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Mother of Kings, by Poul Anderson
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With this new novel, science fiction and fantasy grandmaster Poul Anderson has crafted a powerful story of a mighty queen, magic, and the mastery of ancient nations.
Blending characters both historical and mythological, Mother of Kings is the tale of Gunnhild, Queen of England and Norway, who loomed so large in the tenth century-at the end of the Age of the Vikings-that she became a figure of legend, even of myth.
As a child of just seven summers, Gunnhild finds herself fascinated with the powers of a witchwoman who is a concubine of her father's, a powerful Norse chieftain. She also finds another fascination in handsome and lordly Eirik, son of their king. When her mother dies, Gunnhild promises, "I will never yield," and that, "through me, our blood shall flow greatly."
Gunnhild has learned from her chieftain father the way the powerful use the weak. But there are other lessons and other powers she seeks. Sent away to learn the magic of a pair of shamans, Gunnhild becomes a Spaewife-a knower of the Gods, a master in the ways of witchcraft and sorcery. Aided by her new abilities, Gunnhild marries Eirik. She is destined to become queen, and her magic is a fearsome complement to Eirik's strength. But Eirik's enemies are cunning, and Gunnhild is soon without his might.
If Gunnhild can keep the promise she made as a child to never yield, her family's blood will flow greatly, and the sons she bore Eirik will each become a king.
Her own struggles, though, are far from over . . . .
- Sales Rank: #2401939 in Books
- Published on: 2001-09-27
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 9.72" h x 1.43" w x 6.30" l,
- Binding: Hardcover
- 544 pages
From Publishers Weekly
Though marketed as fantasy, this densely written, fast-paced tale, set in Norway in the 10th century during the clash of paganism and Christianity, reads more like a grandly told history describing the life of Gunnhild, the mother of Norse kings. Its huge scope and the long time frame of events mean that the personal often gets lost in the political, but with meticulous research, Anderson (War of the Gods) brings to life the bloodthirsty Norse as they evolve into the looting, plundering Vikings of popular lore. After learning witchcraft from the Saami, Gunnhild schemes to marry a powerful Norse king, Eirik. The power behind the throne, she bears nine children, mostly boys, and ensures her husband's rule by weaving a web of spies and orchestrating a murder or two. When Eirik dies in battle, she works to further the careers of her sons, many of whom prove unworthy of leadership because of their tyranny, arrogance and stinginess. Less than engaging, global-level power struggles tend to take the place of individual conflicts, while the continually shifting point of view fragments any sustained emotional impact. Since some of the rival kings are far more appealing characters than Gunnhild's progeny, readers may find themselves rooting for them instead. This may well be what the author intended, but the result is as incongruous as the witchcraft that while interesting does little to further the plot. Norse scholars will be pleased, but those expecting another Mists of Avalon, about a strong woman at the cusp of Christianity and paganism, will be disappointed. (Sept. 27)reissue of Conan the Rebel, reviewed above.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
As the daughter of a Norse chieftain, Gunhild sets her ambitions high to learn the ways of shamanic magic and to wed Eirik Blood-Ax and lead him to the throne of a newly united Norway. The late sf Grand Master and Nebula Award-winning author of The Boat of a Million Years, along with numerous other works, adds an element of myth and pagan magic to a true story set in the tenth century, as the advent of Christianity in Scandinavia spells the end of a violent and heroic way of life. Fans of historical fantasy and Norse mythology should appreciate this well-crafted tale of epic adventure. Recommended for most fantasy collections.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Nebula Awards Grandmaster honoree Anderson breathes new vitality into the tenth-century Icelandic sagas concerning Gunnhild. The daughter of a Norse lord, she arranges to be sent to the Finns to learn their witchcraft in order to achieve her own goals. She marries Eirik Blood-ax, thus gaining the power she craves, and helps him rule in the chaos of a kingdom bereft of its high king, Eirik's father. After Eirik's brutal death, she counsels her sons as she did Eirik. Their struggles arise from not only the rivalry between Eirik and his brothers but also Christianity's challenge to the old Norse gods. In Anderson's retelling Gunnhild's life becomes an intricate tapestry, comparable to Marion Zimmer Bradley's perennial, The Mists of Avalon, but echoing the skaldic sagas far more strongly. The story is full of blood and gore, but the people living in its chaos are worthy of living on through the magic of words, as their historical counterparts believed they would. Regina Schroeder
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Most helpful customer reviews
17 of 19 people found the following review helpful.
Ian Myles Slater on: Taking on the Masters
By Ian M. Slater
It is probably a matter of taste whether one considers this mainly an historical novel, set in the tenth century as remembered by the Icelanders in the thirteenth century, or a fantasy novel based on medieval Icelandic imagination about the past. The late Poul Anderson warns the reader that he is using "facts" about some of the characters which have only a limited connection to historical probability, even discounting the frankly supernatural elements. From either point of view, I consider the book an astonishing success. It is well worth the time, and for the uninitiated in saga-literature, the effort probably needed to read it through.
