Blood Eye

By: Giles Kristian

Narrated by: Simon Prebble

Length: 11 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's Summary

In a thrilling adventure of brotherhood, warfare, and treachery, Giles Kristian takes us into ninth-century England, a world of darkness, epic conflict, and an unforgiving God served by powerful priests. On ships shaped like dragons, bristling with oars and armor, Jarl Sigurd and his fierce Norsemen have come in search of riches. And riches they are promised, by an English ruler who sends Sigurd and his wolves to steal a holy manuscript from another kingdom.

Osric, an orphan boy, sees beyond the terror of these warriors, and somehow knows the heathens’ tongue. Renamed Raven, rechristened in blood, he will join them. They are his people. And they will be his fate.

©2009 Giles Kristian (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Insta-Viking (Just Add Sword)

This story would have been better in graphic novel format. Take one teenager with amnesia, have some Vikings raid his village, then (presto-change-o) the boy begins speaking, cursing and fighting like a Viking professional. Never mind he's only been in this village two years and speaks the local Wessex dialect like a native. And, suspend your disbelief that the young man dumps his allegiance to his village like a hot potato. This character becomes a killing machine in a matter of weeks…and he isn't killing the Vikings that slaughtered his people…he's fighting alongside them.

The plot of Bloodeye is plucked right from two or three other sources (TV's Ragnar Lothbrok comes to mind). This novel is riding the crest of a Viking fiction wave. However, the author experienced a big wipeout in his fist two chapters.

Two swords down (except for Simon Prebble - who is a master of Anglo story telling).

Horns

The story is great the narrator was great but there were horns in the background that scared the shit out of me when I was running.

ODIN DESPISES WEAKNESS

A MAN DOES NOT DECIDE HE IS KING, THE MEN AROUND HIM DO.
I have always been interested in Vikings. They have always been portrayed as large men from the North who kill and pillage and rape as if it was there right to do so. My interest is in what made them think they had the right and what kind of race of man, loves killing other humans. I was reminded by this different take that history is written by the winners. Perhaps they were not the evil race of men the are suppose to be. Giles portrays them as traders, who are consistently under attack by sneaky British types. The British demand taxes and they hate anyone who worships any God other then their God. I understand how important religion was to early Christians, especially through my reading of Ivanhoe, but I found it hard to believe the extend in which they are blamed for the conflict with the Vikings.

This is Giles first novel and it reads like a first novel. The Vikings are made to look fairly tame. They do a lot of boosting and a lot is made of Eagling a man, but I thought the whole story moved slowly and other then trash talk, their was little substance to it. There is lots of talking then a battle, then talking, then battle, repeat. Even in the battles I did not feel the horror of killing. Nor was there much Viking history, nothing new was learned.

Harry Harrison's Hammer and The Cross does a lot better job at giving you the feel of the horrific acts of these men. Blood Eagling, making of a hemnar, quartering, tying a man's intestines to a stick and then beating him until he runs far enough to pull out his own intestines, and much more. Hemnar may be spelled wrong, but it is cutting off a man's arms and legs, but keeping him alive.

WORDS FALL FROM YOUR MOUTH LIKE DRIPPINGS FROM A GOAT'S A**.
Just a quote from the book, the narrator is pretty good, he just could not save the author from his own boring writing.

HIS HEAD IS FULL OF SPIDERS.

Ridiculous Premise

The author may have had a really good first book to a series if he would’ve spend half or more of the first book developing the hero. He rushed his character into becoming a Norseman to the point it was offensive to the reader to be expected to believe this.

Here is Summary of what I mean for people who may want to read this review before purchasing the book.

Hero is an orphaned who lives in England and is raised Christian by the village who took him in. Vikings come. Kill villagers. Take the boy hero who’s is a teenager now bc he can somehow understand their language. Within days or weeks, the book doesn’t say but it’s an offensively short amount of time. The hero is now a Northman who can fight like a professional, believes in the Norse Gods and knows all their history’s, doesn’t believe in the Christian god and starts killing Englishman.

Had the author made this change of character take place over say years, everything else in the story would’ve been ok. That was just lazy writing.

Two sentences could’ve done this. The Norseman left with the hero to return to their homeland. Years later they are back and he is with them and now our hero’s story begins. Done- makes sense now.

Excellent Adventure!!

Giles Kristian does a wonderful job of creating a hero that we can all identify with....flawed but gallant!! Completely enjoyable piece of work and Simon Prebble does and excellent job presenting it!!

Intense!

I have listened to these books over a dozen times. You won’t regret downloading them.

amazing book

adventure laughter drama everything you want a story to be 10 out of 10 i strongly recommend

No#1 Story, start to finish!

Love every chapter and kept me wanting!
Truly a warriors read, with a dash of romance.

Great story!

I LOVE these historical stories. Raven is believable character one that you like! I can't wait to start the next story!

Great Story!!!

I really enjoyed this story book. The narrator could have been a little more animated and changed his voice some. That’s why the three stars performance. Other then that it was GREAT!!