The Western Gate

The Search for Odin
Shani Oates
Anamathema Press

Sometimes I buy a book and deliberately put off reading it, wondering why, if there was no excitement and urge to read it immediately did I buy it in the first place. Sometimes this maybe because it is recommended, or listed in some list of essential reads, perhaps a book reading vlog and though outside my comfort zone or usual read I purchased. Or perhaps as in this case, it’s to complete a series of books~ The Óðinn Trilogy from Anathema Publishing’s Northern Otherworld Series
Funnily enough I bought the second in the series first (Wolf’s Head), it was a collectors edition for a really good price. As it was the second in the series I also purchased a few days later the first in the series (The Hanged God). I wish I had bought the first book first, and would have been done with them.
It shouldn’t be a review criticizing the way the author writes, but there’s no escaping it. I couldn’t really tell you what the first books are about, to be honest, my mind just ditched it all, the read being more of a trial and slog than a means to sponge up all the relevant and juicy info’ within.
As I now had two of the collectors editions, I thought I may as well get the third, The search for Odin, and have put off the read for as long as I could before each espy of that books spine prodded me with its rejection.
Some people enjoy the scholarly bombastic style. Perhaps some feel that works of this nature should be presented from a high brow perspective, an advanced display of the English language to assure all the critics that works of this nature are not folly but garnered from the minds of intellectuals. Yngwie Malmsteen is said to be the greatest guitarist, his virtuoso lick and crescendos, his lightning skills galloping through all manner of exotic scales … but I couldn’t whistle you a tune or sing you a short piece, in fact I couldn’t even tell you any of his songs from the albums I bought, I was equally told they were essential listening, classics even. The comparison and analogy wouldn’t be forgotten as I settled down, drew in a deep breathe and opened the largest of the three books in the the series.
I don’t want to damn the work, she knows her stuff, absolutely, I made it past a third of the book and my mind freewheeled, clutch engaged, couldn’t concentrate or analyse or think any longer. For that, I do apologize. Sincerely. Some you connect with and engage, others don’t. I hope you do.
Maybe I’ll try again another year, I used to hate smelly cheese once, now I like them. It’s not you, it’s me. Honest.

(I’ve linked another review below, because I’ve not been fair here…)