skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Title: Norse Mythology: A Brief Epic Guide to Heroes, Gods, Sagas, Beliefs, and Rituals Of Norse Mythology
Author: Oliver Laine
Publication: February 3rd 2017
Genre: Nonfiction
Purchase: Amazon
Rating: 4/5
You've heard about Norse mythology before, but how much do you really know?
By Odin's Beard! This Brief Epic Guide on Norse mythology will get you up to speed!
You may already be familiar with names and personalities such as Odin, Thor, Loki, and the Valkyries – and in this book you will learn about the many roles that they play within the various legends and sagas that have been passed down from generation to generation. You will learn about the impact that they have made on both the ancient Scandinavian cultures from where the stories arose and on modern culture in northern Europe.
You will also learn how Norse mythology has become a leading source of storytelling ideas, and how the concepts and characters have found their way into works as diverse as Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings and Gaiman’s American Gods; the operas that make up Wagner’s acclaimed The Ring of the Nibelung; the musical genres of heavy metal and, specifically, Viking metal; and many others.
Finally, I hope that reading about Norse mythology will help you gain a better understanding of the ancient cultures of Scandinavia: specifically, how these people saw the world and how they perceived themselves as they fit into that world.
Here is a Brief Epic Preview of What You'll Learn...
Norse Culture and the Importance of Mythology
Sources
The Gods of Norse Mythology
Inhabitants of the Universe
Heroes and Heroines
The Nine Worlds
And Much, Much More!
I love nonfiction about topics that I enjoy reading and learning more about. Norse Mythology is one of those topics. And even though I've read my fair share of books about Norse mythology but there's always more to discover.
At 78 pages (according to Amazon) this was a very quick read but it was also very informative. Some nonfictions can border on complex or even hard to read, even for me, but this one has kept things nice and simply in the best way possible. I really enjoyed reading this book.
Some of my favorite chapters in this book were 'Norse Culture and the Importance of Mythology', 'The Gods of Norse Mythology' where the gods like Odin, Frigg, Thor and others are highlighted, 'Norse Paganism' and 'The Norse Rituals'. But obviously I enjoyed reading all of the other chapters as well.
Overall, Norse Mythology: A Brief Epic Guide to Heroes, Gods, Sagas, Beliefs, and Rituals Of Norse Mythology by Oliver Laine was a book I quickly devoured. This is one of those books that make me want to read nonfiction like this all the time because I'm a huge history and mythology fan. I'd very much recommend it to readers who want to know more about Norse mythology and who like books that are easily read within an hour.
Title: Norse Mythology: A Concise Guide to Gods, Heroes, Sagas and Beliefs of Norse Mythology
Author: Robert Carlson
Publication: February 9th 2016 by Hourly History
Genre: Nonfiction ~ History
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
Rating: 4/5
★ Norse Mythology ★
An introduction to such a vast subject as Norse Mythology can be problematic as it could well fall between two stools; so packed with details as to put one off, or so vague, that one is none the wiser for having read it. This text manages a pleasing balance, succeeds in whetting the appetite and supplying excellent online resources for the reader who wishes to find out more.
Inside you will read about...
✓ The Creation in Norse Mythology
✓ The Nine Worlds
✓ Major Gods and Goddesses
✓ Valhalla
✓ Ragnarok
✓ The Sagas
✓ The Influence of Norse Mythology on Our Lives Today
The author quotes generously from the most important relevant source which is freely available via the Project Gutenberg, and you are left with the sounds and taste of the times... ringing in your ears and tingling on your tongue.
This definitely was one of the better nonfictions on Norse mythology that I have read so far. It was also my first book by author Robert Carlson but I think it definitely won't be my last.
This book had a lot of great chapters and topics of Norse mythology that I was very interested in. My favorite chapters were: The Creation in Norse Mythology, The Major Gods and Goddesses, Ragnarok and especially The Influence of Norse Mythology on Our Lives today.
It was all very informative and interesting to read about as well as a quick read. I think this would be the perfect book for people who don't know a lot about Norse mythology but want to learn more about it as well as people who are already familiar with it (like me).
Overall, Norse Mythology: A Concise Guide to Gods, Heroes, Sagas and Beliefs of Norse Mythology by Robert Carlson was easily read with a lot of intriguing facts. Really one of my favorites so far on this topic!
Title: The Gospel of Loki
Author: Joanne M. Harris
Publication: February 25th 2014 by Hachette Australia
Genre: Adult ~ Fantasy
Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository | Kobo
Cover Rating: 5/5
Overall Rating: 5/5
With his notorious reputation for trickery and deception, and an ability to cause as many problems as he solves, Loki is a Norse god like no other. Demon-born, he is viewed with deepest suspicion by his fellow gods who will never accept him as one of their own and for this he vows to take his revenge.
But while Loki is planning the downfall of Asgard and the humiliation of his tormentors, greater powers are conspiring against the gods and a battle is brewing that will change the fate of the Worlds.
From his recruitment by Odin from the realm of Chaos, through his years as the go-to man of Asgard, to his fall from grace in the build-up to Ragnarok, this is the unofficial history of the world's ultimate trickster.
“Loki, that's me. Loki, the Light-Bringer, the misunderstood, the elusive, the handsome and modest hero of this particular tissue of lies.”
I don't even know where to begin with my review of The Gospel of Loki. I can genuinely say that it was fantastic, funny, entertaining and I even think this is the best book I've read so far this year.
So even though I'm a huge mythology fan I didn't know a whole lot about Norse mythology. After this book I must say that I know more than I knew before so yes, this book is pretty informative and it's obvious that Joanne Harris put a lot of effort into this story and did her research. Pretty amazing!
Although I wasn't too well known with Norse mythology, like I said before. I've always liked Loki the most of all the gods. Marvel may have something to do with that but whatever... I loved the way Loki recounted the story, telling his version of events. He was so funny. I laughed my ass off a lot while reading it and I'd definitely recommend reading the character list. But Loki? He was also dramatic, deadly in his own away and just plain fabulous. Yeah, I loved him in this story.
The writing was excellent, too. The descriptions of Asgard and the other worlds made me feel like I was really there. It really was a pleasure to read about all of Loki's adventures. I can't remember the last book I enjoyed this book. It was simply superb! Everyone should absolutely read this book.
Favorite Quotes:
Words can shatter faith; start a war; change the course of history. A story can make your heart beat faster; topple walls; scale mountains — hey, a story can even raise the dead. And that's why the King of stories ended up being King of the gods; because writing history and making history are only the breadth of a page apart.
Whoever said names can't hurt you was either drunk or stupid. All words have power, of course, but names are the most potent of all, which is why the gods had so many.
here were a few compensations to having corporeal Aspect. Food (jam tarts were my favourites); drink (mostly wine and mead); setting things on fire; sex (although I was still extremely confused by all the taboos surrounding this - no animals, no siblings, no men, no married women, no demons - frankly, it was amazing to me that anyone had sex at all, with so many rules against it).
About the Author:
Joanne Harris (MBE) was born in Barnsley in 1964, of a French mother and an English father. She studied Modern and Mediaeval Languages at Cambridge and was a teacher for fifteen years, during which time she published three novels, including Chocolat (1999), which was made into an Oscar-nominated film starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp.
Since then, she has written 14 more novels, two collections of short stories and three cookbooks. Her books are now published in over 50 countries and have won a number of British and international awards. She is an honorary Fellow of St Catharine’s College, Cambridge, has honorary doctorates in literature from the universities of Sheffield and Huddersfield, and has been a judge for the Whitbread Prize, the Orange Prize, the Desmond Elliott Prize and the Royal Society Winton Prize for Science.
