The writing was really repetitive. There were a lot of phrases and descriptions that cropped up time and time again.

I love mythology and was so excited but this book was so awful.
It was so dull and badly written. I actually DNFed at 30%

I loved this so much and I love myth and legend, especially Norse, and I was just so fascinated reading this wonderful story. I’m glad I got the opportunity to read this , it was so addictive reading and I was obsessed every page

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A sweeping story spanning Greenland and the new world of Vinland, The Voyage of Freydis feels like a well-researched story of resilience and personal strength in the face of brutal conditions both personal and environmental.

I am sorry for the inconvenience but I don’t have the time to read this anymore and have lost interest in the concept. I believe that it would benefit your book more if I did not skim your book and write a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience.

This a beautiful and lyrical story. I enjoyed it very much and look forward to reading more form this author. Highly recommend.

This novel sounded interesting because it was about woman explorer. However, there were so many disturbing scenes that made it uncomfortable for me. Thus, this was not my cup of tea.

Like other readers - I really struggled to get through this book and didn’t complete it despite attempting it twice!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

The Voyage of Freydis intertwines figures from legends (Freydis Eriksdotter is the daughter of Erik the Red and the sister of Leif Eriksson) with the historical Viking journey from Greenland to Newfoundland as Freydis is desperately trying to flee from her abusive husband. She ends up in Vinland (known today as Newfoundland) and from there she begins a new life for herself alongside other settlers… until her past shows up on her doorstep to flush everything away with the tide.

As interesting as this book was to read (despite the pacing being not the greatest at times), it just fell flat at some points and I feel as though that is mainly due to the way that Freydis was presented to us. There is so much potential in her character (especially considering the fact that she is oftentimes overlooked in favour of her father and/or brother in history so there’s more room for interpretation with her) and yet, I never felt as though we as readers truly got to know her. We never really got to know her as a person, we just got to know her as her story (does that make sense?). Yes, we followed her journey and this novel was all about her story but the vagueness surrounding who Freydis was can be a bit frustrating at times.

This was an okay read. Certainly wasn’t the greatest book I’ve ever read but Norse history/legends/mythology is so fascinating to me so I’m glad to have gotten the chance to read this novel! It definitely has inspired me to go and learn more about Vikings and their history. 3.5 stars rounded up (because it did intrigue me all the way through, even though the book was not my most favourite)

Thank you to Netgalley for my eARC copy in exchange for my honest review..

Trigger warnings: an extreme amount of domestic abuse, rape, miscarriage, pregnancy loss, racism, homophobia.

I tried, like really tried to keep reading this book, however it just wasn’t for me! The amount of abuse and just really dark themes (which is I’m sure indicative of the times) was too much for me. So much brutality against one person is just… I mean it’s fiction let’s give some happy too!

Anyways I DNF’d I just couldn’t keep going. If you enjoy Norse mythology and want some realistic brutality give it a go!!

I just finished The Voyage of Freydis and my emotions are so raw. This book really takes you through a roller coaster of emotions. I cried and laughed and felt anguish and anger. Tamara really brought a story to life and told it in such an elegant way. The ending though, I cried myself to sleep from it. I can't wait to experience the second book in The Vinland Viking Saga and see what happens next.

I was so excited to read THE VOYAGE OF FREYDIS because I have been on a historical novel binge. However, this one just wasn't for me. The content and the characters were not something I wanted to read.

I was intrigued by the synopsis of this book as I love a good viking story. But this is not what I got, it was dreary I had to push my way through the first part of the book hoping that once Freydis set out to sea it would pick up. It didn't and the ending was not what I expected and left me feeling meh.

The Voyage of Freydis (Book 1, Vinland Viking Series) - Tamara Goranson



I was given a copy of this story by the publisher in order to provide a review.

Tamara Goranson is a clinical psychologist working with trauma survivors and has a great interest in Viking women, especially those who travelled around 1000 AD to the New World. This book is her first novel.



Freydis Eiriksdottir is the only daughter of Eirik the Red and has been married off to Thorvard of Gardar. But she is happy, at least for a time, until she discovers who he really is, then her reality changes completely.

He is not the loving attentive husband she thought he would be. She is often beaten, shamed and humiliated with no one to turn to as all are too afraid of Thorvard and the power he wields in Gardar. She can not escape home to her family farm as Thorvard would never allow it and keeps a watchful eye on her. In short Freydis life as the wife of Thorvard is a miserable and unhappy one.

Finally, her brother Leif comes visiting after he finishes his travels to Vinland and tells Freydis of the exciting discoveries he made there. Fortunately for Freydis, Leif sees right through the act that Thorvard puts on and is able to convince Thorvard that Freydis should come visit the family farm – yet as always, Thorvard is on her heels following her every step and move, and comes with them on the journey.

