Mystery of the Silver Coins

Viking Quest #2

by Lois Walfrid Johnson

In this second installment of the Viking Quest series, Bree finds herself in a physical and spiritual battle for survival. Bree, along with another young slave, makes a daring escape from the ship as soon as it reaches harbor. They hide in the woods as Mikkel and his Viking sailors begin a relentless search, certain that Bree is responsible for a missing bag of silver coins. Bree must face her unwillingless to forgive the Vikings, and Mikkel begins to Is the God of these Irish Christians really more powerful than our own Viking gods?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Christian, Fiction, Christian Fiction, Historical, Adventure, Middle Grade

208 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2003

Reviews

[Kaytlin Phillips · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this one a little more than the first one. I think because the beginning had quite a bit going on, whereas in the first one the beginning seemed to drag a bit. Micheal may be my favorite character even though he's the antagonist...lol...But this was a pretty good book, I'll hand it to the writer, I had no idea who stole the coins till the end...haha....so at least that part was done well. The writing was still on the nose but maybe the rules of writing have changed a lot since 2006 when these books first started being printed...I don't know.

[Amanda Tero · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picking up immediately where book one ends, the first few chapters give a healthy review of book one's ending (since I just read book one, I personally felt it slightly more than enough review).

I enjoyed the storyline of this one, though it wasn't extremely complex or tense. Seeing how Bree's, Makkel's, and Dev's journeys progressed was neat. I enjoyed all of their stories.

There didn't seem to be hardly any "mystery" until the very end, and even then, not enough clues to where I figured out anything. It was fine, just if you're expecting a full-blown mystery (think Kate and Anders), this isn't the same.

It seemed a little...weak...that Bree doubted that God was real in the first chapters of this book, when in the last chapters of the last book, He answered one of her prayers almost miraculously. And Bree seemed to have forgotten the lessons she learned in book one about forgiveness. And, like in the first book, anger seemed to be the main theme again, which seemed a little redundant. I would have preferred to see the characters grow a little broader.

I like how Mrs. Johnson throws in small pieces of historical tidbits with their clothes or manner of living. It makes me feel a part of the era.

[Jenna O🎇✨❄️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75

[La Tonya Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a wonderful second installment. It was uplifting to have a thirteen year old pray and call on God when in trouble. She puts her faith in action. It is a feel good read. It is a children's book. Sometimes, it is good for an adult to go back to the basics.

Quote:

A moment later, the great distance between Norway and Ireland seemed to be gone, for Bree drifted off to sleep.

"I was fierce in the battlefield" he told his son. "I was gentle in friendship."

"It depends. If you don't give me your word, I don't trust you. You'll escape again. But, if you give me your word, I do trust you."

[ForgetMeNot(Katie Cooley) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mystery of the Silver Coins is a very exciting and we'll written book, the story is fun and engaging! I've read it through dozens of times, but this time I caught a little bit of allegory that I've always missed in the past. This series has captured my heart ♥

[Abigail · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was really good! At first I thought Bree had taken the coins, then it was the other new dude, and then I thought it was Alf!

[Josie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm definitely getting more used to the style of writing, and I'm really enjoying the characters! Devin, Bree, and Mikkel all go through very interesting arcs in this book. I especially liked Bree's faith journey; Johnson isn't afraid to show doubt, anger, and questioning, which is encouraging to see in a Christian book aimed at younger readers!

[Seth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great!!!!!!!!!!!

[Glenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a surprisingly good series... Has a good message and a few twists and turns...

