Publisher: Hydra
Series: the Wyrd series, Book 1
Author Website: http://alisfranklin.com/
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.
Synopsis:
Sigmund Sussman didn't want much from life. He had it pretty good at home with his dad, a decent though boring job doing low-level IT for a major technological company, and two of the best, geektastic friends a guy could ever want. When Lain, newest recruit to the IT floor, became his to mentor, Sigmund found himself caught up in something strange, exciting and new. It was almost like a secret.
Lain has a multitude of secrets to keep buried, but nothing kept them down for long. As past and present collided, Lain and Sigmund were thrown into situations that would have driven a normal human insane. Fighting for their lives and trying to solve the mysteries of long-forgotten prophecies, each must draw on gifts which lay dormant for centuries. Can they beat back the hands of Fate to unravel all the knots of time? Will they make their relationship work despite the otherworldly connections?
Review:
NetGalley has a wide variety of books to sample, including ones that may slip through the cracks. The strange mix of Norse mythology and modern living seemed like an interesting mix. I took a chance and requested the book. I have to admit that I'm not a scholar of Norse mythology, but I do know the basics of the relationships within it. This book sort of threw everything into a blender, pressed pulse a few times and dumped it all back out to sort through the mix - in an interesting way.
The point-of-view shifted between characters. I really had to pay attention to the chapter to make sure I wasn't getting lost or missing something that was important. Much of the novel was written from Sigmund's point-of-view with a lot of emphasis on what he was thinking and feeling. Then there were chapters in which we (the readers) looked through Lain's eyes. The people that Sigmund loved the most also played important parts in both past and present. These characters were some I related to easily as they were into many of the same things I enjoy such as video games, computers, books and other nerdy pursuits.
A lot of the action in the book happened quickly once it began. While the pace of the novel was steady, there were some parts of the book where I became a little confused about who was doing what or when it actually happened. Because Norse mythology was woven throughout, there were scenes in which the characters were alive centuries earlier. Turn the page and they were busy living life in the present day. Yet, no one escaped the consequences of their actions - no matter when the actions took place. For me, there seemed to be betrayal upon betrayal upon betrayal. So many layers to unfold, it took a little work to fully understand what was on the line.
Bottom line, I found this book to be both surprising and more interesting than I perceived it at first glance. The author delved deeply into the various mythologies surrounding all the Norse gods. The hard work and research showed whenever their realms were explored in the book. With this being the first book in a series, I'm quite sure that there is much more to come with Sigmund, Lain (if that's who he is now) and the rest of the gang. Just because one world ended, that doesn't mean everything has come to end. Does it? You'll just have to read this book in order to figure it all out for yourself.
Liesmith: Book 1 of the Wyrd by Alis Franklin is currently available at many online retailers in Kindle format. Click the link below to check out the book at Amazon.
Liesmith: Book 1 of the Wyrd by Alis Franklin
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