Mr. Hunsinger brings to life his story of the Norse with all their struggle, fury and passion in this beautifully written tale. It is obvious that the author took great pains to depict an accurate portrayal of "Viking" life. Axe of Iron : The Settlers walks the reader through all aspects of life in ... more

Mr. Hunsinger brings to life his story of the Norse with all their struggle, fury and passion in this beautifully written tale. It is obvious that the author took great pains to depict an accurate portrayal of "Viking" life. Axe of Iron : The Settlers walks the reader through all aspects of life in intricate and fascinating detail-from sailing, fighting and weaponry to cooking, clothing and relationships. Mr. Hunsinger helps to illuminate a time and people of which relatively little is known for sure. But what really impressed me was the care in which Mr. Hunsinger portrayed Native Americans..that is ACCURATELY. I don't know if I've ever shared the fact that Native America is a topic near and dear to my heart, I'm fascinated with the culture. I'm not Native American myself but I am forever stupefied by the careless, offensive and stereotypical ways in which Native Americans are portrayed in all areas of the media. I was happy to see that in my (non-Native American) opinion the culture was treated with respect and grace. The author did not feed the cycle of ignorance. Thump, thump, thump (that's me climbing off my soapbox). There is so much I could share about this book, but this is Unadorned Book Reviews and my readers know I'm not one for spoilers. All I can say is how much I enjoyed Axe of Iron : The Settlers. I believe this is to be the first in an Axe of Iron series. I will definitely be watching for the release of the next book. I must however give a quick note to parents. This is not a children's or young adult book. While it is incredibly entertaining and quite educational it does speak openly about the sexual practices of the Norsemen. It also has a single but graphic "sex scene" and an instance involving rape. And of course being about "Vikings" it has graphic violence in the way of epic battles and tribal justice.