Vinland the Beginning

The Viking Age is in its final century. The gods are fading, as the old world shifts to a new belief. And the Vikings' sights shift to new lands, to the west.

Thorfinn Karlsefni, an Icelandic merchant ship owner, has invested heavily in an Atlantic crossing to Vinland. He hopes to establish a permanent presence there and to harvest its resources, to trade with Europe and expand Norse influence.

Adam of Bremen, a monk whose presence Thorfinn is suffering at the behest of his King, is seeking Ari Marrson in the new world. A supplanted and tyrannical leader of a renegade Culdee monastic order. Ari uses holy relics to control the population and take what and who he wants.

Thorfinn’s wife, Gudrid, returns to the land that took the life of her first husband–Eirik the Red’s son–Thorvald Eiriksson. A band of allegiant explorers return with her, ready to continue where they left off twenty years earlier. At Thorvald Eiriksson’s grave site: Kjalarness on Markland. Where a map to a lost city is buried with him.

Vinland the Beginning is an exciting, multi-layered story of adventure, history, religion, greed and the search for treasure. Though fictional, the story is filled with historical information giving it a truthful flavor.

All the characters are well-drawn and believable enriching the wonderful story as created by R.G. Johnston. The dialogue sounds natural for the time period and setting and it keeps the plot moving and gives the reader insight into the characters.

The author has a unique voice and done a wonderful job of balancing and weaving the action, narration and dialogue into a story that captures the reader from the beginning.

. . . This is a beautifully written story.

From the Writer’s Digest 16^th Annual International Self-Published Book Awards Commentary Sheet.

Vinland the Beginning is an exciting and provocative work…his action sequences are terrific and might leave you forgetting to breath.

His vision as a novelist is experimental and daring.

Darrell Squires, CBC Radio

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