But her brother has other plans.įiske, Iri's friend, buys Eelyn in order to keep her safe at Iri's request. Not being able to let him go a second time, Eelyn finds herself being taken by the Riki to be traded or enslaved. It's the same brother that she thought was dead. During one of the battles, Aska warrior Eelyn sees her brother Iri wearing Riki armor. The Aska believe in Sigr and the Riki pray to Thora. Riki and Aska are two clans that are fated to fight for following different gods. Add a bubbling romance for a winning combo. I'm a big fan of the TV series The Vikings and this novel reminded me so much of that series only with teen protagonists.Ĭaptivating historical novel with a strong teen warrior protagonist who must confront what family really is while putting her faith in a clan she's been taught to hate since childhood. There's lots of gritty scenes throughout this action packed novel.

She fights it, fearing by giving in to this emotion she will betray her clan and family. Slowly though a chemistry builds between Fiske and Eelyn. She's from the hated Aska clan and more than a few members of the Riki clan show their true feelings towards her. At first she wants nothing to do with him and hates what he does in order to save her life. Eelyn shows true courage and strength throughout her capture.įiske is her brother's friend. What I loved about her is her loyalty to her clan even after she's captured. Seventeen-year-old Eelyn is tough and true to her Aska clan. What worked: This is a highly engaging historical tale of a teen warrior who is taken by a rival clan and finds out her beloved dead brother is in fact very much alive and now a part of the hated Riki tribe. Driven by a love for her clan and her growing love for Fiske, Eelyn must confront her own definition of loyalty and family while daring to put her faith in the people she’s spent her life hating. They must do the impossible: unite the clans to fight together, or risk being slaughtered one by one.

She is given no choice but to trust Fiske, her brother’s friend, who sees her as a threat.

But when the Riki village is raided by a ruthless clan thought to be a legend, Eelyn is even more desperate to get back to her beloved family.

Faced with her brother's betrayal, she must survive the winter in the mountains with the Riki, in a village where every neighbor is an enemy, every battle scar possibly one she delivered. Until the day she sees the impossible on the battlefield-her brother, fighting with the enemy-the brother she watched die five years ago. Her life is brutal but simple: fight and survive. Raised to be a warrior, seventeen-year-old Eelyn fights alongside her Aska clansmen in an ancient, rivalry against the Riki clan. A 2018 Most Anticipated Young Adult book that is part Wonder Woman, part Vikings-and all heart.

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