilst continuing to read the novel, whilst shifting back into the Night Flyer series and diving into “Daring Duplicity” as well as Autumn starts to take hold. The joy of course, I was able to lengthen my time with Lane’s novels rather than to curate a readathon condensed into one singular month. All round, I am just thankful to have her stories with me to read and/or listen too.
I was not obligated to post a review on its behalf – as I purchased this novel ahead of Wyrd And Wonder Year 5 (May, 2022). I am sharing my thoughts on behalf of this novel for my own edification and a continued journey of sharing my readerly life on Jorie Loves A Story. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
Note: I received the Press Materials from the author Edale Lane – of whom I have previously hosted during blog tours and have had her as a guest author several times on my blog. She was one of my @SatBookChat #WyrdAndWonder guest authors this year – on the 28th of May. And, she will be featured again within the next month – either on Jorie Loves A Story or @SatBookChat as those plans are still being finalised.
Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!
As I previously disclosed during my #RomanceTuesdays showcase for “Heart of Sherwood” (see also Review) I’ve been curating a long history of appreciating the stories writ by Edale Lane over the last few years! She is one of my mainstays in regard to which Self Pub novelists I regularly read and seek out to read on the regular. Others include the following: Jeannie Wycherley, Leanne Leeds, Jennifer Silverwood and Nicole Evelina. You can see a thread of connection too – as most of these authors are writing Speculative Fiction, with the exception of Evelina who writes in different genres of interest but did write a trilogy about Guinevere and King Arthur. You’ll find reviews of their stories throughout Jorie Loves A Story.
Over the years I’ve come to LOVE reading stories by Self Pub authors and storycrafters – ever since I first started blogging, I saw the doors open a bit wider to finding their stories via online routes of discovery and it has led me to having a healthy appreciation for reading self-published literature. Secondly to that pursuit is my love of Independently published (by Press or publisher) literature and for the most part, in both respects, my allegiances tend to lean on the Speculative even though I do read other genres through those publishing routes.
This is the first year I could join the event for #SelfPubFanMonth – which is why the final weeks of September will be happily highlighting the self-published authors I’ve read during #WyrdAndWonder whilst also delving into the works I’ve read this September with featured reviews. I am also going to be featuring a #ThrowbackThursday post highlighting one of my favourites from May. I love to find ways to shine a light on the writers who are writing the stories I desire to read most and to join the collective community online who are equally sharing their own joys as we all pursue the stories which excite us to be read. This is one reason why these events and niche communities are a lot of fun to participate inside as you just never know what you might find in regard to a new story, series or author — with the added bonus of finding new bloggers to follow, too.
There is one exception to this newfound joy — I haven’t been able to trace any activity on the Self Pub Fantasy Month website and my notes to the host this year went unanswered this month. I am not sure if there was an emergency or if plans shifted and the event is only running on blogs wherein some of us are still sharing content. If anyone knows any information – kindly leave a comment on this post and help solve the mystery because it is the first event I’ve joined that had an absent host and, erhm, event!?
Viking Quest
by Ms Edale Lane
Illustrator/Cover Designer: Enggar Adirasa
Source: Purchased | Personal Library
When secrets and lies threaten the throne, can a fierce champion tame her passion in time to stop a cruel enemy’s ruthless march?
Viking Warrior Princess Lena craves revenge. Hunting a killer after her husband is brutally slain, she discovers a shadowy traitor is at play behind the scenes, working to disrupt the balance of power. Placing her need for vengeance on hold when the king falls gravely ill, Lena leads an expedition to locate a fabled healer across a treacherous sea.
Caitlin, snatched from her home in Eire and sold into slavery, prayed for a means of escape, and in storms Lena to her rescue. She is grateful, but realizes her feelings for Lena run far deeper.
Mighty warrior Gunnar is loyal to the core. But when his lord orders him to sabotage the princess’s royal mission, he’s plagued by doubt, uncertain he’s fighting for the right side.
Beset by foul weather and an uncharted island of trolls, Lena fears she’ll never avenge her husband’s death…. And now Gunnar must decide where his fealty rests as the tides turn to war.
Beset by a plethora of dangers and delays, Lena battles foes on every front, even as her heart softens towards the lovely Celt girl she longs to embrace. Gunnar must choose between honor and fealty, but in the end, will a traitor’s blade end all their lives?
Viking Quest is a breathtaking Historical Fantasy novel. If you like principled characters, battles of conscience, and tender F/F romance, then you’ll love Edale Lane’s action-packed epic.
