Is a Fantasy? A Romance? Maybe a western? A treatise on death and dying? A manual for grief? What if I told you it's all these things? It's You've Got Mail meets the Walking Dead meets Justified.
I'll wait while you get your wallet.
Sure it sounds silly, but man, does Megan Bannen sell it, with gorgeous world building, witty and charming dialogue, and not a little bit of steam. I laughed, and cried. Like ugly cried. Hands down my favorite fantasy romance of the year.
This runaway bride, second-chance-at-love romance was unexpected and totally swoonworthy. The narrative builds steadily until the final chapters when all hell breaks loose and the story peaks in classic Western fashion. If you like character-driven stories, here's all you need to know: there's a contemplative Native American hero, a Boston society wife with a spine of steel, an abusive bastard of a wealthy husband, and a band of misfit outlaws hidden in a valley of the idyllic Rocky Mountains. Great fun as a standalone or to read out of series order.
This violent, glorious book is about a 16 year old female Berserker who has to flee Norway in 1883 for the American West in order to evade the strictures of the law long enough to seek guidance from a long lost uncle who just may be able to help her contain her instinct to mercilessly slaughter anyone who threatens her family.
Berserker combines all the best parts of Norse mythology, historical fiction, and a solid Western. Think Vikings meets True Grit.
