alwroteabook's review
5.0
Looking for a dark and gritty science fantasy? Then look no further. With a Nordic vibe, this has great characters, an interesting story and most importantly, an excellent sequel, but more on that later. The narration by Aaron Smith really adds to the story.
allyens's review
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
davidgreenwriter's review
4.0
Vikings, science-fiction, grimdark, and end of the world shenanigans. What's not to like?
This is a brutal book. It starts as it means to go on, and for those who don't enjoy certain subject matters (no spoilers here) you get those from the off so you can quickly decide if this is the type of book for you.
There's ingenuity and well-worked twists, and the MC Brohr is well-delved. In fact, that would be my only criticism - the rest of the characters pale in comparison. The narrative more than makes up for this, in my opinion - as does the scope and scale of the world-building.
This is a brutal book. It starts as it means to go on, and for those who don't enjoy certain subject matters (no spoilers here) you get those from the off so you can quickly decide if this is the type of book for you.
There's ingenuity and well-worked twists, and the MC Brohr is well-delved. In fact, that would be my only criticism - the rest of the characters pale in comparison. The narrative more than makes up for this, in my opinion - as does the scope and scale of the world-building.
fantasybooknerd01's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Jordan Loyal Short begins his sci - fi/ fantasy Trilogy, Dreadbound Ode with this dark tale of rebellion and Revolution in The Scald's Black Verse.
Brohr is the grandson of Anders Nilstrom, a deeply scarred veteran of The Tyrianite invasion of his homeworld Heimar. Brohr is a mix of Norn and Tyrianite, born of a brutal assault by Tyrianite troops, which leaves his mother pregnant with twins
However, his twin is killed at birth and bound to him by a dark ritual performed by his grandfather shortly after Brohr's birth.
Skip forward quite a few years and Brohr is planning to run away with his girlfriend. However, things don't go according to plan when his supposed best friend tattle tales on his plans and they are stopped. As a result, Brohr loses his temper, and subsequently beats said best friend half to death.
As a result, he is shunned even more than he was, and things go from bad to worse when he is out drinking and gambling. The result of the night, which is one that is echoed in towns all over the universe it seems, is violence. However, whilst the man that Brohr became involved with is unconscious, he is killed be a shadowy apparition. The event is witnessed by two others Lyssa and Hendrick.
This incident is the catalyst for an event that will change all their lives forever.
I have got to say that this book surprised me, and I did not expect it to go the way that it did. Initially, the world building points to a Norse inspired fantasy. A pitch black Norse inspired fantasy, I may add! However, things soon took a different turn with the introduction of space faring invaders that are oppressing the people of Heimar and the whole book goes in a direction that I did not foresee.
The story is made up of four diffiering POV’s; Brohr, Lyssa, Hendrick and Brasca, each of them very different. Brohr is possessed by the spirit of his dead brother and resembles a berserker (or The Hulk, or even Slaine the Horned God when he goes into his warp spasm). Then there is Lyssa, an independent young woman who is totally bored of working in her father’s tavern. Next up is Hendrick, a spoilt prig of a boy whose father is the Mayor, and also one who has done very well from allying himself with the oppressing forces. And finally, there is Brasca, the Tyrianite Prefect sent to Heimar as some kind of political punishment.
The story is mainly confined to one place, the village of Skolijas (although there is some mention of other towns in the world). Whilst in some ways it may seem that it is limited in its world building, it does add to the intensity of the book. And I have to say, I did find this book quite intense.
Like I mentioned earlier, this is a dark fantasy, pitch black even, but this works well. It highlights the oppression that the inhabitants of the village are experiencing, and it also heightens that sense of foreboding that is ever present throughout the book.
Throughout the story, there seem to be a plethora of differing influences in there, such as; epic fantasy, grimdark, ecological disaster, sci fi and even some folk horror. Whilst it may make you wonder how these elements can be melded together, Jordan Loyal Short makes them work extremely well and provide a fantasy tale that is quite individual.
The magic system is quite intriguing, with the Scalds using blood magic, which is used for all sorts of things like hiding evidence and intent. However, other forms of magic are used in the book, and we learn about bindings.
The characters are all well realised, with Lyssa being the standout for me. At times I found Brohr to be a little less than the sum of his parts and could be quite frustrated with him, whilst Hendrick was a typical lordling’s son. The other character Brasca was well realised and complex. It was interesting to see his story unfold to show how he had fallen from a star of the Tyrianite Empire to being demoted to his current position.
I liked that Jordan Loyal Short used some typical other fantasy elements like the chosen one trope, warring gods or the found family trope, and twisted them to fit the story.
So, if you like your dark fantasy flavoured with a bit of grimness and spiced up with a touch of Sci Fi and horror then give The Scold’s Black Verse a try.
