The second of my posts today extends the range in children’s books inspired by Norse mythology and the Vikings into young adult books. Again I have only included fiction titles and they are not in any particular order.
I have included some classics and some new releases out this month.
I hope you enjoy looking at my selection and please do add any more young adult fiction you can think of that have links to Norse mythology in the comments.
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Postcards from Valhalla by Danny Weston (aka Philip Caveney), published by UClan Books
Postcards from Valhalla by Danny Weston was released on November 3rd, 2023. It’s a contemporary YA story, set in Shetland, inspired by Norse mythology.
Viggo is fifteen years old, living in Edinburgh with his mum. He has no plans for the future other than to watch the new Thor movie at his local multiplex. But one morning, he wakes to the news that his older brother, Magnus, has gone missing on Shetland. Mum has already booked tickets to go and search for him. There’s good reason to be worried. Five years ago, Viggo’s dad, Jonathan, went ‘off grid’ in the same location and disappeared. He is now ‘missing presumed dead.’ Viggo has no option but to go to Shetland with Mum – but from the moment they set off, he’s troubled by strange visions: images of armed warriors, mythical creatures and Viking longships. And then they encounter Leon, a mysterious wandering musician who attaches himself to them and proves impossible to shake off. Once on Shetland, the search for Magnus begins in earnest and Viggo’s troubling visions start to intensify. Soon he is finding it difficult to separate fact from fantasy… and who knows what terrors lie in wait for him deep beneath the ground?
Blurb from Postcards from Valhalla by Danny Weston
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The Twisted Tree by Rachel Burge, published by Hot Key Books
Part ghost story, part Nordic mystery. The Twisted Tree by Rachel Burge is a creepy and chilling tale steeped in Norse myth.
Martha can tell things about a person just by touching their clothes, as if their emotions and memories have been absorbed into the material.
Determined to understand her strange ability, Martha sets off to visit her grandmother – only to discover she is dead and a terrifying creature is on the loose.
Then the spinning wheel starts creaking . . .
Blurb for The Twisted Tree by Rachel Burge
Set in the remote snows of contemporary Norway, this YA novel is a ghost story that twists and turns – and never takes you quite where you’d expect. Features Yggdrasil, the Norns, Hel and Odin.
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The Crooked Mask by Rachel Burge, published by Hot Key Books
Part ghost story, part murder mystery The Crooked Mask by Rachel Burge is a creepy and magical tale for young adults steeped in Norse myth.
Welcome to the Circus of Myth & Mayhem – where performers re-enact tales of the Norse gods wearing masks which mysteriously change expression, the creepy jester isn’t quite human, and the big top is full of the dead.
Martha arrives at the circus, deep in the forests of Northern Norway, determined to learn how Nina died. Did she fall from the trapeze as Stig said, or was there more to her ‘accident?’
Drawn into a dangerous game of the gods, Martha must look behind the mask and see the truth . . . before it’s too late.
Blurb for The Crooked Mask by Rachel Burge
Following the events of The Twisted Tree, The Crooked Mask continues the story of Martha and Stig as she comes to terms with her magical inheritance. The stories of the Norse gods are brought to life in the circus ring and features Loki.
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Warrior King by Sue Purkiss, published by Walker Books
Warrior King by Sue Purkiss is the story of King Alfred and his daughter, Aethelflaed and features the Guthrum, leader of the Vikings, as a significant character in this YA adventure.
The year is 878 AD. The English kingdoms of Northumbria, Mercia, East Anglia and Kent have fallen to the Vikings. Only Wessex is left, and its king, Alfred, has been driven into hiding on Athelney, the ancient Island of Princes. How can he, along with his daughter, Fleda, and his closest followers, defeat the dreaded Vikings?
Blurb for the Warrior King by Sue Purkiss
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West of the Moon by Katherine Langrish, published by Harper Collins Children’s Books
West of the Moon by Katherine Langrish is an epic and action-packed YA fantasy adventure that weaves together Norse legends, shadowy creatures and an unforgettable hero.
When Peer is orphaned he is taken by his wicked uncles to live at their foreboding mill in the shadow of Troll Fell. Here he meets beautiful and spirited Hilde and after a terrifying encounter with the sinister creatures who live below the fell the pair form an inseparable bond. They are thirsty for adventure, so when a Viking longship docks at their village, they decide to set sail for Vinland – a mysterious place across the perilous sea. But are the ship’s captain and his sword wielding son really honest sailors? What creatures lurk in the shadows and forests of the new land? And will Peer and Hilde ever return?
Blurb for West of the Moon by Katherine Langrish
It is part of The Troll Trilogy and spans years and continents. Filled with brilliantly imagined characters and creatures, this is gripping, atmospheric fantasy at its best.
