Friday 21 June 2013

"A fantastic novel"

the Lethal Oath (The Viking series)
Click here.
The last weeks I have been very inspired. In her final letter, my editor says that The Lethal Oath is “truly a page-turner,” and that I have “created a gem of a historical action-adventure novel that is sure to entertain readers.” The characters are well drawn, unique, and engaging, she writes, and concludes that it is “a magnificent, well-written, riveting story (...) a fantastic novel from beginning to end.”

With such words, writing is easy. The editor suggested stylistic improvements, and also pointed to some inconsistencies, especially in punctuation. The last weeks I have rewritten sentences and paragraphs and made even more use of active voice. I have omitted superfluous words and corrected all the small errors that inevitably creep into written manuscripts.



From the blurb:
The Lethal Oath is the second book in The Viking Series. It's a historical action-adventure novella with Sigve the Awful as the main character. The story is set in Norway in the late Viking Age.

In the novella, Sigve enters into a hot erotic relationship with Ylajali. She is a  mysterious thrall girl and the only person who knows secret of Sigve's sword. She knows the slayer rune, the spell that quickens the sword and gives its wielder superhuman strength.

Despite his young age - and mostly because of the slayer rune - Sigve has gained reputation as a swordsman. In the beginning of the book, Sigve becomes the youngest chieftain in King Godred realm. During the inaugural feast, on his sword, he swears a sacred oath, only to discover it stands in the way of his getting Ylajali in bed.

Sigve breaks the oaths with dire consequences. His sexual desire gets out of control; he finds himself in conflict with both his mother and his captain of arms, and he gets deeply involved in the war between King Godred and Harald Greyfell, two mighty kings. Soon he has to fight for Ylajali, for the people at Vik, and for his own survival.

The Lethal Oath has many unique characters, such as Odd the Squinter, Skarphedin the Second-Sighted, Sigrunn Silkyhair, Kale Curved-Cock, and his daughter, the Body. They all play pivotal roles in the plot. So does Odin, to whom the oath is sworn. According to Grim, Sigve's one-eyed tutor, everyone's life is entangled in the great struggle between order and chaos, a fact Sigve ignores, blinded as he is by his lust for Ylajali.


The Lethal Oath begins with a funeral and the burning of a ship.
The Lethal Oath begins with a funeral and the burning of a ship.

Here you can read excerpts from the book.


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