What do you think?
Rate this book
The Raven's Table: Viking Stories
Listen…
The furious clangor of battle. The harrowing singing of steel. The desperate cries of wounded animals. The gasps of bleeding, dying men. The slow, deep breathing of terrible things–trolls, giants, draugr–waiting in the darkness. The wolf’s wind howling, stalking like death itself. The carrion-crows, avaricious and impatient, circling the battle-ground, the Raven’s Table.
Listen…
The skald’s voice, low, canting, weaving tales of fate and heroism, battle and revelry. Of gods and monsters, and of the women and men that stand against them. Of stormy Scandinavian skies and settlements upon strange continents. Of mead-hall victories, funeral pyres, dragon-prowed ships, and gold-laden tombs. Of Ragnarok. Of Valhalla.
For a decade, author Christine Morgan’s Viking stories have delighted readers and critics alike, standing apart from the anthologies they appeared in. Now, Word Horde brings you The Raven’s Table, the first-ever collection of Christine Morgan’s Vikings, from “The Barrow-Maid” to “Aerkheim’s Horror” and beyond. These tales of adventure, fantasy, and horror will rouse your inner Viking.
The furious clangor of battle. The harrowing singing of steel. The desperate cries of wounded animals. The gasps of bleeding, dying men. The slow, deep breathing of terrible things–trolls, giants, draugr–waiting in the darkness. The wolf’s wind howling, stalking like death itself. The carrion-crows, avaricious and impatient, circling the battle-ground, the Raven’s Table.
Listen…
The skald’s voice, low, canting, weaving tales of fate and heroism, battle and revelry. Of gods and monsters, and of the women and men that stand against them. Of stormy Scandinavian skies and settlements upon strange continents. Of mead-hall victories, funeral pyres, dragon-prowed ships, and gold-laden tombs. Of Ragnarok. Of Valhalla.
For a decade, author Christine Morgan’s Viking stories have delighted readers and critics alike, standing apart from the anthologies they appeared in. Now, Word Horde brings you The Raven’s Table, the first-ever collection of Christine Morgan’s Vikings, from “The Barrow-Maid” to “Aerkheim’s Horror” and beyond. These tales of adventure, fantasy, and horror will rouse your inner Viking.
306 pages, Paperback
First published February 28, 2017
10 people are currently reading
364 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
April 5, 2017
Thrilling, bloody, and exhilarating. A fantastic read! Full review to come.
5 out of 5 stars.
5 out of 5 stars.
May 28, 2023
"Such a death would be by far the most dreadful. To plunge into the salty waters, to feel the chill leaching the heat from their bodies... to suck their lungs full of the sea... to have their skin slough off white and wrinkled from their blue and bloated flesh... to be eaten by fish, picked at by crabs... to have their bones tumbled loose with the tides, and sand-polished... their skulls with gaping eye-sockets home to tiny sea creatures..."
The Raven’s Table: Viking Stories is the third horror recommendation from the Bad Books for Bad People podcast that I have read this year, and it did not disappoint. Morgan’s Viking characters are morally grey and deeply convincing, unfettered by modern-day sensibilities and hardened by the lack of modern-day comforts. I especially appreciated how the majority of the tales focus on the experiences of women and girls in Viking society. The short stories and narrative poems featured in The Raven’s Table are full of both plot twists and excellent uses of foreshadowing and dramatic irony. Although The Raven’s Table is conceptually and narratively strong, Morgan’s writing is sometimes awkward, giving her otherwise lyrical writing style a pulpy feel. That said, Morgan makes great use of the constraints of the short story and narrative poem forms, showing much in very few words. I would recommend The Raven’s Table to anyone who enjoys short horror fiction.
