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The Vinland Viking Saga #1
The Voyage of Freydis
History set her fate in stone…
Murderer. Mercenary. Temptress.
Trickster. Traitor. Thief.
But under a hammer that falls like thunder, stone will always shatter.
So with her voice she lights the forge.
The Voyage of Freydis sings the silenced tale of Freydis Eiriksdottir, the first and only woman to lead a Viking voyage across the Atlantic in this tempestuous retelling of the Vinland Sagas set at the dawn of the 11th century.
Murderer. Mercenary. Temptress.
Trickster. Traitor. Thief.
But under a hammer that falls like thunder, stone will always shatter.
So with her voice she lights the forge.
The Voyage of Freydis sings the silenced tale of Freydis Eiriksdottir, the first and only woman to lead a Viking voyage across the Atlantic in this tempestuous retelling of the Vinland Sagas set at the dawn of the 11th century.
358 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 31, 2021
88 people are currently reading
1688 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 207 reviews
September 3, 2021
i love all kinds of mythology and was super excited for the chance to read about a norse character i havent heard of before. freydis sounded strong and fierce and i couldnt wait to find out more about her.
but my excitement was slowly sucked into a black hole of negativity. every bad thing you can think of happens to freydis, and somehow it just keeps getting worse. i understand that mythology is not always rainbows and fluffy clouds. its often harsh and brutal and unforgiving. but wow. the reader really needs to be in the right mindset to keep pushing through this story.
and honestly, the negativity isnt what bothered me. i was able to tolerate it until i read the authors note at the end. she says “freydis is the voice of all spousal abuse victims.” i found this statement problematic primarily because freydis ends up in the exact same spot she began in, without any change. shes not a likeable character, even though i did feel sorry for her situation, but her entire “voyage” promoted no character development. and i think because the novel ends just as it begins, it gives a sense of hopelessness to her situation. again, a happy ending is not always needed, especially in mythology, but to say that freydis is the voice of spousal abuse… well, thats a pretty discouraging voice. i think a message like that should be delivered with strength and with some sort of character development, at least.
overall, i will be looking for other retellings of freydis to read.
thanks harpercollins uk/one more chapter for the ARC.
↠ 2 stars
but my excitement was slowly sucked into a black hole of negativity. every bad thing you can think of happens to freydis, and somehow it just keeps getting worse. i understand that mythology is not always rainbows and fluffy clouds. its often harsh and brutal and unforgiving. but wow. the reader really needs to be in the right mindset to keep pushing through this story.
and honestly, the negativity isnt what bothered me. i was able to tolerate it until i read the authors note at the end. she says “freydis is the voice of all spousal abuse victims.” i found this statement problematic primarily because freydis ends up in the exact same spot she began in, without any change. shes not a likeable character, even though i did feel sorry for her situation, but her entire “voyage” promoted no character development. and i think because the novel ends just as it begins, it gives a sense of hopelessness to her situation. again, a happy ending is not always needed, especially in mythology, but to say that freydis is the voice of spousal abuse… well, thats a pretty discouraging voice. i think a message like that should be delivered with strength and with some sort of character development, at least.
overall, i will be looking for other retellings of freydis to read.
thanks harpercollins uk/one more chapter for the ARC.
↠ 2 stars
August 17, 2024
Why I chose to read this book:
1. the Vikings have always fascinated me, so when I saw a GR friend's favorable review, I added it to my WTR list; and,
2. August 2024 is my "Biographical Fiction" Month.
Praises:
1. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Tamara Goranson is a Canadian author, and that a good portion of this story is set in Vinland (modern-day Newfoundland, Canada) with connections to the Beothuk, a now-extinct Indigenous tribe;
2. Goranson's Author's Note indicates how MC Freydis Eiriksdottir, daughter of Viking Erik the Red and sister to Leif Erikson, was portrayed in various Norse sagas. I have read The Sagas of Icelanders compiled by Jane Smiley where Freydis is mentioned a handful of times;
3. Freydis's voyage to Vinland in 996 AD is quite detailed. The reader can easily sense how this journey was fraught with danger and extreme cold; and,
4. the cover design is stunning!
Niggles:
1. Goranson chose to portray Freydis as the abused wife of Thorvard of Gardar. Freydis manages to escape his brutality by leading an expedition of Icelanders and Greenlanders to Vinland, where her brother had established a temporary settlement, only to find her abusive husband waiting for her. ; and,
2. this story is filled with inconsistencies of all types. Some examples include:
- Freydis's characterization - what does she want? She hopes for witnesses of her abusive situation, yet refuses to talk about it when others offer help. Also, she feels helpless in her marriage, yet is quite rude to those who treat her well;
- the writing style feels simplistic. Many times, the sentence structure confused me and word choices seemed baffling, too modern, and even cheesy. Greater research was needed regarding the availability of various types of flora and fauna in these settings. Freydis interchangeably refers to the Beothuks' lodgings as tents and longhouses. Finally, she calls them mamateeks. And speaking of which, why does she suddenly call these Indigenous people Beothuk when she and her people have always referred to them as Red Men?
Overall Thoughts:
I totally understand and even support writers of historical fiction to take some creative license to help the story flow and even to entertain. The various Norse sagas depict Freydis as a nefarious woman - a liar, a thief, and a murderess, but Goranson chose to reinvent this woman and her nasty reputation. While admirable, I just didn't buy it. Personally, I would have preferred a gripping story about the badass woman Freydis is known for in history.
1. the Vikings have always fascinated me, so when I saw a GR friend's favorable review, I added it to my WTR list; and,
2. August 2024 is my "Biographical Fiction" Month.
Praises:
1. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Tamara Goranson is a Canadian author, and that a good portion of this story is set in Vinland (modern-day Newfoundland, Canada) with connections to the Beothuk, a now-extinct Indigenous tribe;
2. Goranson's Author's Note indicates how MC Freydis Eiriksdottir, daughter of Viking Erik the Red and sister to Leif Erikson, was portrayed in various Norse sagas. I have read The Sagas of Icelanders compiled by Jane Smiley where Freydis is mentioned a handful of times;
3. Freydis's voyage to Vinland in 996 AD is quite detailed. The reader can easily sense how this journey was fraught with danger and extreme cold; and,
4. the cover design is stunning!
Niggles:
1. Goranson chose to portray Freydis as the abused wife of Thorvard of Gardar. Freydis manages to escape his brutality by leading an expedition of Icelanders and Greenlanders to Vinland, where her brother had established a temporary settlement, only to find her abusive husband waiting for her. ; and,
2. this story is filled with inconsistencies of all types. Some examples include:
- Freydis's characterization - what does she want? She hopes for witnesses of her abusive situation, yet refuses to talk about it when others offer help. Also, she feels helpless in her marriage, yet is quite rude to those who treat her well;
- the writing style feels simplistic. Many times, the sentence structure confused me and word choices seemed baffling, too modern, and even cheesy. Greater research was needed regarding the availability of various types of flora and fauna in these settings. Freydis interchangeably refers to the Beothuks' lodgings as tents and longhouses. Finally, she calls them mamateeks. And speaking of which, why does she suddenly call these Indigenous people Beothuk when she and her people have always referred to them as Red Men?
Overall Thoughts:
I totally understand and even support writers of historical fiction to take some creative license to help the story flow and even to entertain. The various Norse sagas depict Freydis as a nefarious woman - a liar, a thief, and a murderess, but Goranson chose to reinvent this woman and her nasty reputation. While admirable, I just didn't buy it. Personally, I would have preferred a gripping story about the badass woman Freydis is known for in history.
January 22, 2022
I stopped caring after the goat died.
July 19, 2021
This memorable retelling of Vinland saga challenges the past portrayals of Freydis Eirksdottir, a strong-willed woman, who defied the odds of her society.
Greenland, 996 AD. Freydis is married to an abusive Norseman named Thorvard. Shortly after, her brother Leif leaves Greenland’s shores to sail across the northern seas. During his absence, and after the death of their father, the land of Greenland is ruled by Thorvard. But the successful voyage of Leif makes him reclaim the title of his father, which only upsets Thorvard. And as much as the siblings share a deep bond, it doesn’t go deep enough when Fredyis wants to divorce her abusive husband and seeks support of her brother. It wouldn’t help Leif in his ambitious plan.
But then a couple from Iceland confirms that divorce would ruin her financially. They need a sponsor to help them out on their expedition to Vinland. They have ships, but they need a wealthy patron that could travel with them. Taking a Viking expedition would keep her safe from her husband’s fists. But can she trust Icelanders?
The heroine is a very strong woman, a fighter, and a true Viking. You can sense that the abuse of her husband steals the light out of her. She no longer laughs or takes pleasure in life’s simple moments. But her willpower continues to be strong. She doesn’t want to spin the wool and mend cloth, instead she yearns to hunt, to use her knife and peel back the fur and debone the meat, but a woman hunter is not a welcomed addition. Her tongue-lashing gets her into a group of hunters, but her skill which might be above some men’s approval makes her a bigger target and the men blame her as difficult. Her headstrong behavior and stubbornness sometimes cloud her judgement, not helping her reputation.
The plotting of a course to freedom involves outmaneuvering Thorvard, so he doesn’t seek revenge, which builds the suspense.
The atmosphere depicting the time period of ruthlessness and the place of harsh climate are very authentic. The survival during the dangerous iceberg passage, when the journey takes scary turns is very vivid. On land, you can sense the harsh climate and when the winter comes filled with blizzards blinding your path, you know that one misstep may send you on a dangerous path. A wrong move, can push you down the snowy slope where there are no bushes to break the fall and no rocks sticking out to stop sliding over the precipice, and a sharp fall might be deadly.
