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The Whale Road
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Manufacturer: Thomas Dunne Books
Author: Robert Low
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
Average Customer Rating:
Our Price: $16.47
You Save: $ 8.48 ( 34% )
Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Thomas Dunne Books
Author: Robert Low
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
Average Customer Rating:
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The Whale Road Description
Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.92
EAN: 9780312361945
ISBN: 0312361947
Label: Thomas Dunne Books
Manufacturer: Thomas Dunne Books
Number Of Items: 1
Book Pages: 352
Publication Date: 2007-08-21
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
Product Release Date: 2007-08-21
Studio: Thomas Dunne Books
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.92
EAN: 9780312361945
ISBN: 0312361947
Label: Thomas Dunne Books
Manufacturer: Thomas Dunne Books
Number Of Items: 1
Book Pages: 352
Publication Date: 2007-08-21
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
Product Release Date: 2007-08-21
Studio: Thomas Dunne Books
Editorial Review of The Whale Road
A band of brothers, committed only to each other, rides the waves, fighting for the highest bidder, treading the whale road in search of legendary relics.
Life is savage aboard a Viking raiding ship. When Orm Rurikson is plucked from the snows of Norway to brave the seas on the Fjord Elk, he becomes an unlikely member of the notorious crew. Although young, Orm must quickly become a warrior if he is to survive.
Life is savage aboard a Viking raiding ship. When Orm Rurikson is plucked from the snows of Norway to brave the seas on the Fjord Elk, he becomes an unlikely member of the notorious crew. Although young, Orm must quickly become a warrior if he is to survive.
His fellow crew are the Oathsworn---named after the spoken bond that ties them in brotherhood. They fight hard, they drink hard, and they always defend their own.
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, the Oathsworn are sent in search of a sword believed to have killed the White Christ. 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 presents the ultimate threat.
Robert Low has written a stunning epic, a remarkable debut novel. Not only a compelling narrative, The Whale Road also brings a new Viking landscape stretching from Scotland through the Baltic and on to Istanbul.
International Praise for The Whale Road:
“A company of warriors, desperate battles, an enthralling read.”
---Bernard Cornwell
“A fantastic book, one of the best I have read for years. There’s a wonderful earthiness to the proceedings and he creates a tangible sense of being there. There’s a sturdy, lyrical, and epic quality about the writing that makes it feel like the kind of saga a Viking would recount in his old age.”
---Simon Scarrow
“A stirring Viking series of blockbuster battles and religious intrigue.”
---Publishing News
“Action-packed and evocative.”
---Herald (Glasgow)
“A company of warriors, desperate battles, an enthralling read.”
---Bernard Cornwell
“A fantastic book, one of the best I have read for years. There’s a wonderful earthiness to the proceedings and he creates a tangible sense of being there. There’s a sturdy, lyrical, and epic quality about the writing that makes it feel like the kind of saga a Viking would recount in his old age.”
---Simon Scarrow
“A stirring Viking series of blockbuster battles and religious intrigue.”
---Publishing News
“Action-packed and evocative.”
---Herald (Glasgow)
Customer Reviews of The Whale Road
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Average, but promising
Review: I'm new to historical fiction, just the last 3 months really. I read Pillars of the Earth because people just wouldn't shut up about it. I loved it. I then read World Without End. I didn't like it as much, but I did like it and I was hooked on historical fiction. I looked for other books under the historical fiction banner and found Bernard Cornwell's Saxon series. I read those and loved each one.
I then started looking for other Viking era historical fiction novels and I found The Whale Road. I liked it, but I didn't love it. The story is good and kept me wanting to know more, but the writing/style got in my way. Too much of the writing is annoyingly clever. At times it seems like the author is showing off. I enjoy writing that lets me forget I'm reading. This style might be an intentional reminder of the saga style. I'm not sure, but I kept noticing it.
I didn't care as much about the characters as I wanted to: my heart rate never increased when they were in danger. Also, I never found the pace of the book; it seemed to start and stop.
On the good side, Mr. Low does description well. I could see the places and the ships and the people. I think the description and the story are why I kept reading.
Having said all that, I'm going to read The Wolf Sea, the second book in the series, for two reasons. One, I bought both books at the same time, and two, This was the first of Low's novels that I've read. Maybe I will learn to enjoy his style of writing more. There's a lot of good in there with the distractions.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Good story but an uninspired read
Review: The Whale Road is an interesting story with some good action and a few interesting twists and turns; however, it never really grabbed my attention and gave me that can't put it down feeling.
