Rate this book

God's Daughter (2013)

by Heather Day Gilbert(Favorite Author)

4.17 of 5 Votes: 1

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

WoodHaven Press

series

Vikings of the New World Saga

review 1: "God’s Daughter" was an engaging book–-an easy read and a page-turner. I loved getting a glimpse into a world of people who lived so very differently than we do today. The characters were interesting, well developed, and had distinct, unique personalities. The story moved with action, and the plot never dragged or got bland.What I Thought Could Have Been Better:The heroine was unusual in that she had a lot of men in her life–more than I could sometimes keep up with! At the beginning of the book, I got a little lost in all the characters.The heroine’s feelings about all the men in her life were different than those of your typical Christian fiction heroine. I don’t want to give away the story, so I’ll just say there were some aspects of that I didn’t particula... morerly care for. Some of her feelings seemed what you might expect more from a man in a novel than from a woman.
review 2: Unique. Thought-provoking. Raw."God's Daughter" is the kind of book that draws you back to finish the story, even when other tasks beckon. Obviously well-researched but not "heavy," this debut novel brings Gudrid, daughter of a Viking chieftain, to life. I thoroughly enjoyed most of this book - the one or two things I found lacking I'll note below - and really look forward to reading more of Heather Day Gilbert's stories. The author fleshed out the characters so well: I hated Hallstein and Suka; pitied and felt utterly frustrated with Freydis; and developed an affection for and understanding of Gudrid overall. I really liked how the (good) male characters/heroes differed from one another: loved the attention given to detailing their characteristics and how those characteristics affected the female lead. I found Snorri heartrending, Finn noble, and Leif thoroughly obnoxious. I loved the way Gudrid's character changes, as she decides to fall in love with and trust her husband Finn!The first-person, present-tense narration felt difficult at first ... I'm not used to reading that style, but by the time the second chapter rolled around, it no longer distracted me. In the long run, the use of this unusual narration choice actually ended up pulling me more deeply into the story; it reminded me of a film in which the action is occurring in the present tense, rather than the past. I do wish that the narrator included more detailed descriptions of the setting, her history with the other characters, etc. I found the Christian element of "God's Daughter" intriguing - Gudrid often feels perplexed because she doesn't have the "Holy Book" (the Bible) to consult for guidance. The glimpses of the pagan-becoming-Christian Viking culture also deepened the story; many of the characters struggle with things that were virtuous in their pagan background but are now forbidden. While I didn't always agree with the characters' conclusions, I did find these passages describing their difficulty insightful and thought-provoking. While I really enjoyed the story from about 1/4 in until the end, it did seem like the book was unsure of what its main plotline was for the first 1/4 or so. That seemed especially so in retrospect after I finished and the ends tied up so beautifully: I wished the beginning had set the stage a little more. Also, not having much prior Viking knowledge, I would have liked a brief historical note regarding Vikings & their culture prefacing the book - though a note regarding Gudrid is given at the end, which was nice. Overall, a wonderful introduction to a woman I never knew existed and to the Christianity of the 11th-century Vikings. I'd love to see the continuation of Gudrid's story! less

Download links for: God's Daughter

Advertising