Freydis is a very memorable character, despite the brutality of her husband and the harsh climate; I wasn’t ready to part with her. The beautiful prose and engaging storytelling made me engrossed in Fredys’ journey thoroughly.
P.S. Kudos to cover-designers, it’s gorgeous.
Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Review originally posted at mysteryandsuspense.com
Greenland, 996 AD. Freydis is married to an abusive Norseman named Thorvard. Shortly after, her brother Leif leaves Greenland’s shores to sail across the northern seas. During his absence, and after the death of their father, the land of Greenland is ruled by Thorvard. But the successful voyage of Leif makes him reclaim the title of his father, which only upsets Thorvard. And as much as the siblings share a deep bond, it doesn’t go deep enough when Fredyis wants to divorce her abusive husband and seeks support of her brother. It wouldn’t help Leif in his ambitious plan.
But then a couple from Iceland confirms that divorce would ruin her financially. They need a sponsor to help them out on their expedition to Vinland. They have ships, but they need a wealthy patron that could travel with them. Taking a Viking expedition would keep her safe from her husband’s fists. But can she trust Icelanders?
The heroine is a very strong woman, a fighter, and a true Viking. You can sense that the abuse of her husband steals the light out of her. She no longer laughs or takes pleasure in life’s simple moments. But her willpower continues to be strong. She doesn’t want to spin the wool and mend cloth, instead she yearns to hunt, to use her knife and peel back the fur and debone the meat, but a woman hunter is not a welcomed addition. Her tongue-lashing gets her into a group of hunters, but her skill which might be above some men’s approval makes her a bigger target and the men blame her as difficult. Her headstrong behavior and stubbornness sometimes cloud her judgement, not helping her reputation.
The plotting of a course to freedom involves outmaneuvering Thorvard, so he doesn’t seek revenge, which builds the suspense.
The atmosphere depicting the time period of ruthlessness and the place of harsh climate are very authentic. The survival during the dangerous iceberg passage, when the journey takes scary turns is very vivid. On land, you can sense the harsh climate and when the winter comes filled with blizzards blinding your path, you know that one misstep may send you on a dangerous path. A wrong move, can push you down the snowy slope where there are no bushes to break the fall and no rocks sticking out to stop sliding over the precipice, and a sharp fall might be deadly.
Freydis is a very memorable character, despite the brutality of her husband and the harsh climate; I wasn’t ready to part with her. The beautiful prose and engaging storytelling made me engrossed in Fredys’ journey thoroughly.
P.S. Kudos to cover-designers, it’s gorgeous.
Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Review originally posted at mysteryandsuspense.com
July 25, 2021
I AM SO SAD AND DISAPPOINTED
I had the highest hopes for this book! I was SO excited for this book. I cannot express how excited I was... Which only made the disappointment even worse. This was so bleak. So depressive. And so sad. I usually don't mind these things as long as I see a light at the end of the tunnel or at the very least some progression. I didn't see that here at all.
👎 What I Disliked 👎
Writing: The writing was really repetitive. There were a lot of phrases and descriptions that cropped up time and time again. For example Freydis' red hair (which we hear about every time someone talks about her or she is described) or Thorvald's wolfish likeness.
Characters: None of the characters were particularly likable. Not even Freydis, who we're supposed to sympathise with, is someone I find myself rooting for. While I do feel bad for her and all the things she goes through, I just can't like her. I can't get a feeling for her as a character. Perhaps it was deliberate, perhaps the author chose to strip her character bare to show the effects of domestic abuse. I don't know. I just know that without something to connect with in a character, I cannot completely root for them.
Progression: This story seemed to go pretty much nowhere. No progression in the story, no character developments. It just seemed to muddle through the same sadness the whole way through.
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
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I had the highest hopes for this book! I was SO excited for this book. I cannot express how excited I was... Which only made the disappointment even worse. This was so bleak. So depressive. And so sad. I usually don't mind these things as long as I see a light at the end of the tunnel or at the very least some progression. I didn't see that here at all.
👎 What I Disliked 👎
Writing: The writing was really repetitive. There were a lot of phrases and descriptions that cropped up time and time again. For example Freydis' red hair (which we hear about every time someone talks about her or she is described) or Thorvald's wolfish likeness.
Characters: None of the characters were particularly likable. Not even Freydis, who we're supposed to sympathise with, is someone I find myself rooting for. While I do feel bad for her and all the things she goes through, I just can't like her. I can't get a feeling for her as a character. Perhaps it was deliberate, perhaps the author chose to strip her character bare to show the effects of domestic abuse. I don't know. I just know that without something to connect with in a character, I cannot completely root for them.
Progression: This story seemed to go pretty much nowhere. No progression in the story, no character developments. It just seemed to muddle through the same sadness the whole way through.
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
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June 28, 2021
Thanks to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, and Netgalley for giving me access to this book as an ARC. All opinions are my own.
Trigger warnings: Spouse abuse, gaslighting, infertility, miscarriage, stillbirth, slavery, dubious consent, attempted rape, rape, maiming, death of pets/animal companions, racism, starvation, attempted murder, murder... and probably more that I'm missing.
The Voyage of Freydis is a historical fiction set in the age of the Vikings, following Freydís Eiríksdóttir, a legendary figure who history hasn't painted in the most positive light. This book sounded like an absolutely fantastic read to me; based on the synopsis I thought it was going to be a coming-of-age of sorts, an epic adventure and voyage highlighting Freydis breaking free from her chains and becoming the powerful (if controversial) figure she is thought of in history. Instead... I got this.
This book follows Freydis as she attempts to escape an abusive marriage to a wealthy Viking (Thorvald); to win her freedom, her safety, and her independence, part of this being a voyage to Vinland (Newfoundland?) with Icelanders and... that's about it. Nothing else really happens.
The book ended up being a real chore to read; Freydis is just beaten upon (verbally and physically) by her husband and those that she should be able to trust. The entire first half of the book is just misery after misery with nothing positive to break up or give the author hope. It felt very much like when you're watching a movie and that one character goes "well it can't possibly get any worse", and then it does. Over, and over, and over again. In this book, things certainly can - and do - get worse.
Every time I thought things might finally be looking up for Freydis, something would just come out to pull the rug out from under her (and you, as the reader) and it was just excessive. Now whilst I wasn't really a massive fan of Freydis as a character, I think that part of that may be due to the fact that I felt she was being portrayed as a victim, who things were happening to, as opposed to being an independent agent that could make a change to her experienced reality. There were definitely moments where she came across as self-centred, entitled, rude, and reckless, but this to me was just overshadowed by almost everything else :/
The author's note at the end of this book calls Freydis "the voice of all spousal abuse victims"; a character who has had their world turned upside down and had their life become something that belongs to another. The author encourages those struggling under the same or similar circumstances to seek help and escape, which is definitely good advice, but given how everything is portrayed in this book this is certainly NOT a book that I would recommend to anyone who has suffered abuse of the kind depicted in this story. It didn't give any hope to me as a reader, if anything - it destroyed it.
Trigger warnings: Spouse abuse, gaslighting, infertility, miscarriage, stillbirth, slavery, dubious consent, attempted rape, rape, maiming, death of pets/animal companions, racism, starvation, attempted murder, murder... and probably more that I'm missing.
The Voyage of Freydis is a historical fiction set in the age of the Vikings, following Freydís Eiríksdóttir, a legendary figure who history hasn't painted in the most positive light. This book sounded like an absolutely fantastic read to me; based on the synopsis I thought it was going to be a coming-of-age of sorts, an epic adventure and voyage highlighting Freydis breaking free from her chains and becoming the powerful (if controversial) figure she is thought of in history. Instead... I got this.
This book follows Freydis as she attempts to escape an abusive marriage to a wealthy Viking (Thorvald); to win her freedom, her safety, and her independence, part of this being a voyage to Vinland (Newfoundland?) with Icelanders and... that's about it. Nothing else really happens.
The book ended up being a real chore to read; Freydis is just beaten upon (verbally and physically) by her husband and those that she should be able to trust. The entire first half of the book is just misery after misery with nothing positive to break up or give the author hope. It felt very much like when you're watching a movie and that one character goes "well it can't possibly get any worse", and then it does. Over, and over, and over again. In this book, things certainly can - and do - get worse.
Every time I thought things might finally be looking up for Freydis, something would just come out to pull the rug out from under her (and you, as the reader) and it was just excessive. Now whilst I wasn't really a massive fan of Freydis as a character, I think that part of that may be due to the fact that I felt she was being portrayed as a victim, who things were happening to, as opposed to being an independent agent that could make a change to her experienced reality. There were definitely moments where she came across as self-centred, entitled, rude, and reckless, but this to me was just overshadowed by almost everything else :/
The author's note at the end of this book calls Freydis "the voice of all spousal abuse victims"; a character who has had their world turned upside down and had their life become something that belongs to another. The author encourages those struggling under the same or similar circumstances to seek help and escape, which is definitely good advice, but given how everything is portrayed in this book this is certainly NOT a book that I would recommend to anyone who has suffered abuse of the kind depicted in this story. It didn't give any hope to me as a reader, if anything - it destroyed it.
August 24, 2021
Thank you, Tamara Goranson, NetGalley, and One More Chapter Books for the opportunity to read this book! It was released yesterday, July 22nd!
The Voyage of Freydis by Tamara Goranson immediately sparked my interest! First. just look at that gorgeous cover! Second, I am all about the mythology/historical retellings at the moment. If you aren’t aware, Freydis is the sister of THE Leif Erikson. You know, that guy who landed in the Americas long before Columbus was even born! Also, the daughter of Erik the Red! The Sagas briefly mention Freydis and she is always described as fierce. In this book, we are immediately introduced to her as a young woman married to Thorvald who constantly abuses her. She is determined to be free of his grasp and explore new worlds like her brother.