There Freydis happens to meet a Greenlander couple – Logatha and Finnbogi. Together they hatch a plan to free Freydis of her horrid husband and venture to Vinland, hoping the find the settlement Leif made there. Thorvard, being the clever and horrible person he is, discovers this plan and ventures there ahead of Freydis. Now Freydis must fight her husband to be truly free of him, but she and the others that have sailed with her must also contend with surviving in this New World they have journeyed too. As the natives of the land are fearsome and clever hunters and warriors, it is often said they will take women to be their thralls.

But as Freydis is to discover, not all of the tales told about them are true, growing quite close to a native of a tribe living near the settlement her brother Leif made. Life was food for a while but Thorvard threatens to rear his ugly head and destroy the precious freedom and life Freydis had managed to make for herself. Will she ever be truly free and happy?



“The Voyage of Freydis” is the first book that has made me stay up until the early morning to finish it. Such a well written story with engaging characters and storyline and I love reading about Vikings and their tales. Freydis is such a strong women to have endured even half of what she went through. It may interest some readers to know that story was based on a real female Viking - Freydis Eiriksdottir, though obviously as her story would have been told through time by different skalds who she actually was and what she did can differ at times. All in all, this story is such a captivating one about such an interesting time in history.

While the premise was compelling and Freydis was an interesting character, the plot did not live up to my expectations and the writing felt repetitive at times. It wasn't a bad book, it was just an okay read for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The voyage of Freydis was all set up to be a nice Viking story, unfortunately it fell a bit short in story and character development. The main character's motivations were a bit inconsistent, and she mostly talked big without following through with actions. The plot was a bit too convenient at times and very stagnant in other parts, while never really exciting enough to grip my attention fully.

This was an awesome read. Different than my normal genre, but I love anything Viking related! I enjoyed the way this novel gave us more insight into Freydis. Would recommend for anyone who loves Norse Mythology!

I was excited to read about a female Viking warrior, but despite the great opportunity for Freydis to undergo a lot of character growth throughout the book, she really didn’t, and that bothered me. She wasn’t a very likeable character, and I felt like the plot didn’t flow very well.

The Voyage of Freydi

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History set her fate in stone…
Murderer. Mercenary. Temptress.

Trickster. Traitor. Thief.

But under a hammer that falls like thunder, stone will always shatter.

So with her voice she lights the forge.

The Voyage of Freydis sings the silenced tale of Freydis Eiriksdottir, the first and only woman to lead a Viking voyage across the Atlantic in this tempestuous retelling of the Vinland Sagas set at the dawn of the 11th century

꧂

>> This was an interesting read. The concept was intriguing, and yet the pacing felt a little slow at times, and I struggled to stay engaged. The story of Freydis and her difficult life was poignant and I truly wanted her to find resolution at the end. However, her character was difficult to connect to (something important for me as a reader).

Despite this, so much potential to this story. I enjoyed reading about the different cultures, places and traditions; the native people of Vinland, the settlers and Greenland. The Viking history is something I’ve always found fascinating but the overall story felt too dry and limited.

It was a good read but just not right for me.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for asking me to read and review this.

My thanks to HarperCollins U.K. One More Chapter for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Voyage of Freydis’ by Tamara Goranson in exchange for an honest review. It was published in July 2021. My apologies for the late feedback.

This is Book 1 in the Vinland Viking Saga series that will present revisionist retellings of the Vinland sagas: the ancient Icelandic texts that chronicle the first attempts by the Vikings to travel across the Atlantic and settle in North America in 1000 AD.

It is the tale of Freydis Eiriksdöttir, the daughter of Eirik the Red and half-sister of Leif Eiriksson and the first and only woman to lead a Viking voyage across the Atlantic. In the first part of the novel the focus is upon her relationship with her abusive husband, Thorvard of Gardar. It makes for harrowing reading.

Later, her resolve to be free of him and her strength as a Viking shield-maiden comes to the fore. I found the end a little sudden though it was in line with the sagas.

In her Author’s Note Tamara Goranson recounts the two tales found in the Vinland Sagas that feature Freydis, both of which depict her “as a nefarious woman – a woman who is a liar, a murderess, and a thief.” She writes that she was motivated “to shatter the wicked reputation that has ghosted her through the centuries.”

I felt that Freylis was portrayed as a complex, multilayered character and while not a necessarily likeable one certainly memorable for her strength of will. Given that there is almost nothing known about Freylis outside of the sagas, which were oral tales until written down in the 13th century, I did feel that the author did well in fleshing out Freylis’ story.

I found her depiction of Viking society of the period, including the status of women, notable. The novel also passed my ‘god test’ in that its various characters were portrayed as having faith in the Norse gods and goddesses and these beliefs were integrated into their lives.

I certainly plan to read Book 2, ‘The Flight of Anja’, when it is published next May.

On a side note, its cover art by Andrew Davis was very striking.