Review: Eaters of the Dead

5 stars. I read this and loved it in college, but it was so, so, so great to revisit it after leaning into my Viking interests over the last few years. The things I didn't recognize then I can place and frame contextually/historically now, which added a whole layer of stunning genius I couldn't pick up on before. Michael Crichton isn't a perfect author, and some of his older stuff especially leans a tad problematic, but this one is really, really, so, so good. 

It's about Ibn Fadlan, an Arab ambassador who winds up accompanying a group of Northmen (Vikings) on an epic quest to rid their land of a terrifying evil. The narrative is told in the form of a sort of anthropological manuscript; Ibn Fadlan's observations about the Vikings and their culture, based on his truly immersive experiences. He is critical, curious, and very sharp, and breathes new life into a tale that's so well known and widely studied.

I have to say that it was super refreshing, after dealing with a bit of a reading slump recently, to read such a well-plotted, well-paced, well-written story. It's based on, of course, the OG story, so we've had thousands of years to edit and carve out the best, juiciest narrative. Still - this is a brilliant version. Great for regular readers of horror, fantasy, even historical fiction; great for fans of Vikings, epics, and monsters. 

Eaters of the Dead on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads