A Remnant Book Review…

Saint Magnus, The Last Viking

by Susan Peek

Review by James Fitzhenry

(Author of

El Cid, God’s Own Champion

and

St. Fernando III, A Kingdom for Christ)

And

"In many chapels, reddened by the setting sun, the saints rest silently, waiting for someone to love them."

"These words, penned by an unknown priest, long dead, were the inspiration for this series on the lives of saints who have fallen deep into the shadows of obscurity. My hope is that, in reading their heroic stories, you will make the acquaintance of some of God's Forgotten Friends." – Susan Peek

Andso begins the saga of the Viking prince St. Magnus, a saint so little known in this country that most of us have never heard of him. On

April 18

th

exactly 900 years ago, on an insignificant spot in the Orkney Isles, north of Scotland, this saint gave his soul

to God.

Saint Magnus, The Last Viking,

is a new novel penned by popular Catholic author Susan Peek, whose previous works include

A Soldier Surrenders,

a story about the conversion of St. Camillus, and

Crusader King

, a novel about King Baldwin IV, the leper king of Jerusalem, published by TAN books. Both of these titles can be found in the libraries of thousands of Catholic families throughout the world. Like her previous works, this book is a fascinating story of adventure and sanctification, and is intended to be the first in a series of books about God's Forgotten Friends: Lives of Little-known Saints.

The story of Saint Magnus takes place in the Orkney Islands in the 11th century. The tale is an epic struggle between the heroic Prince Magnus, a young Viking Jarl burning with the love of God, and his cousin Hakon, who is completely self-centered and consumed with jealousy and envy. Hakon is the epitome of the spoiled child enslaved by his own passions. When faced with the judgment of the council for his malicious deeds, he refuses to take responsibility for his own actions and lays the blame for his banishment on Magnus. These faults set the course for the remainder of both Hakon's and Magnus' lives.

Battles, treachery, heroism and miracles follow, but through it all is a message of forgiveness that brings Magnus ever closer to his Divine Savior, until his final victory in which he is irrevocably united to his Crucified Lord. His official feast day is celebrated by the Church on April 16

th

.

Susan Peek’s heroes are so saintly and yet so human. We see the struggles that they face reflected to different degrees within our own lives, and for this reason it is easy to relate to her characters. Her writing style is informal and engaging, which easily captivates young adults. She takes us back in time to another place, yet successfully portrays her characters as real people living in real circumstances. Her narrative is exciting, intense, and stirring from the very beginning to the emotionally packed conclusion. The lessons we can learn from Magnus, whose name means "Great One" in Latin, are just as timely now as they were then. This is a compelling and thought-provoking tale that provides an excellent example of Catholic moral virtues for all who read it.

Entertaining and inspiring from start-to-finish, a must-read for all those who will thrill to learn the life of a saint we never knew existed! This book is primarily for young adults, especially boys, as it is written in a style that appeals to young men. v

Published in February of 2014

by Catholic Vitality Publications, this paperback book is 248 pages in length and is available online at www.roman-catholic-saints.com and at www.

amazon.com for $17.95 US (plus shipping). It is also available as an e-book online at www.

roman-catholic-saints.com for $8.95. This book is suitable for ages 15 and up.