A reluctant hero with a tortured past, a willing mentor who knows more than he shows, and a host of fearsome adversaries all come together in the new novel, “Legacy of the Bear.” Set during Scandinavia’s Viking Age, it chronicles Autar Magnusson’s quest to face a large and ferocious bear on his journey to become a renowned warrior.
But what does this have to do with indoor tanning? Well, the exciting and fast-paced story was written by John “Ribby” Ribner, Head Writer at ist Magazine.
“While I’ve always wanted to write the ‘Great American novel’ like James Steinbeck or Ernest Hemingway, Norse folklore and the Viking Age are my real literary loves,” said John. “It all started when I was in elementary school – I found a book about Norse mythology in the library and checked it out on a whim because I liked the artwork on the cover. As I began reading, I was spellbound by the tales of Norse gods – Odin and Thor, in particular – and their battles against the giants. I was hooked!”
After reading that book, John says his life was filled with reading anything he could about the Vikings, from their gods and style of warfare to their day-to-day lives. Much of this detail appears in the pages of his novel, though not so much as to make the story dull or academic. “This is not a historical novel,” he said. “It’s a mythic hero’s journey with many elements of epic fantasy woven in. Even Odin, himself, makes a brief yet significant appearance; but I won’t give everything away!”
“Legacy of the Bear” is the tale of Autar Magnusson, a young man from the fictional village of Northwater, somewhere along the Scandinavian coast. “He’s the quintessential reluctant hero,” John explained. “His late father, Magnus, was a legendary warrior who died a hero’s death; but rather than live up to that reputation, Autar tries to live it down. When circumstances are set into motion by insidious forces within the village, he’s compelled to put his troubled relationship with his father and his fears aside and become a warrior. To do this, he’ll have to slay a bear with only a spear and his axe. To go from a boy who’s never lifted a sword in battle to a man ready to take on a full-grown bear is quite a journey, but Autar has someone very powerful looking out for him.”
After a few introductory chapters that establish Autar’s character and the violent world he lives in, the novel’s focus is Autar’s quest and the personal growth he achieves along the way. And things don’t culminate with his battle with the bear – there is plenty of action from start to finish. And when it comes to details, Ribner doesn’t seem to burden the reader with too many; instead, he gives just enough to create imagery of the various settings – the village, the wilderness and the bear’s cave, which is littered with the bones of many human victims. “I could spend three pages describing a forest, but most people already know what one looks like,” Ribner commented. “Besides, the forest I describe could never be as wondrous as those my readers envision, so I provide enough detail to get them there … the rest is up to them.”
For those who’ve read “Ribby’s” articles in ist Magazine each month, this offering will certainly be a change. That said, it’s certainly an enjoyable one … and his preview chapter of the second book in the “Berserker’s Saga” series promises more of the same action and adventure! “Legacy of the Bear” is available in e-book format for the Kindle and Nook TabletTM, and a printed version is also available on Amazon.com.