[M.C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Mystery of the Silver Coins by Lois Walfrid Johnson, Bree O'Toole has finally managed to escape from Mikkel's Viking ship with her friend, Lil. But they have already made it to Norway, and an entire ocean lies between Bree and her home. On top of that, Mikkel has discovered that she's missing--and he thinks she's stolen his bag of silver coins. He is determined to find her, and will let nothing get in his way. Bree trusts God to take care of her and Lil, but things don't always go as planned, and danger is never far away...
This was another great book! As with the first one in this series, Raiders from the Sea, Mystery of the Silver Coins is exciting and well-written. The story never drags, and Mrs. Johnson's writing style is perfect for younger readers while keeping older readers interested, too. Bree and Lil are often in real danger, but everything is toned down a bit, so even the youngest readers will be captivated instead of frightened.
My biggest issue with this book, though, is that there is really no purpose for it in the series. Though Bree, Mikkel, and Devin all go through character development, the story takes place almost exclusively in one setting. Things happen in this book that are important further on in the series, but it might have been better to cut the book in half and tack it onto the ending of the first book.
That being said, this probably wouldn't have bothered me if I had read it when I was younger. It really is a good story about faith and the importance of forgiveness, and I enjoyed reading it. Readers will learn fascinating facts about the Vikings and Norway and be caught up in Bree's adventures. While the series was written for elementary-aged children, even their parents will find something to enjoy in this well-written, fun book.

[Mckinley Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite books.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

We continue to follow the fates of Bree and Devin. Both go through some harrowing hardships and struggle, but their faith and courage grow stronger with each challenge. The whole premise of this series is pretty upsetting-having an enemy come into your homeland, raiding and kidnapping. So it's kind of disturbing in that way, but it's also full of hope, as good people come their way (it's a kids' book after all...if it were real life, I feel like their fate would be much worse), yet in the end (at least for Bree), what she prays for is not where God leads her, but she comes to terms with where He is leading her. There's also the theme of forgiveness that runs through this, which I think is incredibly hard, when you have an enemy who has literally torn families apart, and killed others in your communities. Being a kids' book, it happens rather simply and straightforwardly. In real life, it would be much longer of a process to forgive and let go of the anger you feel against those who have terrorized your country for years. But something I like about this, is that it doesn't portray all Vikings as terrible. Yes, there are those that have raided and pillaged and killed mercilessly, but not all are like that-there's a whole society of tradespeople and farmers and law. In some ways, it's disturbing, as it mentions a former captive who chose to stay and fell in love with her captor. That just doesn't seem right at all! But I think it's trying to show that we can't judge a whole people group based on what the worst of them have done.

[Chloe DeJong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here's my review from: Chloe's Books

Main Characters: Bree, age 13, Mikkel, age 14, Devin, age 14

Age Rating: 11+

Pages: 208

Religious Content: Many prayers asking for protection, guidance, and help. Trusting God. God speaking to Bree in her heart. Mikkel prays to 'Bree's God' asking for help to find Bree. Mikkel prays to his own Gods. Forgiveness.

Negative Content: Running away. Getting angry. Hatred. Sickness. Falling. Being accused of stealing. Being chased by Vikings. Mentions of swords. Mikkel feels worried for Bree's sake if his own soldiers find her before he does, afraid of what they'll do. What they'll do is never explained, but the idea is that they won't listen to his command that they aren't to harm Bree. Mentions of Trolls.

Sexual Content: Lil tells Bree that a friend of Devin's and hers back at home wants to marry her when she grows up. Bree likes the idea.

My Comments: Again, I really liked this book. Mrs. Johnson skillfully weaves a story together with the importance of trusting God and relying on Him. The reason I gave this book four stars was that it seemed to drag a little at times, as though Mrs. Johnson was trying to make Bree's escape longer without any real action. Again, this is a great, read-out-loud family book that holds both adventure and excitement while teaching good Christian values.

[Taylor Paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought I liked the first book well enough. It was fine, not my favorite, but a decent book. Now I can’t seem to walk away. I’m completely hooked! I whipped through this next book, and fortunately, the writing style has smoothed out a little bit (or I’ve just gotten used to it). The story has been pretty simple and easy to follow, yet is still creative and unlike anything I’ve read before. And all of the faith content — oh, I love it! The main characters started with such good, strong faith, but now it’s going deeper, to what faith really is. Their trust in God and His good plan — not just for them but for all of His children — is being tested. I thought it was interesting how the characters, especially Bree, would hear God’s answers to their prayers in the form of Bible verses. I’ve never quite seen something like that in a historical fiction book before, but I liked it, and it encouraged me to go find the verses in the Bible myself! (I really, really like this idea!) This book didn’t have quite the abrupt ending as the first one, but it still left me dangling off the edge of a cliff with a single finger, so I’ve got to move on to the next book in this series!