Brohr is the grandson of Anders Nilstrom, a deeply scarred veteran of The Tyrianite invasion of his homeworld Heimar. Brohr is a mix of Norn and Tyrianite, born of a brutal assault by Tyrianite troops, which leaves his mother pregnant with twins
However, his twin is killed at birth and bound to him by a dark ritual performed by his grandfather shortly after Brohr's birth.
Skip forward quite a few years and Brohr is planning to run away with his girlfriend. However, things don't go according to plan when his supposed best friend tattle tales on his plans and they are stopped. As a result, Brohr loses his temper, and subsequently beats said best friend half to death.
As a result, he is shunned even more than he was, and things go from bad to worse when he is out drinking and gambling. The result of the night, which is one that is echoed in towns all over the universe it seems, is violence. However, whilst the man that Brohr became involved with is unconscious, he is killed be a shadowy apparition. The event is witnessed by two others Lyssa and Hendrick.
This incident is the catalyst for an event that will change all their lives forever.
I have got to say that this book surprised me, and I did not expect it to go the way that it did. Initially, the world building points to a Norse inspired fantasy. A pitch black Norse inspired fantasy, I may add! However, things soon took a different turn with the introduction of space faring invaders that are oppressing the people of Heimar and the whole book goes in a direction that I did not foresee.
The story is made up of four diffiering POV’s; Brohr, Lyssa, Hendrick and Brasca, each of them very different. Brohr is possessed by the spirit of his dead brother and resembles a berserker (or The Hulk, or even Slaine the Horned God when he goes into his warp spasm). Then there is Lyssa, an independent young woman who is totally bored of working in her father’s tavern. Next up is Hendrick, a spoilt prig of a boy whose father is the Mayor, and also one who has done very well from allying himself with the oppressing forces. And finally, there is Brasca, the Tyrianite Prefect sent to Heimar as some kind of political punishment.
The story is mainly confined to one place, the village of Skolijas (although there is some mention of other towns in the world). Whilst in some ways it may seem that it is limited in its world building, it does add to the intensity of the book. And I have to say, I did find this book quite intense.
Like I mentioned earlier, this is a dark fantasy, pitch black even, but this works well. It highlights the oppression that the inhabitants of the village are experiencing, and it also heightens that sense of foreboding that is ever present throughout the book.
Throughout the story, there seem to be a plethora of differing influences in there, such as; epic fantasy, grimdark, ecological disaster, sci fi and even some folk horror. Whilst it may make you wonder how these elements can be melded together, Jordan Loyal Short makes them work extremely well and provide a fantasy tale that is quite individual.
The magic system is quite intriguing, with the Scalds using blood magic, which is used for all sorts of things like hiding evidence and intent. However, other forms of magic are used in the book, and we learn about bindings.
The characters are all well realised, with Lyssa being the standout for me. At times I found Brohr to be a little less than the sum of his parts and could be quite frustrated with him, whilst Hendrick was a typical lordling’s son. The other character Brasca was well realised and complex. It was interesting to see his story unfold to show how he had fallen from a star of the Tyrianite Empire to being demoted to his current position.
I liked that Jordan Loyal Short used some typical other fantasy elements like the chosen one trope, warring gods or the found family trope, and twisted them to fit the story.
So, if you like your dark fantasy flavoured with a bit of grimness and spiced up with a touch of Sci Fi and horror then give The Scold’s Black Verse a try.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
Moderate: Violence
barb4ry1's review against another edition
3.0
In The Skald’s Black Verse, Jordan Short crafts an ambitious dark fantasy novel.
The novel’s protagonists, Brohr, has a violent reputation. When a sinister creature murders a conqueror‘s soldier he becomes the prime suspect. After miracoulously surviving the odds, Brohr sets off on a quest to save his people and uncover the truth about a war stretching back into the ancient past. With time, he discovers his fits of rage are, in reality, moments of possession by the ghost of his rage-fuelled twin-brother.
Fans of dark fantasy will enjoy Short’s rich description and the horror-nuanced tone throughout. However, the novel’s grand-scale nature—coupled with a slowly developing storyline—negatively impacts momentum in places. Short offers great detail regarding many of the main characters’ back stories; while this adds depth, the pacing slows markedly in places, and the story could use trimming.
While the premise is intriguing, the writing has some failings. In places the story has too little focus on tension and narrative intensity. In a large cast of characters who get screen time, only Brohr stood out as a memorable one. I didn’t care at all about Henrik, Anders or Lyssa.
Short has a knack for the detail and complexity. His writing is straightforward and thorough, the dialogue is varied, and he shines in the action sequences. He is dedicated to his imagined world, and even through its denser stretches, his attention to detail makes his text come to life.
