Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2700 in Books
• Published on: 2007-08-01
• Binding: Paperback
• 400 pages

Synopsis
The first in a brand new series charting the adventures of the Oathsworn, a band of Vikings on the chase for the secret hoard of Attila the Hun. Life is savage aboard a Viking raider. When young Orm Rurikson is plucked from the snows of Norway to join his estranged father on the Fjord Elk, he becomes an unlikely member of a notorious crew. They are the Oathsworn -- so named after the spoken bond that ties them in brotherhood -- and they ply a casual trade on the ocean wave, selling their swords to the highest bidder. But times are changing. Loyalty to the old Norse Gods is fading, and the followers of the mysterious 'White Christ' are gaining power across Europe. Hired as relic-hunters by the merchant rulers of a bustling city, the Oathsworn are sent in search of a legendary sword of untold value to the new religion. With only a young girl as guide, their quest will lead them onto the deep and treacherous waters of the 'whale road', toward the cursed treasure of Attila the Hun. And to a challenge that will test the very bond that holds them together.

A significant new voice in historical fiction, Robert Low has created a startlingly modern tale in the style of the great Viking sagas. A heady mix of powerful suspense, blockbuster battles and religious intrigue, THE WHALE ROAD is a must for fans of Bernard Cornwell and Tim Severin. It heralds a major new series sure to hook old and new readers alike.

Customer Reviews

Fast-paced and fun
Being a long-standing fan of Bernard Cornwell, this book immediately grabbed my attention, and only slightly fell short of my expectations. The novel is incredibly fast paced, hardly giving the reader a chance for breath, but this gives some idea of the high octane life of Orm, our narrator and guide through the adventure. Whether this is a pace which can be sustained over the other novels in the series remains to be seen, but as a fun, quick and exciting read, albeit less varied than Cornwell's historical fiction, this definitely hits the spot.

A Decent Debut But Not Outstandng
In his afterword at the end of the Whale Road the author, Robert Low, says that his intention in writing the book had beem to create a 'saga' in the old-nordic tradition. Not being a regular saga reader I have no idea whether or not he managed this, but he did manage to create a reasonably entertaining and compelling tale of 'Vikings' during the Dark Ages in Northern & Central Europe.

Written in the first person from the hindsight perspective of the youngest of a band of mercenary warriors (not all are Viks from Norway so to call them Viking would be inaccurate) it is not a perfect debut by any means. By choosing a first person narrative, Low does drop the reader right into the heart of the story and its environment. By the same action however, he removes the possibility of using any dramatic irony or contemporary commentary on events. Than means the story has to stick to a very in a very linear and one dimensional story arc and limits the amount of explanation or context that can be given for the events that occur. Everything, characters, places and events, can only be seen through the eyes of the narrator, Orm, which automatically and at times frustratingly restricts our view of the world we are introduced to.

This lack of extra detail does however, mean that Whale Road avoids becoming too bloated and long winded. It is well paced too, with a feeling of constant forward motion towards it conclusion. At no point during it length did I feel bored by the book.

I did feel however, feel mildly frustrated at the author's insistence on introducing quasi-mystical or supernatural elements to the story. Whilst never openly acknowledged as being 'real' I felt that the suggestion that supernatural forces might be involved in events didn't sit well with the rest of the story. For ninety five percent of the time this felt like a historical adventure set in a real world. To suddenly throw in possession by evil spirits just didn't work. Yes, Low might have wanted to write a Saga, and sagas did involve God's and other non-human characters, but for those sort of elements to work the story must be fully committed to them. To simply tack them on to an otherwise historically accurate and realistic tale because they make a useful plot device, as Robert Low does, simply leaves them feeling out of place and unrealistic and pulls you out of the world he is portraying.

I'm not sure whether The Whale Road has done enough to get me to read the second installment of the adventures of the Oathsworn. May be when it comes into paperback and assuming I have nothing else to read I will give it a try, and on that basis I can only rate The Whale Road as a qualified success.

Good but a bit too disorientated
I did like this book, very much so and the style did remind me of a favourite author of mine; Bernard Cornwell (in fact Cornwell's recommendation tempted me to buy it) and I will be buying the second one. Pure adventure, escapist and very much like an old saga, the characters were good as was the history (it has created an interest of the Rus in me). I also found the fast moving pace and pure grittyness of life aboard a viking ship very well suited to the story. That said however the book did have a few problems in my opinion. Firstly, Low killed off too many good characters too quickly! Yes GRRM does the very same and his books are fantastic but GRRM has killed off many of his characters in the space of 4 VERY long books, not one short one. Some of Lows characyers could have been developed much better throughout the series. Secondly I found it ahrd to keep up with the villains as some appeared and dissappeared and reappeared etc etc.

That said I liked the book and will be reading this series to the end. 4/5 stars and recommended to Cornwell and historical fiction fans, and those who like the old sagas.