Trigger Warnings: SO MUCH domestic abuse, rape, miscarriage, pregnancy loss, racism, homophobia
I have been thinking about how I would write this review all night. I am going to start with that the first 200 pages are just straight abuse. I am not exaggerating. It is nonstop, day after day. It is brutal and hard to read. With the help of friends, she escapes. Unfortunately, that help comes with a price as everyone around her suffers. Again, not exaggerating. I could understand her fear and PTSD. There are moments when she shows unbelievable strength, only to be crippled with fear the next. The one thing that made me pause when there are discussions of the abuse is that her husband is gay and according to Freydis, that is why he beats her. However, from a little research, there is no mention of homosexual relationships in Norse history. As long as a person married and procreated, their business was their own. They could be brought to the law if they refused to marry for the sake of the said relationship but Homosexuality didn’t become a common mention until Christianity appeared. So it made me pause when it was mentioned that he was abusive because he was gay.
There is mention of racism when the Norse comes across the Indigenous peoples, but I did love the relationship that bloomed between Achak and Freydis. Now, you may think, oh well at least she isn’t abused anymore. Well, the worst just keeps happening to her and the ending is brutal. However, the ending made sense to me considering the time but it could be detrimental to someone who is in an abusive relationship. The last aspect I will mention is the random time jumps. In the middle of a paragraph, the book would say, “some weeks later…” It just didn’t help the flow of the novel. It didn’t help that I didn’t feel connected to the characters. There wasn’t much development or personalization. I think there is a lot of potential here. I went back and forth on how to score this book and unfortunately, I think I have settled on 2 out of 5 stars.
The Voyage of Freydis by Tamara Goranson immediately sparked my interest! First. just look at that gorgeous cover! Second, I am all about the mythology/historical retellings at the moment. If you aren’t aware, Freydis is the sister of THE Leif Erikson. You know, that guy who landed in the Americas long before Columbus was even born! Also, the daughter of Erik the Red! The Sagas briefly mention Freydis and she is always described as fierce. In this book, we are immediately introduced to her as a young woman married to Thorvald who constantly abuses her. She is determined to be free of his grasp and explore new worlds like her brother.
Trigger Warnings: SO MUCH domestic abuse, rape, miscarriage, pregnancy loss, racism, homophobia
I have been thinking about how I would write this review all night. I am going to start with that the first 200 pages are just straight abuse. I am not exaggerating. It is nonstop, day after day. It is brutal and hard to read. With the help of friends, she escapes. Unfortunately, that help comes with a price as everyone around her suffers. Again, not exaggerating. I could understand her fear and PTSD. There are moments when she shows unbelievable strength, only to be crippled with fear the next. The one thing that made me pause when there are discussions of the abuse is that her husband is gay and according to Freydis, that is why he beats her. However, from a little research, there is no mention of homosexual relationships in Norse history. As long as a person married and procreated, their business was their own. They could be brought to the law if they refused to marry for the sake of the said relationship but Homosexuality didn’t become a common mention until Christianity appeared. So it made me pause when it was mentioned that he was abusive because he was gay.
There is mention of racism when the Norse comes across the Indigenous peoples, but I did love the relationship that bloomed between Achak and Freydis. Now, you may think, oh well at least she isn’t abused anymore. Well, the worst just keeps happening to her and the ending is brutal. However, the ending made sense to me considering the time but it could be detrimental to someone who is in an abusive relationship. The last aspect I will mention is the random time jumps. In the middle of a paragraph, the book would say, “some weeks later…” It just didn’t help the flow of the novel. It didn’t help that I didn’t feel connected to the characters. There wasn’t much development or personalization. I think there is a lot of potential here. I went back and forth on how to score this book and unfortunately, I think I have settled on 2 out of 5 stars.
July 22, 2021
The Voyage of Freydis is a compelling and richly atmospheric fact meets fiction retelling of the Vinland sagas and a memorable portrayal of one of the most famous female Vikings legends: the tenacious and tough Freydis Eirksdottir who was deemed braver than most of her fellow men. Freydís Eiríksdóttir (born c. 970) was a Norse woman said to be the daughter of Erik the Red, who is associated with the Norse exploration of North America and the discovery of Vinland with his son Leif Erikson. Greenland, 996 AD. Freydis marries an abusive Norseman known as Thorvald, and a short time later, her brother Leif departs the shores of Greenland and sets sail to Vinland (Newfoundland, North America) alongside his intrepid sister and other Vikings, and despite being pregnant Freydis continued participating in the men’s business. During their absence from Greenland, their father had passed away after a horseback accident leaving Thorvard to rule the kingdom. However, when Leif arrives back on the island after a successful expedition, he decides he will reclaim his father’s title, which doesn't exactly go down well with Thorvard who believes the seat is rightfully his.
Freydis, meanwhile, wishes to divorce her husband and hopes her brother, thanks to their strong relationship, would be on side and supportive, but he is anything but as it would inevitably complicate his ambitions to become leader. It is stated that Freydis was told in no uncertain terms that divorce would deplete her finances, so according to The Greenlander Saga, she had commissioned two brothers, Helgi and Finnbogi, to join her in the exploration of Vinland where she wanted the plunder the riches of the land. The two brothers took their ship with a crew of men, while Freydis took her own ship and her own crew. It was agreed upon that each ship would carry the same number of men but Freydis brought on 5 extra men that she kept hidden below deck. Will she manage to stay safe and survive her supposed second journey to Vinland? This is a compelling and fascinating historical saga about a woman, and a Viking warrior, who defied the odds and the social norms of the epoch. Rich in intricate and accurate historical detail, Goranson has woven an enthralling character study of a neglected figure and created an almost bewitching atmosphere enveloping it all.
Freydis, meanwhile, wishes to divorce her husband and hopes her brother, thanks to their strong relationship, would be on side and supportive, but he is anything but as it would inevitably complicate his ambitions to become leader. It is stated that Freydis was told in no uncertain terms that divorce would deplete her finances, so according to The Greenlander Saga, she had commissioned two brothers, Helgi and Finnbogi, to join her in the exploration of Vinland where she wanted the plunder the riches of the land. The two brothers took their ship with a crew of men, while Freydis took her own ship and her own crew. It was agreed upon that each ship would carry the same number of men but Freydis brought on 5 extra men that she kept hidden below deck. Will she manage to stay safe and survive her supposed second journey to Vinland? This is a compelling and fascinating historical saga about a woman, and a Viking warrior, who defied the odds and the social norms of the epoch. Rich in intricate and accurate historical detail, Goranson has woven an enthralling character study of a neglected figure and created an almost bewitching atmosphere enveloping it all.
June 24, 2021
I was SO hyped when my request for this E-ARC was approved. I LOVE Norse mythology. (Both of my kids are named after Norse figures!) The Voyage Of Freydis tells the story of the only woman to ever lead a Viking Voyage across the Atlantic. It sounded just my thing.
But my goodness, I trudged through this book waiting for it to get better and honestly it just made me angrier as I went on. The story dragged terribly and the voice was detached. It seemed like Freydis was recollecting events that already happened rather than it actively happening. I didn't feel emotionally involved in the story at all.
I also had a hard time keeping track of how much time is passing. Some chapters it would say "weeks/months passed by" several times so im sitting there trying to work out if she's been in this particular place for 3 months or 10 months. There was a similar issue with the discrepancy between language barriers. Sometimes they weren't able to communicate a simple word while other times they could mime a whole conversation. I couldn't tell if this signified another time jump or not.
I did not find Freydis to be a likeable character. While I felt for her in her position, I found her to be unreasonably hard-headed yet mousy at the same time. I found myself screaming both "JUST STAB HIM ALREADY." & "WHY CANT YOU JUST BE NICE"
For instance after weeks of being cared for by strangers who did not need to save her life, she was "spitting" words at them and cursing them to her Gods. Girl they just SAVED YOUR BUTT. Say thank you.
Then there's the shockingly abrupt ending that provides us with no resolve or contentment. Freydis is right back where she started and there's no sign of that changing. How disappointing.
Overall I found this book lacking. It feels like a book meant for an academic setting, lacking an impactful voice and complex characters. I gave it 2 out of 5 stars on my goodreads. Many thanks to NetGalley for providing a digital copy in exchange for my honest review!
But my goodness, I trudged through this book waiting for it to get better and honestly it just made me angrier as I went on. The story dragged terribly and the voice was detached. It seemed like Freydis was recollecting events that already happened rather than it actively happening. I didn't feel emotionally involved in the story at all.
I also had a hard time keeping track of how much time is passing. Some chapters it would say "weeks/months passed by" several times so im sitting there trying to work out if she's been in this particular place for 3 months or 10 months. There was a similar issue with the discrepancy between language barriers. Sometimes they weren't able to communicate a simple word while other times they could mime a whole conversation. I couldn't tell if this signified another time jump or not.
I did not find Freydis to be a likeable character. While I felt for her in her position, I found her to be unreasonably hard-headed yet mousy at the same time. I found myself screaming both "JUST STAB HIM ALREADY." & "WHY CANT YOU JUST BE NICE"
For instance after weeks of being cared for by strangers who did not need to save her life, she was "spitting" words at them and cursing them to her Gods. Girl they just SAVED YOUR BUTT. Say thank you.
Then there's the shockingly abrupt ending that provides us with no resolve or contentment. Freydis is right back where she started and there's no sign of that changing. How disappointing.
Overall I found this book lacking. It feels like a book meant for an academic setting, lacking an impactful voice and complex characters. I gave it 2 out of 5 stars on my goodreads. Many thanks to NetGalley for providing a digital copy in exchange for my honest review!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 24, 2021
I honestly don't even know I finished this book.
