Outlaw: A Viking historical fiction (Viking Ventures)
Beginning in 841, where book one (Viking) ends, this follows the further adventures of Ulv and Marcus, the former releasing himself from the nasty situation which ended the first book and the latter now ensconced in the Abbey of Kells. The relationship of thrall to master has done another about-turn. Ulv wanders aimlessly with no goal in mind, while Marcus advises a self-appointed Irish king on battle strategy. Can he persuade the clans to stop fighting amongst themselves for long enough to defeat the Vikings wintering in Dyflin?
Unfortunately, this book is short on action, and using a second novel to resolve a cliffhanger from the first is not conducive to a standalone. Backstory is revealed through weak dialogue rather than woven into the narrative. Many of the characters are unlikeable and one-dimensional, and it is hard to care about them. The reader is outside looking in but not participating, although there is little to participate in. Overuse of the term “wheels” for minds is irritating, and Trygg has unlikely heart-to-hearts with his fellow warriors. Anachronisms such as “dad,” “teenage,” “snide,” and “whelp” grate. Translation errors from Norwegian such as “mumbling their incomprehensive prayers”; “…for talking so demeaning about him”; “I ran what I could” (ran away?); “Julia squirmed and trashed”; “The axeman advanced caution” (cautiously?); and many examples of simple errors which should have been corrected by a thorough edit.
Outlaw may appeal to 8-12-year-old boys, but there’s not enough action to drive the narrative forward, and I don’t think discerning young adults will find this credible. The book feels like filler used to make very little substance into a drawn-out saga. Perhaps it is the authors’ intention to leave the book hanging at the end once again, but this would not entice me to read a third in the trilogy. Disappointing.