Places to find the book:
ISBN: 979-8524703118
Also by this author: Chaos in Milan, Heart of Sherwood
Published by Past & Prologue Press
on 22nd June, 2021
Format: Trade Paperback
Pages: 242
Published by: Past and Prologue Press
Converse via: #VikingQuest or #SelfPubFanMonth and #SelfPubSept
as well as #WyrdAndWonder
About Ms Edale Lane
Edale Lane is the author of an award winning 2019 debut novel, Heart of Sherwood. She is the alter-ego of author Melodie Romeo, (Vlad a Novel, Terror in Time, and others) who founded Past and Prologue Press. Both identities are qualified to write historical fiction by virtue of an MA in History and 24 years spent as a teacher, along with skill and dedication in regard to research. She is a successful author who also currently drives a tractor-trailer across the United States. A native of Vicksburg, MS, Edale (or Melodie as the case may be) is also a musician who loves animals, gardening, and nature.
a note about the author’s note:
I loved how Viking Quest had such a curious history in Lane’s writerly career – from being the first novel her Mum was able to read after it was written to the fact, she reinvented the original story into the edition it is today. I oft wonder how I’ll be doing the same to my old manuscripts – dusting them off and sorting out where I want those stories to lead me now. Time sometimes changes your perspective on the craft of writing inasmuch as the method of how you’re writing the stories themselves. Which is why I could relate to the author’s words ahead of this novel. I might not always talk about being a writer whose been moonlighting as a book blogger for nearly a decade – but the truth of it is, my season of writing and publishing simply hasn’t bloomed into view yet and when it does, I will relish in the joy of exploring that other side of my creative life. It is never far from thought as most writers I think would lament about their own seasons of writing.
I appreciated the sentiments shared as well – about the goodwill and joy Lane talked about for her readers and the mutual joys we have to give back to her after we’ve read one of her stories. Ever since I first found her novels, I’ve been on an extraordinary journey into her collective works and this particular novel was a step back into the throes of the historical past I do not oft get to visit.
On a side note, when I first bought this novel – I didn’t see the cover art as vividly online at the time of purchase as I did when I saw it on arrival. If you look closer into the waves, the cover artist did a smashing job of putting in a bit of frightful foreshadowing! The cover is easier to see on this review, too and you’ll enjoy what is revealled.
my review of viking quest:
My heart was with Lena — emotionally Lane secures you into Viking Quest as soon as the story begins due to the brutal heartache facing Lena. It definitely gives the story an awakening of angst and anguish at its beginning but also, a fortitude of will and strength on behalf of Lena who you could tell would seek every method to avenge her husband’s death. Her trusted confident Caspian had an interesting history in her life – as he was a slave who had risen in rank in her husband’s life starting first as a tutor and then elevated to a trusted navigator. It is historical references like these which make Lane’s stories rooted and grounded with the truths of the past but with a light of focus to pay homage to the past but also show how sometimes there are other stories in the past we have not yet found.
As she starts to navigate her revenge against her husband’s killer, those moments are mostly played out without our knowledge of them. We only see the end result of that promise she made her husband and it led to the freeing of Caitlin who was enslaved against her will in a land she was not bourne. Lena took a kindness on her situation and enabled the woman to gain the freedom she deserved from a rotten man who did not treat her well at all. Lena and Caitlin were joined together through a cruel fate and yet, in their journey back to Lena’s home – you could tell they both mutually enjoyed being in company with someone who was not judging them. For Caitlin it was the mere fact that her life was not yet her own and for Lena, it was the harsh realities of being a Princess and the expectations of what that brought with the title. You could tell they both felt a bit freer amongst each other on that hard ride home.
Of course, on the surface of things – all was not as well as it appeared – as there was a conspiracy of sorts behind the King wherein the next heir to be named (at least in his own mind) felt it was his duty to restore his society back to the times which thrived on war and battle. The exact opposite direction his society and homeland were experiencing right now as they were more about peace and alliances and treaties for exchanging knowledge than they were for raiding. It was an interesting juxtaposition of how one held harder to the old ways and wherein Lena and her family were attempting to bring their country forward through diplomacy. In the background, this conspiracy was playing out in different sequences and scenes – where people are lying in wait for the word to move forward and that felt like it was going to be an even harder blow to Lena’s mental state than the loss of her husband as they were going to erase his legacy.
