The Lost Sun (Review + Giveaway)

June 21, 2013 Uncategorized 4

The Lost Sun

Author: Tessa Gratton
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: June 25, 2013
Pages: 368
Series: The United States of Asgard, book one
Source: Audiobook for review
Read By: Robbie Daymond
Audiobook Publisher: Listening Library
Length: 9 hours, 56 minutes

About the Book: Fans of Neil Gaiman’s American Gods and Holly Black’s The Curse Workers will embrace this richly drawn, Norse-mythology-infused alternate world: the United States of Asgard. 

Seventeen-year-old Soren Bearskin is trying to escape the past. His father, a famed warrior, lost himself to the battle-frenzy and killed thirteen innocent people. Soren cannot deny that berserking is in his blood–the fevers, insomnia, and occasional feelings of uncontrollable rage haunt him. So he tries to remain calm and detached from everyone at Sanctus Sigurd’s Academy. But that’s hard to do when a popular, beautiful girl like Astrid Glyn tells Soren she dreams of him. That’s not all Astrid dreams of–the daughter of a renowned prophetess, Astrid is coming into her own inherited abilities.

When Baldur, son of Odin and one of the most popular gods in the country, goes missing, Astrid sees where he is and convinces Soren to join her on a road trip that will take them to find not only a lost god, but also who they are beyond the legacy of their parents and everything they’ve been told they have to be.

My Thoughts: La la la la la la la. I love this book! I’ve been telling everyone I know all about it. They get really excited to read it and I tell them it’s not out until the 25th. Then I laugh my evil laugh. Bwa ha ha ha ha. 

Anyway, on to my thoughts…
The main thing that drew me to this book was the combination of Norse mythology and the modern day setting. I wanted to see how the two would fit together and if it would “work” for me. It so worked! I’ve said before that I love alternate history settings. Turns out I also love alternate present day settings! It was so fun to see how the author imagined the USA would be if the “A” stood for Asgard rather than America. I loved figuring out how all the place names related to our world. It just added another layer to the story. 

In The Lost Sun the Norse gods are not just myth. They exist and interact with the world around them. I love, love, love, love, loved this! Like, so, so much! The residents of the United States of Asgard can choose to follow whichever god they identify with. Our main characters both have “gifts” from a certain god. Soren sees his “ability” as more of a curse. He is a berserker and fears giving in to his power. To protect himself and those around him he has basically cut himself off. He is so very alone and his life just seems so desolate. The writing style and the pacing reflect this so well. 

Astrid is a great foil to Soren. They have so many similarities with their abilities and their life experiences. However, there are a few crucial differences and these make the story so engaging. The reader sees how different both characters lives could have been. This had me on the edge of my seat, desperately wanting to know how it would all come together. 

Add in the concept of fate, a god with no memory of his godhood and a slew of fascinating secondary characters (Fenris Wolf and one of Loki’s own with a desire to be a female berserker!) and you have a story that I want more and more and more from.

And the audiobook! The narration was spot on. I loved the pacing and the voices. It really added to the whole reading experience. Soren was such a fascinating character and Robbie Daymond did a fabulous job voicing him. The other characters voices were distinctive without drawing away from the flow of the story. I kept taking the CDs out of the car and in with me to work so I could listen without interruption. It’s one of my new favorite audiobooks!




Giveaway:
Random House is super awesome and has given me FIVE copies of the audiobook to giveaway!!! The winner will get to choose library edition or retail so all you librarians should enter to win a copy for your LMC! US only. Must be 13 or older to win. Use the rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

4 Responses to “The Lost Sun (Review + Giveaway)”

  1. Audiobook Review: The Lost Sun by Tessa Gratton | wrapped up in books

    […] YA Bibliophile: “The narration was spot on. I loved the pacing and the voices. It really added to the whole reading experience. Soren was such a fascinating character and Robbie Daymond did a fabulous job voicing him. The other characters voices were distinctive without drawing away from the flow of the story.” […]

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