Mar 5 (edited) • Reviews
Book Review: Out of the Northern Mists the Cimbri Appear by Jeff Hein
Part antiquity, part fictional adventure, part legacy
- TITLE: Out of the Northern Mists the Cimbri Appear
- Author: Jeff Hein
- Length: 364 Pages (Print)
REVIEW:
After finishing this book, the first thing that came to my mind was the author himself. I imagined Jeff Hein to be a meticulous note-taker, extensive researcher, treasure hunter, adventure seeker, and a storyteller extraordinaire.
I’ve always enjoyed reading history books and historical fiction. And I really appreciate when a writer can put me into his book through the realism he portrays in his settings, his facts, the prevailing issues at hand, natural disasters, yesteryear's geography, and the natural world as it would have appeared in his story.
Author Jeff Hein did this so well that I became an invisible companion following several of the characters of the book as they played their part in this story. They didn’t see me, but I saw them, felt their emotions, and understood their objectives and motivations.
Let me share a few snippets that helped me to do that:
In stunned silence, we all looked westward as a growing rumble filled the air. A thin dark line formed where the sea met the horizon and as the noise grew, so did that line until it disappeared behind the trees between us and the shore. There was a distant crash of sound accompanied by spectacular fountains of water splashing skyward as we all realized we were watching a monstrous wave impact the outer islands and banks. ~Page 2
The author put the fear in me with these words. In recent times, our world has experienced the destruction and death caused by a tsunami. And once, when visiting my family on the main island of Hawaii, I experience a tsunami alert. We rushed to the car and drove up the mountain road behind where my parents lived on the beach to gain a higher elevation. The characters in this book didn’t have that mode of transportation, the time, or the realization of what was about to rock their world in a way they could never recover from. But the well-written description made me a part of that cataclysmic event.
Another thing that makes a book a great read for me is when the writer depicts the mundane events of everyday life that complete the world of the characters he creates. I especially enjoy this in a historical fiction novel because it lends authenticity and I feel as though I’m a student of this culture.
The charcoal heaps were shallow pits in which oak logs were piled, covered with dried grass, and then capped with a layer of dirt to contain the heat. Air holes at the bottom of the mound and a chimney at the top allowed some airflow, but not enough to create flame. Once lit, the heap would smolder for weeks, slowly transforming the wood to charcoal… ~Page 65
In this story of exodus and migration into the territories occupied and ruled by powerful civilizations, we would naturally expect the political intrigue, bloody warfare, and personal loss depicted. But it’s the motivations and perspective of each of these factions that draw a reader into this story. Being a work of fiction, it’s the deep characterization and the premise of the ‘Heroe’s Journey that kept me reading.
I would expect that anyone who enjoys history, historical fiction, a coming of age story, a weakling to hero, and the portrayal of those who wield power both for good and evil will appreciate this book by author Jeff Hein.
- I thank author Jeff Hein for allowing me to review his work and for providing me with an ARC. The evaluations and opinions in this review are my personal views.
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Book Review: Out of the Northern Mists the Cimbri Appear by Jeff Hein
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