Book Synopsis:
Would you murder your brothers to keep them from telling the truth about themselves?
On a long, cold Icelandic night in March 1920, Gunnar, a hermit blacksmith, finds himself with an unwanted lodger – Sigurd, an injured stranger who offers a story from the past. But some stories, even those of an old man who can barely walk, are too dangerous to hear. They alter the listeners’ lives forever… by ending them.
Others are keen on changing Gunnar’s life as well. Depending on who gets to tell his story, it might lead towards an unwanted marriage, an intervention, rejoining the Church, letting the elf drive him insane, or succumbing to the demons in his mind. Will he manage to write his own last chapter?
Bjørn Larssen’s award-winning, Amazon #1 best selling novel is an otherworldly, emotive Icelandic saga – a story of love and loneliness, relief and suffering, hatred… and hope.
The Storytellers is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the links below.
My Review:
The Storyteller is a unique, absorbing read that I thoroughly enjoyed. Firstly I loved the location of this book which was so wonderfully described that I felt transported to the village able to feel the cold and see the beautiful aurora displays. The cold help add to the atmosphere in the village as it made the village seem more cut off somehow and more insular.
The main character, Gunnar, was a very interesting character and I enjoyed getting to know him throughout the book. It was interesting to learn more about his trade, lifestyle and especially his bond with his dog. When we first met him I thought he was quite happy in his life but as the story unfolds it becomes apparent this isn’t the case and he has a lot of demon’s he’s trying to fight. The supporting characters in this book are also brilliant and I liked how they all helped bring something different to the story. The two women who made up the Conservative Woman of Iceland party were definitely my favourites and helped bring some humour into the story.
The story unfolds at a steady pace which gives the reader plenty of time to get to know the characters more. I liked how the story seemed very simple to start with but gradually becomes much more complicated. It’s actually a story within a story which I wasn’t expecting and I loved how the author has included the Icelandic tradition of storytelling into the book. I thought the ending was brilliant and very surprising. I will look forward to reading more from him in the future.
Huge thanks to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.
About The Author:
Bjørn Larssen is a Norse heathen made in Poland, but mostly located in a Dutch suburb, except for his heart which he lost in Iceland. Born in 1977, he self-published his first graphic novel at the age of seven in a limited edition of one, following this achievement several decades later with his first book containing multiple sentences and winning awards he didn’t design himself. His writing is described as ‘dark’ and ‘literary’, but he remains incapable of taking anything seriously for more than 60 seconds.Bjørn has a degree in mathematics and has worked as a graphic designer, a model, a bartender, and a blacksmith (not all at the same time). His hobbies include sitting by open fires, dressing like an extra from Vikings, installing operating systems, and dreaming about living in a log cabin in the north of Iceland. He owns one (1) husband and is owned by one (1) neighbourhood cat.Readers’ Favorite Gold Medal winner (‘Storytellers’)2020 Stabby Award Nominee (‘Children’)Find out more about Bjørn at http://www.bjornlarssen.com
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