Day of the Vikings: A Thriller

By: J. F. Penn

Narrated by: Veronica Giguere

Length: 2 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's Summary

A ritual murder on a remote island under the shifting skies of the aurora borealis.

A staff of power that can summon Ragnarok, the Viking apocalypse.

When Neo-Viking terrorists invade the British Museum in London to reclaim the staff of Skara Brae, ARKANE agent Dr. Morgan Sierra is trapped in the building along with hostages under mortal threat.

As the slaughter begins, Morgan works alongside psychic Blake Daniel to discern the past of the staff, dating back to islands invaded by the Vikings generations ago.

Can Morgan and Blake uncover the truth before Ragnarok is unleashed, consuming all in its wake?

Day of the Vikings is a fast-paced, action adventure thriller set in the British Museum, the British Library and the islands of Orkney, Lindisfarne, and Iona. Set in the present day, it resonates with the history and myth of the Vikings.

Day of the Vikings features Dr. Morgan Sierra from the ARKANE thrillers, and Blake Daniel from the London Mysteries, but it is also a stand-alone novella that can be read and enjoyed separately.

©2014 Joanna Penn (P)2014 Joanna Penn

Great story, grating narrator

Love the Arkane adventures! I was thrilled to find this on Book Gorilla as Whispersync for really cheap. Dr. Sierra starts out in the British museum, becomes involved with crazed neo-Vikings, progresses to the British Library and then off to an island near Lindisfarne to foil the evil doers. Just the basics, no spoilers here. Story fast-paced and cohesive with good imagery.
On the other hand, the narrator has a grating voice and performs the characters weakly.

1 person found this helpful

A rollicking, fun read/listen

Day of the Vikings (ARKANE Book 5), my ninth read from author J.F. Penn. A rollicking, fun (2-hour 12-minute) read, captivating, with well-developed characters coupled with an outstanding suspense story-line with its intricately woven twists and turns. Penn, as always, does a good job with her character development; you can like and/or hate these characters. I'll be reading more by this author as I get more of her books. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).

The Narrator is Horrible!

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

NO! The narrator voice was like fingers on a chalkboard to me. The pitch, the tone and the inflection. She reads in a very emotional (when emotion isn't required) style. It was incredibly annoying!

Would you be willing to try another book from J. F. Penn? Why or why not?

I have listed to another book by J.F. Penn. Different narrator. It was a good book

Great Quick Listen

Where does Day of the Vikings: A Thriller rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This was one of the better fiction audiobooks I've listened to so far, both in story and production.

Any additional comments?

This is a quick listen that you can get through in a "sitting" or two; between raking leaves and then cooking dinner I was able to listen to the entire book. It's a fast paced thriller without a lot of character development but with a fun storyline that keeps you listening. My wife has read one of the previous arkane books, and now I am definitely going to go back to visit that world again. There were quite a few references to the previous books (with what could be considered minor spoilers but nothing huge) so it will be good to learn what actually happened from those references. I didn't realize it at the start but it also brings in a second series of hers which I'd like to check out.So, as an entertaining way to spend an afternoon, and as a marketing piece for future book purchases, this book does a good job.

Great as ever

J. F. Penn always knows how to deliver us an amazing story that will certainly us with her unique take on history. This is a Must read!

Punchy thriller flavoured with myth

If you could sum up Day of the Vikings: A Thriller in three words, what would they be?

Punchy, Exciting, Mythical

What other book might you compare Day of the Vikings: A Thriller to, and why?

There are definite similarities with Da Vinci Code, and Indiana Jones - With mythical artefacts being central to plot.

What does Veronica Giguere bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

She reads the antagonists very well, bringing an underlying menace to her character voices. Also a sense of urgency throughout the book which helped keep me engaged in the story.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes. I would prefer to listen to all my books in one sitting, but it's never practical. At this length, this could be a perfect way for newcomers to audiobooks to start listening.

Any additional comments?

Joanna writes stuff that I want to read. Her plots are far reaching and mythical and I love the sense of adventure and fun that permeates her work. Day of the Vikings was the first of her audiobooks I've read and I enjoyed the experience. I'll be listening to another one very soon.