You will know him by his names. Corpse-maker and Life-quencher, he is called; the Bringer of Night, the Son of the Wolf, and Brother of the Serpent. The Hooded One, he is, the last of Bálegyr’s brood to plague Miðgarðr, last to prey on we wretched sons of Adam.
He is huorco. Aye, he is orco and ogre. To the hymn-singers of England, he is orcnéas. The Irish name him fomórach. To the folk of the North, the Danes and Swedes and the doom-haunted Norse, he is skrælingr. In his own tongue, he is kaunr. He is Grimnir, and he is the last of his kind.
A brutal meditation on faith, vengeance, and extinction, The Grimnir Saga stands among the darkest and most compelling historical fantasies I’ve read.
It follows Grimnir, the last of his kind. A savage, headstrong character hellbent on revenge. He journeys through a war-ravaged landscape set in the dark ages. A world where the old ways of the gods are besieged by a new and terrifying breed of Christianity.
Firstly, I absolutely loved the setting of this book. A dark medieval fantasy coupled with a strong tie to Norse mythology. It sets a grim, ancient and magical backdrop to the overall story. From page one we are thrust into a vivid, rich world, where the brutality feels real and the violence terrifying.
The anti-hero protagonist Grimnir, the last orc, provides the primary narrative. A complex character that grows throughout the trilogy. Oden does a masterful job of making him likeable whilst maintaining a morally divisive attitude that keeps you guessing with his every move. He can be bitter, volatile, and altogether vile at times but I never felt anything was too predictable or obvious, which can be a common occurrence in many fantasy sagas. His growth mainly comes from clever interactions with other characters, and I was left with that satisfying feeling of knowing him as a person. In my opinion, a sign of a well written character.
I’ve always been invested in the grimdark and morally grey characteristics are a staple of the genre. Grimnir will forever remain memorable and possibly one of my favourite characters to be written. His maelstrom of emotions feel authentic and stir the same in you as the reader. A perfectly crafted character.
In book one, A Gathering of Ravens, Grimnir is aided unwillingly by Etain, a young hymn singer. This is in stark contrast to book two, Twilight of the Gods, where he forms a bond with Disa, a fierce shield maiden. However, despite their polarisation Grimnir assumes the role of mentor and guide and relationships of mutual trust and respect blossoms between them. For me the chemistry between them is clever and an important mechanic in bringing out some more human characteristics in an otherwise emotionless and barbaric character. I enjoyed how these relationships were explored in two completely different ways, but still ultimately had the same effect. It just shows the depth of connections between people and echoes the complexity of relationships.
The overall theme of an ancient religion battling to stay relevant against a newer, considered more progressive, is not new concept by any stretch. It’s been a constant theme running through the ages. However, Oden does manage to imbue it with a refreshed vigour meaning it never felt tiresome or stale. He keeps a good pacing throughout the book hopping skilfully between dialogue, action scenes and internal monologue without dumping huge amounts of lore in long drawn-out text.
Throughout the books Grimnir meets and vanquishes many foes, but perhaps my favourite was his contest with Konráðr the White. A Christian fanatic seeking to destroy the ancient ways. He himself is a dark brooding character marred by his own inner demons. Their battle of strategy is fascinating to watch and culminates in a bloody war between the fanatics and the Raven-Geats led by Grimnir. The build up to the end of book two and the actual battle itself was a real high point, with the ending setting up book three, The Doom of Odin, perfectly.
Now, to say that this is a violent, brutal, and often bloody tale would be an understatement. The merciless savagery with which Grimnir kills is frightening albeit mostly justifiable in his mind anyway. However, it’s again crafted well and fits. I never felt the violence existed for its own sake, nor that it was overdone. Some fantasy books centre around long, drawn-out battles where the writer describes every conceivable way to die at the hands of a sword or axe. This definitely wasn’t the case, although you will find yourself wincing occasionally if you’ve got a visual imagination. I personally loved it!
There is an underlying theme of ancient magic that manifests itself at regular intervals giving the book a strong fantasy feel, pulling it away from being purely historical. For me these moments hit hard often at a pivotal moment, reminding you that despite Grimnir’s power and thirst for vengeance, even he wasn’t infallible against the will of the gods.
As for the final book and the finale, Oden really ramps things up. The violence, the magic and the pace accelerate to a fitting and satisfying end to The Grimnir Saga. Grimnir is thrust into a perilous underworld, reuniting with his treacherous kin in the quest for the truth.
What I particularly loved was his interactions with his own people. It’s the first time you experience this, and the savagery and brutality of the orc race really shines through. For me it just built on the layers of characterisation. The third book brings the saga to a natural conclusion, and we learn the ultimate fate of the Corpse-maker.
In conclusion this saga is exceptional and doesn’t get the wide praise it deserves. Oden creates the perfect blend of dark fantasy and historical fiction. The world is richly described and vivid, its characters intricate. A violent tale of bitter revenge drenched in blood but defined by its intimate human connections. An absolute must read for anyone who enjoys grimdark fantasy or dark historical settings.
Julia Kitvaria Sarene