All bookseller links are provided so you can get more information about a book. We have affiliate relationships with Barefoot Books, Amazon.com, and Tapestry Books. All revenue generated from sales through these venues is used strictly to cover website costs and minimize donation requests and fundraising campaigns.
Present reading as an activity with a purpose; a way to gather useful information for, say, making paper airplanes, id... More
Summary: Welcome to the mid-Ninth Century A.D. Her in Denmark, the Vikings eke out a sparse living from small farms, fishing, and hunting. Their lives are filled with all sorts of danger, natural disasters, disease, and physical attack by enemies. Meet Halfdan, a slave freed by the decision of one man. Hrorick, the tribal chieftain, has declared Halfdan to be his son and a free man. His life is about to change - but is it for the better?
This is the first book in this historical fiction series set in Medieval times.
Type of Reading: bedtime story, family reading, anytime reading, independent reading, read aloud book
Recommended Age: read together: 9 to 12; read yourself: 10 and up
Interest Level: 10 and up
Reading Level: 5.2
Little Kid Reaction: Review pending.
Big Kid Reaction: The author writes extraordinarily well. You would almost be as talented as Shakespeare to write about the Vikings in 840 and make it attractive for a reader. Roberts has done a very credible job.
Pros: Those looking for high-quality historical fiction will devour this book. The author dazzles the reader with his knowledge and, most importantly, he knows his audience and which buttons to push to keep them engaged.
Cons: None.
Borrow or Buy: Buy ... especially those who have an interest in medieval history. As an adventure it will have a broad audience, however, some may see this as a niche topic.
Educational Themes: Viking Warrior is historical fiction at its very best. The author is an accomplished and knowledgeable expert on the Viking Era. Equally important, he knows how to educate, as well as, entertain the reader.
Notes: The publisher donated a copy of this book knowing that we would consider it for review and provide an independent, unbiased profile. This book will be given to a nonprofit to help readers in need.
Literary Categories: Fiction - historical fiction, adventure, series book
Date(s) Reviewed: February 2009
Other Reviews: See Critics' Reviews and reader feedback at barnesandnoble.com and reader feedback at amazon.com. We’re interested in your review. Please enter your Name (and blog in Parenthesis), then copy/paste your post link in the URL field. With a link exchange, we both benefit because interested readers can visit you too!