Lena has a taste for poetic verse which happily was shared in the narrative, but she was also a formidable leader which given the events happening round her proved to be one of her best assets. It is hard to believe someone would want to undermine the linage of ascension in her country but as the wheels worked to sabotage her efforts to save the King, brave souls travelled with her onto the sea. Those men and Caitlin to accompany them, believed in her and her mission, but of course, all was not as it seemed for that journey either. I thought it was clever to place the interloper amongst them whilst I enjoyed getting to see more of Caspian as he is one of my favourite characters in the story. He has a kind soul and a keen mind – as far as people to trust, he definitely exceeded Lena’s expectations.
As I’m not a stranger to stories set at sea, I had a feeling there would be a wild storm thrown into their Quest and I was not disappointed! Those kinds of gale winds and rising waves are ill-match against Vikings who were just trying to stay aboard their ships! Lane knitted out an exciting sequence during the storm- including where the sea itself kicked off one of the Vikings whose own mission was to undercut their efforts to succeed. He was an interesting bloke – part of him had chosen to follow a man who wanted to take the shortcut to ascending the throne and part of him held a deeper belief in the culture of the Vikings themselves. That kind of duality to his personality left you a bit muddled to know where his truer sense of justice lied but it made for an entertaining section of the novel, too. To watch how some chose to blindside Lena in private and how others like this Viking chose to try to sabotage her efforts in a more interpersonal method.
Gunnar was the character full of confliction and a conscience which will not allow him to rest. His has a difficult road to walk as well because he’s caught between choosing a path which would either place him on the right side of history or the wrong side. I felt for him a bit because I believed at his heart, he was an honourable man but even Lena noted certain things about Gunnar didn’t quite feel kosher, but she dismissed those murmurs in an attempt to believe the best of him. I wasn’t sure if that was the right stance to take or if that would leave her more vulnerable to dangers, she still wasn’t aware of around her which I suspected might be a misstep on her behalf.
Throughout the journey by sea to Greenland, the crews of the boats under Lena’s leadership were facing incredible odds and devasting obstacles. From the weather to the hardship of finding new supplies and yet, right in the midst of that, they finally arrived in Iceland. There they found companionship and renewal; whilst the people there gave their friendship, their bounty and their goodwill in order to help them restore their strength and energies before moving forward. Whilst there we were able to see everyone musing about different things internally – from Lena and Caitlin still considering what they meant to each other or if they meant anything at all. To Gunnar still within a fit of conscience about why he was sent on this mission and where his heart truly was leading him to venture forward. I suspected Gunnar had the hardest trials to overcome by half and it was a slow process of him contemplating everything he knew to be true vs what he personally felt was right.
The conspiracy in the background of the story was an epic and fierce battle for power – you had to commend the King for his willingness to surmount the odds against him and after finding out how he was being mistreated by his own brother, you had to rally behind him for the last of his strength to overcome the battle of his own health. His brother was spiteful and cruel; his own thirst for power was overshadowing all logic and his stubborn nature suited his ill deeds well. What left me curious though most of all was how his wife could go along with his insidious plans without remorse for she had the more level of head out of them and of course, that just goes to show they were well matched. The victims of his goal to overthrow the balance of power were too quick to react and nearly found themselves senselessly killed because they were leading with emotion and reacting in the moment rather than taking a step back to reassess. All of this is played out in full detail by Lane and it is quite the larger scope of the story behind Viking Quest.
The slow-burning romance between Lena and Caitlin was tucked round the conspiracy and the adventures at sea. For a long time, you wondered how these two strong women would find their own happiness as they were equally caught in a rhythm of life wherein, they were not yet free to live as they wanted. Neither of them wanted to admit defeat and it was their strength and faith which carried them through until they could finally find themselves in a position where the tides changed in their favour. Before we could see the conclusion of their romance, we had to find out what would become of a country whose King was being conspired against and where the chase to the throne was never meant to be a battle but a passing of lineage and ascension to the next in line. Those passages were at times difficult to read because of the fiercely written battle scenes and the ways in which the men in battle were reacting to the insurrection and war amongst themselves.
By far, the character who showed the most growth was Gunnar and his friendship with Olan was a delight of its own for me as a reader because it showcased how two men of different faith backgrounds could find common ground and also, through friendship work through the larger questions we all have about faith and life. Gunnar was an interesting character all round because he was caught inside a conspiracy he did not devise, and he was almost taken as a pawn within that conspiracy because of his change of heart and mind. It proved that you could come into the light of truth even after the darkness has entered your heart.
The battle scenes were fittingly real and authentic, especially given the choices in weapons and the kinds of wounds which were sustained by those on the field. You grieved alongside the Vikings when someone fell to their wounds, and you championed the outcome when good overtook evil. It was the kind of story which was rooted in a historical narrative and gave you a sentimental slow burning Sapphic Romance to get you through the rougher parts of the story.