I could tell from the first chapters I wasn't gonna like it but i tried to push myself to see if it got better, it sadly did not, I was very excited because it was full of Norse mythology and lore but the time keeping in this book was way too off balance, I couldn't tell at some points how long time had passed one minute it'd say weeks next it'd say months.
there was little to no build up to why or when things started to happen, you are just pushed into this world with Freydis and her abuse it all felt so abrupt and rushed. while i did feel for her and her situation she was put in but her character was very lopsided and very misguiding one minute she's strong and resilient next she's a timid and shy maybe it shows how her abuse affected her but at a certain point its a bit wishy washy, especially in the beginning when she tells herself that she wont let him break her no matter what, its just very confusing in the context.
i was really hoping this books was gonna help Freydis shine and be a nice Feminist novel with Norse mythology interwoven but sadly i was highly disappointed. the ending?? it didn't change her situation she's basically right where she started with no growth or changing.
I could tell from the first chapters I wasn't gonna like it but i tried to push myself to see if it got better, it sadly did not, I was very excited because it was full of Norse mythology and lore but the time keeping in this book was way too off balance, I couldn't tell at some points how long time had passed one minute it'd say weeks next it'd say months.
there was little to no build up to why or when things started to happen, you are just pushed into this world with Freydis and her abuse it all felt so abrupt and rushed. while i did feel for her and her situation she was put in but her character was very lopsided and very misguiding one minute she's strong and resilient next she's a timid and shy maybe it shows how her abuse affected her but at a certain point its a bit wishy washy, especially in the beginning when she tells herself that she wont let him break her no matter what, its just very confusing in the context.
i was really hoping this books was gonna help Freydis shine and be a nice Feminist novel with Norse mythology interwoven but sadly i was highly disappointed. the ending?? it didn't change her situation she's basically right where she started with no growth or changing.
April 6, 2022
The Voyage of Freydis was a fun Viking adventure. Especially after I finished the new Viking show, Viking: Valhalla. In this, you will meet Freydis. She is unfortunately married to an abusive and shady piece of shit, Thorvard. He doesn't deserve her one bit and I was hoping things would change once her brother comes back from his voyage.
Once Leif, her brother, comes back she plans to divorce her abusive husband. She's also hoping that he will support this decision of hers. Unfortunately, things do not go as planned. Leif has his own ambitions and Freydis is told that the divorce would ruin her financially. She doesn't take this news well and heads out to get a sponsor. Maybe a ship as well.
Now I really liked Freydis as a character. She's very strong and independent. Especially after everything she went through with her husband. In some ways, I think this made her stronger and ready for a whole new kind of love. A love that she definitely deserves.
Of course, drama came and went. Her husband finds a way back to her too and that definitely annoyed the crap out of me. A lot happened towards the end of this book and I'm very excited to jump into the sequel. I need to know what's going to happen next.
Once Leif, her brother, comes back she plans to divorce her abusive husband. She's also hoping that he will support this decision of hers. Unfortunately, things do not go as planned. Leif has his own ambitions and Freydis is told that the divorce would ruin her financially. She doesn't take this news well and heads out to get a sponsor. Maybe a ship as well.
Now I really liked Freydis as a character. She's very strong and independent. Especially after everything she went through with her husband. In some ways, I think this made her stronger and ready for a whole new kind of love. A love that she definitely deserves.
Of course, drama came and went. Her husband finds a way back to her too and that definitely annoyed the crap out of me. A lot happened towards the end of this book and I'm very excited to jump into the sequel. I need to know what's going to happen next.
Read
May 20, 2022Thank you Netgalley and One More Chapter for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings: Spousal abuse, miscarriage, stillbirth, racism, spousal rape, mentions of possible rape, death of pet, gaslighting, infertility, murder, attempted murder.
This is not the love letter to spousal abuse victims that Goranson thinks they have created. In the authors note at the end of the book Goranson states that Freydis is the voice of spousal abuse and while yes in this tale Freydis endures some of the worst spousal abuse there is, her story ends terribly. I'm a victim of spousal abuse and I went through the ordeal of family not believing me and trying and fighting to get out, I'm still healing from it but am stronger and able to confront it and talk about it. To go through all the trouble to make Freydis have the courage to leave and embark out into the unknown to get away from the abuse she has had to endure only to completely undermine it by throwing her right back into it at the end and taking away the happiness she finally found only made me think "wow I guess those of us who have endured this kind of life will never escape it" that's the message I got from this book. This doesn't give me hope that I have left my abuser for good and no longer have to deal with it. This ending is terrible, and as I have seen there is suppose to be 2 more in this series, I can only assume Goranson plans on dragging out Fredyis's potential to fully escape and finally finding happiness, and I won't be sticking around for that.
This story is depressing with a capital D, you're given this false set up in the prologue that Freydis has escaped her abuser and is finally going to make a life for herself and be happy. But no, for 10 chapters you have to sit through her constantly being abused, beaten, belitted, and so much more. It's one thing to set up the background and have the reader understand Freydis's life its another to make us go through this amount of agonizing pain and torture for chapters on end. The worst part is you are thrown into her abuse, so you never get the chance to get to know Freydis before the abuse, and because it was so heavy handed it was hard to feel any emotion for what was going on. Now don't get me wrong I feel for Freydis, I understand her situation and I hurt for her, but this did not make me weep, or gasp, or feel heartbroken, the emotion behind everything she was going through felt nonexistent because it was just thrown at us repeatedly and every time it felt like something was going to make it better it got ripped out from under her so it created a repetition in the storytelling that made it hard to believe things would eventually look up.
Also the portrayal of Freydis was frustrating to be honest, I understand her wanting her freedom and to not be controlled anymore, I have been there like I said, but all to many times she was written as being ungrateful for those who put their necks on the line to help her, She was constantly refusing to understand the difference between a man genuinely looking out for her safety and a man trying to control her. All to many times she went off on Finnbogi who was generally looking out for her welfare and safety. She wouldn't see reason and I know in situations like hers it can be hard to see past the trauma you have been through but when you find that person or group of people who are willing to help you and risk their own lives you can see the difference.
I thought I was going to get this epic tale of the Freydis the first and only Women to lead a Viking voyage but instead I got spousal abuse and depression, like how was this a better choice than what we already know about Freydis. Sure she was spot lighted as a murderer, thief, and back stabbing liar, but I frankly would have enjoyed that tale so much more than....this...
Content Warnings: Spousal abuse, miscarriage, stillbirth, racism, spousal rape, mentions of possible rape, death of pet, gaslighting, infertility, murder, attempted murder.
This is not the love letter to spousal abuse victims that Goranson thinks they have created. In the authors note at the end of the book Goranson states that Freydis is the voice of spousal abuse and while yes in this tale Freydis endures some of the worst spousal abuse there is, her story ends terribly. I'm a victim of spousal abuse and I went through the ordeal of family not believing me and trying and fighting to get out, I'm still healing from it but am stronger and able to confront it and talk about it. To go through all the trouble to make Freydis have the courage to leave and embark out into the unknown to get away from the abuse she has had to endure only to completely undermine it by throwing her right back into it at the end and taking away the happiness she finally found only made me think "wow I guess those of us who have endured this kind of life will never escape it" that's the message I got from this book. This doesn't give me hope that I have left my abuser for good and no longer have to deal with it. This ending is terrible, and as I have seen there is suppose to be 2 more in this series, I can only assume Goranson plans on dragging out Fredyis's potential to fully escape and finally finding happiness, and I won't be sticking around for that.
This story is depressing with a capital D, you're given this false set up in the prologue that Freydis has escaped her abuser and is finally going to make a life for herself and be happy. But no, for 10 chapters you have to sit through her constantly being abused, beaten, belitted, and so much more. It's one thing to set up the background and have the reader understand Freydis's life its another to make us go through this amount of agonizing pain and torture for chapters on end. The worst part is you are thrown into her abuse, so you never get the chance to get to know Freydis before the abuse, and because it was so heavy handed it was hard to feel any emotion for what was going on. Now don't get me wrong I feel for Freydis, I understand her situation and I hurt for her, but this did not make me weep, or gasp, or feel heartbroken, the emotion behind everything she was going through felt nonexistent because it was just thrown at us repeatedly and every time it felt like something was going to make it better it got ripped out from under her so it created a repetition in the storytelling that made it hard to believe things would eventually look up.
Also the portrayal of Freydis was frustrating to be honest, I understand her wanting her freedom and to not be controlled anymore, I have been there like I said, but all to many times she was written as being ungrateful for those who put their necks on the line to help her, She was constantly refusing to understand the difference between a man genuinely looking out for her safety and a man trying to control her. All to many times she went off on Finnbogi who was generally looking out for her welfare and safety. She wouldn't see reason and I know in situations like hers it can be hard to see past the trauma you have been through but when you find that person or group of people who are willing to help you and risk their own lives you can see the difference.
I thought I was going to get this epic tale of the Freydis the first and only Women to lead a Viking voyage but instead I got spousal abuse and depression, like how was this a better choice than what we already know about Freydis. Sure she was spot lighted as a murderer, thief, and back stabbing liar, but I frankly would have enjoyed that tale so much more than....this...
June 24, 2021
Thank you to the publishers HarperCollins UK and One More Chapter for giving me access to this book as an E-ARC via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
This is an historical novel set in the Viking age and following the legendary historical character Freydis Eiriksdóttir, who traditionally in the Icelandic sagas is the daughter of Erik the Red and the half-sister of Leif Eriksson.
On to the story..
Freydis Eiriksdöttir is married to an abusive man (Thorvald). They live together in Greenland. To get away from him she arranges to go on a ship bound west to North America (Vinland). And that's about it, really.