The Raven’s Table: Viking Stories is the third horror recommendation from the Bad Books for Bad People podcast that I have read this year, and it did not disappoint. Morgan’s Viking characters are morally grey and deeply convincing, unfettered by modern-day sensibilities and hardened by the lack of modern-day comforts. I especially appreciated how the majority of the tales focus on the experiences of women and girls in Viking society. The short stories and narrative poems featured in The Raven’s Table are full of both plot twists and excellent uses of foreshadowing and dramatic irony. Although The Raven’s Table is conceptually and narratively strong, Morgan’s writing is sometimes awkward, giving her otherwise lyrical writing style a pulpy feel. That said, Morgan makes great use of the constraints of the short story and narrative poem forms, showing much in very few words. I would recommend The Raven’s Table to anyone who enjoys short horror fiction.
August 7, 2017
All Vikings love fierce furious battle with the manly singing of steel. Love hearing enemies' cries, gasps of bleeding, dying men. Love the disturbing quiet sounds of the huge enemy things–trolls, giants, draugr–waiting in the darkness. "The wolf’s wind howling, stalking like death itself. The carrion-crows, avaricious and impatient, circling the battle-ground, the Raven’s Table. Listen… The skald’s voice, low, canting, weaving tales of fate and heroism, battle and revelry. Of gods and monsters, and of the women and men that stand against them."
That author Christine chose the proud Raven characters here as carrion is a mistake, as they are near to gods themselves: Huginn & Muninn and they perch on Odin himself.
"Of stormy Scandinavian skies and settlements upon strange continents. Of mead-hall victories, funeral pyres, dragon-prowed ships, and gold-laden tombs. Of Ragnarok. Of Valhalla. For a decade, author Christine Morgan’s Viking stories have delighted readers and critics alike, standing apart from the anthologies they appeared in. Now, Word Horde brings you The Raven’s Table, the first-ever collection of Christine Morgan’s Vikings, from “The Barrow-Maid” to “Aerkheim’s Horror” and beyond. These tales of adventure, fantasy, and horror will rouse your inner Viking." That we have horror in the stories and even some paranormal helped give it an easy A in my book!!
"Airkhiem's Horror" was my favorite too! Woo to the hoo! Scary like Stephen King Scary... and it just so happens... have one to read right here.... spoooo kyyyyy!!! Woaaawww!
Gonna read 'Full Dark, No Stars'; I love it so far!
That author Christine chose the proud Raven characters here as carrion is a mistake, as they are near to gods themselves: Huginn & Muninn and they perch on Odin himself.
"Of stormy Scandinavian skies and settlements upon strange continents. Of mead-hall victories, funeral pyres, dragon-prowed ships, and gold-laden tombs. Of Ragnarok. Of Valhalla. For a decade, author Christine Morgan’s Viking stories have delighted readers and critics alike, standing apart from the anthologies they appeared in. Now, Word Horde brings you The Raven’s Table, the first-ever collection of Christine Morgan’s Vikings, from “The Barrow-Maid” to “Aerkheim’s Horror” and beyond. These tales of adventure, fantasy, and horror will rouse your inner Viking." That we have horror in the stories and even some paranormal helped give it an easy A in my book!!
"Airkhiem's Horror" was my favorite too! Woo to the hoo! Scary like Stephen King Scary... and it just so happens... have one to read right here.... spoooo kyyyyy!!! Woaaawww!
Gonna read 'Full Dark, No Stars'; I love it so far!
December 30, 2021
Christine Morgan’s The Raven’s Table is a phenomenal read. It’s an incredible collection of Viking tales that range from flowing dark fiction to outright horror stories. And these Viking tales re based on actual Viking lore and history. Aaannndd Christine Morgan wrote them. Win, win, and win.
In her stories in The Raven’s Table, Christine Morgan shows she has an impressive knowledge and understanding of Viking history and lore. The plots and references range from well-known history and legends to obscure historical facts and lore. These are stories about magic and mystery and horrors both natural and supernatural, stories about people and life and the old ways, stories about gods and goddesses and creatures of old. Viking stories!
I love these stories. I love the diversity of them, the unpredictability, the riveting suspense and flow. I love how evocative the characters are, so evocative you truly don’t like some of them. I love the stories themselves.