The book ends with significant questions unanswered, but I expect nothing else from a book one in the series.I would say it’s an interesting debut that could use some trimming and additional editing focused on engaging the reader in the narrative more effectively.
The novel’s protagonists, Brohr, has a violent reputation. When a sinister creature murders a conqueror‘s soldier he becomes the prime suspect. After miracoulously surviving the odds, Brohr sets off on a quest to save his people and uncover the truth about a war stretching back into the ancient past. With time, he discovers his fits of rage are, in reality, moments of possession by the ghost of his rage-fuelled twin-brother.
Fans of dark fantasy will enjoy Short’s rich description and the horror-nuanced tone throughout. However, the novel’s grand-scale nature—coupled with a slowly developing storyline—negatively impacts momentum in places. Short offers great detail regarding many of the main characters’ back stories; while this adds depth, the pacing slows markedly in places, and the story could use trimming.
While the premise is intriguing, the writing has some failings. In places the story has too little focus on tension and narrative intensity. In a large cast of characters who get screen time, only Brohr stood out as a memorable one. I didn’t care at all about Henrik, Anders or Lyssa.
Short has a knack for the detail and complexity. His writing is straightforward and thorough, the dialogue is varied, and he shines in the action sequences. He is dedicated to his imagined world, and even through its denser stretches, his attention to detail makes his text come to life.
The book ends with significant questions unanswered, but I expect nothing else from a book one in the series.I would say it’s an interesting debut that could use some trimming and additional editing focused on engaging the reader in the narrative more effectively.
amac_reads's review against another edition
4.0
The author created a fascinating and intricate world, weaving together elements of fantasy and sci-fi, and doing an excellent job sharing the details of that world without losing the narrative. The characters felt a under-developed and flat - there was no real connection to them, making deaths insignificant. The two magic types used (native blood magic and binding) weren't ever really explained, leaving a bit of a void.
Overall, a solid read and the start to an interesting series.
I received a complimentary copy of this work through Voracious Readers Only in exchange for my honest opinion.
Overall, a solid read and the start to an interesting series.
I received a complimentary copy of this work through Voracious Readers Only in exchange for my honest opinion.
matt_darksidreads's review against another edition
4.0
When a sinister creature murders one of the conquerors’ soldiers, Brohr’s violent reputation makes him the prime suspect. Haunted by a rage-filled ghost, Brohr’s disturbing possessions quickly become the reason for all of his troubles…and the only way he can survive. With a grandfather bent on dragging him into a failed rebellion, and a deadly comet hurtling toward his embattled world, Brohr sets off on a quest to save his people and uncover the truth about a war stretching back into the ancient past. Can he discover the true power of a Skald’s voice before the world itself ends in ash and flame?
I have always loved dark fantasy and The Skald’s Black Verse really did give me all I wanted. This is the stunning debut from Jordan Loyal Short and is one you need to take notice of and read. There is nothing about this book I didn’t like, the characters are well done the fights are bloody, the magic comes from either blood or death, and top all that with a well written plot and you have The Skald’d Black Verse.
To start with Brohr is you normal small town young man wanting to leave his small town and strike out for the larger world, but he keeps getting pulled back. After a day at a festival and drinking all day he ends up in a fight, but the man he fights is murdered by a mysterious creature that disappears though the docks into the sea. This one event sets him on a path that shows that he is no normal man. The main plot centers around Brohr, but there is another part of the story about a conquered people under the rule of men from another planet. With tensions already stressed by the oppression the Norn are under it doesnt take much to set the villagers against the tyrannical lords over them.
The magic in this tale is dark you either have blood magic or a binding, where you bind the life source of an animal into a stone to use for a purpose later. Both styles of magic involve singing instead of speaking an incantation which is different, and the binding magic also relies on runes to invoke the powers that are desired for the binding whether you want a destructive bind, a restorative bind or whatever.
The events of the story push Brohr to his physical and emotional limits but he is able to cope and adapt to push through all that happens to him. I loved the dark grittiness to this book and am excitedly awaiting the second book in the series.
I have always loved dark fantasy and The Skald’s Black Verse really did give me all I wanted. This is the stunning debut from Jordan Loyal Short and is one you need to take notice of and read. There is nothing about this book I didn’t like, the characters are well done the fights are bloody, the magic comes from either blood or death, and top all that with a well written plot and you have The Skald’d Black Verse.
To start with Brohr is you normal small town young man wanting to leave his small town and strike out for the larger world, but he keeps getting pulled back. After a day at a festival and drinking all day he ends up in a fight, but the man he fights is murdered by a mysterious creature that disappears though the docks into the sea. This one event sets him on a path that shows that he is no normal man. The main plot centers around Brohr, but there is another part of the story about a conquered people under the rule of men from another planet. With tensions already stressed by the oppression the Norn are under it doesnt take much to set the villagers against the tyrannical lords over them.
