Chima, Cinda Williams. Children of Ragnarok The Runestone Saga Series. Balzer + Bray, 11/2022. 560pp. Fiction. GRADES 8 – 12. HIGH ADDITIONAL. Trade $18.99. 978-0-06-301868-6.
In a world rooted in Norse mythology, magic is feared, fate is viewed as fixed, and three teens seek to change their fortunes. Sixteen-year-old Eiric’s family used to be viewed as lucky—famous for the success of their raiding expeditions and their farm’s prosperity. Eiric thinks the luckiest thing they ever brought home is his mysterious, older half-sister Liv. Fierce, scarred, and full of magic, she and Eiric are inseparable, especially after their mother’s remarriage to the brutal and avaricious Sten. When tragedy and violence result in death and disappearance, Eiric is framed for murder and is on the brink of losing both his family’s farm and his life. Reginn, also sixteen, can’t remember a time when she wasn’t exploited and enslaved by others for her gifts of prophesy. Each teen takes their only chance for a different future, embarking on a journey to a fabled land where magic-gifted children are sheltered and trained. But something far darker is at work. Hand this action-packed, fantasy adventure to fans of Bardugo’s Six of Crows (Henry Holt, 2015) or teens ready to move on from any of Rick Riordan’s mythic series. While all three Norse main characters are white, both racial and LGBTQ diversity is evident. Review based on an ARC.
Melissa McAvoy, Retired
