Reiner Prochaska

Kirkus Review for Reiner's new novel from Europa Edizioni

Bergthora's Saga: A Heathen Revenge in a Christian Iceland

Prochaska's fantasy novel follows a widow who, having trained in magic, seeks revenge in early 11th-century Iceland...
The author's relaxed, concise prose masterfully compacts the epic narrative, covering decades without truncating or rushing the story... The characters' individual narrations ... memorably chronicle harrowing days of deception, religious struggles, and assorted magic. Thorough character development further refines this novel, especially in the cases of Bergthora, Kjartan, and, surprisingly, Helgi. The worthy final act culminates in a bizarre yet unforgettable ending.
A historically rich, vengeance-fueled tale.--
Kirkus Review

Midwest Book Review (February 2025 issue)

Bergthora's Saga: A Heathen Revenge in a Christian Iceland

Bergthora's Saga: A Heathen Revenge in a Christian Iceland is a powerful work of Icelandic fiction that traverses the history and culture of 1019. It presents a fiery, memorable protagonist in Bergthora Bjornsdóttir, who returns to her Iceland home to exact revenge for a childhood trauma.

This is not a novel for light reading. It spans some four centuries of Icelandic personalities and history, introduces a broad cast of other characters whose lives are affected by Bergthora’s choices, and encourages readers to think deeply about a wide range of topics, from Iceland’s link to other countries to how heathens become Christians.

Perspectives shift between characters, introducing a host of cultural and social observations to bring readers directly into the shifting worlds of Iceland, Greenland, and the rest of Europe as the decades unfold...

In shifting these perspectives regularly and over time, Reiner Prochaska creates a sweeping epic story that shines with not just one woman’s journey, but the concurrent experiences of characters both related and unrelated to her life.

The complexity of these experiences and changing times makes Bergthora's Saga of special interest to readers of historical fiction in general and those attracted to Icelandic experience in particular...

Vivid passages depicting social, political, and religious change are especially well done, promising to attract readers who may have little prior Icelandic history knowledge, but who enjoy epic sagas filled with memorable characters and understandable, hard-hitting passages of insight...

Libraries should consider Bergthora's Saga: A Heathen Revenge in a Christian Iceland a top literary work packed with thoroughly absorbing passages documenting how the characters in particular and Iceland as a whole evolved.

Book clubs seeking weighty, serious fictional stories about Iceland will find Bergthora's Saga: A Heathen Revenge in a Christian Iceland raises many discussion points, making it an exceptional acquisition holding universe-building prowess.

D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review/Editor, Donovan's Literary Services

Readers' Favorite Book Review's 5-Star Review

Bergthora's Saga: A Heathen Revenge in a Christian Iceland

Bergthora's Saga is an enthralling literary novel you'll want to read. Reiner Prochaska's artistic writing style expertly weaves an engaging and profound storyline. Even though the plot unfolds over four centuries, the story is neither hurried nor curtailed. Readers will get a clear picture of the lives of its main characters. Their unique perspectives will instantly draw you in. Prochaska masterfully blends themes of love, lust, revenge, religious conflict, magic, and betrayal into the storyline. Readers unfamiliar with Iceland's history will enjoy this well-written novel, with its captivating depictions of the country's social, political, and religious landscape during the 11th century and beyond. If you're searching for an intriguing historical fantasy teeming with enduring characters, this book is the perfect selection that meets this criteria.

Richard Prause, Readers' Favorite