Mother of Kings

By Poul Anderson

Book Overview

Blending Norse historical and mythological characters, science fiction and fantasy grandmaster Poul Anderson has crafted a story of Gunhild, wife of Eirik Blood-Ax, the mother of sons who will each become kings.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312874480
• ISBN13: 9780312874483
• Release Date: September 2001
• Publisher: Tor Books
• Length: 544 Pages
• Weight: 1.78 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.4" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

For those interested in the Viking era

Gunnhild, the daughter of a Norse chieftain, learns the ways of power early in life. Taught the art of spellcasting from a Finnish witch, she fuels her ambitions by marrying Eirik Blood-Axe, the favored son of Norway?s king, a lusty man who lives up to his nickname. She bears Eirik nine children, all equally ambitious, though not equally clever. Eirik and Gunnhild briefly become King and Queen of England, but in this cruel and dangerous era, rivalries abound, and no one who seizes power can ever hope to hold it for long. Anderson?s depiction of the brutal Viking Age rings true. But the story is also poetic, stark, and saga-like, with names and relationships rolling off the page as if from a scroll, and at these times one can easily become lost. Comparisons have been made with The Mists of Avalon, but Gunnhild is too ruthless to be another Morgaine, and Mother of Kings is more historical than mystical (or fantastical). In addition, Gunnhild?s role is almost obscured in favor of that of her sons and their bloodthirsty exploits. Still, this is a dense but fulfilling story worth the read for those interested in the Viking era.

Ian Myles Slater on: Taking on the Masters

It is probably a matter of taste whether one considers this mainly an historical novel, set in the tenth century as remembered by the Icelanders in the thirteenth century, or a fantasy novel based on medieval Icelandic imagination about the past. The late Poul Anderson warns the reader that he is using "facts" about some of the characters which have only a limited connection to historical probability, even discounting the frankly supernatural elements. From either point of view, I consider the book an astonishing success. It is well worth the time, and for the uninitiated in saga-literature, the effort probably needed to read it through.I say astonishing because, despite my very great admiration for Poul Anderson, I had some misgivings about this project. Anderson was setting himself some stiff competition. Gunnhild, the "Mother of Kings," figures prominently in at least three major medieval works: Snorri Sturluson's "Heimskringla" (a history of the kings of Norway); "The Saga of Egil Skallagrimsson" (which some have thought to be Snorri's work, and which is a biography of one of his ancestors); and, more briefly, but equally memorably, in "The Saga of Burnt Njal." In all of these she figures both as a queen and as a sorceress, and in the last especially as a dangerous lover of younger men.Each of these works has been translated into English several times. Translators of the first include William Morris, and of the second E.R. Eddison, both major fantasy writers. Those familiar with Eddison's "Worm Ouroboros" will probably remember the passage from George W. Dasent's translation of "Njal's Saga" which is read aloud in the opening pages. Three original works of genius, all of which happen to be closely associated with the development of fantasy literature in English. Not exactly minor predecessors. (Gunnhild also shows up in other sagas, including accounts of the kings of Norway by other hands, and, in a passage parallel to the account in "Njal," in the great "Laxdaela Saga," but these appearances are, I think, of lesser literary importance. The two-volume 1860 edition of Dasent's "Burnt Njal" included an essay on medieval accounts of Gunnhild, now very obsolete, but interesting to compare to Anderson; single-volume reprintings of Dasent's translation omit this, along with the rest of Dasent's elaborate introduction and appendices.)I was not, however, completely surprised by how successful I found the book to be. Anderson had reworked Icelandic literature in the past, including Snorri's account of a later Norwegian king, Harald Hard-Counsel (in "The Last Viking" trilogy), and the legendary "Hrolf Kraki's Saga," and retold the story of the Volsungs in science fiction terms in "Time Patrolman," before turning to divine mythology (and the relatively obscure accounts of Saxo Grammaticus) in "War of the Gods." He virtually began his career by extending the legendary sagas in "The Broken Sword." In none of these cases, though, were the originals quite s

