Blake Northcott

Norah’s Saga 4: The Prisoner
Review of the Allegiance Arts & Entertainment digital download edition (November 2021)

See image at https://scontent.fymy1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/270623140_4623853780996793_...
Cover design for the expected full graphic novel of Norah's Saga. Image sourced from Facebook.

This 4th episode sees our time travelling heroine, Norah Karlsson still in the world of the Vikings and on the road to capture the Song of the Fossegrim in order to return back to the present day. The journey become further complicated by the appearance of the trickster god Loki who sets up further challenges for Norah and her companions. Loki insists that no cheating or shortcuts be taken, and when an inadvertent aid appears for the trio, he insists on a penalty. Meanwhile, in the present day, the Men-In-Black and their archeologists have found a memorial with a runic marker indicating that it is Norah's gravestone. The saga continues...

Norah's Saga: The Prisoner (stylized as Nørah's Saga: The Prisoner) is the 4th episode of a planned 6-part series by Canadian fantasy / sci-fi writer Blake Northcott and artist Kelsey Shannon for the new Allegiance Arts & Entertainment comics & graphic novels imprint. Issues with the pandemic have delayed the installments, but the series is now expected to conclude by May 2022.

Trivia and Link
Canadian writer Northcott has had an increasingly successful profile in crowdfunded graphic novels and novels in recent years. Aside from her own recent independent projects such as The North Valley Grimoire (2018) and Everglade Angels (2019), she was also the writer for a run of Catwoman for DC Comics. Follow her work and see her list of publications here.… (mais)

Norah’s Saga 3: The Troll
Review of the Allegiance Arts & Entertainment digital download edition (November 2020)

Norah's Saga: The Troll (stylized as Nørah's Saga: The Troll) is the 3rd episode of a planned 6-part series by Canadian fantasy / sci-fi writer Blake Northcott and artist Kelsey Shannon for the new Allegiance Arts & Entertainment comics & graphic novels imprint. Episode One was crowdfunded as part of a Founder's Edition package with Bass Reeves and The Futurists, but the ongoing series is available in installments through Walmart stores (U.S. only I believe) and in digital downloads through the publisher’s online store. Issues with the pandemic have delayed the installments, but the series is now expected to conclude by May 2022.

See illustration at https://scontent.fymy1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/270623140_4623853780996793_...
Cover design for the expected full graphic novel of Norah's Saga. Image sourced from Facebook.

This 3rd episode sees our time travelling heroine, Norah Karlsson, setting out to capture the Song of the Fossegrim on her (still working, but with gradually decreasing battery power) smartphone in order to assist her travel back to her own present day time. With her allies Astrid and Nandor, she evades the warrior Vöslogs, a pit of quicksand and a monstrous troll but ends up stranded on a beach. The scene shifts to the present day, where the 'men in black' from Episode 1 have discovered Norah's purse in an unearthed ancient Viking hoard. The saga continues...

I was a bit disappointed that 7 pages of Episode 3 was taken up by a promo for a standard 'Soldiers & Sorcery' comic "The Saints" by the same publisher.

Trivia and Link
Canadian writer Northcott has had an increasingly successful profile in crowdfunded graphic novels and novels in recent years. Aside from her own recent independent projects such as The North Valley Grimoire (2018) and Everglade Angels (2019), she was also the writer for a run of Catwoman for DC Comics. Follow her work and see her list of publications here.… (mais)

The book was an easy read. The characters were not well developed. You had to assume what type of characters they were based on their actions. But the actions were inconsistent. There were a lot of editing errors which made it difficult to read the book.

I found it strange that the first chapter was a total disconnect with the rest of the story. It happens a year or 2 into the future. And the book ends abruptly. It was like only part of the story was written. So maybe the first chapter will be explained in a future book that I will not read.… (mais)

Norah’s Saga 2: The Witch
Review of the Allegiance Arts & Entertainment digital download edition (July 2020)

Norah's Saga: The Witch (stylized as Nørah's Saga: The Witch) is the 2nd episode of a planned 6-part series by Canadian fantasy / sci-fi writer Blake Northcott for the new Allegiance Arts & Entertainment comics & graphic novels imprint. Episode One was crowdfunded as part of a Founder's Edition package with Bass Reeves and The Futurists, but the series will now be also available in bi-monthly installments through Walmart stores (U.S. only I believe) and in digital downloads through the publisher’s online store.

This 2nd episode sees our time travelling heroine, Norah Karlsson, taken back to the Viking village (which we discover is in Vinland, i.e. present day Newfoundland, Canada) where she is initially believed to be a witch due to her having defeated a wolf in the 1st episode with a can of pepper spray. The Vikings are also puzzled by the voices coming out of Norah’s smartphone and they ask her about who is the tiny prisoner trapped in her magic mirror. Due to her wearing of a Thor’s Hammer necklace she is able to convince the Vikings of her pure intentions.

The Vikings are meanwhile attacked by a rival enemy tribe called the Vöslogs and have their sacred Sword of Ulfberht stolen. Norah meets the ancient female mage of the tribe who tells her about another time travelling visitor who has since disappeared. Norah obtains companions from the tribe to help on her quest to find her way back to her own time. The adventure continues.

Trivia and Link
Canadian writer Northcott has had an increasingly successful profile in crowdfunded graphic novels and novels in recent years. Aside from her own recent independent projects such as The North Valley Grimoire (2018) and Everglade Angels (2019), she is also the writer for a current run of Catwoman for DC Comics. Follow her work and see her list of publications here.… (mais)