Catan 

Catan: The Order of the Ravens

• Author: Klaus Teuber
• Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
• Amazon affiliate link:  Catan – https://amzn.to/421Dug5   
• Amazon affiliate link:  Catan: Order of the Ravens – https://amzn.to/4nepXKN 
• Read ARC provided by publisher

So I was sent an ARC (advance reader copy) of the second book in the Catan series, written by the same man who designed the boardgames, Klaus Teuber.  It didn’t make much sense to talk the second book without also talking about the first, so you get a two-fer here.

Says the Publisher about the first book, Catan:

Written by the award-winning creator of the global board game sensation, Catan is a new adventure perfect for longtime fans and new readers alike.

Norway, 860.

Half-brothers Thorolf, Yngvi, and Digur have conspired to help Asla–daughter of Halldor, a powerful Viking chieftain–to escape her father’s oppressive rule. However, when they are discovered the chieftain’s revenge is swift and mighty. Pillaging his way through the realms of his daughter’s liberators, Halldor banishes his kin and has the brothers driven from their land.

Left with no other choice, the three brothers–together with family and their allies–depart their home, sailing for new shores and, after a treacherous voyage, finally reach their destination: Catan, Land of the Sun.

But new challenges await on this island, and new discoveries must be made if they are to survive. Will the brothers be able to stand together and offer a better future for all the settlers, or will this new mission divide them even more …

In the second book, which will release on October 7 – From the award-winning creator of the global board game sensation, Catan: Order of the Ravens picks up eighteen years later, continuing the riveting tale of family, love, and the bitter struggle for power.

Returning to Catan, Island of the Sun, we find Thorolf ruling with an iron fist as unrest grows among the unfree. Forming the secret Order of the Ravens, they fight to reclaim their futures. When Jora, Thorolf’s headstrong daughter, joins their cause, Thorolf must choose between his power and his family.

Asla, Yvngi, and Digur face individual challenges, and as the communities on the island swell and change, their founders must change with them–or be left behind.

Honoring the legacy of Klaus Teuber, Catan: The Order of the Ravens is a brilliant continuation of a captivating saga

So, as you can see, the books tell the story of the initial settlement of the island of Catan.  The story is surprisingly well crafted, and it gives you a glimpse into the life of multiple different characters.   The first book is quite long, a bit over 500 pages, so it’ll likely take you a few reading sessions to get through it all.

Though I’m trying to avoid spoilers – I did think it was interesting that there really isn’t much in the story that directly points to the board game. It takes a fair bit of the book before anyone even settles on the island, and there are no passages where someone finds a sheep, a wood, a brick and a wheat stalk and then makes a house out of it.   So if you’re looking for a LitRPG type of book, this isn’t going to do it for you.   These books are more of a tale set in the world of Catan – an interesting hybrid between historical fiction and fantasy.  You won’t be surprised when certain characters end up trading some wheat for some ore – but it’s really more the exception than the focus of the book.

The main characters are all Nordic of some form, and the novel starts in the 9th Century.   The  historical setting feels quite authentic at the start, with a lot of detail put into the daily life and polytheistic beliefs of their culture.  History books tell me that Christianity was introduced somewhere between the 8th and 12th Centuries to the Scandinavian area, and this is also reflected in the book.  As the story progresses, it moves a bit more into an alternate history with a much more egalitarian society – with a slightly advanced timeline for increased women’s rights as well as how the new society deals with slaves.  The book feels a bit preachy on both of these points, so be forewarned about that.

As I mentioned, the story feels well crafted, but the writing is quite variable.  I’m not sure what German literature is like (mostly because I don’t read nor speak German) – but much of the prose is very utilitarian.  Subject verb predicate – not many adjectives at times.  Now, of course, some of this could be due to the translation of the books.  Or, it could just be that the very straightforward German speech patterns are unchanged when writing fiction in that language.

Luckily, the story overrides the stilted sentences, as I found myself willing to keep reading the books to find out how the story turns out – so that is definitely a notch in the plus columns for the books.  The story is not particularly suspenseful, so the book does not have that “unputdownable-ness”, but I think you’ll likely enjoy reading this talk about how Catan was settled.  If you’re looking for the next Dungeon Crawler Carl though, best keep moving along.

Until your next appointment,

The Gaming Doctor

Amazon affiliate link:  Catan – https://amzn.to/421Dug5   

Amazon affiliate linkL Order of the Ravens – https://amzn.to/4nepXKN