I will probably buy the second book in the series when it comes out to see how the author develops the story and see if he has improved his writing style.
The Whale Road is a good book and an OK read, but there are much better books in the genera available. Bernard Cornwell's Saxon Saga is a much better read.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Bad choice
Review: I can't be sure of why exactly, but after having read dozens of books by Bernard Cornwell, Steven Pressfield, David Ball, and others (as I am a huge fan of historical fiction), this book is the last thing I'd like to read. Cornwell brings history to life, this books put me to sleep. It seems that at times reading Cornwell or Pressfield will teach you more about the historical period they're writing about than taking a history class, this book on the other hand, will confuse, annoy, and make you wonder why so many words are used and yet in the end little to nothing is said. The characters have little emotion behind them. If they curse every now and then, it seems as if it's an after thought, as if this is something that's needed right now, rather than a part of their character and personality. The story moves along horribly slow yet within the first twenty pages you'll meet about a dozen characters none of whom are memorable in the least. The beginning of the story carries little weight in terms of interest and is so convoluted with names and events that you won't know up from down. I'm also sure that, at times, this book will seem like a language or history lesson, one that you don't want, more than a form of entertainment to take you away from your world and into that of the author's. I'd say give this one a pass.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: An Epic Beginning
Review: "The Whale Road" by Robert Low is a very ambitious novel. Try to picture an Indiana Jones type adventure 1100 years ago. Our story is centered around a young man, 15 years of age, Orm Ruriksson, aka The Bear Slyaer, who is plucked out from his home in Norway, and placed on the Fjord Elk. He is sworn into a group called the "oathsworn" These are the toughest, and well known, Vikings, who sell their services to the highest bidder, seeking out treasures along "The Whale Road." When the group comes to knowledge of Attila the Huns ancient and secret treasure, the race is on to whom can find it first.
Robert Low does an excellent job of truly making this an historical fiction novel by weaving in what the times were like. The ever changing lords, tribes, groups, and what it meant to take an "oath." Through the eyes of Orm, we travel from Norway, through England and through the Middle East and Russia, and finally ending in "The Great City."
This story is jammed packed with believable places, people, and scenarios. We feel what it was like to live on a ship day in and day out, and what true fear is on the battle field, and just why men do rush in when in war. From battles ranging from sea, land and sieges, you won't be disappointed in this saga.
My only gripe, if we shall call it even that, was I felt that Mr. Low was trying to convey too much history at one time. While it was rare for any many or woman of the time to read or write, our Orm can read in a multitude of languages, is uncanny with history and people, and has a real knack for trading and value. However, even if this does feel overly done, it gives the reader a real insight to what life was like 1100 years ago, when the old ways were dying, and making way for the new, the "White Christ."
Readers of historical fiction, fiction, thrillers, and books from authors such as Bernard Cornwell, will not be disappointed in this. "The Whale Road" is a sure hit.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Worthy heir of the Saga-writers
Review: When I read the description of "The Whale Road" on Amazon, I was skeptical. It seemed to me that the author was trying to bring too many elements together, and that the result was bound to be a jumble.
I could not have been more wrong. "The Whale Road" is a rare treat- a book that combines high adventure, meticulous historical research and the excitement of ancient mysteries. The premise, of a band of oath-sworn comrades (in Old Norse, a "felag") seeking an ancient treasures based on clues that they have to traverse the known world to find, is believable and innovative. The characters are well-developed, from the narrator's companions to the historical and fictional figures they come across in their quest. Those who are familiar with the tale of Sigurd from the Volsunga Saga (VOLSUNGA SAGA - The Story of the Volsungs and Niblungs) and other works of Old Norse literature (e.g., The Sagas of Icelanders: Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition (World of the Sagas) will delight in Low's inventive and fresh look at the legends and tales of this fascinating culture.
Review Summary: Average, but promising
Review: I'm new to historical fiction, just the last 3 months really. I read Pillars of the Earth because people just wouldn't shut up about it. I loved it. I then read World Without End. I didn't like it as much, but I did like it and I was hooked on historical fiction. I looked for other books under the historical fiction banner and found Bernard Cornwell's Saxon series. I read those and loved each one.
I then started looking for other Viking era historical fiction novels and I found The Whale Road. I liked it, but I didn't love it. The story is good and kept me wanting to know more, but the writing/style got in my way. Too much of the writing is annoyingly clever. At times it seems like the author is showing off. I enjoy writing that lets me forget I'm reading. This style might be an intentional reminder of the saga style. I'm not sure, but I kept noticing it.