[Mh Weyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun read aloud for my three kids— and my husband who pretended he wasn’t listening. This is the second in the series. The storyline goes back and forth between brother and sister in their own storylines. Both deal with anger and bitterness with God in the midst of extremely difficult times and seeing Him work differently than they requested. but God draws them back to Himself. Good spiritual lessons without being preachy. Each chapter ends on a cliffhanger which keeps you reading.
We are looking forward to starting the next one.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

We read this as part of my son’s history, recommended by Heart of Dakota homeschool curriculum. We both were surprised by the poor quality of the writing. My son couldn’t stand how often the author used “Bree” instead of an appropriate pronoun. I struggled with the slowness of the story and how little actually happened in it. There must be better books about Vikings out there; I definitely do not recommend this one.

[Marcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picking up where the last one left off, this second book in the Viking Quest series is every bit as good as the first. Bree and her new friend, Lil, escape from their Viking captors and embark on a dangerous journey together. Again courage and faith in God are major themes of the story. Things don't turn out the way I had hoped or expected, and as a reader I found myself in the same circumstances as Bree, needing to have faith that things will turn out in the end.

[Christy Grace · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring. I was so bored.
First book we had some action pushing things forward, but this was just a few different POVs of running through the forest and avoiding the people chasing you. I was bored.
Not a huge historical fiction person and this period with Vikings and stuff is not my fav either. I lied these books as a kid, but I can’t really remember why.
A little sad that I didn’t enjoy it but it was quick and the first book was better.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The kids (age 10) love these books. I do want to let prospective readers know that none of them work well as a standalone. The books don’t end with much closure in the overarching plots, and picking them up anywhere but book 1 or 2 would leave you missing a lot of storyline. Rather than a series, they are more like parts of 1 long book.

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yay this one didn't take two years!
I am so enjoying reading this series too Esther. It's so fun watching her reaction throughout all that happens, and hearing her insights and guesses about how the book/series will end. Also, through the course of this book we've picked up more reading buddies! 😀
I've already read this book, but I still am super excited to see what happens next.

[C. Rivers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Neat book, had some good twists and turns. I especially liked the interaction between Devin and Bjorn the cobbler. Bree's craftiness and planning was fun to read as well. Good messages about trusting in God no matter what happens, and trusting Him even when He does things that are confusing or even seem indicative that He doesn't care.

Tw: slavery

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I soared through this second book! The stakes were going up, and I liked seeing the progression of the characters. Bree and Lil's trust in God and Dev's were very interesting to watch grow and change.

[Philip S · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good continuation of this series- the narrative picks up and keeps you engaged. I also felt like the writing hit a better rhythm in this second installment. Enjoying reading this with my young tribe!

[Lindsay Jacobs · Rating 4 out of 5]

The kids and I have really enjoyed this series as our history read aloud. The writing is lacking but the story itself is engaging. It’s a fascinating time in history. It is beautiful how the author constantly weaves Scripture and God into the lives of the characters.

[Hanna Fausz · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a pretty good book. I was kind of sad when Mikkel found Bree and Lil. But if they got away there wouldn't be as many books in the series, and I hope everything works out and they make it back to their families.

[Lunarwaterpanther · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is as good as the first. There are new adventures for both Devin and Bree. Mikkel and Bree have an adventure that might change the way they see each other. I would recommend if you haven't read the firs book that you should.

[Ferson (Jefferson) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Looooooooooovvvvvvveeeeeedddd it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

My granddaughter (age 11) says this is a good series. This is number two. They end on cliff hangers, so be ready to buy the next book.

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful read aloud! My 9 yo daughter loves this series!

[Victoria B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars