Thorgal Book 14: Giants

Thorgal Book 14: Giants, by Jean Van Hamme & Grzegorz Rosinski, Cinebook

FROM THEIR island home, those tyrants of the sea Shaigan and Kriss enjoy the fruits of thir ill-gotten labours; and when one of their Viking captains sails home with gold, fresh slaves to sell to the east, and a prince who can be ransomed it appears to be a profitable day for the pirates. Until Prince Galathorn sees Shaigan and exclaims one single word “Thorgal”.

Naturally this infuriates Kriss because the last thing she wants is for her lover to realise his memory is lost and that Shaigan is a name she invented for Thorgal Aegirsson, and his memories are lies she has fed him. But the doubt is cast, and slowly, Thorgal’s presence of mind surfaces causing Kriss to believe if for once she is honest and says she did it all for the love of him it will make her wrongs right.

It doesn’t. And when love fails, Kriss’ natural instincts are for her own survival, not Thorgal’s. And even with Prince Galathorn to help him it seems not enough, and his fate lies with the gods...

Standing atop the castle’s highest tower, storms gathering in the dark night, Thorgal cries out, and lightning strikes. From the blood and thunder of dark misdeeds by Viking berserkers to the garden of Asgard, and a valkyrie ordered to wait there by the goddesss Frigg, Thorgal becomes a transported warrior sent on a quest: to the land of the giants where he must recover the magic ring Draupnir.

A surrealistic comedy, shaded fairy tale adventure, and touching declaration of humanity all ensue before Thorgal returns to the land of middle earths. That it achieves this in 48 pages and never once does it feel too much of a mixing of genres or aspects given short shrift is par for the course with such excellent storytellers as Van Hamme and Rosinski; that Thorgal escapes victorious and sails in search of his lost wife and children, a reason for readers to cheers and look forward to the next instalment in this saga.

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