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Daughter of Fire by Marie-Louise Jensen, published by OUP Oxford
Daughter of Fire by Marie-Louise Jensen is a rich, atmospheric Viking journey into Iceland.
Following an attack on her family, fifteen-year-old Thora is enslaved by a brutish Viking chieftain, Bjorn Svanson. A healer and a midwife, Thora is valuable. She also has visions of the future . . . and in one she foresees Svanson’s death. When her prediction becomes reality, Thora recognizes that another of Svanson’s slaves is a man she has seen before-a man from recurrent visions who is destined to be part of her future.
Blurb for Daughter of Fire by Marie-Louise Jensen
Assuming Svanson’s identity, the slave and Thora use the dead man’s ships to escape. Their destination is Iceland, the then uncharted ‘land of fire and ice’. To succeed they must first win over Svanson’s crew, and their journey is fraught with hardship and danger.
But their troubles are only just beginning. Soon, newcomers are among them and someone is stealing from Thora’s medicines to cause terrible harm. Under suspicion herself, can Thora unmask the real culprit and clear her name?
And can Thora and the man now known as Bjorn ever really hope that their pasts won’t catch up with them?
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Viking Girl by Pauline Chandler, published by OUP Oxford
Viking Girl by Pauline Chandleris a YA thriller set during the era of the Vikings.
Beren, a Viking princess, is forced to flee her home after her father is killed and her people defeated in battle. Guided by her uncle, she and the remains of her tribe come to England seeking sanctuary. But Vikings have been there before and laid waste to the land, and Beren’s small group is met with scorching hatred from the locals. When Beren’s uncle takes her men south to fight the king, Beren is left struggling to protect the rest of her followers.
The only help comes from the local abbey. The monks there want everybody to live in peace. But when Beren befriends a trainee monk, the factions are further divided, and the hatred simmering under the surface begins to boil over. And then a new threat – from Beren’s own uncle – raises its head. Now the people must decide: fight amongst themselves and be annihilated by a greater power, or unite under Beren’s command, and fight for their freedom.
Blurb for Viking Girl by Pauline Chandler
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Odin Trilogy Volume 1 – Odin’s Voice by Susan Price , published by Simon & Schuster Children’s
Odin’s Voice by Susan Price is aimed at the YA market.
This first adventure follows the story of a bonder, Kylie, and a pampered teen, Affroditey – both thrown together as their prescribed roles in society change. Kylie becomes the mouthpiece of the god, Odin, and gains political advantage and freedom as a result. Affroditey finds herself reduced to penury after her father’s suicide, and sold off as a bonder by her uncaring stepmother. Brought together by Kylie’s young son, who has been ‘adopted’ by Affroditey’s employers, the two girls decide to escape as pioneers to Mars, where they will help to set up a new society.
Blurb for Odin’s Voice by Susan Price
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Odin Trilogy Volume 2 – Odin’s Queen by Susan Price, published by Simon & Schuster Children’s
Odin’s Queen by Susan Price is aimed at the YA market.
In this thrilling adventure, bonder Affie has escaped to Mars with Odinstoy, and her young son, Apollo. Odinstoy has been employed by the Martian Temple of Odin as their God-speaker and Affie goes undercover as her ‘wife’. Affie hopes their new life will enable her to claw back the status and respect she had before she became a bonder – and is frustrated by Odinstoy’s disdain for the fame her new role brings. Affie’s craving for attention leads her to fall under the spell of a follower of the rival temple of Zeus, and before she knows it she is revealing more of her past to him than she ever intended. And in doing so, she finds herself betrays Odinstoy; putting all their lives at risk…
Blurb for Odin’s Queen by Susan Price
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Odin Trilogy Volume 3 – Odin’s Son by Susan Price, published by Simon & Schuster Children’s
Odin’s Son by Susan Price is aimed at the YA market.
Since his mother, Odinstoy’s, death, Gift has become obsessed with the idea of tracking down his real father. In secret, he employs a private detective to make investigations on Earth so that he can uncover his past. But when a Newsblog reveals evidence to suggest that Odinstoy wasn’t his real mother, Gift doesn’t know where to turn. He flees to the poisonous surface of Mars in the hope that the great god Odin can give him some answers…Meanwhile the mysterious Sherri, whose resemblance to Gift is undeniable, is making her way to Mars with some important news. Will she find him before it’s too late?
Blurb for Odin’s Son by Susan Price
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I hope you like my selection. Please don’t forget to add any of your own examples in the comments.
To see my post on the young age range of children’s books see: Norsevember – Ten Children’s Books inspired by Norse Mythology and the Vikings.
Thank you again to Alex for inviting me to take part. Thank you.
To view Alex’s blog and read some of his posts go to: Spells and Spaceships.
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