Review of Bergthora's Saga: A Heathen Revenge in a Christian Iceland

[Patrícia Gomes]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Bergthora's Saga: A Heathen Revenge in a Christian Iceland" by Reiner Prochaska.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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Bergthora’s Saga: A Heathen Revenge in a Christian Iceland by Reiner Prochaska is an exciting read set in Iceland right after Christianity is set to rule the country after centuries of adoration of several different gods and dark magics. Bergtora, our protagonist, comes from Greenland to Iceland to seek revenge for a terrible situation that occurred when she was a child, and nothing can stop her during this book.

Bergthora is not an easy character to follow. I believe the author didn’t intend to create a main character who would be uniformly liked and consensual, as, in my opinion, Bergthora can be quite frustrating and infuriating, especially regarding her actions, which create pain and chaos for everyone around her, without showing much concern for the consequences.

I must say that there are quite a few aspects that I enjoyed immensely in this book. The first one is the writing techniques of this author, as the book is fast-paced without being confusing or triggering. Let’s not forget that this book is set in Iceland, where the language, names, and culture can be challenging to understand at first, and it spans several centuries, which can also be extremely confusing. However, the author managed to interlace every cultural, historical, political, and religious aspect beautifully. The second one is the description of the scenario. I have been to Iceland before, and as I read this book, I could imagine perfectly the settings, the architectural aspects, and the nature surrounding all the occurrences in this book, which is incredible. Lastly, the fantasy element in this book is spot on, as it was fascinating to read about witchcraft, several different types of magic, and unknown forces.

However, I must admit I didn’t connect with Bergthora. I believe this was not exactly the point of the book, as our protagonist is, in fact, non-consensual and infuriating at times, but I hoped I could understand her a bit better, especially regarding her traumas and what made her get this sense of revenge.

Nonetheless, this book was an excellent read, full of intrigue, chaos, and interesting characters, which leads me to say that this book deserves 4 out of 5 stars, losing solely one star to the downside pointed out previously. I also didn’t encounter any errors, so the book is perfectly edited, and I believe anyone who is intrigued by different countries, religions, cultural differences, and a good fantasy involving dark magics will enjoy this book deeply.

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Bergthora's Saga: A Heathen Revenge in a Christian Iceland
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[Kibet Hillary]

The book, indeed, seems to be packed with some interesting characters, and the fact that the main character seems odd is even more interesting. I am happy that despite the huge length of time the book spans, the author managed to bring everything together without confusing the reader. This sounds like a must-read. Thank you for the review, @Patrícia Gomes.