The Serpent Dreamer
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When Norse raiders slaughtered his family and abducted his sister, Corban Loosestrife set out on an odyssey that took him across half the world, from the Viking fortress of Jorvik to the wild and desolate shores of Vinland in the New World. Now Corban struggles to make a new life alone in this strange land amid bloody clashes between warring native clans.
Shunned for his pale skin and dark, coarse hair, Corban seeks shelter with the Wolf Clan discovering he is also feared for his strange powers to make fire and cut through the toughest skins with his magical blade. The healer of the tribe comes to love Corban, but will this be enough to defend him against the hatred of Miska, the tribeâs cunning chief?
When Corban has a vision he is compelled to follow, the world he has come to know is forever altered . . .
âThis compelling installment will satisfy fans of Holland's meaty Viking epic.â âBooklist
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âThe best historical novelist since Franceâs ZoÊ Oldenbourg still has the chopsâand TheSerpent Dreamer will not disappoint her many fans.â âKirkus Reviews
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Cecelia Holland was born in Henderson, Nevada, in 1943 and started writing at the age of twelve. Starting with The Firedrake in 1966, she has published twenty-one independent historical novels covering periods from the middle of the first millennium CE up through parts of the early twentieth century, and from Egypt, through Russia, central Europe, Scandinavia, Great Britain, and Ireland to the West Coast of the United States. Most recently, she has completed a series of five novels set in the world of the Vikings, covering a period of about fifty years during the tenth century and following the adventures of Corban Loosestrife and his descendants. The hallmark of her style is a vivid re-creation of time, place, and character, all true to known facts. She is highly regarded for her attention to detail, her insight into the characters she has researched and portrayed, and her battle scenes, which are vividly rendered and powerfully described. Holland has also published two nonfiction historical/biographic works, two childrenâs novels, a contemporary novel, and a science fiction novel, as well as a number of historical essays. Holland has three daughters. She lives in Fortuna, California, and, once a week, teaches a class in creative writing at Pelican Bay State Prison in Crescent City, California. Holland's personal website is www.thefiredrake.com.
