Title: Tears of the Ancients: The Untold Story of Vidar, the True King of Vikings
Author: C R Crick
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN: 9781491728253
Pages: 184
Genre: Fantasy
Reviewed by: Liz Konkel
Pacific Book Review
Tears of the Ancients: The Untold Story of Vidar, the True King of Vikings begins with the murder of the King of Trans Lease, when an orphan boy is discovered during a raid led by King Trea. Found outside the palace, the boy was given to Steinar, the youngest of the king’s men, and called Loot. The boy was meant to be kept as a slave, but Steinar chose to raise the boy as his own. Loot has a destiny far greater than anyone could have predicted, one that will save mankind and restore dragons to their rightful place of power. When Loot discovers the origins of his past, he’s bullied out of the village and into the mountains where a chance encounter with dragons change his life. He nearly dies saving a young dragon, but the queen of dragons saves his life with a tear; a decision which changes his life and puts him on the path of his destiny.
Loot embarks on a hero’s journey starting with loving parents, secret meetings with the princess and fairly friendly home environment. Then his secret friendship is discovered which sparks some events which lead to him discovering the dragons. He goes from an ordinary boy to a hero, from an outsider to someone of great importance. The dragons give him more than just the gift of life, but powers beyond his wildest beliefs. His kind nature and selfless bravery is what makes him an empathetic protagonist. Most of the action takes place after Loot returns from the mountains, which leads to the second part of his hero’s journey where he gains entry into the palace and serves directly to the king. His hero’s journey is fairly typical, but what makes him special is that he’s honestly a genuine person who puts everyone before himself. There are a series of obstacles he has to grow through to reach his full destiny; with the danger increasing the further his story goes.
A subplot of romance gives a fun lightness to the story which makes it feel a lot like a fairy tale in style. They start as friends which slowly turns into a potentially star-crossed romance, but this takes an almost perfect twist when a surprising secret about Loot’s true origins is revealed. This gives them a chance to be together, but this idealistic happiness is set against an evil rising. They complement each other as both have gentle natures and considerate hearts. Their relationship has a lot of sweetness to it and their romance is softhearted enough so it balances out the scenes of war.
The story is one of strength and endurance, inside a vast world of magic and war with a rich history and layered characters. Humor weaves throughout the story, but is particularly found in Loot’s attempts to learn about his destiny. The characters are flawed and heroic, stoic and brave, and several of those are dragons. Despite the background of war, the plot remains fairly light in tone and language, but honestly conveys the pain and results that stem from war. While these are Vikings, they’re not what is stereotypical, instead they’re also fairly kind people. The dragons stand out the most with their poise and elegance personalities, and strength of heart. Their history and customs coincide with the humans, often overlapping, but they’re also as layered as the human characters. Despite their distrust of humans, they still chose to save Loot’s life and start a chain of evidence. The twist on dragons is a fun and is fresh take on the mythology that makes Tears of the Ancients an exciting read.
