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sannevdv's review against another edition
3.0
This book was so amazing. I loved every part of it. I loved the world building, i loved the characters and mostly i freaking loved the story! I was sucked right iñ until the end. It was really wonderfull
littlevix's review against another edition
3.0
I had a bit of a love-hate relationship towards Odinsbarn. On one hand, the language has a nice, poetic flow, and the interesting universe that unfolds within the story always keep you wondering what will happen next. On the other hand, there are a few major issues that bog the story down.
The first issue is that I never really felt like I got to know the characters. Sometimes I came close to seeing some deeper layers within them that could fetch my interest, especially after the halfway point of the book, but then it’d suddenly slip away again and they’d once more become unapproachable, clichéd and infuriatingly inconsistent.
Hirka tries so hard to be strong and tough, but in truth she’s a sixteen-year-old child who more often than not act like she’s twelve. The fact that she always manages to awe grown people with her intelligence and maturity seems a bit forced since it’s so at odds with her childish behavior and thoughts. Rime on the other hand is a bit too much like the classical Byronic hero. He’s either channeling his anger and despair towards Hirka or completely ignoring her in favor for being stoic and cool. I understand how this kind of character might seem intriguing to young girls (taming the wild beast and all that) but in the end it’s not very charming because it shows disrespect towards Hirka.
The other issue is a pacing problem. The first sixty pages of the book were interesting and captivating. Then came a three hundred-page slump before the real action started. I got the feeling that the book hadn’t been proofread, or even that three hundred pages had been added in hindsight. The writing style was suddenly different from the rest of the book. The language lacked flow and there was a LOT of repetition. I addition, the characters came off as hopelessly bland. All they did for the first half of the book, was whine about their sorry destinies on repeat. This thankfully changed later on, but it almost made me put down the book for good. To be honest, the only reason I finished Odinsbarn was because I was determined to read it through to the end once I’d bought it, and the only reason it didn’t take me months to finish it was because I practically skimmed through large parts of the book.
These two issues are the main reason why I couldn’t give Odinsbarn more than three stars. I would have given it even less if it weren’t for the fact that the book really picked up after the halfway point, and I think it could have been a really good story if only it had been three hundred pages shorter.
All in all, it Odinsbarn was an okay story. I think it was really fun to read fantasy from a Norwegian author, and a woman to boot, and the world building was really impressive. That alone made it worth the read.
The first issue is that I never really felt like I got to know the characters. Sometimes I came close to seeing some deeper layers within them that could fetch my interest, especially after the halfway point of the book, but then it’d suddenly slip away again and they’d once more become unapproachable, clichéd and infuriatingly inconsistent.
Hirka tries so hard to be strong and tough, but in truth she’s a sixteen-year-old child who more often than not act like she’s twelve. The fact that she always manages to awe grown people with her intelligence and maturity seems a bit forced since it’s so at odds with her childish behavior and thoughts. Rime on the other hand is a bit too much like the classical Byronic hero. He’s either channeling his anger and despair towards Hirka or completely ignoring her in favor for being stoic and cool. I understand how this kind of character might seem intriguing to young girls (taming the wild beast and all that) but in the end it’s not very charming because it shows disrespect towards Hirka.
The other issue is a pacing problem. The first sixty pages of the book were interesting and captivating. Then came a three hundred-page slump before the real action started. I got the feeling that the book hadn’t been proofread, or even that three hundred pages had been added in hindsight. The writing style was suddenly different from the rest of the book. The language lacked flow and there was a LOT of repetition. I addition, the characters came off as hopelessly bland. All they did for the first half of the book, was whine about their sorry destinies on repeat. This thankfully changed later on, but it almost made me put down the book for good. To be honest, the only reason I finished Odinsbarn was because I was determined to read it through to the end once I’d bought it, and the only reason it didn’t take me months to finish it was because I practically skimmed through large parts of the book.
These two issues are the main reason why I couldn’t give Odinsbarn more than three stars. I would have given it even less if it weren’t for the fact that the book really picked up after the halfway point, and I think it could have been a really good story if only it had been three hundred pages shorter.
All in all, it Odinsbarn was an okay story. I think it was really fun to read fantasy from a Norwegian author, and a woman to boot, and the world building was really impressive. That alone made it worth the read.
konvineo's review against another edition
2.0
Jeg tror jeg ville have fået mere ud af [b:Odinsbarn|18137087|Odinsbarn (Ravneringene, #1)|Siri Pettersen|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1377976717s/18137087.jpg|25479041], hvis jeg faktisk havde læst bogen i stedet for at lytte til audiobook versionen. Men jeg tænker at det er et generelt problem jeg har med audiobooks, hvor jeg bare ikke altid føler at jeg får det fulde udbytte ud af historien.
