Legend of the Last Vikings - Taklamakan

by John Halsted
Finished on December 21st 2004
Rated by JohnH:

I actually researched and wrote this book so please forgive me for a bit of self promotion but I am a struggling first-time author....... On completion and eventual publication I entered the book into the ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Awards and surprised myself by becoing a finalist. I didnt win tho'. Here are a few reviews written by people who have read the book followed by a synopsis: 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 An adventure which skilfully combines history and fiction into a page-turner. A wonderful story. David Lighterness 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? A beautifully bound 511 page hardback with historical companion and maps (www.VikingLegend.com)