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Giles Kristian
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God of Vengeance (1) (Sigurd) Paperback – December 4, 2014

by Giles Kristian (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 4,097 ratings
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Norway 785 AD: it began with the betrayal of a lord by a king . . . King Gorm puts Jarl Harald’s family to the sword, but makes one fatal mistake—he fails to kill Harald’s youngest son, Sigurd. His kin slain, his village seized and its people taken as slaves, Sigurd wonders if the gods have forsaken him. Hunted by powerful men, he is unsure who to trust and yet he has a small band of loyal followers at his side. With them—and with the help of the All-Father, Odin—he determines to make a king pay in blood for his treachery. Using cunning and war-craft, Sigurd gathers together a fellowship of warriors—including his father's right-hand man Olaf, Bram (who men call Bear), Black Floki who wields death with a blade, and the shield maiden Valgerd, who fears no man—and convinces them to follow him. For, whether Ódin is with him or not, Sigurd will have vengeance. And neither men nor gods had best stand in his way. God of Vengeance is a must-read for all who enjoy thrilling, action-packed fiction—from Bernard Cornwell to George R R Martin's Game of Thrones.

Previous page
  1. Book 1 of 3
    The Rise of Sigurd
  2. Print length
    544 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Corgi
  5. Publication date
    December 4, 2014
  6. Dimensions
    5 x 1.5 x 8 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    0552162426
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0552162425
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Action-packed storytelling which stirs the blood and thrills the soul." —Wilbur Smith, author, Predator

"What elevates Kristian above the many pretenders to Cornwell's crown is the style and swagger of the prose. He is a modern skald, borrowing the old rhythms to create a brutal, absorbing tale." —Times "Books of the Year"

"Unrelenting pace, brilliant action and characters. A masterwork." —Conn Iggulden, author, Wars of the Roses

"A glorious, bloody, perfect Viking saga, rich with the poetry of the skald, ripe with blood and glory, vengeance and heartbreak. The characters stride from the page, alive, hungry, real . . . this is Viking writing at its very best." —Manda Scott, author, Dreaming the Eagle

"This is the best kind of storytelling—a saga full of blood and thunder that grabs you and doesn’t let go until long after the final page is turned." —Steven Pressfield, author, Gates of Fire

"A great success . . . His knowledge of the period, and imaginative immersion in it, mean that God of Vengeance conjures up Sigurd's bloody, violent world, with all its alien beliefs and strange customs, in vivid and compelling detail." —Nick Rennison, BBC History

"A revenger's tale writ large . . . Kristian's latest Viking-era saga won't disappoint." —Daily Mail

"A pulsating saga delivered with the sweep and power of a Norse war axe." —Tim Severin, author, The Brendan Voyage

About the Author

Giles Kristian is the author of the Raven Viking trilogy—Blood Eye, Sons of Thunder, and Odin's Wolves.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Corgi (December 4, 2014)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 544 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0552162426
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0552162425
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 1.5 x 8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 4,097 ratings

About the author

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Giles Kristian

Giles Kristian

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Giles Kristian's first historical novels were the acclaimed and bestselling RAVEN Viking trilogy – Blood Eye, Sons of Thunder and Odin’s Wolves. For his next series, he drew on a long-held fascination with the English Civil War to chart the fortunes of a family divided by this brutal conflict in The Bleeding Land and Brothers’ Fury. Giles also co-wrote Wilbur Smith’s No.1 bestseller, Golden Lion. In God of Vengeance (a TIMES Book of the Year), Winter’s Fire, and the Historical Writers’ Association Gold Crown shortlisted Wings of the Storm, he returned to the world of the Vikings to tell the story of Sigurd and his celebrated fictional fellowship. Lancelot was published to great acclaim and hit The Times bestseller charts at No. 3. It was also a Sunday Times bestseller. He followed Lancelot with Camelot, and his new novel, a thriller called Where Blood Runs Cold, was The Times’ Thriller of the Month. To find out more about Giles: www.gileskristian.com

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
4,097 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Sassafras
5.0 out of 5 stars The Saga of Sigurd the Lucky begins!
Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2022
Verified Purchase
I read Blood Eye, the first book in the Raven series before this one. This is the first in the prequel trilogy to the Raven series.

It’s a good read, though not as ‘historical’ as Bernard Cornwell’s Saxon saga. These books should come with a NC17 rating due to the language and graphic battle gore. I do not recommend listening whilst on a road trip with children in the car!

I’d love for these books to make it into a tv series, which I would probably hate because much seems to be lost when books are made into movies or tv shows, as previously noted with The Last Kingdom and Game of Thrones.

