Books based on historical events have great potential and broaden the horizons of the reader. They can also completely change what we know about the old days. The Last Summer of the Vandals is just that kind of story.
One of the last
The publishing descriptions of the novel guarantee us that we will turn upside down all the ideas and stories about the beginnings of the Polish state that we could hear. So we are dealing with brave warriors who want to prove their skills, lurking evil and the famous Wanda, who, according to what probably everyone heard, did not want to marry a German. The year is 556. At the heart of everything is the African-born Ritigern. He is one of the last Vandals. He returns to the lands of his ancestors in order to restore them to their former power. He is respected by the king, his sons, and also enjoys the special favors of the royal daughter of Vandalasunta, known as Wanda. The hero’s happiness ends when the ruler dies. The fight for an empty seat on the throne begins. It soon turns out that this is not the only problem
Diversity of cultures
The author is to be commended for his creative approach to legends and stories. One of the most interesting ideas is the juxtaposition of many different religious beliefs. Ritigern and his relatives profess Christianity, they cultivate this faith in the lands that we would later call Poland. That is, hundreds of years before Mieszko I. Some heroes believe in old gods, there are also references to Slavic and even Nordic beliefs. A big plus is also the creation of heroes who are very credible and their intentions are not always easy to guess. In addition to the text of the novel, the book also includes a whole lot of extras to satisfy your hunger for historical knowledge.
Summary
Jakub Urbańczyk, based on legends and stories, created an interesting and engaging novel. Personally, I have not experienced a similar use of old stories before. The author was able to create something of
his own, at the same time turning everything that is known about it upside down. I am very positively surprised. I hope you will also get carried away by this story that made me happy the last few
evenings.
Nasza ocena: 8.5/10
If you like to look at well-known stories from a completely different perspective, Last Summer of Vandals will bring you a lot of joy.EDITION AND PROOFREADING: 8/10
Characters: 9/10
STYLE: 9/10
STORY: 8/10