I say astonishing because, despite my very great admiration for Poul Anderson, I had some misgivings about this project. Anderson was setting himself some stiff competition. Gunnhild, the "Mother of Kings," figures prominently in at least three major medieval works: Snorri Sturluson's "Heimskringla" (a history of the kings of Norway); "The Saga of Egil Skallagrimsson" (which some have thought to be Snorri's work, and which is a biography of one of his ancestors); and, more briefly, but equally memorably, in "The Saga of Burnt Njal." In all of these she figures both as a queen and as a sorceress, and in the last especially as a dangerous lover of younger men.
Each of these works has been translated into English several times. Translators of the first include William Morris, and of the second E.R. Eddison, both major fantasy writers. Those familiar with Eddison's "Worm Ouroboros" will probably remember the passage from George W. Dasent's translation of "Njal's Saga" which is read aloud in the opening pages. Three original works of genius, all of which happen to be closely associated with the development of fantasy literature in English. Not exactly minor predecessors. (Gunnhild also shows up in other sagas, including accounts of the kings of Norway by other hands, and, in a passage parallel to the account in "Njal," in the great "Laxdaela Saga," but these appearances are, I think, of lesser literary importance. The two-volume 1860 edition of Dasent's "Burnt Njal" included an essay on medieval accounts of Gunnhild, now very obsolete, but interesting to compare to Anderson; single-volume reprintings of Dasent's translation omit this, along with the rest of Dasent's elaborate introduction and appendices.)
I was not, however, completely surprised by how successful I found the book to be. Anderson had reworked Icelandic literature in the past, including Snorri's account of a later Norwegian king, Harald Hard-Counsel (in "The Last Viking" trilogy), and the legendary "Hrolf Kraki's Saga," and retold the story of the Volsungs in science fiction terms in "Time Patrolman," before turning to divine mythology (and the relatively obscure accounts of Saxo Grammaticus) in "War of the Gods." He virtually began his career by extending the legendary sagas in "The Broken Sword." In none of these cases, though, were the originals quite so intimidating. He had not lost his touch in "Mother of Kings," despite the length of the story, and the complexity of the histories and legends he was working with.
7 of 9 people found the following review helpful.
Another excellent Anderson novel
By Paul Lappen
Set in the tenth century, this is the story of Gunnhild, Queen of Norway and England (a real person). This was the waning days of the Age of Vikings.
As a child, Gunnhild learns the ways of withcraft from a Finnish concubine of her father, a powerful Norse chieftain. She also notices Eirik, son of their king. Growing up, Gunnhild keeps her eyes open and learns the relationship between the powerful and the weak. But she doesn't want to stop there. She becomes a spaewife, a master in witchcraft and sorcery, a knower of the Gods.
She marries Eirik, and things are wonderful for a while. She gives him seven sons, all of whom become great warriors, and one daughter, Ragnhild. Forced into a political marriage, Ragnhild gets a reputation as someone whose husbands tend to die before their time. Eirik's strength and Gunnhild's craftiness and knowledge of sorcery make them formidable foes.
Haakon, another son of Eirik's father, has an equally strong claim as Eirik to be King of Norway. This is a time of building alliances for both men among the groups in that part of the world. The fortunes of Eirik and Gunnhild start taking a turn for the worst. They are forced to flee Norway and live for a time in York, England. Anotherv time they flee to the Orkney Islands, part of present-day Scotland. Eirik dies in battle, as do his sons, one by one. Meantime, Christianity comes to that part of the world. Haakon embraces this new religion, partly because his best friend becomes a priest. He expects those in aliiance with him to do the same. But, there are those, including powerful people, who are not happy with the old gods being tossed aside.
This is a great novel. It's a big novel, both in size and in scope, so it is not easy or quick reading. Once again, Anderson shows why he was a master of the genre. The style of writing gives the impression that it was actually written a thousand years ago. Recently translated, it was mispackaged as Fiction instead of History. I know of no other contemporary writer in the field who can consistently do that like Anderson.
This book will take some patience, but it is highly recommended.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful.
Difficult but rewarding novel
By Michael Scott
I freely admit that I'm often a lazy and careless reader. I enjoy reading books that I can read quickly without sacrificing comprehension of the text (see Robert Jordan, etc.) But occasionally I try to read more complex books, and _Mother of Kings_ is definitely a complex novel.
This is not an easy read. The plot is difficult to follow. Sometimes the novel moves slowly, sometimes quickly. The character names are unfamiliar and often either similar or identical to each other (Anderson apologizes for this in his Afterward but notes that since the novel is based on historical facts there was little he could do).
But for all its difficulties, this is a very rewarding novel. I found myself enthralled with the devious machinations of Gunnhild, the 'mother' from the title. Much of the action in the novel occurs away from the reader, so Anderson tells us about it rather than showing it to us. This is generally considered a no-no, but Anderson does an able job with it.
This novel is quite long. The actually page count is under 500, but the words are really packed onto the pages. I would estimate that _Mother of Kings_ has the same word count as a 550-600 page novel. Don't pick this one up unless you have the time and the motivation to finish it. One of my 5 favorite fantasy novels from 2001. Highly recommended.
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