The Appeal of Vikings, and Launch of ‘Vex’

Everyone loves Vikings, this is a Universal Truth and Science Fact. The hairy, axe-wielding ones have long been the subject of books, films, music and myriad other art forms. We have 13th century dude Snorri Sturluson partly to thank as he very kindly wrote down many of the sagas and myths for us, these have been adapted, added to, chopped up, and mashed up in a gajillion forms. And for a good reason: Vikings are cool. 

Comic books and Hollywood have recently taken some of the myths and gods and repurposed them into dodgy films (IMHO) and ‘superhero’ characters. Who doesn’t like a dude in a magic suit and a powerful hammer? Huh, ladies?

Coming from the Frozen North, these hairy beasts rampaged across Scandinavia, UK and Europe marking themselves indelibly into the gene pool that runs wide even to this day. It’s because of their bombastic history and rich mythology that I (as Alex Scowen) decided to write the first of which will be a series of ‘Modern Viking Sagas.’

I’m taking familiar names and themes and modernising them; not just the language, but also narrative style and format. These are on the longer end of short stories, the first, ‘Vex’ being just over 7k words. It’s a nice length as you get value for money, and can read it in a single sitting such as a lunch break or on a commute. It’s a shame many publications cap short stories at around 3-4k these days, I find that often it’s not enough to really dig into a story.

About Vex

Viking warrior and rebel Vex saw too much. The elders said her mother was sacrificed to appease the gods, but she never believed in the gods and her mother’s screams still haunt her. It’s time to exact her bloody revenge. Her journey is filled with myths, monsters and life shattering consequences.

What will Vex find in the forbidden forest and the abandoned cave from where her Mother’s pleas come from? Will she survive the journey?

Vex, by Alex Scowen, is part of a fantasy series of modern Viking sagas, inspired by the originals written by Snorri Sturluson in the 13th century.

Testimonial:

“Vex is a heroine I totally identified with: she questions everything and rebels against everyone, and then she kicks some ass and spills some blood. I’d recommend never breaking a Viking’s heart after reading this” — Anne Michaud, writer and reader.

Buy now

Vex is available for just $.99  (or your country’s equivalent)

Amazon UK  ~ Amazon US ~ Smashwords (for ePub and PDF)