This is the second book in the Thorfinn series that I have read and I have enjoyed them both. Thorfinn is the Viking Chief, Harald's son, but instead of being barbaric and horrible he is unfailingly polite, nice and co-operative with everyone. In this book the village must prepare a feast for the visiting King and Queen and Thorfinn, who feels the Viking diet is too dependent on meat, decides to prepare a seafood feast. Magnus, the chief of another village, again makes an appearance in this book. He wants to burn Thorfinn's village to the ground so we know he is going to be trying to sabotage the special feast. We meet some new strange and weird characters in this book such as Gertrude the Grotty, a cook, Grut the Goat Gobbler, the greediest man in all of Norway, and Torsten the ship sinker among others.

Thorfinn and his crew head off the Orkney to meet his uncle and learn how to cook fish for the feast. They miraculously make it there as well as to Scotland where they are given many different types of fish before heading home. Of course there are a lot of misadventures that turn out just right due to Thorfinn's attitude.

Thorfinn may be polite and mild mannered, but he is no wimp. There is a smart and tough hero within, and that hero emerges in a natural and plausible fashion. Of course we can not forget Thorfinn's dad who is constantly perplexed about how he, a fearsome Viking chief, could have such a mild son, but he loves and supports him anyway. The other Vikings are never confident of Thorfinn's likelihood of being victorious, but in every book they root for him and rally round just the same. Velda, the angry girl who tries to teach Thorfinn anger skills and becomes his friend is by his side again helping him when and where she can. This book is shot through with "be true to yourself" messages that seems just right for the target readers.

The early chapter book reader (late primary, early junior) end up with a good story, interesting heroes, quality writing, some laughs, and a very engaging reading experience. This is a well written book that would be great for reluctant readers. This book would be a great addition to classroom, school and public libraries.

A funny book which children will love! Children are fascinated by Vikings and so this book lets them live for a moment in that exciting world. The storyline was exciting and the main character was very likeable. I loved the illustrations and the funny little quirks about each of the characters. I also think the little quizzes and mini tasks at the back of the book are a lovely addition. I could quite easily imagine reading this to a year three or four class. It will appeal to both boys and girls.

Another Solid Outing for Thorfinn

This is a lively, cheerful and clever tale loaded with gently crafted jokes and wordplay, and with a sweet and upbeat heart. (This series is part of the "Young Kelpies" imprint, which is dedicated to publishing fun, well crafted books for young, and sometimes reluctant, readers, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised.)

This is the fourth book in the Thorfinn series, (with at least two more coming), and the continuing setup is that Thorfinn is the Viking Chief's son, but instead of being barbaric and horrible he is unfailingly polite and rather mild mannered. In this installment the village must prepare a feast for the visiting King and Queen and Thorfinn, who feels the Viking diet is too dependent on meat, decides to prepare a seafood feast.

The book is well plotted, there is a very adventuresome voyage to Orkney, the suspense about the outcome of the feast builds nicely, and the resolution is tidy and satisfying. But the real appeal for me was found in the gentle and engaging fashion in which the story is told. Thorfinn may be polite and mild mannered, but he is no wimp. There is a smart and tough hero within, and that hero emerges in a natural and plausible fashion. Of possibly more importance, Thorfinn's dad is understandably perplexed about how he, a fearsome Viking chief, could have such a mild son, but he loves and supports Thorfinn just the same. The other Vikings are never confident of Thorfinn's likelihood of being victorious, but in every book they root for him and rally round just the same. Velma, the angry girl who tries to teach Thorfinn anger skills, doesn't feature much in this book, which is a shame because she's often deadpan funny. I guess my point is that the entire book is shot through with a subtle, (and eventually explicit), "be true to yourself" message that seems just right for the target readers.

And in any event, the book is funny. And it's not cheap or obvious pratfall funny. There is clever wordplay, some unexpected twists, silly names, many funny Vikings, odd occurrences, eccentric characters, and some deadpan funny descriptions of the action, as well as a number of sly throwaway lines.

So, the upshot is that a middle grade reader ends up with a good story, interesting heroes, quality writing, some obvious laughs, some understated chuckles, and a very engaging and satisfying reading experience. I can't ask for more than that.

(Please note that I received a free ecopy of this book in exchange for a candid review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)