Another excellent Anderson novel

Set in the tenth century, this is the story of Gunnhild, Queen of Norway and England (a real person). This was the waning days of the Age of Vikings.As a child, Gunnhild learns the ways of withcraft from a Finnish concubine of her father, a powerful Norse chieftain. She also notices Eirik, son of their king. Growing up, Gunnhild keeps her eyes open and learns the relationship between the powerful and the weak. But she doesn't want to stop there. She becomes a spaewife, a master in witchcraft and sorcery, a knower of the Gods.She marries Eirik, and things are wonderful for a while. She gives him seven sons, all of whom become great warriors, and one daughter, Ragnhild. Forced into a political marriage, Ragnhild gets a reputation as someone whose husbands tend to die before their time. Eirik's strength and Gunnhild's craftiness and knowledge of sorcery make them formidable foes.Haakon, another son of Eirik's father, has an equally strong claim as Eirik to be King of Norway. This is a time of building alliances for both men among the groups in that part of the world. The fortunes of Eirik and Gunnhild start taking a turn for the worst. They are forced to flee Norway and live for a time in York, England. Anotherv time they flee to the Orkney Islands, part of present-day Scotland. Eirik dies in battle, as do his sons, one by one. Meantime, Christianity comes to that part of the world. Haakon embraces this new religion, partly because his best friend becomes a priest. He expects those in aliiance with him to do the same. But, there are those, including powerful people, who are not happy with the old gods being tossed aside.This is a great novel. It's a big novel, both in size and in scope, so it is not easy or quick reading. Once again, Anderson shows why he was a master of the genre. The style of writing gives the impression that it was actually written a thousand years ago. Recently translated, it was mispackaged as Fiction instead of History. I know of no other contemporary writer in the field who can consistently do that like Anderson.This book will take some patience, but it is highly recommended.

Difficult but rewarding novel

I freely admit that I'm often a lazy and careless reader. I enjoy reading books that I can read quickly without sacrificing comprehension of the text (see Robert Jordan, etc.) But occasionally I try to read more complex books, and _Mother of Kings_ is definitely a complex novel. This is not an easy read. The plot is difficult to follow. Sometimes the novel moves slowly, sometimes quickly. The character names are unfamiliar and often either similar or identical to each other (Anderson apologizes for this in his Afterward but notes that since the novel is based on historical facts there was little he could do).But for all its difficulties, this is a very rewarding novel. I found myself enthralled with the devious machinations of Gunnhild, the 'mother' from the title. Much of the action in the novel occurs away from the reader, so Anderson tells us about it rather than showing it to us. This is generally considered a no-no, but Anderson does an able job with it.This novel is quite long. The actually page count is under 500, but the words are really packed onto the pages. I would estimate that _Mother of Kings_ has the same word count as a 550-600 page novel. Don't pick this one up unless you have the time and the motivation to finish it. One of my 5 favorite fantasy novels from 2001. Highly recommended.

Altrnate history at its best

In the tenth century, Gunnhild, daughter of a Norse chieftain, learns her lessons quite well as a child. Her father's concubine teaches her how witchcraft can aid and protect a female from men. The death of her mother teaches her to never yield to male ogres and their demands and commands. Gunnhild vows to never be a weak female dependent on the other sex for safety and comfort. To attain her goal of total independence, Gunnhild trains under witches and sorcerers learning the crafts. She marries the only man she ever felt affection for, Eirik Blood-Ax. Together with their strengths and iron-wills, they will either forge a dynasty that legends will whisper about for millenniums to come or fade to dust under the relentless attack of their enemies who want this union to fail. Poul Anderson is already a legend among speculative fiction readers and authors. Yet his latest dark tale, MOTHER OF KINGS, shows why the recently deceased author has been revered for decades and the recipient of so many prestigious awards. The genre's guru blends mythology and history into a powerhouse of a tale that tells readers the story of Gunnhild, a real persona who has received legendary status over the last millennium. The gritty but vivid story line provides a powerful look at the tenth century as rarely seen by literature except perhaps Beowulf and that is a few centuries earlier. The beginning of the end of the Age of the Vikings is fitting posthumous triumph from one of the greats.Harriet Klausner