Welcome to Litsy!

(2022) It's a historical fantasy set in the ninth century, following the travels of an Icelander across Europe, looking for horses to bring back to Iceland to make his fortune. The author is a medievalist, and brings her knowledge of the time and its literary forms to the story. I am not a medievalist, but do know she delivered a mesmerizing story that feels authentic about ambition, social change, and (of course) horses.

Thank you, Jessi! The tagged was from my wish list and I love the Montague Siblings series! I‘m sure I‘ll have fun with book 3. Love it! #jolabokaflodswap #jolabokaflod

Eyvind wasn't that compelling as a protagonist. I even found him very unpleasant in parts. I did enjoy the historical aspect of it and all the lands they traveled. I was expecting it to be a bit heavier with the magical/supernatural element of the story, but it was very limited and wasn't explored much.

I can't say I disliked it, but I really wish some parts were explored more.

🫢

"Everyone knows the story of the mare Skalm."
#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

I'm glad I saw your review of this one, @Jari-chan ?

A wonderful little book, deeply researched and told plainly, as befits the worldly-naïf MC. It's marketed as a historical fantasy, but the second half of that description is somewhat misleading, I think. The story is presented within the world view of its protagonists, who believe in ghosts, magic and the ⬇️

This book includes it all: history, horses, religion, myths, travelling. I was surprised to meet characters from this book again on Wikipedia when doing researches after reading, I did not expect them to be true historical figures. There's so much in this work that I actually feel a bit overwhelmed. And this on only so little pages. It sure is a lot to take in. But a very wise book it is.

This is a lyrical tale that tells the story of a Norse trader who, in the ninth century, travels from Iceland to the steppes of Mongolia with a group of traders where, if successful, he‘ll be able to acquire horses that will make him rich. Yes this the story of that journey but it is also about travel & exploration, magic, stories, history, & the wonder of discovery. A good novella. I‘ll definitely read more by this author. (Also a gorgeous cover)

I was expecting this magical tale that ultimately fell flat. Yes there is a supernatural element to it but just didn‘t deliver. Ultimately it‘s a short historical fiction (only 112 pages), which was a bit boring. I love the cover, but that‘s about it. ⭐️⭐️

If you're familiar with Icelandic sagas, this is probably especially delightful: Tolmie captures something of the rhythm and the language of them (albeit of course in English, but you might be familiar with it even from translations), and the way of thinking. It felt so familiar, like surely it must really be part of that tradition, right down to the interpolations by a later Christian author. I enjoyed it a lot.

A completely fictional imagining of how horses got to Iceland. It follows a man named Kyvind and his travels and choices. For example the journey of the story begins due to his choice to avoid conversion to Christianity. It has magic, myth, superstition, a ghost story as well as loose elements of religion and war. I found it fascinating. It is a very short read but packs a lot into it. I loved it.