epic, violent, confusing, awesome, and strikingly funny...although I'm unsure if that last one was intentional on the author's part. Either way, it's a short, quick read written in a beautifully active narrative style...this really is the stuff that all good fantasy epics are made from. ( )

Trolls AND Berserkers in the same story..what could go wrong?!

The berserkers were disappointingly crap, though. They seem to travel and do everything together in groups of twelve and possible share a brain. They are also easily defeated by our various heroes and we don't get to seem them in a battle frenzy. In what appears to be a later medieval interpolation, they also seem to wear armour. Some of these interpolations are a bit random.. at the very end of the saga it says 'And events turned out a expected' said Master Galterus. Who?! Some one who translated the life story of Alexander the Great into Icelandic, according to the notes,which sounds very interesting and has no place in this story.

But then again, there is what could possibly be a were-bear in the book.

( )

This saga tells some of the tales of King Hrolf, and his twelve champions. It is full of captivating tales of beasts attacking annually on Yuletide, an evil stepmother turning her stepson into a bear and having him killed, children born half man and half beast, and epic battles. The twelve champions are drawn to serve King Hrolf as he is considered a great ruler. He is liberal with rewards and fair to those that gain his trust, so these great warriors seek to prove themselves to him.

I like the supplemental material Penguin included in this edition. There are general notes on the material, family trees, and a glossary of names. I always find it helpful to have the answers to my questions in the book. It was also interesting that some of the stories included are underlying tales in Beowulf, which I hope to read again soon to examine how the tales work together. I thought this saga was an engrossing read. The only problem is it's a short tale, so it is over too soon. I highly recommend this book if you like the sagas, tales of King Arthur and his knights, or fantasy. ( )

An Icelandic saga from the 12th century of a famous King from old Norse legend and the extraordinary adventures surrounding his life.

This is a reread for me and one that I rate very highly, being quite enamoured by the old myths and legends in European history. This translation flows so well and reads easily as a great tale of one of the most powerful families in Scandinavian mythology. This saga also holds great attraction for any fans of Tolkien's writing as you gain an understanding of his inspiration behind his fantastic creation of Middle Earth.

Hrolf Kraki is also the King of the Danes at the centre of the famous Beowulf 10th century epic poem and one of his champions in this saga is the same 'Bear-man' that inspires the Beowulf character. The different adventures are written as short tales and the original writer would often signal when the tale of one character ends and the next begins. In this way, despite the many people involved, you are able to keep track of the family tree with ease.

Love triangles, fierce battles, elfish magic, a fought after ring, beast-men, bererkers and champions, kings and queens; this historical saga has it all. Recommended. ( )

As King Hrolf Kraki was referred to in the last poem in The Poetic Edda, I decided it would be a good time to get round to reading his saga. King Hrolf Kraki was a legendary Danish King, and this saga mostly concerns power-struggles between members of his family over several generations.

There are versions of this story from other parts of Northern Europe, including "Beowulf" from England which was written down earlier than the Icelandic version. The king's champion Bodvar Bjarki is the saga's equivalent of Beowulf, but the monster he fights is rather different from Grendel.

If you decide to read any of the Icelandic sagas I would really recommend the Penguin Classics editions. They have fantastic introductions and lots of notes, which really help you understand the history, geography, mythology and culture of Northern Europe in the dark ages and early mediaeval period. ( )