It all began when jarl Unhost struck a devil’s bargain with a dragon. To preserve his village from the monster’s rampage, Unhost promised it an annual tribute in gold and cattle. But not everyone is happy with this deal. After losing her brother when she was young, Ylmi Bodvarsdottir dreams of revenge. She grows to become a skilled hunter, supporting her parents in the mountains. Then Ylmi meets Karik, an ambitious exile from another village. He and his friends have big plans – and slaying the dragon is merely the first of them.
While Evan Oliver’s YLMI’S SAGA is a fantasy novel, it reads more like historical fiction. This isn’t a criticism. The author deliberately grounds his story in realism, fascinated by Viking history and Norse mythology. The main threat isn’t an undead horde or an evil warlock, but nature itself. The Isle of Vrania is a cold, cruel place where winters are long and food supplies are short. YLMI’S SAGA truly shines as an adventure story about a group of warriors fighting nature with skill, guile, and sheer endurance. Hard places breed hard people. Yet there’s certain warm humanity in Ylmi, Karik, and their allies like the gigantic warrior Revik, wise-cracking Wisic, elderly hunter Dranri Longbeard, and others. Together, they embark on dangerous adventures. But even as these warriors dream of gold, glory, and revenge, their principal motivation is sheer desperation. They know the island is gradually killing its inhabitants. If Ylmi, Karik, and others want to survive, they need to reach other lands.
YLMI’S SAGA becomes a bit underwhelming when it turns to matters of war and politics. In the world of this novel, rulers are inevitably bad guys – almost ridiculously so. For example, Jarl Unhost is an individual with no merit whatsoever. Nevertheless, he remains in charge of the village even though he is obviously incompetent and can barely defend himself from challengers. Is this realistic? Probably. Does that make him an interesting villain? Not so much. This minor quibble aside, fans of fantasy and historical fiction should be more than happy with YLMI’S SAGA. Even better, Evan Oliver has already written several short stories and another novel, all set within the same world.
Evan Oliver’s YLMI’S SAGA is a fast-paced fantasy adventure set in a gritty and vividly depicted world where fans of both historical fiction and fantasy will find much to enjoy.
~Danijel Štriga for IndieReader