Children of Ragnarok: The Runestone Saga, Book 1
By Carrie R. Wheadon,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Medieval Scandinavian saga brims with magic and intrigue.
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What's the Story?
In CHILDREN OF RAGNAROK: THE RUNESTONE SAGA, BOOK 1, Reginn is an enslaved person who earns money for her enslaver playing the flute, fortunetelling, and performing other minor magic on the mostly non-magical, lawless Archipelago. One night she's enthralling the rowdy festival crowd with her usual finale of pretending to raise the dead. The only problem is, her enslaver, who usually plants the drugs that mimic death, is not there, so an enslaved person really has been poisoned by wine. Reginn digs deep and calls out to the spirits who miraculously respond. Not only has Reginn captured the spirits' attention, mysterious robed women in the audience take notice. They offer her a way out of servitude, to a secret island where she can practice and study magic. Elsewhere on the Archipelago, Eiric and his sister Liv face off against their abusive stepfather to save their farm and their baby brother. After a bloody showdown, Eiric is forced into service under a powerful lord to keep his life and his farm. He's to locate the magical island so the lord can access the power it holds. While Reginn thinks she's headed toward Eden and Eiric toward freedom, it turns out they are both very wrong.
Is It Any Good?
Nothing is as it seems in this absorbing medieval Scandinavia-set saga, not the magic powers or the island sanctuary or the serene sages, spirits, lords, or fire demons. That's the big draw of this new world, the complexity of all the forces at work is mind-bending to unravel. The main characters are easiest to understand. It's clear what they both want. Reginn wants to be free to learn and be a part of a new magical world, Eiric wants to be free to live on his farm with his family in peace. It's much harder to understand who's on their side. Eiric's half-sister Liv, yes, though she is full of magical mysteries herself. What about the Viking lord who's using Eiric to find the island? What will he do when he finds it? What about the robed women who offer to whisk Reginn away to paradise? Or the council that rules the island? Or the girl in the library who encourages Reginn to read ancient tomes and discourages her from showing anyone her powerful rune magic?
Truths come out slowly and occasionally the story slows to a crawl as they are parsed out -- especially as Reginn researches the island's history. Still, there's no moment when the reader is sure-footed with where Children of Ragnarok is headed and what the minor characters will do next. So expect an ending full of wild revelations and bloody action. And expect to be drawn to Book 2 like a Viking to his ship.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the world created in Children of Ragnarok: The Runestone Saga. Take a minute to look at the Acknowledgements section to see the many forms of research the author did. Did you feel like you were transported to another time and place? What did you learn?
In this story it's the characters that have faced endless adversity that both question authority and persevere. What characters in other stories can you think of that overcame harsh beginnings to become the hero? Some characters who become heroes do not face early obstacles. Frodo from The Lord of the Rings is one. Can you think of others?
What do you think is next for Reginn and Eiric? Will you keep reading the series?
Book Details
- Author: Cinda Williams Chima
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy , Adventures , Brothers and Sisters , Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- Character Strengths: Courage , Curiosity , Perseverance
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Balzer + Bray
- Publication date: December 9, 2022
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 13 - 17
- Number of pages: 560
- Available on: Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: December 14, 2022
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