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roseleaf24's review against another edition
4.0
This Newbery Honor book was a surprise! I knew it was historical fiction, but I didn't realize until I started reading that it was about a family from Norway, sometime around 950 A.D. going a-Viking! They attempt to settle in Britain, where they have family along the Dane settlement. A storm diverts them, though, and Jan and Brus, twins, use their twinship and their skills to stay alive and renewal some treachery. I really enjoyed it, though I will admit that my ability to draw the connections between this story and The Last Kingdom was part of my enjoyment. This takes place about a generation after that storyline.
meganac's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. I would rate this higher, but it took me forever to read (victim of a reading slump. It's not the book's fault.) I also kept comparing it to Rosemary Sutcliff's books. Unfair, I know. But still.
This book is well-written and the characters are good. It reminds me slightly of Robin Hood, and slightly of The Shining Company. I liked best that it is extremely accurate historically, complete with details in Scottish and Norwegian life. It depicts well the shift of Europe from the old gods to Christianity, giving a glimpse into what must have run through the minds of the men going a'Viking and instead encountering Christ.
If you like Gaelic and Norwegian history, definitely read this. Just be aware that it is written in an old-fashioned way.
This book is well-written and the characters are good. It reminds me slightly of Robin Hood, and slightly of The Shining Company. I liked best that it is extremely accurate historically, complete with details in Scottish and Norwegian life. It depicts well the shift of Europe from the old gods to Christianity, giving a glimpse into what must have run through the minds of the men going a'Viking and instead encountering Christ.
If you like Gaelic and Norwegian history, definitely read this. Just be aware that it is written in an old-fashioned way.
meganeveritt's review against another edition
3.0
2.5/3⭐️. I really wanted to like this book a lot because it came highly recommended and it was fine- but not great. The girls had mixed reviews- 9yo thought it was good and 14yo didn’t like it bc of the “old” language. It was def harder to read aloud and I’m sure my cadence and pronunciations were often wrong and exacerbated her dislike.
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