Blood Eye: Raven, Book 1 by Giles Kristian - Blog Tour, Book Review and Giveaway

About the Book:

Mass Market Paperback: 448 pages

Publisher: Bantam (August 28, 2012)

In a thrilling adventure of brotherhood, warfare, and treachery, Giles Kristian takes us into ninth-century England, a world of darkness, epic conflict, and an unforgiving God served by powerful priests. On ships shaped like dragons, bristling with oars and armor, Jarl Sigurd and his fierce Norsemen have come in search of riches. And riches they are promised, by an English ruler who sends Sigurd and his wolves to steal a holy manuscript from another kingdom. Osric, an orphan boy, sees beyond the terror of these warriors, and somehow knows the heathens’ tongue. Renamed Raven, rechristened in blood, he will join them. They are his people. And they will be his fate.

About the Author:

Half Norwegian, half English, Giles has led a varied life to say the least. As a singer in a pop group he had hit records and toured all over the world. He has worked as a model, a copywriter and as a sound designer creating music for movie trailers. However, his greatest achievement has been avoiding real work so that he can write his stories.

Connect with Giles at his website, gileskristian.com, on Twitter, or on  Facebook.

My Opinion:

This novel takes the reader far back into history - to the time of what we now know as the Vikings as they raided the coastal villages of England. One day young orphan Osric is fishing for mackerel for his master's breakfast and he sees dragons coming out of the fog. He is suddenly surrounded by fierce men and realizes that he will soon be dead. But what really boggles his mind is his ability to understand what they are saying - Osric only knows that he was found as a baby and the village carpenter took him in.

The men swear they are there to trade, not make war and so he brings them back to his village where after a night of relative peace the village priest tries to poison the leader and Osric stops the act. All hell breaks loose after that and Osric finds himself taken by the foreigners - along with his master. So begins Osric's true life as he finds his past and his future.

This was a thrilling read once Osric found his new life as Raven. Viking tales are always harsh, bloody and full of war and this is no exception. They were hard men living in hard times and they really weren't very nice men at that. But it is a fascinating time in history and one that draws me. Mr. Kristian has created a fascinated character in Osric/Raven and I look forward to following his tale into the next books. The writing is fast paced and while not as deeply historical as other books I have read from this period I did enjoy my time in Raven's world - despite the blood and gore. You can't be a sissy and hang with the Vikings.

You can see the Tour Schedule HERE

You can purchase Blood Eye: Raven, Book 1 on Amazon.com


The Giveaway:

One lucky reader will win a copy of Blood Eye: Raven, Book 1. How do you win? It's easy! Just hop on the Rafflecopter! Good luck everyone!

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Disclosure:  I received a copy of Blood Eye: Raven, Book 1 gratis from TLC Book Tours. Any opinions expressed are my honest opinions and were not impacted by my receipt of the free book. I received no monetary compensation for this post.