This is not your typical Crichton thriller, but it is good nevertheless. Now, Crichton is famous for writing his books documentary style and making them believable, but with this one he takes it to a whole other level. Besides his usual methods of describing every little thing, etc., this time he evens goes so far as to include a lengthy preface, an about the author section (the story is told through the eyes of Ibn Fadlan, who was an actual person, but never made contact with the Vikings), and even footnotes. Unlike most of his books, there is no extreme suspense, no matter how bad the situation gets, you know how it is gonna come out because it is told in first person about the past. That said, it is still a very entertaining book. Reccommended, but read some other books of Crichton's first.