Odin: The Viking Allfather
By (Author) Steven Long
Illustrated by RU-MOR aRU-MOR
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Osprey Publishing
20th May 2015
United Kingdom
General
Fiction
Fantasy
398.209368
Paperback
80
Width 182mm, Height 246mm, Spine 8mm
300g
From the Thorsdrapa to the Marvel Thor and Avengers movies, Odin, the dark and mysterious lord of Valhalla, looms over all of the ancient tales of the Vikings. With his brothers, he formed the world from the body of a giant and then went on to seek greater wisdom by sacrificing himself on a tree and trading one of his eyes with a witch. With this vast wisdom, he sits upon his throne, peering into the nine worlds, seeking anything that might threaten his people. He rides over the battles of mortal men, deciding who shall live and die, and collecting worthy souls to come and feast in his hall until the war at the end of time. This book retells the greatest of Odin's stories, and then places those stories within their historical and mythological context. It follows the figure of Odin through the centuries, showing how different times and cultures reinterpreted him, and explores the reasons why he remains such a popular figure today.
I would give this book a 5 out of 5, simply because whilst it could have been far more inclusive of the myths surrounding Odin, considering the size of the book and the assumed age range of its readers (13+), it is very well written and a must have for any young mythology aficionado. This is the first book to receive that rating from me, so that's saying something! -- Randi Spears, Multiverse - Multiverse / TSR Games
Steven S. Long has been fascinated by Norse mythology since the day he pulled a book with a picture of Thor on the cover off the shelf in his elementary school library. In a writing career spanning twenty years hes written approximately two hundred tabletop roleplaying game rulebooks and sourcebooks on a wide variety of subjects, including mythology and medieval history. Hes also written numerous articles and works of fiction.
Born in Tarragona, Spain, RU-MOR studied Fine Arts at the University of Seville, specializing and working on artwork restoration. She began her professional career in 2000, sculpting historical, fantasy and science-fiction miniatures.