Self-Published 2017
By Lukasz Wnuczek
A blend of Scandinavian and North American myths and legends ... Having discovered America, the Vikings try to settle there, but the natives began defending and war ensues. Shortly afterwards, northern tribes are decimated by Awaheya, an unknown beast ravaging their lands. A handful of survivors embark on a quest to track it down, but they soon discover that they might need the help of Arosen - a viking hunter raised by one of the tribes...
So as my recognition grows I am getting an increase in people asking me to read and review their books. I’m more than happy to take a look at them and if they are something I you all should see you know I’m going to tell you about it. This one for instance really caught my attention because in all honesty I love the fact that Lukasz does the entire thing himself is beyond impressive. This is one of those that I look at and think what kind of beautiful mind can come up with this and bring it to life so beautifully.
Before Columbus brought people to the new world the Vikings had already come. They tried to settle the land and met resistance in the form of the natives. Instead of making contact and working out some arrangement the Vikings literally ignored them thinking if they ignored they in turn would be ignored. But the native tribes saw how they plundered the forest and didn’t care for that so then the attacks began. This would explain a few things historically and in case you are wondering I do believe the Vikings were known to the native tribes and as far south as the Inca or Mayan civilisations dwell.
So what happens when you take the Norse mythology and introduce it to the Native American mythology? Theoretically peace or chaos would ensue. I think more than anything you have to understand that universally the Pantheons each worship are basically the same in idea and structure. This story however makes you think about what you are seeing, think about how at that time the reliance upon their gods made such influential decisions that much more complex. What Lukasz does here is engage your mind, question what you believe and expand how you see the world and it’s past. Not an easy feat to accomplish.
The interior artwork here is utterly sensational. That I cannot tell whether it’s just expert use of pencil, pen and colour or watercolour painting is phenomenal to the eye. The emotion that the work is able to bring to the table is perfectly suited tot the subject matter. The way he’s able to capture the landscape is breathtaking to me. His depiction of the Natives and the Norse are extremely well done and very nicely able to tll the difference in cultures. The use of page layouts through their angles, perspective and even backgrounds are exquisitely done and show a very solid and seasoned eye for storytelling.
I love how a Viking child raised by a local tribe is the key to this story. A man now part of both worlds and yet belonging to neither. It’s not a new concept but it is handled beautifully here as we get to see how both mythologies apply to one man. Then of course there’s the love of a woman in this as well complicating matters. I love the characterisation here and how we see all these people playing out their roles. This is as close to some real life scenario that you could dream of.
This is like entering a world you’ve only known existed in history books and even then they never would’ve contained that the Vikings were here first. This truly is one of the most exquisite piece of works that I have personally seen in quite some time. Self-Published is one of of the hardest things to do and have it be successful so I’m hoping that you find this and give it a go because it’s just such a beautiful read.
You can find a link here to Amazon where it’s offered in a larger scale. Amazon: www.amazon.com/Lukasz-Wnuczek/e/B0738B31L6- available as kindle / paperback / extended paperback (with artbook section)