Vinland Saga Omnibus, Vol. 12

[cornerofmadness]

Vinland Saga Omnibus, Vol. 12 by Makoto Yukimura

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Sigurd and Thorfinn have returned to Iceland (separately) to confront Halfdan and tie up all the dangling threads before we get to what I'm hoping is the end game: the trip to Vinland. A few years are time jumped here with Thorfinn getting a family life I didn't expect because there was not a great set up on the whole romance thing.

Recruiting people to his cause isn't going as well as Thorfinn would like. While there are plenty would are lured in by the promise of plenty of farm land away from war, most don't want to give up their weapons to go which is a prereq for Thorfinn to allow them on the boat. I get his premise. He wants to trade peacefully with anyone they might encounter there so they don't need weapons. Problem is humans don't work that way.

It's hard to imagine making this choice, going to a new country and leaving your family behind probably forever. So many have made that choice. My own grandparents but this is a thousand years more or less before my relatives gave it a shot.

As I said in the beginning I hope we're in the end game and the series is wrapping up. As much as I like Thorfinn as a character this series has hit some serious doldrums a time or two like with farmer/slave Thorfinn. We're right back there. Even though this is the end point of the whole thing for Thorfinn, it's not tremendously interesting or action packed.



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Comments

[suzume]

I felt the same way about Thorfinn suddenly having a family life as you did! ("Huh?? Where'd this come from?") I felt kind of ripped off that I was 'promised' some Middle Eastern action and then denied it. (I bought into the idea that they'd spend at least one book on it)

As I read on, I figured, if I wanted it, I would have to write it myself. :|

[cornerofmadness]

No kidding! I knew she liked him but as far as I could tell Thorfinn was completely indifferent to her. I didn't even like her character. I wondered if the scarred woman (whose name is escaping me) would grow into his love interest but apparently she's not going to grow at all. sigh.

I missed that there was meant to be stuff in the Middle East. I'm rather bored at this point. I'm like okay fine let's get them to Canada and see what happens then (nothing good)

[suzume]

Same! Re the scarred woman: I think her name is Hild. Yeah, I guess, that's how she's going to be.

And, oh, man, those guys bringing all the weapons secretly with them are inevitably going to be up to no good.

[cornerofmadness]

Yes Hild, that's it. I'm very disappointed we're not getting more out of her. I mean you've dogged him for a couple of years now, give it up.

Yes those guys but I was thinking if they're talking Canada (vs Greenland which is pretty useless) which I think they are, it's already claimed and it would be interesting to know for sure did the Norsemen make it there and what happened. It seems like they would have been blended into the Indigenous communities

[suzume]

Well, haven't we already seen Greenland in this manga? (maybe? I guess I can't remember for sure) Thorfinn is definitely interested in Vinland (a.k.a. Canada). Hmm, hmm, hmm.

[cornerofmadness]

I think so. I'm like is this Greenland or Iceland we're in. I'm 90% sure Vinland is Canada

[suzume]

Well, historically (the eastern-most coast of) Canada was Vinland.

[cornerofmadness]

true