RuneWarriors (RuneWarriors Series #1) »

James Jennewein lives in a bloodthirsty, barbaric land filled with evil tyrants, slimy monsters, and comely maidens. It is called Los Angeles.

It's the eve of the Festival of Greatness and Dane has a big problem. He's yet to choose his nickname. Dane the Dangerous? Dane the Despicable? He can't decide. But when Dane sees his proud father shamed by the evil tyrant Thidrek the Terrifying, Dane's indignation earns him a moniker that sticks—Dane the Defiant! And when Thidrek kidnaps Dane's beloved Astrid in hopes of trading her for the ultimate power of the gods, Dane defiantly goes after him like a bat out of Valhalla. Braving treacherous seas, deadly creatures, and a lovestarved Frost Giant, Dane and his rowdy band of Norseboys embark on an epic quest to end Thidrek's reign of terror and take their place among the greatest Viking heroes of all time.

VOYA

In this coming-of-age story, thirteen-year-old Viking Dane the Defiant uses bad judgment in an attempt to woo and impress the beautiful young Astrid, Mistress of the Blade, late in the evening of the Festival of Greatness (yearly games held as a ritual rite of passage for those approaching adulthood). Little does Dane know that fiendish Prince Thidrek the Terrifying has been plotting against the village and thus uses the late-night rendezvous between Dane and Astrid as the perfect opportunity to initiate his attack. In one fell swoop, while Dane is rendered unconscious, Thidrek and his bloodthirsty cohorts, the Berserkers, devastate the village. Thus begins an epic journey in which Dane and his fellow Norsemen attempt to track down the evil prince and make right all of his wrongdoings. Although the journey proves to be challenging, filled with fantastic, often perilous, encounters, Dane and his mates, driven by honor and tenacity, prevail. Despite the predictable plot, this title will please many junior high and high school readers, especially boys, who savor fantasy packed with adventure and chuckles. The ending of the story, although a wee bit sappy, will please teen series' fans, as the authors leave readers with a hunch that a sequel will follow. Reviewer: Domina Daughtrey