I feel like we don't get to know Freydis and I dont know if this has something to do with Goranson perhaps didn't want to create a "supercharacter" as Freydis is a legendary historic person and maybe wanted to have a slight vague character to have us, the readers, make her up as we wanted her to be?
Not the best novel set in this time period but nothing more than an okay read.
This is an historical novel set in the Viking age and following the legendary historical character Freydis Eiriksdóttir, who traditionally in the Icelandic sagas is the daughter of Erik the Red and the half-sister of Leif Eriksson.
On to the story..
Freydis Eiriksdöttir is married to an abusive man (Thorvald). They live together in Greenland. To get away from him she arranges to go on a ship bound west to North America (Vinland). And that's about it, really.
I feel like we don't get to know Freydis and I dont know if this has something to do with Goranson perhaps didn't want to create a "supercharacter" as Freydis is a legendary historic person and maybe wanted to have a slight vague character to have us, the readers, make her up as we wanted her to be?
Not the best novel set in this time period but nothing more than an okay read.
April 7, 2022
I love Viking stories, especially ones with badass warrior women. I also like the different customs, gods, and ways of life the people have. In this story, Freydis is in a tribe where the men are in charge and women have little say over anything. She's married to the chief, who treats her horribly and she just wants a way out. When an opportunity comes for her to escape to a new land, she jumps on it and begins a perilous journey.
So much of this story made me angry and it was difficult to listen to Freydis being abused in so many ways. Her husband rapes her, beats her, and makes her feel worthless. I wanted him dead and it killed me that no one could really stand up to him. Freydis' brother, the famous Leif Erikson, doesn't even help as much as he should in my opinion. Where are the awesome female warriors when you need them?
I was kind of disappointed that Freydis never really got strong enough to take down her husband and felt like she was a victim constantly. Maybe in the sequel she'll be different?
So much of this story made me angry and it was difficult to listen to Freydis being abused in so many ways. Her husband rapes her, beats her, and makes her feel worthless. I wanted him dead and it killed me that no one could really stand up to him. Freydis' brother, the famous Leif Erikson, doesn't even help as much as he should in my opinion. Where are the awesome female warriors when you need them?
I was kind of disappointed that Freydis never really got strong enough to take down her husband and felt like she was a victim constantly. Maybe in the sequel she'll be different?
November 15, 2021
I managed to get to page 132 before I finally asked myself the question: "Why am I reading this?"
The first three pages start off with a great premise-a battered wife in Viking times has fled her abusive husband. She made it to a boat, and that's where I assumed the "Voyage of Freydis" would begin. Unfortunately, the author choose at that point to start going through over a hundred pages of backstory (I stopped reading before I could figure out when the author stopped writing the backstory), which basically resulted in one episode of spousal abuse after another. There's gaslighting, verbal abuse, physical abuse, attempted rape, rape, and psychological abuse. Our "heroine", faces one soul-crushing situation after another. And the worst part is, I start not to care about her at all. As a reader I should be driven forward, page by page, praying that she makes it out. But I don't.
As an avid historian, I also found that the author utterly fails on understanding the rights of Norse women. Which is odd, because on her own website, the author states: "Women could inherit property, request a divorce, and could reclaim their dowries if their marriage failed." So the author clearly understands that Freydis had an avenue of escape from her abusive situation. And, as the daughter of Erik the Red and the sister of Leif Eriksson, Freydis definitely has the social standing and wealth to become a divorcee and not need to rely on her husband. However, the author provides a few weak excuses of why Freydis remains in her terrible situation, even though she is desperate to leave her husband. It was at this point that I gave up on the book.
The first three pages start off with a great premise-a battered wife in Viking times has fled her abusive husband. She made it to a boat, and that's where I assumed the "Voyage of Freydis" would begin. Unfortunately, the author choose at that point to start going through over a hundred pages of backstory (I stopped reading before I could figure out when the author stopped writing the backstory), which basically resulted in one episode of spousal abuse after another. There's gaslighting, verbal abuse, physical abuse, attempted rape, rape, and psychological abuse. Our "heroine", faces one soul-crushing situation after another. And the worst part is, I start not to care about her at all. As a reader I should be driven forward, page by page, praying that she makes it out. But I don't.
As an avid historian, I also found that the author utterly fails on understanding the rights of Norse women. Which is odd, because on her own website, the author states: "Women could inherit property, request a divorce, and could reclaim their dowries if their marriage failed." So the author clearly understands that Freydis had an avenue of escape from her abusive situation. And, as the daughter of Erik the Red and the sister of Leif Eriksson, Freydis definitely has the social standing and wealth to become a divorcee and not need to rely on her husband. However, the author provides a few weak excuses of why Freydis remains in her terrible situation, even though she is desperate to leave her husband. It was at this point that I gave up on the book.
October 22, 2024
This book has a real pacing issue. The story doesn't really start for about 130 pages—the first 130 pages are just descriptions of spousal abuse. And Freydis' voyage doesn't set sail until about the halfway mark. The story also feels circular and hopeless. At the end of the novel, Freydis' narrative hasn't progressed, and it feels like everything she has experienced and overcome is all for nothing.
March 2, 2022
I just finished The Voyage of Freydis and my emotions are so raw. This book really takes you through a roller coaster of emotions. I cried and laughed and felt anguish and anger. Tamara really brought a story to life and told it in such an elegant way. The ending though, I cried myself to sleep from it. I can't wait to experience the second book in The Vinland Viking Saga and see what happens next.
June 22, 2022
I had such high hopes for this book, but man it was a let-down.
July 16, 2021
⋆⋆½ (rounded up to 3)
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK & One More Chapter for allowing me to read this ARC!
Content Warning: death, murder, violence, domestic abuse (physical, sexual, verbal and emotional), stillbirth, miscarriage, rape, sexual assault, racism, misogyny, animal death, gaslighting.
Freydis Eiriksdottir, sister of the famed Leif Erikson, has gone down in history as a traitor, thief and murderess. This story, however, is Freydis's -- told from her perspective, instead of by men who doubtlessly are biased against her due to her gender and the fact that she does not act as a woman "should." One of the first people to ever travel to North America, Freydis endures abuse at the hands of her husband, Thorvard, and fights for her freedom and the ability to choose her own life.
This concept and premise immediately captured my attention. Viking history fascinates many of us, including myself; I found the idea of reading a book not about one of the famous men of this era, but one of its most stigmatized women, very exciting. The basic idea is that we're following Freydis on this great journey not only across the Atlantic Ocean, but also on a personal mission for freedom. As someone who loves a character-driven story, I thought this would turn out to be a perfect fit for me.
Unfortunately, though, that wasn't quite what happened. Even the very first pages are filled with details of the brutality Freydis suffers at her husband's hands, and while I am by no means a squeamish reader, the graphic quality of these scenes is hard to stomach. I could handle this fine, I thought, if this is a novel about surviving and overcoming -- and in a sense, well, yes, it is. But rather than Freydis ever actively taking the reins, it seems as if everything is just happening to and around her; she's almost more like a mannequin that has been inserted into these situations.
It doesn't help that the writing -- first-person, present tense, not my favorite at the best of times -- feels slightly bland and unexpressive. She's telling us how she feels, rather than showing it through actions, telling us what's going on and all the details without any of the emotion behind it. Freydis suffers from being unlikable, so stubborn that, at times, she lashes out at people who are obviously trying to help or look after her. It doesn't make her seem strong, but rather naïve and sometimes downright unkind.
Those issues aside, I do want to say that there are interesting parts in this book, particularly when either the Norse culture is being discussed, or the culture of the Beothuk, the Indigenous peoples that the Greenlanders encounter upon arriving in Vinland. There are quite a few instances of racism, so please be aware of that, but I think the relationship that eventually unfolds between Freydis and the Beothuk was beautiful and wonderfully sweet.
All in all, this wasn't terrible by any means, just confused. What it could benefit from is perhaps some editing and a bit more focus. It felt slightly lost, more of a compilation of events in Freydis's life rather than a composed set of chapters with a purpose or goal. Many other problems I had with this book can't be discussed without spoiling too much. All I'll say is that while this book is dedicated to those who have suffered under the darkness of spousal abuse, I would not recommend this to people currently in abusive relationships or just out of them. It's just too depressing.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK & One More Chapter for allowing me to read this ARC!
Content Warning: death, murder, violence, domestic abuse (physical, sexual, verbal and emotional), stillbirth, miscarriage, rape, sexual assault, racism, misogyny, animal death, gaslighting.
Freydis Eiriksdottir, sister of the famed Leif Erikson, has gone down in history as a traitor, thief and murderess. This story, however, is Freydis's -- told from her perspective, instead of by men who doubtlessly are biased against her due to her gender and the fact that she does not act as a woman "should." One of the first people to ever travel to North America, Freydis endures abuse at the hands of her husband, Thorvard, and fights for her freedom and the ability to choose her own life.
This concept and premise immediately captured my attention. Viking history fascinates many of us, including myself; I found the idea of reading a book not about one of the famous men of this era, but one of its most stigmatized women, very exciting. The basic idea is that we're following Freydis on this great journey not only across the Atlantic Ocean, but also on a personal mission for freedom. As someone who loves a character-driven story, I thought this would turn out to be a perfect fit for me.
Unfortunately, though, that wasn't quite what happened. Even the very first pages are filled with details of the brutality Freydis suffers at her husband's hands, and while I am by no means a squeamish reader, the graphic quality of these scenes is hard to stomach. I could handle this fine, I thought, if this is a novel about surviving and overcoming -- and in a sense, well, yes, it is. But rather than Freydis ever actively taking the reins, it seems as if everything is just happening to and around her; she's almost more like a mannequin that has been inserted into these situations.
