Item: Prophetic Dreams: A Curse or a Legacy
Author: Gina

Prophetic Dreams: A Curse or a Legacy by Alfreða Jonsdottir Book Review ~ Excerpt ~ $10 Gift Card

A book blog tour from Goddess Fish Promotions.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Marianne & Judy at Goddess Fish for providing me with the information for this tour.

Book Details

Prophetic Dreams: A Curse or a Legacy by Alfreða Jonsdottir | Book Review ~ Excerpt ~ $10 Gift Card ~ #IcelandicSaga

Prophetic Dreams: A Curse or a Legacy by Alfreða Jonsdottir
Published by Tellwell Talent on 11/18/2022
Genres: Fiction, Fantasy
Format: eBook, Paperback
Pages: 224

Gudrun Osvifsdottir, Prophetic Dreams' willful protagonist, is not only renowned for her beauty and intelligence, she is also thought to be the best catch in the district. Headstrong and spoiled by her adoring parents, she yearns for female friendship.

Growing up on a tenth-century farm in an isolated region in Iceland, she cannot understand why the few girls living in her district have persistently avoided her. On the other hand, all eligible males compete for her recognition.

Basking under their high-spirited attentiveness, she soon convinces herself that her peers ignore her because they are jealous of all the attention bestowed on her by the male population. This protective shield may guard her growing ego, but it soon sets her apart from the other females living in her area.

Pagan Icelanders believed dreams foretold the future. Haunted by nightmares, her parents enlist the nation's most famous seer to translate them for her. A melodramatic young girl, his interpretation soon stirs her emotions into a frenzy.

As foreshadowed, tragedies do occur. One death is even rumoured to be the result of black magic. Later, a misunderstanding and silent accusations create a slow pyroclastic flow of vengeance.

Will the stakes be too high for our protagonist? Will she lose the one man she admires and respects more than any other?

Source: Goddess Fish Promotions, Received from the author or publisher for review.

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Excerpt from Prophetic Dreams

He took her hands in his. “Gudrun, you will not exhaust your foes by constant revenge. Through prayer and with God’s help, your real enemy, revenge, will be slain.”

“Thorlak, it is you who doesn’t understand. I cannot move forward without my revenge accomplished. Vengeance is our way to protect our honour. It has always been our tradition!” She stiffened her back in defiance. “It will go forward as planned.”

Bowing his head, he kissed each hand. “Unfortunately, stubborn lady, if this is what you have to do, we cannot move forward together as planned.”

He turned and disappeared into the night. Gudrun stared at his retreating back in astonishment. She had just thrown away a future life with a man she thought was perfect for her. Stupefied by his withdrawal, she collapsed onto her knees with her hands over her face and sobbed with such pain. “Noooo, Thorlak! Nooo! Do not make me choose! Do not do this to me!”

Ina was in the pantry and had overheard their whole conversation. Not wanting to interfere, she remained where she was, but when she heard sobbing, she ran to her side. Not knowing what to do or say, she simply put her arm around Gudrun’s shoulders. How could she help this woman whose heart was obviously breaking in two?

Gudrun looked at her. “Ina, have I gone barking mad? My need for vengeance has lost me the best catch in all of Iceland. Surely you must understand that I have no choice but to carry through with my revenge. My honour, my family’s honour, demands it.”

Struggling with her inner torment, she did not notice that Ina remained quiet.

Excerpt provided by the author/publisher for use in this post.

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My thoughts on Prophetic Dreams

Prophetic Dreams by Alfreða Jonsdottir is a fictional re-telling of the Icelandic mythological Saga

The author seems to understand that a casual reader might struggle with some of the language and character names, so she thoughtfully provides a glossary and a cast list at the beginning of the book. I found this to be quite helpful to me.

I felt the flow of the book was slightly diminished by my constant flipping back to the references at the beginning but eventually I settled into the story.

I’m not familiar with the underlying myths and fables this story is derived from, but that didn’t keep me from enjoying this tale.

Gundrun makes an intriguing protagonist, at times exasperating, yet always entertaining I. Her strength of character. The settings are lavishly described making you feel like you are part of the scenes.

Alfreða Jonsdottir has written a beautiful tale bringing Icelandic mythology to life. Her story provides a wonderful basis for learning more about this unique period of time.

I recommend this story to readers with a penchant for understanding other cultures, especially one such as Iceland that promotes strong females and family relationships.

I received a digital copy of the book for the tour. This review is my honest, unbiased opinion.

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About Alfreða Jonsdottir

Alfreða Jonsdottir

Alfreda’s ancestry is 100% Icelandic. A resident of Calgary, she has one son who is married and two granddaughters. As an amma, Alfreda says her granddaughters are her biggest incentive to write.

She grew up in Lundar, an Icelandic community in the Interlake area of Manitoba. Her pioneer ancestors were drawn to the area for its free land and ample fishing opportunities.

To date, Alfreda has written three novels: Melkorka, The Thrall Princessa’s Saga, published in June 2019, The Viking Queen’s Legacy, released in November 2020 and in November 2022 Prophetic Dreams: A Curse or a Legacy.

Icelandic sagas were and continue to be her inspiration for writing. Laxdæla saga is her favorite, as it focuses on three empowered women who lived during the 9th to the mid 11th C and whose lives were honoured through the telling of their stories: Auður Ketilsdóttir set in the 9th C was an original settler, the Irish slave Melkorka set in the 10th C, and Guðrún Ósvífursdóttir set in the late 10th to the mid 11th C whose exploits begin to unravel Auður's dynastic dreams. Each woman is a different character, each story is unique, yet their stories remain as relevant today as they were 1000 years ago. From a female perspective not normally told, together they complete a tapestry of the Viking Age.

The attacks and pillaging are still there, but they are not the main focus. A common thread runs through each tale, a family connection that weaves their stories together.

Motivated to retell their adventures, Alfreda began writing fictionalized versions. Primarily to introduce these women to her granddaughters but also to anyone with an interest in Icelandic culture. She writes under the pseudonym Alfreða Jonsdottir.

Website | Goodreads | Amazon

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