"Waiting On" Wednesday: Wolfsangel by M.D. Lachlan

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's "Waiting On" Wednesday selection is:

Wolfsangel

By: M.D. Lachlan

Publish Date: March 22, 2011 by Pyr

From Publishers Weekly~

Sorcery and savagery fuel this rousing historical fantasy, the first volume in a planned multivolume epic. Acting on the witch Gullvieg's prophecy, Viking raiders kidnap two infant brothers from a village. Wily and clever Vali is groomed to be Viking king Arthur's heir, while Feileg is raised ferally as as Gullveig's werewolf protector as she schemes against the god Odin. The boys enjoy adventures peculiar to their different upbringings until their mutual affection for farmer's daughter Adisla draws them together as comrades in arms as well as rivals in love. Lachlan (a pseudonym for Mark Barrowcliffe) keeps supernatural inflections to a minimum, opting instead for a colorful and credible evocation of the Norse world as one where the paths of gods and men frequently cross. Vivid in its rendering of the primitive historical past, this entertaining adventure will have readers eagerly anticipating the next book in the series.

Ironically, I was just talking with my beau last week about the rather sparse amount of books involving Norse mythology. It seems as though most authors want to explore more exotic or traditional mythologies such as Egyptian or even Greek myths. Not that I am not fascinated by either of these cultures myths as well, but Norse mythology is one I haven't seen enough of, and it's refreshing to find a title like Wolfsangel. I'm also curious about the rivalry between Vali and Feileg and to see who shall win Adisla's love. I'll also admit I was drawn to the mentions of a werewolf, but apparently as the author has kept that to a minimum, it will be interesting to see his take with Norse mythology. 

Has anyone read or heard about novels centered around Norse mythology?

"Waiting On" Wednesday: A Discovery of Witches

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's "Waiting On" Wednesday selection is:

A Discovery of Witches

By Deborah Harkness

Publication Date:  February 8, 2011 by Viking Adult

From Publishers Weekly~
In Harkness's lively debut, witches, vampires, and demons outnumber humans at Oxford's Bodleian Library, where witch and Yale historian Diana Bishop discovers an enchanted manuscript, attracting the attention of 1,500-year-old vampire Matthew Clairmont. The orphaned daughter of two powerful witches, Bishop prefers intellect, but relies on magic when her discovery of a palimpsest documenting the origin of supernatural species releases an assortment of undead who threaten, stalk, and harass her. Against all occult social propriety, Bishop turns for protection to tall, dark, bloodsucking man-about-town Clairmont. Their research raises questions of evolution and extinction among the living dead, and their romance awakens centuries-old enmities. Harkness imagines a crowded universe where normal and paranormal creatures observe a tenuous peace. "Magic is desire made real," Bishop says after both her desire and magical prowess exceed her expectations. Harkness brings this world to vibrant life and makes the most of the growing popularity of gothic adventure with an ending that keeps the Old Lodge door wide open.


How can I not want a book that combines two of my favorite subjects, namely a library and the supernatural?   Not to mention it sounds like a good thriller, perhaps similar to The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova?