The Library Ninja Blog

Better put a hold on these excellent books, coming soon to a library near you!

Solveig is one of three children of a king who is at war. To protect his them, the king sends Solveig, her older sister Asa, and her younger brother Harald, the crown prince, to hide in a small steading (or farm) sheltered between icy mountains near the sea. With a small group of caretakers and just a few soliders for protection, Solveig and her siblings must survive the coming winter until the king sends word that he has won the war. As winter falls upon them, an ever-hardening wall of glacial ice slowly blocks off the entrance to the steading. Before the entrance freezes over completely, a group of beserkers, fierce and frightening warriors feared even amongst their own people, arrives as protection sent by the king.

Just as the steading settles into a precarious rhythm of relative peace, an act of treason endangers everyone in the steading. Solveig, the second child and plainest daughter of the king, quickly realizes that not only are she and her siblings in danger from the traitor, but the claustraphobic conditions in the steading also threaten to turn friends into enemies, family into strangers. Will Solveig and her friends and family make it through the winter alive? Can she discover the traitor among them before the traitor causes greater damage?

This is one of the best books I have read in a very long time! If you have followed my book reviews for a while, you will know that I typically read a lot of fantasy and science fiction. Well, this book is not fantasy or science fiction, but I really, really enjoyed it.

This book is more than a story about a group of people surviving a winter. Solveig is a wonderful character who learns a lot about herself, her friends, and her family throughout the book. At first, Solveig is quiet and does not think very highly of herself. She is described as plain to look at, not nearly as beautiful as her older sister, Asa. Solveig does not think she has any real talents, and neither, apparently, does her father. Her younger brother Harrald is meant to be king, and Asa will marry someone of noble birth and bring more wealth and pride to the family. But Solveig? What does she have to give?

One very interesting character in the book is Alric, the skald. A skald is a storyteller, someone who knows all the Norse legends and is able to weave tales meant to inspire, to entertain, and to help. Solveig learns that she has the gift of storytelling, but she is convinced that as the daughter of the king, and a seemingly useless one at that, she may not be allowed to become a skald. Solveig turns out to be one of the strongest and bravest characters in the book. She is someone I can admire for her honesty, her kindness, and her desire to help others. She learns to face her fears and stand up for what she believes in. I also loved the character of Hake, the fearsome leader of the berserkers, and even Muunin, Solveig’s raven. Readers will wonder until near the end of the book who the traitor really is.

I love the Norse mythology that Matthew J. Kirby weaves into the story and the memories that Solveig shares at the beginning of chapters. While most of the book reads at a steady pace, the last few chapters were very exciting. I couldn’t read them fast enough! And I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the cover of the book does have meaning. This is the first book I have read by this author, and it definitely won’t be my last!

Other books you might enjoy

Greetings Ninjas!  Last week Fort Worth was the proud host of the Texas Library Association Convention.  Now, I know that a library convention probably sounds boring but I can promise you it is anything but!  There are tons of books, authors, great classes, and new faces.  It's always a blast.  This year was my first year to volunteer in the author area and it was a ton of fun (my boss did a great job helping run the area too!).  I got to help Jennifer Brown, Jane Yolen, and P.J. Hoover....what awesome ladies!  I also got to meet Robin LaFevers (squee!) and get her autograph.  Behold!

If you haven't read any of Robin LaFevers books, do it!  They are absolutely fantastic.

His Fair Assassin:

Theodosia:

Beastologist:

Lowthar's Blade:

So maybe you've seen your kid brother or sister reading these books.  The covers look cool.  You might have been intrigued, but you probably thought they were reading some children's book and then you started playing Halo and forgot all about it.  Well I'm here to remind you of these awesome books!  Check them out, even if they're in the children's section.  We'll never tell!