Bones and Keeps

By: Dena Bain Taylor

Narrated by: Dena Bain Taylor

The year is 542 and the great king Beowulf is midway in life between slaying the monster Grendel and his fatal battle with a dragon. He rules his kingdom on the west coast of Sweden wisely and gives rich gifts to his thanes, defends his keep and fills it with treasure.

But then his sister Skuld, the most powerful witch-queen of the Gautar people, pronounces his doom, just as a foreign woman arrives from the far south, escaping an Alexandria gripped in the plague that is destroying the Byzantine Empire.

Suddenly Beowulf is propelled into a battle for his life and kingdom, and into the wars of the gods where acts of love and betrayal shape the destiny of the worlds. Meticulously researched, the historical fantasy of Bones and Keeps immerses the listener in a time when gods and monsters walk the living world, when survival depends on the strength of a king’s arm, and the inscrutable forces of weird threaten the fall of gods and humanity alike.

©2020 Dena Bain Taylor (P)2023 Dena Bain Taylor

An entertaining and educational story

I thoroughly enjoyed the story and really appreciated the afterward setting the story in its historical and legendary place. It’s an entertaining and educational story filled with Norse legends and customs. Definitely worth reading/listening.
My only criticism, such as it is, has to do with the narration itself. While the author does a fine job with the narration and women’s voices (I especially liked Fekla), the men’s voices at times were somewhat stereotypical and lacked emotional dynamics. This was particularly evident with Beowulf’s voice which was so gruff that he always seemed to be angry and loud even when the scene called for reflection or tenderness. I considered whether or not that was intentional given the warrior class of these men but it did make them seem a bit one-dimensional. However, that was my only concern and it did not prevent me from enjoying the story.