It doesn't help that the writing -- first-person, present tense, not my favorite at the best of times -- feels slightly bland and unexpressive. She's telling us how she feels, rather than showing it through actions, telling us what's going on and all the details without any of the emotion behind it. Freydis suffers from being unlikable, so stubborn that, at times, she lashes out at people who are obviously trying to help or look after her. It doesn't make her seem strong, but rather naïve and sometimes downright unkind.
Those issues aside, I do want to say that there are interesting parts in this book, particularly when either the Norse culture is being discussed, or the culture of the Beothuk, the Indigenous peoples that the Greenlanders encounter upon arriving in Vinland. There are quite a few instances of racism, so please be aware of that, but I think the relationship that eventually unfolds between Freydis and the Beothuk was beautiful and wonderfully sweet.
All in all, this wasn't terrible by any means, just confused. What it could benefit from is perhaps some editing and a bit more focus. It felt slightly lost, more of a compilation of events in Freydis's life rather than a composed set of chapters with a purpose or goal. Many other problems I had with this book can't be discussed without spoiling too much. All I'll say is that while this book is dedicated to those who have suffered under the darkness of spousal abuse, I would not recommend this to people currently in abusive relationships or just out of them. It's just too depressing.
July 26, 2021
The Voyage of Freydis is a story about a woman's journey to escape her abusive husband. Due to the mature and upsetting elements of the book I would recommend this for a reader over the age of 18. I wanted to read this book because I saw another review which compared it to Circe by Madeline Miller but after reading The Voyage of Freydis I think this comparison does no favours for the book or the author. The are both feminist novels about a downtrodden woman who goes on a journey, and the books flesh out a previously silent titular character, but that is where the similarities stop.
You may be interested in reading this book because you enjoyed the TV show Vikings, which did a brilliant job of representing women in a variety of roles. Freydis in the show was a master manipulator. In this novel, Freydis is more like Torvi: they're both stuck in loveless marriages and train to develop their skills in weaponary and go on voyages. I did a little bit of reading before I started the book: Freydis was apparently the first female viking to lead an expedition to Vinland (North America). I had never heard of her but this sounded really promising - a strong female character with leadership qualities, etc. However Freydis's strength subverted my expectations somewhat. Yes, she is viking and she is trained in hunting and has skill with weapons but the story focuses more on her emotional journey rather than action or combat. We get to see a little of how viking culture worked, in particular the rules about marriage rights and land ownership, etc, which was nice.
Here are the positives about The Voyage of Freydis: the cover design is beautiful. The character of Freydis is established as someone to root for very early on in the book because of her vulnerability and her horrific mistreatment at the hands of her husband. Once the plot got going (i.e. after the voyage began, which admittedly was very late in the book) it kept my interest because I wanted to see Freydis succeed and I'm always intrigued by stories about the earliest encounters with Native Americans. There were some lovely passages of description, which is always nice.
However, I found Freydis's sufferance of domestic violence, sexual assault, emotional abuse & manipulation, as well as all of the content about her pregnancies extremely depressing. I understand that the point is that she's downtrodden and has a lot to overcome by the end of the book but it felt like overkill. If my interest hadn't been piqued by the mention of the skraelings (the viking term for Native Americans) I might have stopped reading because of the fact that nothing nice ever seemed to happen to our main character. After such a long build up, I also found the end of the book too quickly resolved, with a disappointing outcome and a number of irritatingly repetitive phrases, but this is probably more down to personal taste.
So it's a mixed review, which hopefully helps potential readers make an informed decision. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
You may be interested in reading this book because you enjoyed the TV show Vikings, which did a brilliant job of representing women in a variety of roles. Freydis in the show was a master manipulator. In this novel, Freydis is more like Torvi: they're both stuck in loveless marriages and train to develop their skills in weaponary and go on voyages. I did a little bit of reading before I started the book: Freydis was apparently the first female viking to lead an expedition to Vinland (North America). I had never heard of her but this sounded really promising - a strong female character with leadership qualities, etc. However Freydis's strength subverted my expectations somewhat. Yes, she is viking and she is trained in hunting and has skill with weapons but the story focuses more on her emotional journey rather than action or combat. We get to see a little of how viking culture worked, in particular the rules about marriage rights and land ownership, etc, which was nice.
Here are the positives about The Voyage of Freydis: the cover design is beautiful. The character of Freydis is established as someone to root for very early on in the book because of her vulnerability and her horrific mistreatment at the hands of her husband. Once the plot got going (i.e. after the voyage began, which admittedly was very late in the book) it kept my interest because I wanted to see Freydis succeed and I'm always intrigued by stories about the earliest encounters with Native Americans. There were some lovely passages of description, which is always nice.
However, I found Freydis's sufferance of domestic violence, sexual assault, emotional abuse & manipulation, as well as all of the content about her pregnancies extremely depressing. I understand that the point is that she's downtrodden and has a lot to overcome by the end of the book but it felt like overkill. If my interest hadn't been piqued by the mention of the skraelings (the viking term for Native Americans) I might have stopped reading because of the fact that nothing nice ever seemed to happen to our main character. After such a long build up, I also found the end of the book too quickly resolved, with a disappointing outcome and a number of irritatingly repetitive phrases, but this is probably more down to personal taste.
So it's a mixed review, which hopefully helps potential readers make an informed decision. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
January 8, 2022
The Voyage of Freydis (Book 1, Vinland Viking Series) - Tamara Goranson
I was given a copy of this story by the publisher in order to provide a review.
Tamara Goranson is a clinical psychologist working with trauma survivors and has a great interest in Viking women, especially those who travelled around 1000 AD to the New World. This book is her first novel.
Freydis Eiriksdottir is the only daughter of Eirik the Red and has been married off to Thorvard of Gardar. But she is happy, at least for a time, until she discovers who he really is, then her reality changes completely.
He is not the loving attentive husband she thought he would be. She is often beaten, shamed and humiliated with no one to turn to as all are too afraid of Thorvard and the power he wields in Gardar. She can not escape home to her family farm as Thorvard would never allow it and keeps a watchful eye on her. In short Freydis life as the wife of Thorvard is a miserable and unhappy one.
Finally, her brother Leif comes visiting after he finishes his travels to Vinland and tells Freydis of the exciting discoveries he made there. Fortunately for Freydis, Leif sees right through the act that Thorvard puts on and is able to convince Thorvard that Freydis should come visit the family farm – yet as always, Thorvard is on her heels following her every step and move, and comes with them on the journey.
There Freydis happens to meet a Greenlander couple – Logatha and Finnbogi. Together they hatch a plan to free Freydis of her horrid husband and venture to Vinland, hoping the find the settlement Leif made there. Thorvard, being the clever and horrible person he is, discovers this plan and ventures there ahead of Freydis. Now Freydis must fight her husband to be truly free of him, but she and the others that have sailed with her must also contend with surviving in this New World they have journeyed too. As the natives of the land are fearsome and clever hunters and warriors, it is often said they will take women to be their thralls.
But as Freydis is to discover, not all of the tales told about them are true, growing quite close to a native of a tribe living near the settlement her brother Leif made. Life was food for a while but Thorvard threatens to rear his ugly head and destroy the precious freedom and life Freydis had managed to make for herself. Will she ever be truly free and happy?
“The Voyage of Freydis” is the first book that has made me stay up until the early morning to finish it. Such a well written story with engaging characters and storyline and I love reading about Vikings and their tales. Freydis is such a strong women to have endured even half of what she went through. It may interest some readers to know that story was based on a real female Viking - Freydis Eiriksdottir, though obviously as her story would have been told through time by different skalds who she actually was and what she did can differ at times. All in all, this story is such a captivating one about such an interesting time in history.
I was given a copy of this story by the publisher in order to provide a review.
Tamara Goranson is a clinical psychologist working with trauma survivors and has a great interest in Viking women, especially those who travelled around 1000 AD to the New World. This book is her first novel.
Freydis Eiriksdottir is the only daughter of Eirik the Red and has been married off to Thorvard of Gardar. But she is happy, at least for a time, until she discovers who he really is, then her reality changes completely.
He is not the loving attentive husband she thought he would be. She is often beaten, shamed and humiliated with no one to turn to as all are too afraid of Thorvard and the power he wields in Gardar. She can not escape home to her family farm as Thorvard would never allow it and keeps a watchful eye on her. In short Freydis life as the wife of Thorvard is a miserable and unhappy one.
Finally, her brother Leif comes visiting after he finishes his travels to Vinland and tells Freydis of the exciting discoveries he made there. Fortunately for Freydis, Leif sees right through the act that Thorvard puts on and is able to convince Thorvard that Freydis should come visit the family farm – yet as always, Thorvard is on her heels following her every step and move, and comes with them on the journey.
There Freydis happens to meet a Greenlander couple – Logatha and Finnbogi. Together they hatch a plan to free Freydis of her horrid husband and venture to Vinland, hoping the find the settlement Leif made there. Thorvard, being the clever and horrible person he is, discovers this plan and ventures there ahead of Freydis. Now Freydis must fight her husband to be truly free of him, but she and the others that have sailed with her must also contend with surviving in this New World they have journeyed too. As the natives of the land are fearsome and clever hunters and warriors, it is often said they will take women to be their thralls.
But as Freydis is to discover, not all of the tales told about them are true, growing quite close to a native of a tribe living near the settlement her brother Leif made. Life was food for a while but Thorvard threatens to rear his ugly head and destroy the precious freedom and life Freydis had managed to make for herself. Will she ever be truly free and happy?