The magic in this tale is dark you either have blood magic or a binding, where you bind the life source of an animal into a stone to use for a purpose later. Both styles of magic involve singing instead of speaking an incantation which is different, and the binding magic also relies on runes to invoke the powers that are desired for the binding whether you want a destructive bind, a restorative bind or whatever.
The events of the story push Brohr to his physical and emotional limits but he is able to cope and adapt to push through all that happens to him. I loved the dark grittiness to this book and am excitedly awaiting the second book in the series.
rowena_m_andrews's review against another edition
4.0
I was asked to describe the kind of books I liked the other day, and I said ‘fantasy, the darker, the better’ and that is very much why I loved The Skald’s Black Verse, although I would say that it is more science-fantasy that pure fantasy. I also liked that I was caught entirely by surprise when what had been set up as a world/story with Norse vibes, shifted gears with the unexpected arrival of a voidship with interplanetary invaders. For some books, this might have been a gamble too far, but here it is brilliantly executed, and it takes the best of the more traditional Norse inspired stories and twists it into something refreshing and new.
There is nothing gentle about this book, and it must be noted that the first chapter, in particular, is brutal to read and may not be for everyone. However, while it is shocking and firmly places the book immediately onto the dark spectrum of fantasy, it is done with a purpose and is important to the rest of the plot. It also feeds into the atmosphere of the book, which is decidedly bleak, although not entirely without hope. This is a world of conquered vs conqueror, of blood magic and possessions, with a looming threat of a comet rushing towards a world that is already on a precipice, and where there are no easy choices and possibly no right answers either, and there is a delicious moral greyness to most the characters as they wrestle with those choices.
There was a lot happening in this book, from the character level with Brohr’s haunting, to simmering rebellion and beyond and for the most part it was well-balanced between the four main characters, and a rich cast of secondary characters, and the events happening around them. There were a few places where it felt as though the context of the story was lost a little, at least until the end, where aspects of the blurb were made clearer, although it did add an element of mystery that had me unable to put the book down as I needed to find out what happened next.
However, the writing – particularly for the fight scenes, and the complexity of the plot, more than made up for it and kept me firmly in the flow of the book as the characters themselves. They weren’t always likeable, but their choices and struggles rang true and reflected the world around them, and I am torn between Brohr and Henrick as my favourites, although all the characters had their moments to shine.
This was a fantastic book and a stand out debut, that was nothing like what I had expected and everything I love about dark fantasy, and I cannot wait to see where the story takes us in the sequel (I was delighted to realise this was book one!). I would recommend to anyone who enjoys the darker things in fantasy, and those looking for a well-executed blurring of the boundaries between Sci-Fi and Fantasy.
https://beneathathousandskies.com/2020/09/11/blog-tour-book-review-the-skalds-black-verse-dreadbound-ode-1-jordan-loyal-short/
There is nothing gentle about this book, and it must be noted that the first chapter, in particular, is brutal to read and may not be for everyone. However, while it is shocking and firmly places the book immediately onto the dark spectrum of fantasy, it is done with a purpose and is important to the rest of the plot. It also feeds into the atmosphere of the book, which is decidedly bleak, although not entirely without hope. This is a world of conquered vs conqueror, of blood magic and possessions, with a looming threat of a comet rushing towards a world that is already on a precipice, and where there are no easy choices and possibly no right answers either, and there is a delicious moral greyness to most the characters as they wrestle with those choices.
There was a lot happening in this book, from the character level with Brohr’s haunting, to simmering rebellion and beyond and for the most part it was well-balanced between the four main characters, and a rich cast of secondary characters, and the events happening around them. There were a few places where it felt as though the context of the story was lost a little, at least until the end, where aspects of the blurb were made clearer, although it did add an element of mystery that had me unable to put the book down as I needed to find out what happened next.
However, the writing – particularly for the fight scenes, and the complexity of the plot, more than made up for it and kept me firmly in the flow of the book as the characters themselves. They weren’t always likeable, but their choices and struggles rang true and reflected the world around them, and I am torn between Brohr and Henrick as my favourites, although all the characters had their moments to shine.
This was a fantastic book and a stand out debut, that was nothing like what I had expected and everything I love about dark fantasy, and I cannot wait to see where the story takes us in the sequel (I was delighted to realise this was book one!). I would recommend to anyone who enjoys the darker things in fantasy, and those looking for a well-executed blurring of the boundaries between Sci-Fi and Fantasy.
https://beneathathousandskies.com/2020/09/11/blog-tour-book-review-the-skalds-black-verse-dreadbound-ode-1-jordan-loyal-short/
More...