If you are a fan of Viking stories, here is the treasure you seek. If you are not particularly a fan of Viking stories, you don’t need to be to get drawn in to and swept away by these tales of suspense, magic, danger, and death. This is a must-have, must-read.
In her stories in The Raven’s Table, Christine Morgan shows she has an impressive knowledge and understanding of Viking history and lore. The plots and references range from well-known history and legends to obscure historical facts and lore. These are stories about magic and mystery and horrors both natural and supernatural, stories about people and life and the old ways, stories about gods and goddesses and creatures of old. Viking stories!
I love these stories. I love the diversity of them, the unpredictability, the riveting suspense and flow. I love how evocative the characters are, so evocative you truly don’t like some of them. I love the stories themselves.
If you are a fan of Viking stories, here is the treasure you seek. If you are not particularly a fan of Viking stories, you don’t need to be to get drawn in to and swept away by these tales of suspense, magic, danger, and death. This is a must-have, must-read.
March 12, 2017
3 stars from Marion, read the full review at FANTASY LITERATURE
Disclaimer: just so you know, some of the books we review are received free from publishers
Christine Morgan’s work has appeared in various anthologies, such as History is Dead, a Zombie Anthology, and Uncommon Assassins. Her work is closely related to role-playing games and she is a dedicated gamer according to her website. The Raven’s Table: Viking Stories is a story collection of her Norse or Viking-themed works. The collection includes poetry, adventure, fantasy and horror in a couple of flavors. Five of the eighteen pieces are original to this collection.
Morgan’s work has its roots deeply in epic fantasy, and almost all of these tales are set during the Viking years. A couple take place in a locale that might be the Norse colonies in Labrador. Morgan’s language is right for an oral tradition, and several of the prose tales are augmented by her original poetry....3 stars from Marion, read the full review at FANTASY LITERATURE
Disclaimer: just so you know, some of the books we review are received free from publishers
Christine Morgan’s work has appeared in various anthologies, such as History is Dead, a Zombie Anthology, and Uncommon Assassins. Her work is closely related to role-playing games and she is a dedicated gamer according to her website. The Raven’s Table: Viking Stories is a story collection of her Norse or Viking-themed works. The collection includes poetry, adventure, fantasy and horror in a couple of flavors. Five of the eighteen pieces are original to this collection.
Morgan’s work has its roots deeply in epic fantasy, and almost all of these tales are set during the Viking years. A couple take place in a locale that might be the Norse colonies in Labrador. Morgan’s language is right for an oral tradition, and several of the prose tales are augmented by her original poetry....3 stars from Marion, read the full review at FANTASY LITERATURE
March 20, 2017
I often look forward to going to bed to read. But too often, even if I’m looking forward to it, stuff comes up, I go to bed late, and read very little. The Raven’s Table is one of those rare books that I looked forward to so much that I was motivated throughout each day to get through everything so I could get to bed early and read more. There is a pure joy to reading these stories. It’s like Morgan took all that’s fun about Viking stories and distilled it down to its most joyous parts. I hope that there will be another volume of these in the future.
September 13, 2020
The best viking tales since the age of Snorri Sturluson!
As the title implies, the Raven’s Table offers a selection of grisly but nonetheless delectable tales set during the viking era, many of which feature a twist of supernatural horror. Some of my personal favorites include ‘The Barrow Maid,’ a bloody tale of viking undead; ‘Nails of the Dead,’ a deliciously creepy addition to the Norse underworld mythos; ‘At Ragnarok, the Goddesses,’ a skald-worthy poem that finally tells us what the Norse goddesses will do at the end of the world; and ‘With Honey Dripping,’ a fulsomely erotic tale that blends medieval backwoods debauchery with elements of the Cthulhu Mythos. Every story brims with evocative period detail, showing that Morgan clearly knows her stuff when it comes to the history, literature, and culture of the peoples we call the vikings. Morgan’s riffs on Norse Myth feel organic, and each of her stories really captures the atmosphere of a Norse myth or an Icelandic saga, whilst also boasting sleek modern prose and contemporary storytelling techniques (for an example of prose brilliance take a look at the opening passages of ‘The Fate-Spinners’). The result is a seamless and exquisite blend that combines many of the best aspects of modern horror and ancient Scandinavian literature. For those of us obsessed with both horror and mythology, it doesn’t get much better than this!