All told, it was through the heroine Lena and her companions in battle and at sea which carried you through an epic narrative – as you lived through a very keenly plotted Historical Fantasy by Lane. She had a fully realised world alive and ready for your imagination – where swords and truth battled alongside each other and with each new chapter, your heart was eagerly awaiting an outcome you hoped you could live with by the conclusion. Dramatically engaging and emotionally stirring, you will want for nothing as Lane has written such a bounty of emotional drama behind the story of Viking Quest.
Note on Content:
Being a novel of the Vikings and knowing how much they love their swords; I knew this story would involve sword fighting and moments of battle or close-combat sequencing. Thankfully Lane wrote those sections and scenes in a way I could handle them and although there is quite a bit of violence in the story, it is not overtly graphic nor is it past the point of what I can tolerate or handle. It is what it is as like I said, the Vikings were known for their battle skills and given the era in which they lived it was par for course at times, too.
Except to say, in the latter chapters – I strived to read every inch of the final showdown but there was a moment where the battle scenes became a bit too much for me. Especially when one Viking was fatally wounded and the descriptive narrative was a bit overmuch for me to handle. Blessedly it wasn’t more graphic than necessary but evenso, I traversed a bit cautiously through that battle sequencing. I will say historically it felt as real as it must’ve been in reality because of how accurate Lane portrayed it all. Including the aftermath when medical invention was needed as well.
There are also some descriptions of domestic violence (in regard to the condition of Caitlin’s life before Lena rescued her) but they kept in line with the facts and were not overly described. Her life was lived through the slave trade, and she openly talks about what it was like to go through the circumstances she had and what her ‘owners’ were like during a flashback memory.
The hardest scene by far was how a young whale dies whilst their enroute to Iceland. That particular scene affected me more than I realised and it is hard to digest. It is described in detail for those who might be more sensitive to how the whale died. I don’t normally read stories which have these kinds of scenes in them – but given the timeline of the story, I had a feeling whaling might be involved even though this death was non-whaling related, I prepared myself for that kind of inclusion.
on the fantastical romantic styling of edale lane:
I was quite curious about which era of the Vikings this novel was going to feature and I was delighted to find out quite early-on in the novel it was the 11th Century Vikings who would not go on expeditions to plunder and pillage but would rather go out to seek advantages in knowledge and technologies which would help advance their societies or make their lives better for knowing how others were living themselves. This story was also focusing on the Nordic Vikings as there are more than one group of Vikings in the historic past as noted by how another author (Christina Courtenay) I love to read focuses on writing about the Nordic and Scottish Vikings. She has a new story out now which perked my interest to read this Autumn as well: Hidden in the Mists.
Lane wrote a slow-burning romance between Lena and Caitlin which felt organic to their individual characters’ backgrounds. As Lena was still grieving the loss of her partner and husband; whose command and presence in her life was still a vacuum of sorrow. Whilst Caitlin was struggling to put to rights her own fate in life against the circumstances which took both her innocence and her hope for the future, she wasn’t sure she was allowed to live. Both women were at crossroads in their lives, and both were starting to wonder if there was something more between them by the time, we were at sea alongside them. Lane excells in letting her characters come round to their emotions whilst giving small nudges of insight about how they feel internally in the narrative leading up to their choice.
Viking Quest has very subtle moments of Fantasy threading throughout the novel whereas it reads more like an epic Viking Historical Fiction novel instead. The Vikings culture and personalities are well-fused to the characters whilst the Vikings lifestyle is well etched throughout the journey we undertake with Lena. Their hierarchy and their immediate code of honour for battle is also well described in different sections of the novel, too. As Lane shifted perspectives from the power struggles at home whilst Lena travelled aboard to her own endeavours outside the country to accomplish the impossible to save the King. I felt Lane balanced the story with emotional conviction at every turn and gave us a wicked good historical read.
Equality in Literature:
All the stories I read by Ms Lane are Sapphic Romances within the Historical Fantasy genre which have given me quite a wide berth of entrance into both History and the realms in which Fantasy can turn a bit more Speculative as history itself is part of the cornerstone of interest in her novels. I mention this because all the stories are lovingly written and have incredible heartstones of inclusivity for LGBTQ+ readers.
Throughout Viking Quest, the topic and subject of religion and faith are actively talked about in the storyline. Specifically, cross-comparing different religious backgrounds such as Christianity and the Norse Gods (and the Mythos therein) between the Vikings directly because of their various backgrounds of belief. Caspian also actively talks about his religion but what I wanted to reference here is that due to the fact Vikings used to ascribe to the older views and beliefs which put more faith in the Gods of Norse Mythos than they did in Christianity; it was harder on some of those Vikings to understand the transitions their peers were making towards that kind of a life. Lane handles these conversations well and openly presents different points of view to where you can gleam more about where the characters feel they have arrived in their faith lives and of course, where your own opinions and beliefs might fall in step with theirs as well.
