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Publisher:
iUniverse |
Release
Date: September 2003 |
ISBN:
0595272355 |
Awards:
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Format
Reviewed: Paperback |
Buy
it at Amazon US
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Read
an Excerpt |
Genre:
Fantasy/Legends |
Reviewed:
2003 |
Reviewer:
Rachel A Hyde |
Reviewer
Notes: |
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The
Ring of the Dark Elves
By
Victoria Randall
You
don't need to be a fantasy fan to know about Tolkein and his tale
of a magic ring, replete with dwarves and dragons, heroism and tragedy.
But long before this modern epic was written, there was the great
Norse epic tale of Sigurd, involving many of the same elements.
Opera lovers will know it as Wagner's magnificent Ring Cycle
and
here it is on paper for anybody to read who wants to look at the
roots of the great tree of fantasy.
Retellings of this story are not new,
but it is always interesting and enjoyable to read a new retelling
of a beloved old story, and this is a fine one. Ms. Randall has
made it far more accessible than a mere translation from the Norse,
and this can be read just like any other fantasy tale. It's all
in here, too--the doomed Twilight of the Gods, irreversible once
certain events have occurred; the anguish of Albric the dwarf, as
he renounces love; the bravery of Sigurd and Brynhild; the sufferings
of the Volsungs and the treacheries of the Giukungs. I enjoyed the
way in which the author has made these characters of legend into
real-seeming people with authentic dilemmas and emotions, putting
flesh on the bones of the plot for modern readers. Against the powerful
drama is the harshly beautiful landscape of the Norse legends, all
ice and mountains. But it is more than just Wagner without the music
or Tolkein's inspiration; this is one to read and enjoy, just like
any other modern novel. The result is an admirably well-paced novel,
which manages to get the entire story in without becoming overlong.
You don't have to enjoy fantasy to like this one; just be interested
in human drama and the place where our modern stories come from.
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