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RuneWarriors #1
RuneWarriors
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.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published April 5, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
January 3, 2015
Where to begin? Well, it starts off with that Portentious Language From Olden Times but rather quickly devolves into half-joking, half-modern ('em was NOT a Viking phrase) writing. It wasn't until halfway through that I realized that the authors were screenwriters - this book over-explains and clearly dramatizes events with an eye to seeing it Live.
If you haven't read this, don't. It'll be out as a movie soon. I can see it as a Disney offering, with Mike Myers voicing the Ice Giant. or the Tyrant. Ugh.
If you haven't read this, don't. It'll be out as a movie soon. I can see it as a Disney offering, with Mike Myers voicing the Ice Giant. or the Tyrant. Ugh.
August 16, 2018
My name is Lut the Bent, and I should have spoken sooner about my disturbing dreams. I saw Dane, Voldar's son, riding a great wolf amid blood and chaos, as members of our tribe were slaughtered. I knew I had to tell Voldar when Thidrik the Terrifying entered our village. Thidrik is pure evil and not to be trusted. Unfortunately, Dane took the Shield of Odin into the woods along with Astrid, our most beautiful maiden, and left the village defenseless. Now, Voldar has been killed by Thidrik, