Lee Allen's Blog - Posts Tagged "gemma-iversen"

Nykur by Gemma Iversen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A folkloric fantasy about friendship, perseverance and the resilience of the human heart.

Teenager Hugh does not have the carefree life of his friends. He has the responsibility of caring for his younger brother, Dylan, while their mother is often bedridden and unable to function on the rare occasions she emerges, suffering with severe depression. Hugh’s existence is a lonely and painful one.

But that changes when he meets a homeless man and his horse in the woods. A bond begins to develop between them, these three lost and broken souls. All the homeless man wishes is for somewhere where he and the horse can live in peace, and Hugh vows to help him.

But as the line between Hugh’s everyday life and his nocturnal escape becomes frayed, he begins to realise that his new friends may not be as they seem. As danger mounts and threatens harm to his friends and family, Hugh strives to find a resolution before it’s too late.

‘Nykur’ is the debut novel by Gemma Iversen, a vividly told tale fraught with emotion, taking inspiration from the imagery and themes of folklore and mythology to create a modern, young-adult fairytale. From the outset, you are immediately immersed in Hugh’s life and you cannot help but feel sorrow for him and his brother and the tragic existence their family endures. Together with Hugh, we meet the homeless Gamel, a mysterious character who appears to have a deep understanding of suffering, but still possesses a kind heart; and the nykur, Sanna, a wild beast with whom Hugh develops a deep connection.

A nykur is a demonic species of water-horse which originated in Scandinavian mythology. They have the reputation of being cruel and malicious, often manipulating their prey by appearing to be tame and gentle until they can snare them and drag them into the depths. Arguably, a nykur doesn’t behave any differently to any wild animal in an everyday battle for survival. And yet, it is with a nykur that Hugh finds peace and freedom.

There were moments when I was reminded of C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia, perhaps on one level due to the nature of the relationship between a horse and his boy, but also something deeper in the way that fantasy can sometimes observe more keenly the human soul than a genre bound by realism can. At its core, this is a story about love and the pain borne in its absence.

Tragic and heart-warming in equal measure, ‘Nykur’ is a brilliant debut, swirling with poetic prose and vivid imagery. I look forward to diving into the dystopian fantasy of Gemma’s second novel, ‘The Galven Border’.



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