As the title implies, the Raven’s Table offers a selection of grisly but nonetheless delectable tales set during the viking era, many of which feature a twist of supernatural horror. Some of my personal favorites include ‘The Barrow Maid,’ a bloody tale of viking undead; ‘Nails of the Dead,’ a deliciously creepy addition to the Norse underworld mythos; ‘At Ragnarok, the Goddesses,’ a skald-worthy poem that finally tells us what the Norse goddesses will do at the end of the world; and ‘With Honey Dripping,’ a fulsomely erotic tale that blends medieval backwoods debauchery with elements of the Cthulhu Mythos. Every story brims with evocative period detail, showing that Morgan clearly knows her stuff when it comes to the history, literature, and culture of the peoples we call the vikings. Morgan’s riffs on Norse Myth feel organic, and each of her stories really captures the atmosphere of a Norse myth or an Icelandic saga, whilst also boasting sleek modern prose and contemporary storytelling techniques (for an example of prose brilliance take a look at the opening passages of ‘The Fate-Spinners’). The result is a seamless and exquisite blend that combines many of the best aspects of modern horror and ancient Scandinavian literature. For those of us obsessed with both horror and mythology, it doesn’t get much better than this!
August 3, 2017
Christine Morgan has provided a strange collection of Viking themes stories and poems. Some of the stories are historical, while others are a very strange mash-up of Lovecraftian Viking tales (Aerkheims Horror and In the Forest of a Far Land). Nails of the Dead is a hidden tale of the construction of Naglfar the ship that Loki and company will sail to Ragnarok. There are enough different tales in this collection that most readers in Viking Tales will find something to enjoy.
September 28, 2018
The book is a work of art containing many short stories and poems telling tales of the Viking people. I was entertained by each unique composition and wanting more.
I very much would like to see a Volume II.
I very much would like to see a Volume II.
July 24, 2017
Amusing, I mean who doesn't love when Drakkar's appear on your shoreline!
However, for me best read interspersed w/other things, the tales have a similar vein.....
Although I've got a soft spot for the Old Ones, & Aerkham was a lovely tale.
However, for me best read interspersed w/other things, the tales have a similar vein.....
Although I've got a soft spot for the Old Ones, & Aerkham was a lovely tale.
September 25, 2022
I did not expect to like this and was not going to read it, but it came in a bundle that I bought and I decided to randomize a list of all of the unread books that I already own and this one came up on top. It turned out to be really good! Like any collection, some stories were better than others but none of them were bad. I wasn't a huge fan of the few prose poems, but they were short and still kind of interesting. The rest of the stories mostly have a structure and cadence that they feel like campfire tales and a lot of them had some pretty clever things in them. Overall, it's a really good collection of horror stories.
April 2, 2017
Gory. Vampires and vikings, a couple of clever Cthulhu/vikings crossovers (including decent Innsmouth/Dunwich jokes), and a whole lot of beheadings, disembowelings, and various organs flying in various directions. Repeatedly. As with the mummy anthology, I feel sufficiently viking'd.
April 20, 2017
The Raven’s Table has eighteen tales and poems within this collection, four of which are originals. Don’t let the ‘reprint’ status give you pause, though, as each story is a vicious delight of blood and gore, war and betrayal, monsters and mayhem. It’s clear from the first story that Morgan knows her mythos, giving the reader insight into the lesser-known aspects of the superstitions and rites of Norse mythology. There’s a depth to each of the tales that creates layers you don’t often see in storytelling, and boy does she nail her imagery.
