Bestemt en interessant bog, hvor man lærer meget om hverdagslivet og krigsudvikling i middelalderens norden, men for undertegnede var den noget svær at komme igennem. Den er velskrevet men mangler en rød tråd der får læseren til at hænge ved og have den nødvendige nygerrighed efter at vide hvad der videre sker. Guillou vinder dog det meste tilbage på de sidste hunderede sider, hvor magtkampe, intrigerer og krig atter bliver bogens hovedsubstands og efterlader læseren med et ønske om at få mere.

Excellent on historical detail and settings, and fascinating in the description of all things in the 12th century. However, very slow paced, and plot tropes appear again and again, such that even late in the third book there is yet another occasion where someone underestimates Arn's combat prowess, now for the umpteenth time, and is slain in surprise. So I loved it for the detailed and richly imagined world the characters inhabit, but the story itself was slow and quite predictable in many ways. I wanted to love it more than I did.