Reviewed by Jennifer Rummel for TeensReadToo.com
Freydis's father has never warmed to her. Still, his anger shocks her when he returns home to find their village destroyed and his daughter the only survivor. Never mind that Freydis is badly hurt. She takes her father's words bravely, but it breaks her heart.
She doesn't know what happened to her brother. Her father will take to the seas searching for him. At first, he wants to leave her behind, but Blue Man, the slave he bought her, convinces him to take her along.
They head North. Blue Man and Freydis forge a strange friendship. Blue Man's pride makes him refuse to believe he's less of a man because he's a slave. Freydis doesn't push the issue; in fact, she enjoys their discussions.
When the two are left together with another Viking tribe, they realize their fates are entwined. They also begin to unravel a prophecy of two wolves who will engage in a great battle between her father's enemy and those loyal to him.
THE SILVER SEA has a similar feel to Golding's previous novel, DRAGONFLY. This historical fiction portrays the Vikings in an engrossing manner, complete with raids, small tribes defending themselves, and pirates searching for revenge. The chapters alternate perspectives between Freydis, Enno (Blue Man), and Toki (Freydis's brother). All three must overcome danger and betrayal. They forge deep friendships, and they must find their inner strength and stand firmly for their beliefs.
Freydis's father has never warmed to her. Still, his anger shocks her when he returns home to find their village destroyed and his daughter the only survivor. Never mind that Freydis is badly hurt. She takes her father's words bravely, but it breaks her heart.
She doesn't know what happened to her brother. Her father will take to the seas searching for him. At first, he wants to leave her behind, but Blue Man, the slave he bought her, convinces him to take her along.
They head North. Blue Man and Freydis forge a strange friendship. Blue Man's pride makes him refuse to believe he's less of a man because he's a slave. Freydis doesn't push the issue; in fact, she enjoys their discussions.
When the two are left together with another Viking tribe, they realize their fates are entwined. They also begin to unravel a prophecy of two wolves who will engage in a great battle between her father's enemy and those loyal to him.
THE SILVER SEA has a similar feel to Golding's previous novel, DRAGONFLY. This historical fiction portrays the Vikings in an engrossing manner, complete with raids, small tribes defending themselves, and pirates searching for revenge. The chapters alternate perspectives between Freydis, Enno (Blue Man), and Toki (Freydis's brother). All three must overcome danger and betrayal. They forge deep friendships, and they must find their inner strength and stand firmly for their beliefs.