“The Voyage of Freydis” is the first book that has made me stay up until the early morning to finish it. Such a well written story with engaging characters and storyline and I love reading about Vikings and their tales. Freydis is such a strong women to have endured even half of what she went through. It may interest some readers to know that story was based on a real female Viking - Freydis Eiriksdottir, though obviously as her story would have been told through time by different skalds who she actually was and what she did can differ at times. All in all, this story is such a captivating one about such an interesting time in history.
January 30, 2022
There are so many things that I absolutely love about this book. To list a few...
-heartbreaking story of spousal abuse and control
-viking & Norse tradition, beliefs and lifestyle
-adventure, thrills, struggle
- survival & friendships
- Newfoundland beothuk
-love
This is a book that sucks you in and keeps you turning the pages until the very end. Not only do you become totally absorbed by Freydis life and abuse. You also become utterly addicted to her escape and spirit.
With so many twists and turns this book was not what I was expecting but everything I hope for in a historical fiction.
-heartbreaking story of spousal abuse and control
-viking & Norse tradition, beliefs and lifestyle
-adventure, thrills, struggle
- survival & friendships
- Newfoundland beothuk
-love
This is a book that sucks you in and keeps you turning the pages until the very end. Not only do you become totally absorbed by Freydis life and abuse. You also become utterly addicted to her escape and spirit.
With so many twists and turns this book was not what I was expecting but everything I hope for in a historical fiction.
November 24, 2021
The first half of this book is unending domestic violence, the 2nd half is rushed with poor plot and little character development beyond what has already been read building up to Freydis leaving her husband.
This was not what I was expecting for a female perspective of Viking journeys to the West. Unfortunately, I can't recommend this book to anyone.
This was not what I was expecting for a female perspective of Viking journeys to the West. Unfortunately, I can't recommend this book to anyone.
May 25, 2024
It’s not that it was THAT bad. I just couldn’t deal with the ending… I give this book two stars because of reasons most did. The darkness of the whole story…. The typos 🫠🫠 anyways read this book if you like being in slow suffering.
April 5, 2025
What a disappointment! 2-stars is being generous.
I stumbled across this book on goodreads completely by accident. The cover was pretty and it drew my eyes. Then I saw the rating 😬 But there's a book challenge to read a book less than 3-stars, so I thought why not!? Most historical fiction concerning ancient times disappoints me (cough girlboss retellings cough), so I didn't think it could be that bad.
WELL
Let me preface this by saying that I don't know anything Nordic. I've seen The Northman which was one of the worst movies ever made, but that's about it. I slept through most of the Die Walküre opera bcs it was so boring (didn't bother with the rest of the ring cycle). OH! I have read a Fredrik Backman if Sweden counts in these conversations? I'm guessing Shakespeare doesn't count. Bottom line, I'm not a comic book fan and I've never seen any of those creepy streaming shows about Vikings (which I partly blame the rise of skin heads on).
So I had ZERO context to who ANY of these people were. No wait. My context for Freydis' older brother Leif was a Spongebob Squarepants episode! Maybe I'm not the target audience of this book, but it would've been nice if the author provided more context for these characters or at least a reason for me to care about them. I couldn't be bothered with any of them.
Freydis, dear god Freydis. She was the worst of them. She has got to be the most bipolar fickle character I've ever read. Seriously, she flip flops more than Mitt Romney has in his entire political career. One moment she's going on these rants about how she's this kickass viking girlboss and doesn't give a fuck about gender roles, and then she's an empty husk of a person performing womanhood. And the author uses the excuse of domestic abuse, and yeah sure, BUT THAT ENDING! She is a complete yellow-livered backstabbing cunt. No spine. No sense of duty. Completely selfish. Fuck her. But more on that in a minute.
The pacing is atrocious. The beginning confused me bcs it felt like we were dropped in the middle of her story, but it was really only 2 months into wedded life. We are more than halfway through the book before we get to the voyage part of the "voyage of Freydis." It lasts only a couple of chapters and then barely a quarter of the book is spent in the mysterious Vinland. Which is frankly the only thing of interest in the book! I vaguely knew about the idea that Vikings landed in "The New World" before the colonizers who shall not be named. I was not expecting this story to evolve into some monstrous hybrid of The Last of the Mohicans and Dancing with Wolves. Wow.
Now, onto the romance. There's a lot to breakdown here.
First let's talk about the husband aka the bad guy. At a minimum he's bisexual. He could be gay and just fucks women for cover, but we'll never know bcs all the insights come down to Freydis' disgust over this aberrant behavior. He's framed as hypersexual, always lusting over men, and vain. That's nice. Gay men have never been seen hypersexual and particular about their appearance down to their nails, oh no. It's a super original take.
Then there's the couple. Frankly, I don't remember their names but they're from the other country (I honestly don't know the difference between Iceland and Greenland in this story). The wife was giving warrior-wife butch vibes (who turned out to just be a housewife -this author just can't stick to a single characterization but I digress). The husband was rather loving but also chill and tough. I was getting major swinger vibes from there. And just before they're introduced Freydis gets her fortune or something read and it said to keep her heart open and that love was coming. I really thought some sort of poly/threesome was going to go on (or at least something a little sapphic). But NO! Not that I care, but it would've at least made the story interesting.
Alright, so lets talk about Uncas (raven-tattoo guy). I forgot his actual name, but it doesn't matter bcs he doesn't matter in this story. His portrayal doesn't sit right with me. I don't know enough about Native American literary tropes to speak here, but I do know a lot of it is deeply problematic especially when white women are involved. Him and his people were constantly being referred to as "red." Colonialists and Americans for sure referred to Natives this way, are we sure it's accurate for a bunch of viking to do so too? I can appreciate that the "savages" are not brutish towards their women and are clean and clean-shaven, but this contrast with the vikings is really toeing a line. Even if it's complementary, generalized characterizations can still be racist. He is shown as strong, muscular, and a great hunter, but yet can't put up a fight during the great showdown in the end. So what was his point? A sexual object for Freydis?
There were a lot of other little things that pissed me off, but frankly I'm tired of talking about this book. The author really needed to get her characters' personalities straight and have a long hard talk about pacing with her editor. I guess this is a series which I will no be continuing to find out if the author improves.
I stumbled across this book on goodreads completely by accident. The cover was pretty and it drew my eyes. Then I saw the rating 😬 But there's a book challenge to read a book less than 3-stars, so I thought why not!? Most historical fiction concerning ancient times disappoints me (cough girlboss retellings cough), so I didn't think it could be that bad.
WELL
Let me preface this by saying that I don't know anything Nordic. I've seen The Northman which was one of the worst movies ever made, but that's about it. I slept through most of the Die Walküre opera bcs it was so boring (didn't bother with the rest of the ring cycle). OH! I have read a Fredrik Backman if Sweden counts in these conversations? I'm guessing Shakespeare doesn't count. Bottom line, I'm not a comic book fan and I've never seen any of those creepy streaming shows about Vikings (which I partly blame the rise of skin heads on).
So I had ZERO context to who ANY of these people were. No wait. My context for Freydis' older brother Leif was a Spongebob Squarepants episode! Maybe I'm not the target audience of this book, but it would've been nice if the author provided more context for these characters or at least a reason for me to care about them. I couldn't be bothered with any of them.
Freydis, dear god Freydis. She was the worst of them. She has got to be the most bipolar fickle character I've ever read. Seriously, she flip flops more than Mitt Romney has in his entire political career. One moment she's going on these rants about how she's this kickass viking girlboss and doesn't give a fuck about gender roles, and then she's an empty husk of a person performing womanhood. And the author uses the excuse of domestic abuse, and yeah sure, BUT THAT ENDING! She is a complete yellow-livered backstabbing cunt. No spine. No sense of duty. Completely selfish. Fuck her. But more on that in a minute.
The pacing is atrocious. The beginning confused me bcs it felt like we were dropped in the middle of her story, but it was really only 2 months into wedded life. We are more than halfway through the book before we get to the voyage part of the "voyage of Freydis." It lasts only a couple of chapters and then barely a quarter of the book is spent in the mysterious Vinland. Which is frankly the only thing of interest in the book! I vaguely knew about the idea that Vikings landed in "The New World" before the colonizers who shall not be named. I was not expecting this story to evolve into some monstrous hybrid of The Last of the Mohicans and Dancing with Wolves. Wow.
Now, onto the romance. There's a lot to breakdown here.
First let's talk about the husband aka the bad guy. At a minimum he's bisexual. He could be gay and just fucks women for cover, but we'll never know bcs all the insights come down to Freydis' disgust over this aberrant behavior. He's framed as hypersexual, always lusting over men, and vain. That's nice. Gay men have never been seen hypersexual and particular about their appearance down to their nails, oh no. It's a super original take.
Then there's the couple. Frankly, I don't remember their names but they're from the other country (I honestly don't know the difference between Iceland and Greenland in this story). The wife was giving warrior-wife butch vibes (who turned out to just be a housewife -this author just can't stick to a single characterization but I digress). The husband was rather loving but also chill and tough. I was getting major swinger vibes from there. And just before they're introduced Freydis gets her fortune or something read and it said to keep her heart open and that love was coming. I really thought some sort of poly/threesome was going to go on (or at least something a little sapphic). But NO! Not that I care, but it would've at least made the story interesting.
Alright, so lets talk about Uncas (raven-tattoo guy). I forgot his actual name, but it doesn't matter bcs he doesn't matter in this story. His portrayal doesn't sit right with me. I don't know enough about Native American literary tropes to speak here, but I do know a lot of it is deeply problematic especially when white women are involved. Him and his people were constantly being referred to as "red." Colonialists and Americans for sure referred to Natives this way, are we sure it's accurate for a bunch of viking to do so too? I can appreciate that the "savages" are not brutish towards their women and are clean and clean-shaven, but this contrast with the vikings is really toeing a line. Even if it's complementary, generalized characterizations can still be racist. He is shown as strong, muscular, and a great hunter, but yet can't put up a fight during the great showdown in the end. So what was his point? A sexual object for Freydis?
