Review of The Swordsmith

[ThankGod Onyishi]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Swordsmith" by Simon Curtis.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Simon Curtis' knowledge and appreciation of history combined with a fluidly moving narrative crystallize into The Swordsmith. The story follows Osgar, a ten-year-old boy who watches silently as his mother and his twin brother are abducted by raiders, and the rest of his village (including his father) is murdered in cold blood. Powerless, he vows to free his mother and brother and avenge his dead father. The resulting story is a tale of a life wholly devoted to seeking revenge at all costs.

Although there are numerous tales of vendetta and revenge, this book stands out for a multiplicity of reasons, chief amongst them is that it is set in the dark ages, a period of unparalleled violence, religious/secular uprisings, and multiple conquests. Secondly, the story tackles the subject of revenge and slavery - an unusual combination - without glossing over either. Finally, it acknowledges and incorporates the religions of the era, drawing on them to enrich its narrative. For instance, there are direct allusions to Christ and mentions of Astara, Skadi, Valhalla e.t.c

Personally, I appreciate the pacing of the story. All the incidents occur in a simple-to-follow manner, and no sequence of events is hurried or rushed. Also, the diction lends credence to the story. As the novel is set in the age of the Anglo-Saxon occupation of lands originally inhabited by Britons, the language of the work makes an effort to replicate the lingo of that time.

In addition, the story is historically accurate to a large degree. Most of the locations mentioned therein are actual places still in existence today, albeit with different names. Some characters and events are also based on real occurrences, thereby adding another layer of realism to the story. However, the story is a bit one-dimensional. This is because there are no principal sub-plots, and the narrative is heavily geared in a single direction (Osgar rescuing Aefre and Leofric and taking revenge against the Waelisc).

Also, as there are lots of archaic words in the story, a detailed glossary apart from the 'place names' and 'word meanings' given at the beginning of the book would have greatly aided in the enjoyment of the novel. As this was not given, it was difficult to properly appreciate the context and usage of the words. Examples of these words include Wergild, Aethling, Ealdorman, Thegn, Waelisc, Aescs, Aetgars, Ceorl, Fyrd e.t.c

Finally, the narrative tended to veer off from the story and dwell on the actions it was describing, thereby causing distractions. This is evident in Chapters 8, 14, and 18, large chunks of which were spent describing blacksmithing/ woodworking techniques, the mechanics of charcoal making, the dyke building process, e.t.c.

Although it could have been better written, The Swordsmith is an interesting work. I rate it 3 out of 4. The star I deducted is mainly because of the book's negative aspects, which include a lack of a glossary, and descriptive excesses, as explained above. It is recommended to lovers of epic novels and historical fiction.

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The Swordsmith
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[Okorji98]

Simon Curtis' knowledge and appreciation of history combined with a fluidly moving narrative crystallize into The Swordsmith. Great book.

[Stephanie Cameron]

I feel as if I need more information on this book to decide if I would enjoy it or not. While your review is very informative on the writers style and historical accounts, I think it is vague on the journey the character takes.

[Jennifer Coxon]

Thank you for the detailed review. The level of work put into making an already interesting sounding story so historically accurate has got to be worth a read.

[Sou Hi]

Thanks for your interesting review. It seems this book is a nice mixture between history and mythology, though I agree that there should be proper explanations for the Anglo-Saxon terms.

[FunkyFlowerLady]

Amazing review. looks like a passionate war for justice. I'm intrigued to know more about the struggles encountered by Osgar. the terminology would probably need a glossary for sure.