The novella Vinland Viking is an epic fantasy-adventure, set at the time of the conversion to Christianity of Iceland and Greenland, about a young Northman who longs to lead the storied life of the pagan Vikings. His opportunity comes with Leif Ericsson's exploration in North America, but his fortunes change in a way and by a means that he could never have anticipated, and which will thrill the reader.
The richly-textured narrative incorporates history, nature, and mythology, along with plenty of action. It is told from a Christian viewpoint, but can be enjoyed by a general audience, and, unlike so many other fiction stories, is acceptable reading for the young.
Read an excerpt:
The pressing situation to which he was being called was the gathering of ugly weather off the Greenland coast. Hoping to outrun the oncoming storm front back to Vinland, or at least to somewhere they could find shelter from the inclemency, Brand-Yngar directed that the prisoners be rounded up and secured, the knorr put in tow, and the Kraken be made ready to sail due south.
The homeward voyage began in the Davis Strait, to the west of the settlements on Greenland. The southerly Labrador Current certainly had the potential to carry them away, even without the help of oar and sail, but it bowed to the superior force of the rising winds that were already wrecking the knorr. Now gales, they wrenched the Kraken off her course and gave her quite a different heading; the crewmen could not even tell how far they'd been diverted. When they weren't cowering, they were praying to Thor for their deliverance, bailing rainwater and seawater out of the vessel, or saving each other from being washed over the sides.
Brand-Yngar stood resolute as captain. Through his decision not to try to reach land immediately, he had saved the drakkar from the very worst of the storm; now, he had to guide them through its area of lesser strength to wherever it should capriciously deposit them.
The tempest poured and blustered for hours, driving the dragon ship as a godling might play with a bath toy. Finally it blew the Kraken onto a shore. Yet more time passed before the severity tempered enough locally so that anyone could move about on land; in the meantime, the occupants of the humbled watercraft huddled under the cover of their awning, peeping forebodingly at their unintentional port of call.
Gary L. Doman, whose (pen-)surname rhymes with "roman", the French word for "novel", was born in Syracuse (New York) and has spent the majority of his life in Connecticut. He has degrees from Fairfield University and the University of Connecticut. He has developed an interest in just about everything, especially history, geography, religion, language, and the natural world. He began writing as a child and has never really stopped, although he does periodically need to eat and sleep, and also devotes considerable time to his other creative and intellectual endeavors; these include his "weblog" the Doman Domain and one of the items of interest found there, namely, "The Best Comic Strip Ever!". Further, he has taught himself to sing and founded his own political philosophy. His greatest accomplishment may be remaining humble despite the preceding!
Visit Gary online at http://domandomain.blogspot.com/
Vinland Viking Tour Schedule
Monday, August 5th
Book review at The Book Connection
Tuesday, August 6th
Guest post at Literarily Speaking
Wednesday, August 7th
Interview at Blogcritics
Thursday, August 8th
Guest post at Lori’s Reading Corner
Friday, August 9th
Guest post and giveaway at The Busy Mom’s Daily
Monday, August 12th
Interview at Between the Covers
Tuesday, August 13th
Guest post for Cheryl’s Christian Book Connection
Wednesday, August 14th
Guest post at The Story Behind the Book
Thursday, August 15th
Book review at A Year of Jubilee Reviews
Friday, August 16th
Book spotlight at The Writer’s Life
Book spotlight at 4 the Love of Books
Monday, August 19th
Interview at As the Pages Turn
Tuesday, August 20th
Book review at Vic’s Media Room
Wednesday, August 21st
Interview at Examiner
Thursday, August 22nd
Book spotlight at My Devotional Thoughts
Friday, August 23rd
Book review at Found A Christian by His Grace
Monday, August 26th
Book spotlight at Review from Here
Wednesday, August 28th
Interview at Broowaha
Friday, August 30th
Interview at Pump Up Your Book
Book review at Blooming with Books
No comments:
Post a Comment