Storytellers

If you don't tell your story, they will.
Iceland, 1920. Gunnar, a hermit blacksmith, dwells with his animals, darkness, and moonshine. The last thing he wants is an injured lodger, but his money may change Gunnar’s life. So might the stranger’s story – by ending it. That is, unless an unwanted marriage, God’s messengers’ sudden interest, an obnoxious elf, or his doctor’s guilt change the narrative. Or will the demons from Gunnar’s past cut all the stories short?

Side effects of too much truth include death, but one man’s true story is his brother's web of lies. With so many eager to write his final chapter, can Gunnar find his own happy ending?

What readers are saying:
★★★★★ With sharp humour, evocative passages, witty dialogue, and a slow-burn plot, Larssen takes us to the transcendental landscapes of Iceland, and immerses us in his tale of murder, obsession, furtive desires, bleakness, but ultimately hope.
★★★★★ This story feels like how I would believe Iceland feels to an outsider looking in, rough, dark, and beautiful.
★★★★★ Bjørn Larssen’s “Storytellers”, firmly cements his place as a masterful storyteller in a 20th century saga set in rural and rugged Iceland.
★★★★★ If you don't believe that the blacksmith, a depressive alcoholic, could steal your heart, give this book a try. Definitely worth reading.
★★★★★ This unique tale is storytelling at its best.
★★★★★ Storytellers is an incredible read. I'd love to go to Iceland one day - seeing the Northern Lights is on my bucket list. Even if I never do, though, I feel like I've kind of been there with this book. A suspenseful, hilarious, poignant, extraordinary book.
★★★★★ Hauntingly atmospheric, it somehow shows us all the dark bleakness of the place while inspiring us with wanderlust to see it. The author's love of Iceland shines through.
★★★★★ This exquisite tale comes together brilliantly at the end … in quite a satisfying and impressive way. The reader can feel the heart and soul that went into writing it.
★★★★★ There is something magical and enchanting about Storytellers that makes it an unputdownable book.

Eric Hoffer Grand Prize Award – Finalist
Readers' Favorite Gold Medal – Historical Fiction
Discovered Diamond – Winner

"A truly remarkable debut - wonderful storytelling [...] I felt throughout that I was in a safe pair of hands and just sat back and enjoyed the story, happy to let the author take me wherever he wanted to go. Highly recommended." - Debbie Young, author of Springtime For Murder
 
"Yes, I got a little bit of mystery with a little bit of magic, followed by INSANE, jaw-dropping revelations. But at its heart, Storytellers is a tale of evading the darkness, bearing with the pain of tragedy, and living to see the sun rise another day." - Justine Bergman
 
"The book was reminiscent of Kazuo Ishiguro's The Buried Giant, in both theme and mood. [...] It isn't always the easiest read, but it's not a book I'm going to forget easily, either." - Marian L. Thorpe, author of Empire's Daughter

"I loved this book - it was a delight to read, an unusual debut novel by a writer with much talent. [...] This a work of literary art that I recommend most highly; Bjørn Larssen is, indeed, an Icelandic storyteller." - Terry Tyler, author of Legacy