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All the Horses of Iceland
All the Horses of Iceland | Sarah Tolmie
9 posts | 10 read | 13 to read
A hypnotic historical fantasy with gorgeous and unusual literary prose, from the captivating author of The Fourth Island. Everyone knows of the horses of Iceland, wild, and small, and free, but few have heard their story. Sarah Tolmies All the Horses of Iceland weaves their mystical origin into a saga for the modern age. Filled with the magic and darkened whispers of a people on the cusp of major cultural change, All the Horses of Iceland tells the tale of a Norse trader, his travels through Central Asia, and the ghostly magic that followed him home to the land of fire, stone, and ice. His search for riches will take him from Helmgard, through Khazaria, to the steppes of Mongolia, where he will barter for horses and return with much, much more. All the Horses of Iceland is a delve into the secret, imagined history of Iceland's unusual horses, brought to life by an expert storyteller. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
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Jess
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Thank you, Jessi! The tagged was from my wish list and I love the Montague Siblings series! I‘m sure I‘ll have fun with book 3. Love it! #jolabokaflodswap #jolabokaflod

Endowarrior21 Your welcome 3mo
16 likes1 comment
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Doppoetry
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Mehso-so

Eyvind wasn't that compelling as a protagonist. I even found him very unpleasant in parts. I did enjoy the historical aspect of it and all the lands they traveled. I was expecting it to be a bit heavier with the magical/supernatural element of the story, but it was very limited and wasn't explored much.

I can't say I disliked it, but I really wish some parts were explored more.

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Doppoetry
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🫢

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Bookwomble
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"Everyone knows the story of the mare Skalm."
#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

I'm glad I saw your review of this one, @Jari-chan ?

A wonderful little book, deeply researched and told plainly, as befits the worldly-naïf MC. It's marketed as a historical fantasy, but the second half of that description is somewhat misleading, I think. The story is presented within the world view of its protagonists, who believe in ghosts, magic and the ⬇️

Bookwomble ...supernatural, so naturally those elements appear, but they are part of life, not apart from it.
The story follows 7th century Icelander, Eyvind, in his travels into Central Asia, his experiences with the peoples he meets along the way, his bonding with an unnamed spirit mare, & his journey home with his precious cargo of Mongolian horses. Part Secret History, part Just So story, part Culture Hero mythic journey, all wonderfully fascinating. 4🐎
8mo
Soubhiville Sounds really cool! 8mo
rwmg wishlisted 8mo
See All 7 Comments
Jari-chan Oh, I'm happy you liked the book! 😊 8mo
ShyBookOwl 💜 8mo
Bookwomble @Jari-chan I really liked it! Thanks for putting it in my radar 😁 8mo
Jari-chan @Bookwomble ❤️❤️❤️ 8mo
46 likes5 stack adds7 comments
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Jari-chan
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Pickpick

This book includes it all: history, horses, religion, myths, travelling. I was surprised to meet characters from this book again on Wikipedia when doing researches after reading, I did not expect them to be true historical figures. There's so much in this work that I actually feel a bit overwhelmed. And this on only so little pages. It sure is a lot to take in. But a very wise book it is.

Bookwomble This sounds like just my thing! 😊 9mo
Jari-chan @Bookwomble Then I hope you'll enjoy it 😊 9mo
PirateJenny This is just up my alley. The author is also a medievalist (I just discovered) so a definite bonus 9mo
Jari-chan @PirateJenny That really is a bonus! 9mo
28 likes2 stack adds4 comments
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TracyReadsBooks
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Pickpick

This is a lyrical tale that tells the story of a Norse trader who, in the ninth century, travels from Iceland to the steppes of Mongolia with a group of traders where, if successful, he‘ll be able to acquire horses that will make him rich. Yes this the story of that journey but it is also about travel & exploration, magic, stories, history, & the wonder of discovery. A good novella. I‘ll definitely read more by this author. (Also a gorgeous cover)

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BookLove4Ever
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Panpan

I was expecting this magical tale that ultimately fell flat. Yes there is a supernatural element to it but just didn‘t deliver. Ultimately it‘s a short historical fiction (only 112 pages), which was a bit boring. I love the cover, but that‘s about it. ⭐️⭐️

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shanaqui
Pickpick

If you're familiar with Icelandic sagas, this is probably especially delightful: Tolmie captures something of the rhythm and the language of them (albeit of course in English, but you might be familiar with it even from translations), and the way of thinking. It felt so familiar, like surely it must really be part of that tradition, right down to the interpolations by a later Christian author. I enjoyed it a lot.

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bookishbitch
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A completely fictional imagining of how horses got to Iceland. It follows a man named Kyvind and his travels and choices. For example the journey of the story begins due to his choice to avoid conversion to Christianity. It has magic, myth, superstition, a ghost story as well as loose elements of religion and war. I found it fascinating. It is a very short read but packs a lot into it. I loved it.

Erinsuereads I need this! 2y
TheSpineView My kind of book!💙🐎💜 2y
19 likes4 stack adds2 comments