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Mother Of Kings Book Summary and Study Guide

Detailed plot synopsis reviews of Mother Of Kings




Tor, Sep 2001, 27.95, 444 pp.
ISBN: 0312874480

    In the tenth century, Gunnhild, daughter of a Norse chieftain, learns her lessons quite well as a child. Her father's concubine teaches her how witchcraft can aid and protect a female from men. The death of her mother teaches her to never yield to male ogres and their demands and commands. Gunnhild vows to never be a weak female dependent on the other sex for safety and comfort.
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    To attain her goal of total independence, Gunnhild trains under witches and sorcerers learning the crafts. She marries the only man she ever felt affection for, Eirik Blood-Ax. Together with their strengths and iron-wills, they will either forge a dynasty that legends will whisper about for millenniums to come or fade to dust under the relentless attack of their enemies who want this union to fail.

    Poul Anderson is already a legend among speculative fiction readers and authors. Yet his latest dark tale, MOTHER OF KINGS, shows why the recently deceased author has been revered for decades and the recipient of so many prestigious awards. The genre's guru blends mythology and history into a powerhouse of a tale that tells readers the story of Gunnhild, a real persona who has received legendary status over the last millennium. The gritty but vivid story line provides a powerful look at the tenth century as rarely seen by literature except perhaps Beowulf and that is a few centuries earlier. The beginning of the end of the Age of the Vikings is fitting posthumous triumph from one of the greats.

Harriet Klausner

The review of this Book prepared by Harriet Klausner



Chapter Analysis of Mother Of Kings

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Plot & Themes

FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION?    -   alternate history Youngster becomes    -   great warrior Romance    -   Yes Political power play    -   Yes Magical Beings/Mental/Magical/Powers    -   Yes Is this an adult or child's book?    -   Adult or Young Adult Book

Main Character

Identity:    -   Female Profession/status:    -   warrior/knight Age:    -   20's-30's If magical mental powers:    -   fire/lightning/weather cntrl    -   mind reading    -   clairvoyant    -   can cast many different spells    -   healing

Setting

Earth setting:    -   during "Tolkien" (fairytime) times Takes place on Earth?    -   Yes

Writing Style

Accounts of torture and death?    -   generic/vague references to death/punishment How much dialogue?    -   roughly even amounts of descript and dialog

Books with storylines, themes & endings like Mother Of Kings

Poul Anderson Books Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
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