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Cecelia Holland
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Two Ravens: A Novel Kindle Edition

by Cecelia Holland (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.8 out of 5 stars 45 ratings
In this twelfth-century epic adventure set in Iceland and England, a young man escapes his troubled home—but cannot escape his destiny.

In Two Ravens, a novel heavily influenced by the Norse sagas, Bjarni Hoskuldsson, an Icelander of the old faith, flees his violent father and his far-too-attractive stepmother to travel around Britain for a while, but ultimately must return home to meet and deal with his fate.
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  1. Print length
    192 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Open Road Media
  4. Publication date
    April 1, 2014
  5. File size
    1.5 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00J84KV1M
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Open Road Media (April 1, 2014)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 1, 2014
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.5 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 192 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.8 out of 5 stars 45 ratings

About the author

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Cecelia Holland

Cecelia Holland

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Cecelia Holland was born in Henderson, Nevada, in 1943 and started writing at the age of twelve. Starting with The Firedrake in 1966, she has published twenty-one independent historical novels covering periods from the middle of the first millennium CE up through parts of the early twentieth century, ranging from Egypt through Russia, central Europe, Scandinavia, and Great Britain and Ireland to the West Coast of the US.

Customer reviews

3.8 out of 5 stars
45 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Ronin
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great Saga
    Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2010
    Verified Purchase
    Two Ravens is a refreshing read that sets its own course. Unlike typical Viking historical fiction that follows the adventures of a superman, our main character Bjarni ("Bear") is admirable in a humble way and is plagued by his own faults and self-perceived shortcomings. As other reviewers have pointed out, he comes from a highly dysfunctional family, like many of us, and the cast of characters are generally not very nice to each other. Mrs. Holland tells the tale in a voice that comes straight out of a saga, which adds a sense of authenticity and allows our imaginations to explore this strange world. The result is a very lively and personal experience, that encourages the creativity to flow.

    I recently read Magnus the Viking by Olav Crone-Aamot, and his character begins with tragedy and then enjoys a whole book-full of great fortune. Not so here. Bjarni's life is one great big tragedy interspersed with dribbles of small luck; just enough to help him get by in life and move forward one step at a time. Through his adversity he grows, even if the success is not so sweet or self-evident. It was a hard life for an Icelander, and Cecelia's Bjarni never has it easy. Even when he realizes his dreams in the end, the result is more bittersweet than he ever envisioned it.

    Bjarni's father is a retired Viking and we never get more than a small glimpse into his back-story, but it is just enough to let the imagination soar. This is a source of inspiration for Bjarni, who seems to both hate and admire his hard father. This cryptic curiosity propels Bjarni to leave Iceland seeking adventure, and reminded me of Luke Skywalker feeling trapped on the moisture farm. His brothers and some other young men follow him on a misguided adventure following their dreams of becoming great Vikings, but instead discover only disappointment.

    The book is not full of great battles and lot of action, but is more of a character-driven tale as they cope with various adversities without going too far in life. It is a page-turner and I polished it off in 2-sittings. If you like the Sagas and the Viking genre, then I highly recommend this book. I just got The Soul Thief, and I'm looking forward to it.
    9 people found this helpful
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  • Zenobia
    3.0 out of 5 stars Three Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on November 15, 2017
    I enjoyed this book. Not as excotong as Bernard Cornwell's Utred books, but entertaining.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Michael K. Smith
    4.0 out of 5 stars A small story of rather minor characters in a backwater of medieval Europe -- and it works very, very well
    Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2012
    Holland has written more than thirty novels in the past forty-plus years, and while all of them have been (to my mind) at least above average, her style has changed somewhat over time. This one is from her "early period," which means short declarative sentences, a straightforward and unadorned narrative style, and a tendency to under-explain, to let the reader draw his own conclusions as to the characters' motivations and inner mental workings. I think I could pick up a loose page from any of these early books, read it, and know immediately that it was her work. The setting this time is the late 11th century, beginning in Iceland. Bjarni is a young man in what we would today call an abusive and dysfunctional family -- though, to judge by the sagas of the time, the sort of interrelationships he has to deal with were not uncommon there and then. He's the eldest, with three younger half-brothers and a step-brother, the son of Hiyke, his father's much younger third wife. In fact, she's only a couple of years older than Bjarni himself, and he definitely has the hots for her. Except that she's a practicing Christian and neither Bjarni nor his father, Hoskuld, have abandoned the old beliefs (even though everyone in Iceland is, by law, an official Christian), which complicates everything. Hoskuld farms and fishes and when Bjarni finally decides he's had enough, he decides to steal his father's fishing boat and run off to the Hebrides, and he talks his brothers into going along. Which isn't difficult, as they all hate the old man as much as he does. Only, when they get there, nothing is as they expected. When they decide to press on to another location, Bjarni's brother, Ulf, who can't keep his breeches buttoned, insists on kidnapping one of their bloody-minded host's daughters -- and then Bjarni gets caught and his brothers flee back home with the boat and the girl. From there, Bjarni finds his way to England and further adventures, including meeting the king, William Rufus, and becoming involved with a delinquent (and pregnant) adolescent Saxon girl who attaches herself to him. Eventually, he will make his way home again to Iceland, where things will mostly sort themselves out, one way or another, but where there are no happy endings. This is not what many readers would consider an "exciting" book, being rather dark and dour and anti-romantic, and even Bjarni is not always the sort of protagonist one can like. Nor is it even an especially lengthy novel, at just under two hundred pages, though it feels like the right length for the story it tells. But it's a satisfying read for all that.
    14 people found this helpful
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  • Miss B
    5.0 out of 5 stars Two Ravens by Cecelia Holland
    Reviewed in the United States on December 10, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Enjoyed Cecelia Holland's spare writing style - no words wasted - and at the same time the effect of her writing is very visual. Set in mediaeval Iceland the plot is unexpected, the characters and the sense of period are convincing and the closing image of the novel is symbolically powerful and stayed with me. I used to have this book and bought the Kindle version to read it again. I was not disappointed. A good quick read if you enjoy historical fiction and/ or the Vikings.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Ted Garvin
    2.0 out of 5 stars Bad writing
    Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    I lost interest fairly early. The writing is choppy (short sentences) and clumsy. I couldn't get past her style. This book reads like an obviously self-published work.

    I wouldn't take one of her creative writing classes based on this book.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Helena Robinson
    2.0 out of 5 stars Two Ravens
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 18, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Rather simple in its construction and not making action scenes very exciting. Does not inspire me to read the author`s other books
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