Morgan takes poetic licence with her narrative, often melding stanzas in the form of storytelling by the characters within her tales, which only reinforces the saga-esque feel of the book. Morgan is the skald who has sat you around the fire, retelling the places she’s been, the things she’s seen, and giving warning to those who dare defy the gods.
Full review here: https://amandajspedding.com/2017/04/2...
Morgan takes poetic licence with her narrative, often melding stanzas in the form of storytelling by the characters within her tales, which only reinforces the saga-esque feel of the book. Morgan is the skald who has sat you around the fire, retelling the places she’s been, the things she’s seen, and giving warning to those who dare defy the gods.
Full review here: https://amandajspedding.com/2017/04/2...
April 29, 2017
Violent Raging Breathing Fighting Loving Living Killing Dying: A Perfect Collection of the Unexpected
Collections are scary in that they are multiple short stories written by the same person. There’s no margin for error, as with an anthology of multiple authors. Readers don’t have the option of skipping over to a fresh new imagination if a story starts to drag. The writer has to be damned good at what she does.
The Raven’s Table is a showcase of one writer’s incredible imagination delivered with finesses and skilled word craft. Christine Morgan is a perfect model of what every collections author should seek.
Admittedly, I’m no fan of hairy sword guys and gals in chainmail underwear running around having battles and ghosts and horses and such, yet I was instantly hooked by the gritty, apocalyptic horror of “The Barrow-Maid,” the opening act and fantastic marriage of Viking lore and the macabre. After that, it became a true effort to keep from starting the next story. Each tale is intriguing and uniquely told, yet Ms. Morgan’s command of her craft is so clean and proficient, the words disappeared and I felt like I was watching The Raven’s Table stories rather than reading them.
The characters are individual to each story, as is the voice. But for me, the finest part of The Raven’s Table is the unique way in which these stories are tied together in a Viking setting rendered not only in great narrative, but in a definitive language that brings the world to life. That, combined with the incredible stretch of imagination which not only steps way outside the typical tropes of fantasy and horror, but delivers with believability and often an emotionally haunting end. An ending that, many times, made me put the book aside to let every image sink in. Before diving right back for the next episode.
The Raven’s Table is a Viking masterpiece and Christine Morgan a Valkyrie with quill and well. An easy five stars and huge win for Word Horde Press. Every tale is an addicting adventure into different realms of imagination. Read this book!
Collections are scary in that they are multiple short stories written by the same person. There’s no margin for error, as with an anthology of multiple authors. Readers don’t have the option of skipping over to a fresh new imagination if a story starts to drag. The writer has to be damned good at what she does.
The Raven’s Table is a showcase of one writer’s incredible imagination delivered with finesses and skilled word craft. Christine Morgan is a perfect model of what every collections author should seek.
Admittedly, I’m no fan of hairy sword guys and gals in chainmail underwear running around having battles and ghosts and horses and such, yet I was instantly hooked by the gritty, apocalyptic horror of “The Barrow-Maid,” the opening act and fantastic marriage of Viking lore and the macabre. After that, it became a true effort to keep from starting the next story. Each tale is intriguing and uniquely told, yet Ms. Morgan’s command of her craft is so clean and proficient, the words disappeared and I felt like I was watching The Raven’s Table stories rather than reading them.
The characters are individual to each story, as is the voice. But for me, the finest part of The Raven’s Table is the unique way in which these stories are tied together in a Viking setting rendered not only in great narrative, but in a definitive language that brings the world to life. That, combined with the incredible stretch of imagination which not only steps way outside the typical tropes of fantasy and horror, but delivers with believability and often an emotionally haunting end. An ending that, many times, made me put the book aside to let every image sink in. Before diving right back for the next episode.
The Raven’s Table is a Viking masterpiece and Christine Morgan a Valkyrie with quill and well. An easy five stars and huge win for Word Horde Press. Every tale is an addicting adventure into different realms of imagination. Read this book!
Read
July 28, 2017PW
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews