By M. D. Lachlan
PYR, $16.00, 448 pages
Fenrir tells the interweaving story of Aelis, a parision noblewoman, Jehan, a crippled monk, and Leshii, an eastern trader, As they travel east, a sibling duo known as the ravens begin hunting Aelis for a prize for their king. The further into the journey, the more the adventurers begin to realize there are forces at work beyond anything they can comprehend.
Fenrir is a fascinating story, retelling the old Norse tales in a new, fresh way. The characters are fascinating, shining with their own personalities. They transcend stereotypes, instead becoming believable entities, making the reader wonder by the end of the book, if they haven’t just finished a real-life account of intrepid travelers.
In spite of the fascinating and endearing characters, the story progressed sluggishly. Instead of letting the story unfold on its own, sometimes the author forced it on. He also neglected some necessary information early in the story, like how characters came to be where and who they are. Eventually, all is revealed, but some clarification earlier on would have helped carry the story along smoother, especially with some characters sharing the same name.
Very few shortcomings aside, Fenrir is an entertaining and enticing story of Norse gods meddling in mortal lives. Fenrir should not be missed.
Reviewed by Andrew Keyser
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