“I know that evil hides here, but I cannot be the one to uncover it. Neither can any of you. Time will do that for us.
And how I fear that day, for I know that when I look into my betrayer’s face, I will see someone I thought I knew. And I will still love them.” (from "Icefall" by Matthew J. Kirby)
Thoughtful, suspenseful, and heart-breaking, “Icefall” by Matthew Kirby is a warm and wonderful read.
Exiled to a frozen fjord through the winter, Solveig, together with her beautiful and betrothed older sister Asa, heir to the throne younger brother Harald, and a crew of servants and soldiers hand-picked by their Viking king father, have nothing to do but survive. But Solveig feels trapped and invisible with nothing to offer to her growing brother and despondent sister. Until one day Alric, the court skald, or storyteller, sails into their secluded enclave with a company of berserkers, or fierce animal-like warriors to further protect the royal children. Alric decides that Solveig has the necessary skills to become a skald herself and begins training her. It turns into a dangerous winter as their lives are threatened by lack of food, the possibility of invaders, and the evidence of a traitor in their midst. Solveig seeks to find the truth and help her family and loved ones survive in the midst of uncertainty through her gift of storytelling.
In “Icefall”, Matthew Kirby carefully and poignantly navigates through the heart and mind of a girl as she grows from an insecure shadow into a masterful storyteller with the power to change lives. This is a great read for anyone who believes in the power of words and story, anyone who enjoys Norse mythology, or anyone who loves a well-spun tale of suspense. It is appropriate for students in upper grade school and beyond.--Andrea W., Headquarters
