Varanger
"A nonstop romp through a fictional time of evil sorcery, ruthless
kings, fierce pirates, kidnapped heroines, sweet romance and everyday
heroes, set against the brutal backdrop of Norse life in feudal times.
Holland delivers an artful blend of history and fantasy throughout. " – Publishers Weekly on The Soul Thief
"Holland
has penned another pulse -pounding historical saga brimming with
authentic period detail and distinguished by vivid characterizations.
Like Holland's previous yarns, elements of romance, mysticism, and
suspense are interwoven into one superlative, spine-tingling
adventure." – Booklist on The Soul Thief
Corban Loosestrife's son Conn is a clever and strong leader of men; his cousin, the god-touched Raef, is his shield and navigator. They have joined a fur-trading ship to Russia, and are forced to over-winter in Novgorod. While there, they take service with the leader of the Rus, Dobrynya, and with him travel south to Kiev, and then on with a raiding party into the northern reaches of the Byzantine Empire. With vivid description and passionate characters, Cecelia Holland takes the reader back to a time when heroes voyaged to the far corners of the known world. Whether fighting the ice in a deep Russian winter, sailing down a great river in a dragon ship, or wandering the elegant streets of the Black Sea city of Chersonese, Holland makes it real.
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Cecelia Holland
Cecelia Holland (born 1943) began writing at age 12, and had finished three novels by 17! She received a BA from Connecticut College and briefly attended grad school at Columbia University, but dropped out to work in a bookstore in Manhattan. She published first novel Firedrake in 1966 and has been a full-time writer ever since.
Though she is the author of one out-and-out SF novel, Floating Worlds (1976), most of Cecelia Holland's more than two dozen books are historical fiction, set in a wide variety of times and places. Her historical novels, some of which contain fantastic elements, include Rakóssy (1967), Two Ravens (1977), The Bear Flag (1990) and many others. Recent books include historical fantasy The Angel and the Sword (2000), and a historical fantasy series about Vikings and the New World in the tenth century: The Soul Thief (2002), The Witches' Kitchen (2004), The Serpent Dreams (2005) and Varanger (2008).
The Soul Thief
The Soul Thief consists of four books. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