Generelt var [b:Odinsbarn|18137087|Odinsbarn (Ravneringene, #1)|Siri Pettersen|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1377976717s/18137087.jpg|25479041] en interessant bog. Den spiller virkelig på, og udstråler en autentisk nordisk følelse, hvilket selvfølgelig giver mening nu hvor forfatteren er norsk. Historien er fin, karaktererne er fine, men ultimativt så har jeg svært ved at sige mere om indholdet af bogen. Jeg ramte et punkt, hvor jeg blev for distraheret, små-stressetog bogen blev for lang at lytte til og stedet i bogen blev for kedeligt. Så jeg endte med ikke at absorbere bogen på det niveau som jeg gerne ville.
Jeg vil tænke over om jeg vil fortsætte serien, eller få fat i en fysisk kopi af denne bog og prøve igen.
Generelt var [b:Odinsbarn|18137087|Odinsbarn (Ravneringene, #1)|Siri Pettersen|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1377976717s/18137087.jpg|25479041] en interessant bog. Den spiller virkelig på, og udstråler en autentisk nordisk følelse, hvilket selvfølgelig giver mening nu hvor forfatteren er norsk. Historien er fin, karaktererne er fine, men ultimativt så har jeg svært ved at sige mere om indholdet af bogen. Jeg ramte et punkt, hvor jeg blev for distraheret, små-stressetog bogen blev for lang at lytte til og stedet i bogen blev for kedeligt. Så jeg endte med ikke at absorbere bogen på det niveau som jeg gerne ville.
Jeg vil tænke over om jeg vil fortsætte serien, eller få fat i en fysisk kopi af denne bog og prøve igen.
manda_kaye's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
martinlibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
Riktigt bra bok.
Två saker tänker jag främst på - bra utmejslade karaktärer och ett bra världbyggande, vilket ju är två springande punkter i all bra litteratur.
Och såklart - vanvettigt spännande med många snygga vändningar som fick sidorna att flyga fram. Jag ser fram emot bok två.
Två saker tänker jag främst på - bra utmejslade karaktärer och ett bra världbyggande, vilket ju är två springande punkter i all bra litteratur.
Och såklart - vanvettigt spännande med många snygga vändningar som fick sidorna att flyga fram. Jag ser fram emot bok två.
the_alexeli's review against another edition
4.0
Actual rating: probably somewhere between a 3.5 and 3.75 rounded up to a 4.
I loved the world and the characters and the story/plotting. But there was something about the writing that made transitions in chapters/paragraphs and the dialogue/interactions between characters both feel very choppy and abrupt. Like missing a step when going up a flight of stairs. I am just unsure whether this was due to the author's writing style, OR if it was something lost in translation.
Either way, I very much look forward to the next book's translation being published this fall. The characters and the world are (so far) enough to keep me reading despite the disrupted flow of the reading.
I loved the world and the characters and the story/plotting. But there was something about the writing that made transitions in chapters/paragraphs and the dialogue/interactions between characters both feel very choppy and abrupt. Like missing a step when going up a flight of stairs. I am just unsure whether this was due to the author's writing style, OR if it was something lost in translation.
Either way, I very much look forward to the next book's translation being published this fall. The characters and the world are (so far) enough to keep me reading despite the disrupted flow of the reading.
_simplylornie's review against another edition
5.0
This book was everything. Norse mythology. A beautiful story. Forbidden romance. Politics and religion that just made you want to pull your hair out.
A world so vividly shaped and the people who were equally as vivid. Their worries, prejudices, religious beliefs.
A main character who you could not help but root for with everything. Her decisions as crazy as they were, made sense. Her suffering was yours to experience.
I could go on and on. And I might come back to update this review after I let this book settle a bit.
Absolutely amazing book. I cannot wait to read book 2!
A world so vividly shaped and the people who were equally as vivid. Their worries, prejudices, religious beliefs.
A main character who you could not help but root for with everything. Her decisions as crazy as they were, made sense. Her suffering was yours to experience.
I could go on and on. And I might come back to update this review after I let this book settle a bit.
Absolutely amazing book. I cannot wait to read book 2!
okjaaaaa's review against another edition
4.0
This is one of my holy grail book series. I grew up with it, it's such a tangible piece of my country's history and culture. I cannot tell you how excited I am that it is getting an English translation.
It's beautifully written, expertly crafted. And it gets bonus points for being written by a Norweigan author.
It's beautifully written, expertly crafted. And it gets bonus points for being written by a Norweigan author.
sanmarina's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25