Berserker
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3.8 • 6 Ratings
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
The highly anticipated historical fantasy from Emmy Laybourne, author of the internationally-bestselling Monument 14 trilogy.
Ancient powers. Strong love. Desperate times.
1883. Hanne would give anything to be free of the ancestral Viking curse that overcomes her when she or anyone she loves is in danger. She becomes a Berserker—an elegant, graceful and shameless killer.
When she kills three men attacking their father, Hanne and her siblings must flee Norway and head to the American frontier, on a desperate search for their uncle, the one man who can help Hanne learn to control her powers.
Aided by a young cowboy who agrees to be their guide, Hanne and her siblings use their ancient powers to survive the perilous trail, where blizzards, wild animals, and vicious bounty hunters await.
A gripping and emotional story filled with adventure, destruction, longing and redemption.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this supernatural Wild West adventure, 16-year-old Hanne and her siblings Nytteson who are cursed with a Viking "blood-gift" flee their home in Norway after their father's sudden death triggers Hanne's berserker ability, and she slaughters three men. As the four children head west across America to find their uncle, aided by a lonesome cowboy named Owen, they are trailed by the minions of a Norwegian baron who collects Nytteson like them. Laybourne (the Monument 14 trilogy) deftly brings together three disparate storylines in a climactic moment aboard a cross-country train, then peppers the rest of the family's arduous journey with new dangers and suspense, including encounters with other Nytteson, wild beasts, winter storms, and the long arm of the law. The love story between Owen and Hanne feels perfunctory, rather than a necessary plot point, but her internal struggle with her brutal nature as a berserker is intensely real and will resonate with readers who feel beset by forces outside of their control. A bloody and fast-paced genre mash-up. Ages 13 up.
Customer Reviews
Great story telling
I appreciated the details and the story telling in the book but at times it felt a little slow. I do think however that it didn’t take away from the story too badly. The characters were all well rounded and I appreciated the narrative switches. The ending was very good and completely made up for any slow spots for me. Overall I think great story telling and really interesting characters!