Banished

Children of the Chieftain #2

by Michael E. Wills

The orphan children of the late chieftain, Sten Brightsword, have made a promise that they will try to rescue one of their friends, Ulf, who has been kidnapped by the dreaded Jomsviking and sold as a slave. The brother and sister, Ahl who is sixteen and Ingir who is a year older, must first get the permission of the island council, the “Ting”, to embark on their mission. But the members of the “Ting” will only agree on the condition that girls must not go on the voyage. However, Ingir is not one to give in easily.
The “Ting” allows Ahl to borrow a new ship called the “Eagle” and appoints Bertil, an old sea captain, to sail it. They cross the Baltic Sea and find the land of the Rus where they think that Ulf is in captivity. However, the journey is fraught with danger. Not only do they have to travel through waters infested with pirates, but one of their own countrymen plots to kill Ahl.
Their luck runs out when they try to help a vessel under attack by robbers and the crew soon find themselves in as much trouble as the friend they are trying to rescue.

132 pages, Paperback

First published November 23, 2015

About the author

I was born on the Isle of Wight and after attending school there, I trained to be a teacher. I worked for two years in a secondary school in Kent before re-training to teach English as a Foreign Language. After a career in education both in UK and in Europe, I now have time to write about things which fascinate me, and foremost among my many interests is history. I like to tell stories about ordinary people who get caught up in historical events and thereby portray the lives of characters both real and fictional.

Reviews

[Paul Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Banished takes up the story of Ahl Brightsword and his friends as they embark on a mission to rescue a friend they left behind in book 1. The story, told by Ahl who is now an old man, reads easy with enough action and drama to keep the reader entertained; even educated about Vikings and their way of life. This is especially true when aboard the ship and have to learn how to navigate in all sorts of conditions...weather and pirates among them. It is not any easy quest and is filled with dangers and some dire consequences but throughout, the author keeps hope kindled. 4 stars.