Legend of the Last Vikings - Taklamakan - Softcover

Halsted, John D.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1907256008 ISBN 13: 9781907256004

Publisher: Abela Publishing, 2011

Synopsis

The Indiana Jones of the 11th Century! Finalist - ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Award A VIKING EPIC! Action, Adventure and Romance from Norway, across the Steppe and along the Silk Route into China's notorious Taklamakan desert! Experience friendship, dignity, honour, love, betrayal and greed against the backdrop of a hostile environment which gives no quarter - just what one expects from a Viking. Synopsis: As the Viking age is brought to an end in 1066 with ignominious defeat at the battle of Stamford Bridge, a rag-tag group of Vikings conclude the quiet life is not for them and they decide to go-a-Viking one last time. They retrace a journey of their youth across the European Steppe and down the mighty Dniepr River to Byzantium. However a chance discovery in a Kiev library leads them to venture even further afield - to Astrakhan, across the Caspian sea, up the mighty Oxus river, through Parthia and Bactria and along the ancient Silk Route into Asia and Tian Xia (China). Engaged in a battle not of their choosing, they inflict fatalities on the sinister and evil Black Scorpions who want to exact their revenge. Pursued, they flee by night across the Roof of the World and meet the remnants of the "lost" European tribe of Asia, the Hepthalites, who offer them protection in their city, hidden in the Tien Shan - the Celestial Mountains. A place where romance is kindled and love unexpectedly blossoms. During their winter sojourn in the Hidden City they gather more clues, and in the spring continue with their quest, on into the Taklamakan desert. The desert so called by locals because those who venture in seldom venture out. More danger and peril lies in wait for this rag-tag Viking crew as they travel along the Silk Route - the world's first super-highway. At the eastern end of their journey they meet the Lang Ren, the Wolf people of Lou Lan, outcasts thieves and criminals living in an abandoned city in the desert. A city without water. A city about to die. A city in which the final clue to their quest is uncovered. What fate awaits this rejected element of Asian society? Can this motley crew intercede on their behalf? Will the fundamental cultural differences between the Vikings, Jews and Moslems in the group cause them to self destruct, or will the adversities they face cause them to overcome these differences and become a unified fighting unit? A beautifully bound 420 page hardback with historical companion, place name lexicon, character descriptions and maps.

About this title

Review:

Between historical research and fictional account, Halsted explores the Viking world from a fresh, new perspective. Tearing past the course stereotypes that Vikings are condemned to, Legend of the Last Vikings: Taklamakan represents a flourishing world of unity, justice and a rich thriving community. Halsted challenges each and every tradition creating a united world of Christians, Muslims and Jews struggling together as one against a common evil in a time before the devastation of the Crusades. Taklamakan pushes boundaries, refusing to believe the world to be divided; this brave and bold narrative dares to confront accepted views. Battling against the swelling seas, the torturous currents, and the sweltering heat of the deserts, Ulf Uspakson scours the land for Ingvar Vittefarne, a lost Viking. Not only does Mother Nature prove to be an obtrusive obstacle, but the menacing and sinister Black Scorpions ruthlessly pursue Uspakson and his men across the edges of the world determined to end their adventures, permanently. Our Viking explorers, with their long flowing blond hair, knee high boots and pale skin, a guise that would hardly go unnoticed under the beating sun of the East, find themselves making new comrades, and discovering perfectly preserved hidden worlds. Despite attempting to blend in to the backdrop they find themselves unable to escape the blood thirsty Black Scorpions, who remain firmly on their trail. Educated in South Africa but currently based in England, John Halsted started writing for pure passion. After completing his studies and working in different fields and travelling around the world, he commenced an in-depth personal study of Viking history (from which his family are allegedly descended), whose result is this promising novel. Emotionally engaging, tugging on heart strings, full of spectacle and painted with such fine detail, Halsted s entire canvas is a haunting display of Viking culture, eleventh century history and forgotten people. The author unearths a past that lays hidden behind continuously shifting political systems and boundaries. On a whirlwind of adventures we are whisked off to meet Zoroastrians, Hephthalites, and lost Buddhist relics, on an incomparable and unforgettable journey for forgotten truths. --Book-promotion.com

This is a wonderful blend of fact and fiction, putting flesh on the dry bones of history, demonstrating the insatiable restless human desire for discovery, adventure and the pursuit of knowledge. Be drawn into a classic sojourn which spans many religions and beliefs and incorporates the ingredients of friendship, dignity, honour, love, betrayal and greed; against the backdrop of a hostile environment which gives no quarter just what one expects from a Viking. An intellectual read, leaving the door open with a promise of more to come. Riveting stuff! --Paul Sweetland

EXCELLENT! The book tells a story that captures the reader on several levels. What appears to be an historical novel becomes an adventure set in a background of rich experiences and wide diversity. This adventure, alongside the stories of the different settlements and religions, and that of a moving love story, means that this book provides a compelling and exciting journey of discovery for both the characters in the book and the reader themselves. --Laura Stannard

About the Author:

John Halsted was born in Durban, South Africa and educated at Westville Boys High and later in life attended Bath University. Despite never being considered an academic at school he was a voracious reader of historical fiction, action and adventure novels. At school he excelled in middle-distance athletics winning numerous provincial championships. After school he completed his compulsory two year national service in the South African Air Force whereafter he toured Europe for a year and a half. Returning to South Africa in 1980 he worked in shipping until international sanctions took hold. He then worked in motor manufacturing where he was introduced to computers. Attending night school in 1985 he gained a diploma in Information Technology becoming a programmer. In 1987 he married a New Zealander and moved to New Zealand where he moved into project management and later Organisational Performance Improvement. He took out New Zealand citizenship in 1993 when he ran for Parliament. In 1999 the family moved to England where he attended Bath University. On completing of his Masters degree he embarked on a personal project to research his Viking ancestry. His research in this area led to him writing his first novel. Halsted's family background has given him an enthusiasm for the Viking period. His academic studies gave him the discipline required to research and complete his first novel Legend of the Last Vikings - Taklamakan. He is currently working on the second in what is intended to be a trilogy. He lives in Southeast England with his wife and four children. His interests include calligraphy and long-distance mountain biking. $1.00 from every book sale is donated to the Tearfund for work amongst the refugees in Darfur. He has also raised funds for charities through his summer holiday mountain-bike tours.

About this edition

• Publisher: Abela Publishing
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 1907256008
• ISBN 13: 9781907256004
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 422
• Editor: Books R. U.