Blaydar's Children

Rating:
Summary: A rich tale of heroism against the growing darkness
Review: Blaydar's Children, first book in the Nordvolk Saga by Stephen Tennant tells a story that is at once compelling and originally told. Set against the backdrop of a believable fantasy world with dark undertones, Blaydar's Children chronicles the journey of a disparate group of individuals who are battling to put aside their own differences to face the army of an enemy both ancient and evil.

Stephen's writing style is enjoyable and suitably graphic without being overly detailed, and will be familiar to fans of David Gemmell. However Stephen retains a voice of his own; his ebb and flow of the battle scenes are well written and his grasp of the mundane is where Stephen really shines, making Blaydar's Children a treat to read. As stated before, Blaydar's Children is the first book in the Nordvolk Saga and sets the stage for his future books, Dark Winter Riders and the Sundered Enemy, which follows the course of Vendel Nation and their battle against the growing depredation of the Atua.

All-in-all, Blaydar's Children is a marvelous first effort and well worth reading!

Rating:
Summary: Blaydar's Children
Review: Newcomer Steven Tennant explodes out of the blocks by beginning his new book "Blaydar's Children", with a powerful and emotional battle scene.
Combining a mixture of Norse, Saxon and Germanic mythology, Steve manages to capture the essence of the period of dragon-headed longboats, huge battle axes, valiant warriors and honour bound ties.
The characters are believable and likeable, so you cannot but have empathy with them as they travel on their quest to awake their God of all things, Blaydar himself.
If you are a fan of David Gemmell's gritty style of writing, then give "Blaydar's Children" a go!

Rating:
Summary: An Excellent First Novel
Review: Stephen Tennant is major new talent, whose work should appeal across the board, not just to genre fans, but to all lovers of exciting adventure fiction. Blaydar's Children is a Fantasy 'Quest' novel that not only reaches its goal, but also breathes new life into one of the most well-worn formulas. The pace is breakneck. From the first chapter we are plunged into a world of violence, romance, betrayals and loyalty, and then it's full steam ahead all the way, a breathless rollercoaster ride, with enough unexpected twists to keep even the most jaded fantasy fan on the edge of their seat. The characters are superbly drawn, and are sufficiently complex to transcend the stereotypes of the genre. Too much fantasy is black and white, here there are oceans of grey in between. The reader's sympathies shift constantly as different aspects of the various personalities emerge. The world-setting, the mystical/religious system are vivid and very believable. The battle-scenes are particularly well-written, and nicely tempered by philosophical reflection, to give a sense not only of the thrills and horrors of war, but also its moral consequences. --Dominic Woosey, Television Script Editor

Rating:
Summary: An Excellent First Novel
Review: The influence of David Gemmell hangs strongly over this book; we have ageing warriors with regrets, individual acts of heroism by minor characters and a refreshing lack of the usual fantasy cliches. Luckily, Tennant is such a good writer the book doesn't come across as a pastiche, but the work of a new author still developing his own voice. And there are far worse influences to wear on your sleeve than Mr Gemmell's.

Every character, from the leads to the bad guys to the bit parts, are all well drawn and motivated. The plot moves at a ripping pace from the start and the battle scenes are bloody and vivid.

This is a thoroughly engrossing and entertaining first novel that packs more drama and emotion into 300 pages than most fantasy authors manage in an entire trilogy. Highly recommended