Anachronistically delightful,


If you've ever sat by a bonfire, tankard in hand, and listened to Some "Snori-whats-his-father type" regale you with a NO-*hit!- there I was story; you'll recognize the delightfully anachronistic tone of The Deepest Sea. If you haven't perhaps you should; or at least read this book. The Deepest Sea is a fun a-viking romp, written by someone who obviously bothered to crack a book or two on the subject. Barnitz succeeds in giving you a feel for the period with-out falling back on creating psuedo-Nordic speech patterns in his narrative. One feels the protagonist may have simply lived long enough to tell his tale to modern audiences in their own tongue. I think this is a great approach and WOULD BE PLEASED TO FIND IT AGAIN. (Are you listening Charles Barnitz?) The story is Laugh-out-loud entertaining. Which for me, excuses the "NOT PERIOD!" elements. I'll take potatoes in the wrong place and time, for the "Three wishes" joke any day. To sum it up, I was much too busy enjoying this book to care much about any literary, historical, or grammatical flaws. Purist be Dashed! The Deepest Sea is a good story, well told, in a fun and original style! Write some more Barnitz, any subject, I'll read'em! ( )

This is one of those books whose prose and plot flow off the pages and become a movie in your head. Forget historical accuracy, it has a dragon in it, it's a fantasy. A very well written, highly entertaining ride at that; and I am not a great fan of the fantasy genre. Barnitz's level of writing pulls you right into the page; I have read one other of his novels and it has the same quality. Read this book. Keep the faith. ( )

https://nwhyte.livejournal.com/2917053.html

This had been on my list of science fiction and fantasy books set in Ireland for a very long time, and I must admit I've found so many of those books to be stereotypical Celtic misht rubbish that I was reluctant to pick this one off the shelf. My heart sank further when I was confronted with the maps at the front of the book: Uí Naíll? Ernhaim Macha? An umlaut in Eöganachta?? Where is Drogheda? Meanwhile, in the English Kindgoms (sic) Jarrow has mutated to Yarrow and moved to the wrong Newcastle. And I don't think Northumbria was exactly *there*.

But in fact it's much much better than I expected after this unpromising start. Barnitz has done a good job of a light-hearted historical fantasy novel set around the archipelago, with lots of different eight-century tribes and customs, which actually seemed to me to be straight historical fiction until the dragon came into the story about half way through. It’s a coming of age novel that doesn’t take itself too seriously but is nonetheless a fun read. I’d read more by this author. ( )