The Ring Of Dark Elves
Victoria Randall
(Reviewer - Colleen Helme)
2003 iUniverse
ISBN: 0595272355

An epic quest set in the savage, beautiful world of Norse legends.

Of romance, enchantment, adventure & treachery from which Richard Wagner created his magnificent operatic cycle; The Ring of the Nibelung.

In a vision the great God Odin saw a ring, glittering & bright, a thing of great beauty & danger. & the face of a mortal man, stern & beautiful, his fair hair blowing in the wind of battle as the fire-edged sword in his hand rose & fell. Thus Odin, lord of the Nine Worlds, saw Sigurd Dragonslayer for the first time.

Associate Reviewer Colleen Helme writes:

For fans of J. R. R. Tolkien & other fantasy novels, this new book by Victoria Randall is a great read. It begins with the forming of a ring of power by the dark elves & how the Norse God Odin gains it, only to lose it to his enemies.

So Odin, in his effort to regain the ring must find a hero who is unconstrained by the laws of gods or men. A man who is willing to regain the ring of his own free will, & thus overcome evil & win the glory. If this hero cannot do it & the dark elf succeeds in regaining the ring, Asgard & Middle-earth will fall.

The search for a worthy hero begins among the mighty Volsungs, the men favored by Odin. Through many twists & turns, a hero is born, but at the expense of both his parents. With the help of a Valkyrie, he is given a chance at life & soon becomes all he was meant to be. Amid this however, are great forces of evil who fight to deceive & mislead. Through no fault of his own, the hero is drawn into their wicked devices & nearly loses the ring.

The Ring Of Dark Elves is a well-written classic story of honor, love, treachery & betrayal. Those unfamiliar with these legends will get a better understanding of Norse Mythology along with a new perspective on the tale of The Ring & where it came from.
(02/15/04)

Colleen
2004©Colleen Helme
A RebeccasReads.Com Associate Reviewer

Reviewer's Bio:
I have been an avid reader “forever” & live in the Rocky Mountains with my husband & four children. In my spare time (when I'm not reading!) I do watercolor paintings, make music, & WRITE! My first fantasy novel, Child of the Flame, is being published this year by American Book Publishing.