Space Vikings! The Raidships by A.D. Wynterhawk, a Review

Pros: Action packed plot. Vivid, cinematic prose.
Possible Cons: High graphic index (violence). Low to medium graphic index (sex) but much unpleasantness implied, including non-consensual and abusive gay relationships.

In The Raidships, Mercenaries from a near by planet brutally attack Whit’s peaceful village on Alesia. He’s enslaved and transported to Valkra, a cold, cruel world rife with violence and abuse.

On Valkra, Whit must decide whether to succumb to rage or fight intelligently for freedom. Several characters relay the plot, including our hero Whit, a young noble lady, an enslaved scholar and a villain. Each possesses a distinct voice and a believable personality with a combination of strengths and foibles. And all technology except the space-faring raidships is at a carefully depicted medieval level. The origins of the raidships makes for an interesting mystery subplot.

The book is action packed, sometimes almost cinematic in style with some vivid, heart stopping moments. The mostly close-third-person prose includes lots of interesting verbs and is vivid. And the editing and formatting is superb. I didn’t even detect the auto-correct errors so prevalent these days.

This finely crafted adventure story reminded me of tales I read as an early teen in which, thanks to adult cruelty and incompetence, a young person is prematurely booted into the adult world. Except this is not a young adult novel. Expect graphic and unpleasant sex and bone-crushing violence. Followers of “Game of Thrones” or “Vikings” would be prepared to enjoy this book. And all depictions of homosexuality are predatory or perverse, so I wouldn’t describe this novel as LGBT-friendly. But some readers might suspend judgement and accept the situation as part of this sample of The Raidships’ world.

All that said, I found The Raidships to be a fun read.