Set in medieval Norway, 'The Axe' in 'The Master of Hestviken' series by Sigrid Undset is a historical novel that delves into the customs and thinking of the time, offering an entertaining and gripping family saga. The story touches on questions of morality, change, religion, and the history of Norway, while keeping readers on edge with its well-researched backdrop of late thirteenth-century Norway. The plot revolves around the betrothal of two children who eventually marry under Roman Catholic Church law, facing various obstacles before uniting at the end.
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Has Romance?
The presence of romance is notable, but it is interwoven with various obstacles and moral challenges, providing a balanced exploration rather than a primary focus.
From The Publisher:
Set in thirteenth-century Norway, a land racked by political turmoil and bloody family vendettas, The Axe is the first volume in Sigrid Undset's epic tetralogy, The Master of Hestviken . In it we meet Olav Audunsson and Ingunn Steinfinnsdatter, who were betrothed as children and raised as brother and sister. Now, in the heedlessness of youth, they become lovers, unaware that their ardor will forge the first link in a chain of murder, exile, and disgrace.
Soaringly romantic and psychologically nuanced, Undset's novel is also a meticulous re-creation of a world split between pagan codes of retribution and the rigors of Christian piety-a world where law is a fragile new invention and manslaughter is so common that it's punishable by fine.
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