There were a lot of other little things that pissed me off, but frankly I'm tired of talking about this book. The author really needed to get her characters' personalities straight and have a long hard talk about pacing with her editor. I guess this is a series which I will no be continuing to find out if the author improves.
March 13, 2022
2.5 stars
I am low-key regretting spending money on this. I may donate my copy to the library since they didn't have one last I checked.
The Voyage of Freydis is an imaginative retelling of the story of Freydis Eiriksdöttir. The basic plot was cobbled together from the Saga of the Greenlanders, Eirik the Red's Saga, and some artistic creative liberties that tried to tie the tales in to the #MeToo movement.
If you have been a victim of domestic abuse, then this novel will be profoundly triggering. Descriptions of helpless rape and violence abound. Freydis is a victim of circumstance, time and culture, but her story is one that has been repeated through the centuries. On one hand I appreciate the author's attempt to shed light on the complexities of escaping abusive relationships, but on the other I don't understand how someone with a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology could write about these events so cavalierly without providing a warning for their readers or even a message of hope - the cycle of abuse seems inescapable and endless in this one. What was the point? Is a demoralizing work such as this truly reflective of the core of the #MeToo message? I have doubts.
Outside of this, I thought I would be more interested in the history and mythology that this book was purported to be about. Instead I found the plot to be too fantastical and disjointed once Freydis and the crew reached Vinland. Prior to their seafaring journey the story at least made a modicum of sense. I also have my doubts about the accuracy of representation of the Beothuk people as we know so little about them, but perhaps that was more of a gut feeling than an educated opinion as I haven't done any recent research on it.
Overall not what I expected it to be. I am disappointed, as I was excited for a saga retelling.
I am low-key regretting spending money on this. I may donate my copy to the library since they didn't have one last I checked.
The Voyage of Freydis is an imaginative retelling of the story of Freydis Eiriksdöttir. The basic plot was cobbled together from the Saga of the Greenlanders, Eirik the Red's Saga, and some artistic creative liberties that tried to tie the tales in to the #MeToo movement.
If you have been a victim of domestic abuse, then this novel will be profoundly triggering. Descriptions of helpless rape and violence abound. Freydis is a victim of circumstance, time and culture, but her story is one that has been repeated through the centuries. On one hand I appreciate the author's attempt to shed light on the complexities of escaping abusive relationships, but on the other I don't understand how someone with a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology could write about these events so cavalierly without providing a warning for their readers or even a message of hope - the cycle of abuse seems inescapable and endless in this one. What was the point? Is a demoralizing work such as this truly reflective of the core of the #MeToo message? I have doubts.
Outside of this, I thought I would be more interested in the history and mythology that this book was purported to be about. Instead I found the plot to be too fantastical and disjointed once Freydis and the crew reached Vinland. Prior to their seafaring journey the story at least made a modicum of sense. I also have my doubts about the accuracy of representation of the Beothuk people as we know so little about them, but perhaps that was more of a gut feeling than an educated opinion as I haven't done any recent research on it.
Overall not what I expected it to be. I am disappointed, as I was excited for a saga retelling.
January 16, 2022
DNF at 40%. It's not terrible, but I'm very bored by it. And based on the Goodreads average rating (which I don't take as gospel, but do consider), it's probably not going to improve greatly on the second half.
Also there are some homophobic comments made that I can't tell if it's the protag's opinion or the author's opinion. Either way, the only queer character is a super bad villain who is a sexual predator. So dangerous rep at the very least. Also there's use by an able-bodied character of an ableist slur which is super jarring.
Other low-rating reviews of this book mention that none of the characters are likeable. While I don't think this is true (besides the homophobia, the main character was relatively "likeable" and so was her brother), I also don't agree that characters have to be likeable for a book to be good. That's just my two cents.
(incomplete) content warning for: domestic violence, sexual violence, graphic rape scene, miscarriage, post-partum grief, ableist slur (cr****e), homophobia, gay character as villain/sexual predator.
Also there are some homophobic comments made that I can't tell if it's the protag's opinion or the author's opinion. Either way, the only queer character is a super bad villain who is a sexual predator. So dangerous rep at the very least. Also there's use by an able-bodied character of an ableist slur which is super jarring.
Other low-rating reviews of this book mention that none of the characters are likeable. While I don't think this is true (besides the homophobia, the main character was relatively "likeable" and so was her brother), I also don't agree that characters have to be likeable for a book to be good. That's just my two cents.
(incomplete) content warning for: domestic violence, sexual violence, graphic rape scene, miscarriage, post-partum grief, ableist slur (cr****e), homophobia, gay character as villain/sexual predator.
July 19, 2021
DNF @ 15%
I received an eARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own
The Voyage of Freydis tells the story of the first and only woman to lead a Viking voyage across the Atlantic. I was so excited to read this book. I have been wanting to read a book featuring Norse mythology and the fact that this was about an independent woman was a plus! I was hoping for a great story full of backstabbing, escape, and intrigue. Instead I felt like the book dragged and Freydis just kept getting beaten (both mentally and physically). It also felt like the writing was very detached to what was happening to Freydis. I am not sure if that was on purpose, but I was not a fan.
TW: domestic abuse, physical violence, emotional abuse, miscarriage
I received an eARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own
The Voyage of Freydis tells the story of the first and only woman to lead a Viking voyage across the Atlantic. I was so excited to read this book. I have been wanting to read a book featuring Norse mythology and the fact that this was about an independent woman was a plus! I was hoping for a great story full of backstabbing, escape, and intrigue. Instead I felt like the book dragged and Freydis just kept getting beaten (both mentally and physically). It also felt like the writing was very detached to what was happening to Freydis. I am not sure if that was on purpose, but I was not a fan.
TW: domestic abuse, physical violence, emotional abuse, miscarriage
August 21, 2021
Disappointing.
The historical records of Freydis provides a rich opportunity for an exciting story - a brave woman who scorns traditional gender roles and seeks adventure, set in an interesting historical era.
Unfortunately, one-dimensional characters and frankly bad writing sink this story like a lopsided iceberg.
Freya, daughter of Eirik the Red, has been married off to the abusive Thorvald. Freya is brave and strong enough to fight back physically at first, but pressures from her family and society force her to conform to the role of a submissive wife. When her brother Leif returns from a land he claims to have discovered, Freydis sees a chance to escape.
Thorvald is secretly gay, which seems to drive his hatred for Freydis, but Goranson tosses out this tidbit and then doesn't bother to explore it further...it's like she forgets about it.
Goranson tries to portray the effects of domestic abuse but fails. Freydis's transformation into a scared, submissive woman and the trauma she experiences after her escape is clumsy. As an example, Freydis leads a swordfight against Thorvald when her party lands in Vinland, and attempts to kill him many times earlier, but still flinches and feels scared when she sees her scars from him.
Her writing is just...lazy, repeating words and phrases, or contradicting herself in the same paragraph, or setting up odd situations, such as when Freydis receives a goat as a surprise pet in the viking longhouse, as she somehow hasn't noticed that goat wandering around before.
Goranson's portrayal of the Indigenous peoples also feels stereotyped and rude at times, with characters referring to their "weird" language, odd smells, and obsession with her red hair. Finally, it seems odd that Thorvald single-handedly manages to slaughter a whole party of Indigenous peoples near the end of the book, considering he's a foreigner who doesn't know the landscape well.
The only clever piece of the story for me came at the end, when Thorvald tells Freydis to protect his reputation but taking responsibility for the failure of the Vinland trip, hence her bad reputation in the sagas.
The historical records of Freydis provides a rich opportunity for an exciting story - a brave woman who scorns traditional gender roles and seeks adventure, set in an interesting historical era.
Unfortunately, one-dimensional characters and frankly bad writing sink this story like a lopsided iceberg.
Freya, daughter of Eirik the Red, has been married off to the abusive Thorvald. Freya is brave and strong enough to fight back physically at first, but pressures from her family and society force her to conform to the role of a submissive wife. When her brother Leif returns from a land he claims to have discovered, Freydis sees a chance to escape.
Thorvald is secretly gay, which seems to drive his hatred for Freydis, but Goranson tosses out this tidbit and then doesn't bother to explore it further...it's like she forgets about it.
Goranson tries to portray the effects of domestic abuse but fails. Freydis's transformation into a scared, submissive woman and the trauma she experiences after her escape is clumsy. As an example, Freydis leads a swordfight against Thorvald when her party lands in Vinland, and attempts to kill him many times earlier, but still flinches and feels scared when she sees her scars from him.
Her writing is just...lazy, repeating words and phrases, or contradicting herself in the same paragraph, or setting up odd situations, such as when Freydis receives a goat as a surprise pet in the viking longhouse, as she somehow hasn't noticed that goat wandering around before.
Goranson's portrayal of the Indigenous peoples also feels stereotyped and rude at times, with characters referring to their "weird" language, odd smells, and obsession with her red hair. Finally, it seems odd that Thorvald single-handedly manages to slaughter a whole party of Indigenous peoples near the end of the book, considering he's a foreigner who doesn't know the landscape well.
The only clever piece of the story for me came at the end, when Thorvald tells Freydis to protect his reputation but taking responsibility for the failure of the Vinland trip, hence her bad reputation in the sagas.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 7, 2021
temporary 2 star while I gather my thoughts. I read this in one sitting and was entertained, but a lot of the small details didn't quite add up for me. I will be editing this review when I have a chance to digest this story.
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