Seeking the Fantastical:
→ Trolls
For a very brief and lovely moment, there was a troll at a bridge on an island and through the course of meeting him, Lena and a few members of her crew were able to visit his village. It was tainted with the sad truths of other visitors who wreaked havoc on his life and those of his peers, but the curious bit is how curiously clever he was when it came to riddles. I loved the village of the trolls and how compassionate they were yet at the same time, how dearly they were afraid of visitors because of the threats they posed.
→ Kraken, sea creature (as seen in the cover art)
On the voyage back from Iceland the crew encounters a menace of the sea which is brought to life beautifully by the cover artist. I wasn’t sure if it was a Kraken, an unnamed sea creature or a gigantic man-o-war but whichever way it was know that this particular encounter truly lives up to the fantastical reasons life at sea was quite dangerous indeed!
This book review is part of the #bookhaul of Fantasy novels
I purchased this year for #WyrdAndWonder:
Reading this story contributed to
my #SelfPubFanMonth readings:
DID YOU READ ANY SELF PUB FANTASY THIS SEPTEMBER?
| READ JORIE’S ANNOUNCEMENT FOR SELF PUB FANTASY MONTH |
I am thankful I could kick-off my reviews for #SelfPubFanMonth featuring Edale Lane – not only because I enjoy reading her stories but because she has another new Viking novel! I wasn’t sure at first if I could handle shieldmaiden stories as one area of Fantasy I have shied away from reading is Sword & Sorcery which parlays into more sword action and intensive action sequences than I am willing to handle within the scope of a story — however, after reading Viking Quest — apparently this side of the genre is more agreeable?! Who knew!? Ergo, I am happy to announce this NEW RELEASE which carries on the vision Ms Lane has for her Sapphic Romantic Viking stories!
A Digital First Release : 23rd September, 2022!
Due note: Sigrid and Elyn are not related or connected to Viking Quest!
Sigrid is a legendary shieldmaiden, confident and strong, while the fierce younger Elyn battles self-doubt. When the two enemies are thrown together, can they put aside their differences to save their kingdoms from a shadowy foe?
Enjoying my fantastical reviews about the worlds of Fantasy?
Ever since the beginning of Jorie Loves A Story, I have embarked on a Quest to seek out stories within the worlds of Fantasy which would heighten my awareness of the genre and give me wicked good reads – across the subniches of a genre I’ve loved since I was seventeen. Every May, I happily co-host @WyrdAndWonder – whilst throughout the months of the year, I regularly read & discuss the Fantasy reads I am discovering.
Visit my full archive for ALL my #EnterTheFantastic wanderings! As well as take a walkabout through my archives for #WyrdAndWonder – or take a walkabout through my archive for everything deemed wickedly fantastical!
This book review will be cross-posted to LibraryThing.
{SOURCES: Book covers for “Viking Quest” and “Sigrid and Elyn”, book synopsises, author biography and author photograph of Edale Lane were all provided by Edale Lane and are used with permission. Post dividers by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination. Rainbow Digital Clip Art Washi Tape made by The Paper Pegasus. Purchased on Etsy by Jorie and used with permission. Tweets were embedded due to codes provided by Twitter. LibraryThing banner provided by librarything.com and used with permission. Blog graphics created by Jorie via Canva: #SelfPubFanMonth graphic, #SaturdaysAreBookish banner, #bookhaul collage badge (Photo Credit: ©jorielovesastory.com), and the Comment Box Banner.}
Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2022.
I’m a social reader | I tweet my reading life
#VikingQuest by @EdaleLane packs quite the emotional punch within the opening bridge! Your heart is with Lena as she seeks to avenge her husband but then, you meet Caitlin; how lovely to soak into an adventurous fast paced #HistoricalFantasy this #SelfPubFanMonth👏🦋
— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) September 17, 2022
"A very keenly plotted #HistoricalFantasy. Dramatically engaging and emotionally stirring, you will want for nothing as Lane has written such a bounty of emotional drama behind the story of #VikingQuest." – #JLASblog#SelfPubFanMonth | #SelfPubSept
💜📖https://t.co/L1owb2Pikx pic.twitter.com/jj3TqvBMCM— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) September 25, 2022
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- #SelfPubFantasyMonth
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