Gods of Fire and Thunder (Book of the Gods Series, Book 5)

In the first four volumes of the Book of the Gods , Fred Saberhagen brought a new perspective to the classic gods of Greek mythology. Now the legendary creator of the Berzerker and Lost Swords sagas turns his gaze northward toward an entirely different pantheon of immortal deities . . . the fearsome and ferocious gods of Valhalla. Haraldur the Northman once joined Jason on his fabled quest for the Golden Fleece, but now he wants nothing more to do with gods and adventure. Returning to his homeland for the first time in many years, he hopes only to settle down on a farm of his own-until he comes across an impenetrable wall of eldritch fire and a lovesick youth determined to breach the wall at any cost. Behind the towering flames, he is told, lies a beautiful Valkyrie trapped in an enchanted sleep, as well as, perhaps, a golden treasure beyond mortal reckoning. It is the gold that tempts Hal to agree, against his better judgment, to assist the youth in his quest. But to find away past the fiery wall, they must first brave gnomes, ghosts, and the wrath of the gods themselves. For a mighty battle is brewing, and Hal soon finds himself caught up in a celestial conflict between Thor the Thunderer, Loki the Trickster, and, most powerful of all, Wodan, the merciless Lord of Battles! From Publishers Weekly In his fifth Books of the Gods entry, veteran Saberhagen (the Berserker, Dracula and Swords series) offers a naturalistic retelling of Germanic myth, steering his usual middle course between the grittily realistic and the fantastic. One survivor of God of the Golden Fleece (2001) wanders into the middle of a Wagnerian cast and plot, including Wodan, Brunhild, Baldur, assorted Valkyries, flying horses, gnomes and a battle between the gods and the Underworld on the plain of Asgard. Armed only with cunning and a shabby piece of the Golden Fleece, Haraldur ("most call me Hal, to save themselves a little breath and effort") manages to sneak into Valhalla, single-handedly defeat a berserker, steal a Valkyrie's steed, penetrate Loki's stronghold, discover the stolen treasure of the gnomes, witness (or cause) the deaths of three gods and fight side-by-side with Wodan in the Last Battle. Despite the operatic overtones of his material, the author grounds his tale in a very unromantic reality. The noble figures and ideals of the old stories, like Valhalla, look better from a distance. Up close, draughty halls and leaky roofs do not a warrior's paradise make. The separation of appearance and actuality gives the book a dollop of ironic humor and a chance for Saberhagen to introduce his own superscience clues about the powers of the gods. Fans will recognize his technique of blurring the relation of the setting of both myth and history to produce a hybrid that allows him much free rein of invention within the standard story lines. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. From Library Journal Haraldur the Northman has recently returned from his adventures with Jason in search of the Golden Fleece and meets Baldur, a young man in search of the Valkyrie Brunhilde, held captive by the god Loki inside a ring of fire. When two men form a partnership of would-be heroes intent on rescuing the maiden and, incidentally, investigating rumors of a hoard of gold within the fiery ring, they plumb the secrets of the gods of Valhalla and the mysterious gnomes who inhabit the caverns beneath the earth. The author of the "Book of the Gods" (e.g., The Face of Apollo, Ariadne's Web) series turns his attention from Greek to Norse myth with a rousing tale of love and adventure, spiced with humor and likeable characters. A good selection for most fantasy collections and for libraries owning the rest of the series. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. Enter Series Index : 05 of 05 Record Notes : Cover Checked 07 21, Perm IE IC 09 01 14 ES Group : Serified_E All Identifiers : isbn:9780765341518 Calc Series A (group): Book of the Gods Test Search : Gods of Fire and Thunder / Fred Saberhagen ISBN : 9780765341518 Test Compare Series to Entered: eq Formats : EPUB ES Cover Quality : ICBF ES Suffix : _ Quick Search : Fred Saberhagen Book of the Gods Number of Words in Auth: 2 Has Cover : Yes Test Text Series Index: 5 Single Author : Fred Saberhagen Raw Title : Gods of Fire and Thunder Compare Author : eq Sorted Author by LN, FN: Saberhagen, Fred EBook : Have Calc Series Group : Book of the Gods Title Length : 24 Calc Force Series : .Book of the Gods Title Parm A : Gods of Fire and Thunder Record ID : 2416 Enter New Series (Calced): Serified_E.Book of the Gods.Scifan.05 of 05._.ICBF ES Name : Book of the Gods Custom Series : SIPY.Book of the Gods.Scifan.5 of 5._.ICBF Series A : Book of the Gods Uncomma Author : Fred Saberhagen ES Genre : Scifan Calc New Series : Book of the Gods.... Calc ESI Part 3 : 05 Calc ESI Part 2 : of Calc ESI Part 1 : 05 ABook : E_Only Calc ESI Combined : 05 of 190 Num of Aut : 1 "Haraldur the northman once joined Jason on his fabled quest for the Golden Fleece, but now he wants nothing more to do with gods and adventure. Returning to his homeland for the first time in many years, he hopes only to settle down on a farm of his own - until he comes across an impenetrable wall of eldritch fire and a lovesick youth determined to breach the wall at any cost." "Behind the towering flames, he is told, lies a beautiful Valkyrie trapped in an enchanted sleep, as well as, perhaps, a golden treasure beyond mortal reckoning. It is the gold that tempts Hal to agree, against his better judgment, to assist the youth in his quest." "But to find a way past the fiery wall, they must first brave gnomes, ghosts, and the wrath of the gods themselves. For a mighty battle is brewing, and Hal soon finds himself caught up in a celestial conflict between Thor the Thunderer, Loki the Trickster, and, most powerful of all, Wodan, the merciless Lord of Battles!"--Jacket The year is 1597. The Spanish invasion was a success. King Phillip holds the English throne captive while Elizabeth I languishes in the tower of London. And in the streets of that city, a stranger approaches a young playwright named William Shakespeare and makes him an offer that could change the course of history Encountering a lovesick youth who would breach a wall of eldritch fire, behind which a beautiful woman lies asleep and enchanted, Haraldur the Northman agrees to help the youth in the hope of claiming a golden treasure also behind the wall