Berserker by Emmy Laybourne | Review

Publisher: Feiwel Friends
Release Date: October 10, 2017 (out now!)
Source of my copy: publisher
Series: Berserker #1
My rating: 

Synopsis
Are Hanne's powers a gift from the old Norse gods, or a curse?

Her brother Stieg swears their powers are a gift from the old gods, but Hanne Hemstad knows she is truly cursed. It's not Stieg's fault that their father is dead, their mother has left, and their brother Knut has been accused of a crime he didn't commit.

No, the fault lies with Hanne and her inability to control her murderous "gift"—she is a Berserker. When someone she loves is threatened, she flies into a killing state. The siblings must leave Norway for the American frontier or risk being brought to justice. 

Aided by a young cowboy who agrees to be their guide, Hanne and her siblings use their powers to survive the perilous trail, where blizzards, wild animals, and vicious bounty hunters await.

Will they be able to reach their uncle, the one man Hanne believes may be able to teach her how to control her drive to kill? With Berserker, Emmy Laybourne, the author of Monument 14, presents her vision of an American west studded with Viking glory.

I really liked Berserker, my first book by Emmy Laybourne. Uniquely set in the late-1800s in the midwest of America and interwoven with a Norwegian myth of six powers granted to the Vikings, I was intrigued from start to finish. The characters were also real and unique, immersing me in their world and bringing me along on all of their adventures. I am already looking forward to reading the sequel, Ransacker.

I loved how vivid the setting and world-building were, from the descriptions on the landscape and the developing towns to the minute details of setting traps for hunting and corralling cattle and horses. The copy I had included an interview of the author, and there she discloses her childhood love of the Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder and the amount of research she did to develop the setting of Berserker. Her knowledge and interest shined through in the pages of her novel, and I admired how subtle she weaved all of the facts into the plotline. There were also some parts of the novel set in Norway, and I found the element refreshing and interesting. While reading Berserker, I thought that the Norwegian myth of the Nytteson, the people who inherited one of the six powers from their forefathers, was real, but I was surprised that Ms. Laybourne created it herself for her novel. I liked that she did not rush in explaining the Nytteson, the details of their abilities given throughout the course of the plot, and how overall unique and creative it was.

The characters in Berserker were authentic and true-to-life. I liked that the main characters, Hanne, the heroine, her siblings, and Owen, the hero, each had their flaws and shortcomings, but these imperfections didn't take away from their overall likeableness. Hanne was stubborn, disciplined, and intelligent, and I saw a bit of myself in her. Although there were times when I wanted to shake her for her stubbornness, I admired her for her strength and rooted for her all throughout the novel. I also liked Owen. Kind, honest, and patient, he balanced Hanne's edges with his soft heart. I was glad to learn his story through parts of the novel focused on him, and I look forward to seeing how he grows in the second book. Hanne's siblings were there own characters as well: Steig, the oldest, was the optimist who kept everyone together; Knut, Hanne's younger brother, was the biggest sweetheart; and Sissel, the youngest, was...okay when she wasn't complaining, which was 90% of the time. I liked the dynamics between the four of them, reminding me of my own siblings. Even the antagonists were complex and believable. All the characters in Berserker made me feel as if I was experiencing everything with them. I loved how real they were.

If you're looking for an adventurous, fantastical YA read, then Berserker may just be for you. Original, suspenseful, and vivid, it is a novel that will grab your attention from the first page. I need to check out Ms. Laybourne's other novels for more of the excitement she delivered in Berserker. What do you all recommend? For those who have read Berserker, what were your thoughts? Leave them down in the comments!