I didn't care as much about the characters as I wanted to: my heart rate never increased when they were in danger. Also, I never found the pace of the book; it seemed to start and stop.
On the good side, Mr. Low does description well. I could see the places and the ships and the people. I think the description and the story are why I kept reading.
Having said all that, I'm going to read The Wolf Sea, the second book in the series, for two reasons. One, I bought both books at the same time, and two, This was the first of Low's novels that I've read. Maybe I will learn to enjoy his style of writing more. There's a lot of good in there with the distractions.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Good story but an uninspired read
Review: The Whale Road is an interesting story with some good action and a few interesting twists and turns; however, it never really grabbed my attention and gave me that can't put it down feeling.
I will probably buy the second book in the series when it comes out to see how the author develops the story and see if he has improved his writing style.
The Whale Road is a good book and an OK read, but there are much better books in the genera available. Bernard Cornwell's Saxon Saga is a much better read.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Bad choice
Review: I can't be sure of why exactly, but after having read dozens of books by Bernard Cornwell, Steven Pressfield, David Ball, and others (as I am a huge fan of historical fiction), this book is the last thing I'd like to read. Cornwell brings history to life, this books put me to sleep. It seems that at times reading Cornwell or Pressfield will teach you more about the historical period they're writing about than taking a history class, this book on the other hand, will confuse, annoy, and make you wonder why so many words are used and yet in the end little to nothing is said. The characters have little emotion behind them. If they curse every now and then, it seems as if it's an after thought, as if this is something that's needed right now, rather than a part of their character and personality. The story moves along horribly slow yet within the first twenty pages you'll meet about a dozen characters none of whom are memorable in the least. The beginning of the story carries little weight in terms of interest and is so convoluted with names and events that you won't know up from down. I'm also sure that, at times, this book will seem like a language or history lesson, one that you don't want, more than a form of entertainment to take you away from your world and into that of the author's. I'd say give this one a pass.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: An Epic Beginning
Review: "The Whale Road" by Robert Low is a very ambitious novel. Try to picture an Indiana Jones type adventure 1100 years ago. Our story is centered around a young man, 15 years of age, Orm Ruriksson, aka The Bear Slyaer, who is plucked out from his home in Norway, and placed on the Fjord Elk. He is sworn into a group called the "oathsworn" These are the toughest, and well known, Vikings, who sell their services to the highest bidder, seeking out treasures along "The Whale Road." When the group comes to knowledge of Attila the Huns ancient and secret treasure, the race is on to whom can find it first.
Robert Low does an excellent job of truly making this an historical fiction novel by weaving in what the times were like. The ever changing lords, tribes, groups, and what it meant to take an "oath." Through the eyes of Orm, we travel from Norway, through England and through the Middle East and Russia, and finally ending in "The Great City."
This story is jammed packed with believable places, people, and scenarios. We feel what it was like to live on a ship day in and day out, and what true fear is on the battle field, and just why men do rush in when in war. From battles ranging from sea, land and sieges, you won't be disappointed in this saga.
My only gripe, if we shall call it even that, was I felt that Mr. Low was trying to convey too much history at one time. While it was rare for any many or woman of the time to read or write, our Orm can read in a multitude of languages, is uncanny with history and people, and has a real knack for trading and value. However, even if this does feel overly done, it gives the reader a real insight to what life was like 1100 years ago, when the old ways were dying, and making way for the new, the "White Christ."
Readers of historical fiction, fiction, thrillers, and books from authors such as Bernard Cornwell, will not be disappointed in this. "The Whale Road" is a sure hit.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Worthy heir of the Saga-writers
Review: When I read the description of "The Whale Road" on Amazon, I was skeptical. It seemed to me that the author was trying to bring too many elements together, and that the result was bound to be a jumble.
I could not have been more wrong. "The Whale Road" is a rare treat- a book that combines high adventure, meticulous historical research and the excitement of ancient mysteries. The premise, of a band of oath-sworn comrades (in Old Norse, a "felag") seeking an ancient treasures based on clues that they have to traverse the known world to find, is believable and innovative. The characters are well-developed, from the narrator's companions to the historical and fictional figures they come across in their quest. Those who are familiar with the tale of Sigurd from the Volsunga Saga (VOLSUNGA SAGA - The Story of the Volsungs and Niblungs) and other works of Old Norse literature (e.g., The Sagas of Icelanders: Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition (World of the Sagas) will delight in Low's inventive and fresh look at the legends and tales of this fascinating culture.