Come back in time 900 years, to the fierce and desolate Northern lands, where Norsemen ruled with ax and sword. A dying king, a shocking death-wish, his heirs divided with an oath of blood . . .In this fast-paced new novel by the highly popular Susan Peek, the conflict unfolds between Magnus Erlendson, a heroic young prince aflame with the love of God, and his outlawed cousin Hakon, who blames … who blames Magnus for his banishment from their kingdom. What follows is a tale of betrayal and revenge, bravery and forgiveness, as Magnus seeks to restore his father’s vanquished kingdom to its rightful hands.
Entertaining and inspiring from start to finish, a must-read for all those who thrill to learn the life of a saint we never knew existed!
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This is the first volume I read of the God’s Forgotten Friends series about “the lives of saints who have fallen deep into the shadows of obscurity.” I was fascinated by this story. It held one surprise after another for me because I knew little about the history of violence between the Vikings of Norway and the people of Scotland and the tiny islands off its coast. My review is based on a copy provided to me by the author, so I don’t know whether a map of that geographical area might be included in any final version of the book, but I referenced a map to see for myself the settings of the story. I think young readers would be interested in seeing them too. The novel is written in modern language, which should appeal to young readers, especially boys. Magnus and the other young male characters are not unlike those of today.
This story begins with the last will and testament of an 11th-century Norseman warrior, Thorfinn the Mighty. The opening scene sets the stage for the novel as the dying ruler makes a startling decision for the sake of the kingdom. The conflict begins here and never lets up.
Susan has an outstanding ability to begin and end chapters with lines that keep you from putting the book down. Chapter two begins: “It had never occurred to Magnus, second son of Erlend, to arm himself with a weapon before setting off for Vespers.” You absolutely know something exciting is going to happen! And it does. Peek pulls the reader from one tense moment to another. We go back in time and become witness to the dramatic trials Magnus endured and the sacrifices he made.
As the mother of three boys, ages twelve to fifteen, I can’t say enough about this book. My boys love to read and they enjoy saint stories, but Saint Magnus, The Last Viking appeals to them in ways no other saint books have. This is not a sterile retelling of the saint’s life. The characters leap off the page with energy my boys can relate to, keeping them completely engaged as the story of this saint unfolds.
With all the battles, fighting, and conflict, it’s obvious why this story appeals to boys, but I love it, too. In fact, I read it first. As a writer, I thoroughly enjoy Peek’s powerful writing style and vivid descriptions. I marvel at her ability to develop every character in the story. Some lines and sections moved me so much that I found myself re-reading them for pure enjoyment. Then I shared them with my husband. “Listen! Don’t you just love this?” I laughed to myself when my twelve-year-old son read the book and did the same thing. “Mom, listen!”
Susan Peek’s inspired account of the life of Saint Magnus stirs up the desire to live as he did, with courage, perseverance, and brotherly love, faithful to God to the end. Peek has taken the life of this little-known saint whom time may have forgotten and whose story could’ve remained hidden, and she’s re-presented it to the modern Christian.
This book is not to be missed. I walk away from it knowing I will go back. The message of Saint Magnus’s life is a message for today and it remains with me even now. I can’t wait to step into my next Susan Peek book.