Series two of the hilarious Norsemen is now available on Netflix. It follows the story of a village of warriors who have found their way to the west and who go on periodic raids for the new riches to be found there. A competing tribe/clan/group is after the map so that they too can share in the wealth. Much chicanery and double-crossing inevitably ensues. This Norwegian series feels properly authentic (in part thanks to the spectacular landscape and Viking village setting) despite the fact that it contains a lot of modern humour. And don’t go thinking it’s dumb, because the full range of the humour will ‘test’ many a viewer – from surreal humour (with definitely a Monty Python influence/homage), to irony, to slapstick, to visual, to wordplay, to spoof (of A Game of Thrones and The Lord of the Rings), and it goes on. And the humour always has a point, as it sits in counterpoint to the brutally violent lives of the Norsemen – creating a philosophical and psychological interplay throughout.
You don’t really need to have watched series 1 to appreciate series 2, although it helps. And the series is only six half-hour episodes, so you can do a whole series in a single fun-filled sitting, like I did.
My favourite scenes usually involve the Norsemen having a motivational workshop (in which they agree shared values, etc, a bit like in Ricky Gervais’s The Office) or the ‘volunteer’ slave Kark (@oysteinmartnsn) who ‘enjoys the exercise and social aspect’ of being a slave! Fundamentally, the series deals with questions of identity, manliness, heroism, sexuality, etc, but never becomes judgemental or preachy – it always remains whimsical or wry, reflective and cheerful. There’s even a love story at its heart which feels quite credible. It’s all a bit like life, with its highs and lows, but refuses to get bogged down in navel-gazing.
Without giving too much away, series 2 does move the over-arching story forwards, so I’m now awaiting series 3 with relish. I wonder if I can get a cameo role if they film it on location in the west! If you haven’t caught up with Norsemen yet, then you’re missing out. I score it a civilized 9 out of 10.
(If you enjoy Viking fantasy, you might want to check out The Book of Orm too!)
Dear humans!
– For too long my kind has been misunderstood and shunned, simply because we are different from you (also you’re probably a little bit scared of us, which is as it should be!).
– For too long our name has been taken in vain and used to describe those who are rude and cowardly (it’s mainly the cowardly bit we have an issue with here)!
– For too long you have misrepresented us. We do NOT eat humans (well, not much anyway). And our hygiene is just as good as the cows and goats with which you consort. Yet you never invite us to any of your parties.
This mistreatment must end. It MUST. It makes many trolls so angry that they lose control of their tempers and go on a rampage, but that is YOUR fault.
I appeal to you therefore to get ejukatid about us trolls. Do the following things at once:
1. Choose a human who can read and have them obtain a copy of our sacred text The Book of Orm.
2. Then make them (maybe entice them with goat meat) begin to spread the word about how nice trolls are, and how all humans (even the less tasty ones) should stop avoiding us. They can spread the word by writing a review on amazon if they don’t have war drums they can play.
3. Then force them (maybe entice them with even more goat meat, especially if you can get hold those dispicable Billy Goats Gruff) to choose another person who can read so that they too can obtain a copy of The Book of Orm.
4. Send this message to other humans – cos all these words took a lot of effort and have given me a headache.
You must do this as otherwise the trolls will get angry and start rampaging, and that will be your fault, puny human!
Love
King Orm
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Book-Orm-J-Dalton/dp/1909845779…
So I’m now announcing that the follow-up to the troll-infested Book of Orm is an actual thing and gonna be released around Dec 2016 or Jan 2017. It’s called the Book of Angels, and contains a good number of the universe’s secrets. I’ve got 7 stories in the collection, and there’s also a tale each from Matt White (doing a follow-up to his tale in the first book), Sammy HK Smith (of Kristell Ink fame), Andrew Coulthard (of Eibonvale Press fame), Caimh McDonnell (famous stand-up comedian) and Mike Bowman (soon to be famous too). Please, please, please, if you haven’t yet done so, go pick up a copy of Orm to aid the cause (and to keep the trolls well supplied with goat-meat)!
Dear humans!
– For too long my kind has been misunderstood and shunned, simply because we are different from you (also you’re probably a little bit scared of us, which is as it should be!).
– For too long our name has been taken in vain and used to describe those who are rude and cowardly (it’s mainly the cowardly bit we have an issue with here)!
– For too long you have misrepresented us. We do NOT eat humans (well, not much anyway). And our hygiene is just as good as the cows and goats with which you consort. Yet you never invite us to any of your parties.
This mistreatment must end. It MUST. It makes many trolls so angry that they lose control of their tempers and go on a rampage, but that is YOUR fault.
I appeal to you therefore to get ejukatid about us trolls. Do the following things at once:
1. Choose a human who can read and have them obtain a copy of our sacred text The Book of Orm.
2. Then make them (maybe entice them with goat meat) begin to spread the word about how nice trolls are, and how all humans (even the less tasty ones) should stop avoiding us. They can spread the word by writing a review on amazon if they don’t have war drums they can play.
3. Then force them (maybe entice them with even more goat meat, especially if you can get hold those dispicable Billy Goats Gruff) to choose another person who can read so that they too can obtain a copy of The Book of Orm.
4. Send this message to other humans – cos all these words took a lot of effort and have given me a headache.
You must do this as otherwise the trolls will get angry and start rampaging, and that will be your fault, puny human!
Love
King Orm
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Book-Orm-J-Dalton/dp/1909845779…
The Horde descends on Waterstones Doncaster at 11am this Saturday, 29 Aug 2016. There will wantonness and mayhem… and I’ll sign a few copies of The Book of Orm. Hurrah!
Hurrah! Book of Orm signing event now confirmed for Saturday 29 August at Waterstones Doncaster. From 11am.
Well, nearly up to 20K words of the new book (The Charnel Child). Will then make a submission to publisher (via agent). Very decent book – should get a deal, but don’t hold your breath. Apparently, things have never been tougher in terms of new acquisitions. Whatever.
Got a signing event for The Book of Orm tomorrow. Waterstones Arndale, 11am-4pm. Not sure why I’m doing the event really. When you make one pound per copy sold, it’s really not worth giving up your Saturday. Oh well. Will have to ponder strategy for world domination some time soon. Maybe I need to declare some Caliphate of Book Readers or sumfink. Yeah, that might work.
Summer school starts next week. Sigh. Fulltime teaching for two months. Gotta do it, to buy Cleopatra’s cat food. The things I do for that moggie. Oh, and I’m saving for the wedding next April, of course.
The Troll King and his horde are descending upon the Arndale on Saturday 20 June. Copies of The Book of Orm will be signed (in blood), etc. See you there from 11am!
Just checked with the store and they’ve now put in the order for the necessary copies of THE BOOK OF ORM. So we are good to go for the book signing event at Waterstones Leicester on Saturday 30 May, from 11am. Hurrah!
Metaphysical Fantasy 