The Relic by Tolv Walstad
What's It About?
Almost two decades ago, Rick Riordan’s The Lightning Thief created a worldwide phenomenon, rekindling an interest in mythology among readers around the world. Since then, the popularity of mythology-inspired media has shown no signs of cooling off. From Sony’s God of War video game series to Marvel’s investment in its Thor character (The Avengers, Disney+) and other myth-based properties (such as the recent Moon Knight series, which focuses on Egyptian myth) — well, let’s just say the trend has taken on mythic proportions.Almost two decades ago, Rick Riordan’s The Lightning Thief created a worldwide phenomenon, rekindling an interest in mythology among readers around the world. Since then, the popularity of mythology-inspired media has shown no signs of cooling off. From Sony’s God of War video game series to Marvel’s investment in its Thor character (The Avengers, Disney+) and other myth-based properties (such as the recent Moon Knight series, which focuses on Egyptian myth) — well, let’s just say the trend has taken on mythic proportions.
While all of these are unique experiences not to be missed, the wait between entries in these releases, which can be months — even years on occasion — can be excruciating. Thankfully, we have Tolv Walstad’s new, Norse-inspired novel, The Relic, to quench our thirst for epic, mythology-inspired storytelling.
This “Kriger & Vokter” series opener follows the story of young Tyr, a Kriger who is on the cusp of adulthood when his village is attacked by its longtime enemies, the Voktere. Determined to defend his people and rescue those who were taken hostage, Tyr embarks on a perilous journey upon which he will learn more about himself, his past and his destiny than he ever wanted to know.
WALSTAD’S STRONGSUIT IS WORLDBUILDING AND ATMOSPHERE
From the very first page, it is clear that Walstad’s strong suit is worldbuilding and atmosphere. From snowy vistas and haunting astral planes to cozy villages, each locale Tyr visits on his journey is beautifully rendered and brought to life.
“The night gave way to starlight. From the valley it shone, down the hills to where it reflected across the lake. The water danced with the hue of firelight cast from the braziers throughout the village of Kjarra,” writes Walstad, as he describes Tyr’s village in the midst of a festival. “Men and women formed in groups around each brazier. The braziers created a path throughout the village beginning at the lakeside and ending at the village gate.”
The beauty of the author’s writing is that each location Tyr ventures to feels as if it could be a real place. This is less in the sense that the Astral Plane is real, of course, but more in the way that senses and reactions are depicted. These are so believable that I was instantly able to understand how Tyr felt in each moment. I was not only drawn deeper into the story, but also felt deeply connected with Tyr in a way that’s seldom seen with other fantasy protagonists.
Just as Walstad can bring scenic moments to life, so can he perfectly capture the brutality, suddenness and unpredictability of combat. As expected, Tyr’s journey is not without its trials and hardships, and he must take up arms at multiple points throughout the story.
In particular, I really appreciated how Walstad captured the imperfection of combat. Much of the violence in fantasy is often greatly romanticized and stylized. Swords clash in perfect unison under the moonlight and honorable battles are fought by knights in shining armor. In The Relic, fights are brutal, dirty, swift and unpredictable. Swords break, shields shatter, combatants make mistakes and their opponents capitalize on them.
FIGHTS ARE BRUTAL. DIRTY, SWIFT AND UNPREDICTABLE
“Tyr rushed towards the outermost warrior. The warrior’s sword arced wide; Tyr slipped under the blade, letting the weapon slam against the branches on his arm and bringing his shield upward. The sword went wide and the shield slammed against his chin, throwing him backward. Tyr had been focused on the next warrior as his shield connected. His axe slammed against the sword, sending it wide. He brought his shield forward to block the next strike. Tyr got the bottom of the axe against the attacker’s arm and pulled the warrior to the ground, leaving a long gash where the axe connected.”
As this passage demonstrates, readers are privy to every breath, glance and movement the characters make. These kinetic, frantic action sequences provide an excellent contrast to the more poetic, descriptive moments mentioned earlier. All of these elements come together to make a more-than-worthy read for anyone interested in mythology or looking for a fix to tide them over until the next big release — which just might be the next book in Walstad’s “Kriger & Vokter” series.