At least I now know why Floki and Sigurd’s wyrds are bound. Enjoy.
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brandon anthony bledsoe
4.0 out of 5 stars Good Book for Viking Buffs, Even if It is a Bit Predictable
Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2017
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This is a good Viking book. The author has a keen understanding of Norse history, culture, religion, language and warfare, and he manages to convey it all through a compelling, yet fairly predictable, story. In fact, there's so much authenticity in this book, that I don't see how someone who's not a Vikingphile could manage to penetrate it. My favorite element of the book was the dialogue and how Kristian captures the Norsemen's fatalistic sense of humor. I liked how the characters were constantly quipping, insulting each other and egging each other on. Their personalities seemed true to modern Scandinavian people I have known, except with the Viking-age brutality added back in. I felt like I got to know most of Sigurd's crew and I felt invested in their respective fates.

My only complaints are that the story-line is basically another variation on the coming of age/revenge tale and the main antagonists are not very developed.
12 people found this helpful
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Nerine Dorman
5.0 out of 5 stars Lots of blood.
Reviewed in the United States on August 22, 2021
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I've been meaning to get back into Giles Kristian's writing for a long, long time, and picked up God of Vengeance (The Rise of Sigurd #1) when it was on sale not so long ago. Perhaps it's because I've really enjoyed The Last Kingdom as well as the source material (Bernard Cornwell's books), and just a general fuzz for anything Viking Age related – so God of Vengeance really just pushes all the right buttons for me currently.

First off, Kristian writes combat sequences well, and with a ring of authenticity that is hard to find in the historical fiction or even epic fantasy genres. He really makes you feel like you're present, as a reader, and the cast of characters he brings to life is diverse and complex.
We start the journey with young Sigurd, son of the jarl Harald. And the worst happens to a young man – his entire family is killed in a plot by a crooked king, and unsurprisingly, our enterprising lad vows vengeance. The only problem is he's got no boat, no resources, and no warband – to go up against a bunch of back-stabbing wolves who hold all the power. And not only that, they've taken his sister, Runa, to be married against her will to a man she doesn't love.

So, yeah, Sigurd's got a huge axe to grind, and this story is all about how he gets his stuff together, against all odds, to rescue Runa and spill his enemies' blood. And a lot of warning: so. Much. Blood. Kristian also skirts around the edges in terms of the supernatural. We never know if the gods are real or whether Odin really does favour Sigurd, but enough happens to show how the gods' actions are all too real to their believers. While Sigurd claims to be favoured by Odin, a boast that will make most god-fearing folks reconsider whether they want to cross him, we must remember that Odin is not exactly a kind nor gentle god, and for all victories claimed in Odin's name, a terrible blood price must be paid.

This action-packed revenge-epic is just right. Now excuse me while I toddle off to pick up book 2.
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jml
5.0 out of 5 stars An adventure into the strange and intriguing lives of Vikings, their glory and defeats
Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2020
Verified Purchase
This was a totally new world of people who function in a gory, honorable fight of survival. Filled with foreign phrases of Viking speech, the characters come alive in conversation and descriptive glances of their surrounding environment of hard, cold, rocky, mountains and water. Loyalty, trust, and honor are core values as friends are forged into fighting warriors in the face of death and great sorrow of defeat. Clawing their way as a well trained unit out from insignificance to fierce conquerors, the story of their fight reveals each person’s unique strength and contribution with insults,humor, and moral support. Once I got accustomed to the Viking references and bloody mode of survival I was involved in the conflicts and tensely cheering for Sigurd and his warriors. I really enjoyed this author’s writing, how he relayed the interchanges in minute detail of moment to moment word play, physical responses and uncivilized actions so natural to the era of early society. I can believe that the story was well researched and detailed accurately from the spelling and map locations to social mores and traditions.
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Bruce F.
4.0 out of 5 stars Riveting read.
Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2021
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Can’t wait to read more in this series. Kristian spun a hard to put down tale. All the characters seem to come alive.
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Manazon
5.0 out of 5 stars A Tale With Meat on it’s Bones
Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2022
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First book of his I’ve read and it’s very good. I enjoyed the movement of the plot line, the vagaries of most events and the most direct ones, too.

Don’t like the hanging ending.
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Top reviews from other countries

Terry Bryant
5.0 out of 5 stars A Viking Adventure
Reviewed in Canada on August 13, 2023
Verified Purchase
Great storyline and characters that keep the reader glued to the pages. An excellent read!
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Magicm
5.0 out of 5 stars A gripping tale
Reviewed in Germany on August 5, 2021
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Fantastic reading and very well written.
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Amitabha Sanyal
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in India on May 26, 2018
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Good
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Barry Finch
5.0 out of 5 stars Thumbs up for Raven
Reviewed in Australia on January 23, 2018
Verified Purchase
Loved the whole storyline set down over a number of novels. Giles Kristian certainly knows how to spin a yarn. Raven makes a wondeful character
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Biggs
5.0 out of 5 stars The Saga Continues - Or, Actually This Is How It Started
Reviewed in Spain on April 5, 2016
Verified Purchase
After the three Raven-books, Giles Kristian now goes back and tells the beginning of the saga. Why The Sea-Wolfs was created and how, and why, the sworn members of the pack joined the group. Worth reading as Kristian is a great story teller who can bring places and people to life..
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