Fargoer Series by Petteri Hannila with Author Bio

 

We welcome you to step into the dark northern forest. A place where no plow had touched the ground this far in the wilderness. Where the tall shapes of Viking ships struck terror and awe everywhere they set their sails. This was the age of dreams and legends, of powers now long forgotten. Tales carried by whispers in the cold wind in this dark land.

Vierra is a young woman among the Kainu people, a tribe of age-old traditions and ways. Hers is the grim and solitary existence of a woman cursed with greatness and destiny. Can she break her path painted in stone and find a place for herself in her tribe and in her turmoil-filled world? Or will she become 'the Fargoer?'

5 Stars, 1 Flame 


I really enjoyed reading these stories. They are like watching a sitcom with a major problem solved within the episode, but you need to stay tuned because something else will happen in the next episode. Which is pretty amazing because Petteri Hannila is able to convey this rich, vibrant world in under a 100 pages.  Even though they are short stories, it feels as if you've read a full novel. I'm very glad Petteri contacted me for review, because I probably would have passed on reading the series if I saw the page counts. The Fargoer Series is a historical fantasy with a blend of factual and historical elements. An engaging tale that begins with a young girl, Vierra, preparing for the rite of passage to become a woman of the Kainu tribe. Also going through the rites is her cousin, Aure. Both of them are candidates to assume the role of chief when Aure's mother, the current chief, passes away. The Mother, wise woman of the Kainu tribe, will decide their fates, choosing one of them as heir.

Book 2, Autumn Flames 

Begins with the chieftain ill and dying. Vierra is considered an oddity within the tribe, for she refuses to take a man as husband. Many of the women of the Kainu tribe take more than one husband, so Vierra's refusing offers of marriage is strange and disconcerting. With the drums of healing going all day and night, Vierra escapes to the woods to hunt and find peace. That peace is shattered when a strange, injured man stumbles his way toward her camp. What follows is a lesson in the consequences of her actions and the decisions facing her because of them.

Book 3, Of Fire and Stone

The Fire Festival has begun, the time when the sun is at its highest point and starts the slow descent toward the winter darkness. A foreshadowing of the darkness about to enter Vierra's life and the challenges she must overcome. I will not say more on this book or book 4, The Roots of Evil because I would have to divulge spoilers, and I don't like doing that. Suffice it to say, books 3&4 are excellent, but I can't say why! 


As I said, at first glance this series may not wow you, but I promise, once you read this series, you will thank me for recommending Fargoer to you! The introduction to the world of Fargoer is The Birth of Kainu and is available for free on smashwords.com (click here.) Fargoer is originally written in Finnish, with eight short stories/novelettes currently finished, and four of them published in English. There will be a Print-on-Demand available after the first eight novelettes have been finished in English. As of October 15, 2012, book 6, Bloodsilver, has been released and is on my TBR list.

Petteri and Miika Hannila are pioneers in this field in Finland, because the eBook publishing there is at a very early stage and still not a viable option for those who don't know or aren't willing to learn the system, distribution and ways to make things happen in the digital world. The Fargoer books are currently available in U.S and Europe from most eBook sellers (Apple, Amazon, Kobo, Smashwords among others). You will find more information about the short stories www.fargoer.com and www.facebook.com/fargoerbook.

Petteri Hannila Bio:

I am a writer from Central Finland, a software designer by day and a dad/husband/dreamer/martial artist by evening.

It all started when I was eight. I found out that there were books of Tarzan, my favourite hero.
My mother started to read them to me, but she censored them (all of you who have read them know why). Annoyed of this, I started to read them on my own. Dreams and legends have followed me from that time, as my companions on my voyage through life.

Since then I have always thought of becoming a writer, but somehow it just didn't happen for a long long time. There was always something more important to do. Until, finally I understood it would never happen if I just didn't start, and so I did.

From the days of Tarzan, exciting adventures and fantasies set in the past and in the future have been my interest. For me then, it was a natural thing to start writing science fiction and fantasy. Few of my short stories have been published in Finnish genre magazines, but fairly quickly I gravitated towards the Fargoer -project. You could say Vierra has been my love interest for some years now, and I don't see it stopping any time soon.

So the dream to become a writer, almost 30 years after Tarzan's first adventures, is on it's way to becoming a reality. At least, with the help of my brother, I am going to give my damned best to try. 

Petteri and Miika Hannila are pioneers in this field in Finland, because the eBook publishing there is at a very early stage and still not a viable option for those who don't know or aren't willing to learn the system, distribution and ways to make things happen in the digital world. The Fargoer books are currently available in U.S and Europe from most eBook sellers (Apple, Amazon, Kobo, Smashwords, among others). You will find more information about the short stories at www.fargoer.com and www.facebook.com/fargoerbook. You can also purchase a subscription to the series at leanpub.com/fargoer. You will receive updates whenever the author publishes a new story, and by the end you will have all the stories but pay only once. Happy Reading!