Again “Assassin” on paper
Over the years, Ubisoft has accustomed the audience to the fact that the next games from the Assassin’s Creed series are accompanied by novels that adapt the events presented on computers and consoles. This time, however, we are dealing with a much different situation. Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla is, after all, a huge title, with a story written for several dozen hours, and therefore something that would be difficult to amend meaningfully. So Matthew J. Kirby (author of the youth series Last Descendants set in the Assassin universe ) wrote a spin off of Ubisoft’s last game, in terms of construction very accessible to people who do not know the series. Most of the time, the story takes place around the same time and location as AC: Valhalla, but according to the title – Saga Geirmund, it has a completely different protagonist. Eivor appears only occasionally in a few scenes, although some space was also devoted to other characters known from the game.
To glory
The novel itself is a classic road story, set in the realities of Viking conquests. The main character, Geirmund Heloskóry, is the son of the Norwegian king, who, however, has no chance of inheriting the throne. Instead, he dreams of earning himself in the fight to earn his place in Valhalla. After a rather intimate introduction, the protagonist sets off against the family’s will to England, where brave, but also divided Danes fight with local kingdoms. In less than five hundred pages, we observe a not-so-slow transformation of the hero from a young and inexperienced one, to one leading his own team and enjoying the recognition of many people. However, as you can guess, great responsibility is traditionally associated with great power, and as he progresses, Geirmund is faced with new challenges, often related to intrigues.
Naturally, there are plenty of bloody clashes, which additionally make the position more attractive for those looking for light entertainment. It must also be admitted that the author quite efficiently set the action in the situation on the islands in the 9th century, as well as reliably presented the journey itself with subsequent stops. A not very original, but interesting plot was also the meeting of the northern peoples with Christians several times and the confrontation of the way of perceiving human destiny. Another thing is that “destiny” and “fate” appear a little too often in the novel, creating the protagonist’s main motivation.
Hidden blades are missing
When reaching for Geirmund’s saga, the recipient may have a problem. Despite the phrase Assassin’s Creed in the title, the book has basically nothing to do with the Ubisoft series of games. Absolutely, I realize that the parts have deviated from the original intentions for years and are much less focused on hooded killers with a hidden blade, but here it looks even more radical. The main point of common ground is the time and place of action. Apart from minor references to a full-fledged Valhalla, the link is only a relatively small thread devoted to one of the artifacts characteristic of the series. However, the context does not even suggest that it belongs to them, so it could as well be an independently introduced motive. Hence, it is quite a disappointment to not have any meaningful expansion of the universe, lore Assassin’s Creed and to ignore the fantasy and science fiction threads developed in the series. However, it can be stubbornly pointed out that the heroes usually have to face the outnumber of enemies and use a bit of cunning, which is more in line with the game realities. We are actually dealing with historical fiction, with marginal elements of fantasy.
Did it bother me while reading? After soaking in, less than I thought. This formula is more affordable, and the novel is written very lightly, without being tedious. The more that many characters can gain sympathy and are quite diverse for a group of warriors from the north. The reading should therefore appeal to people who are simply looking for a digestible position in early medieval setting.
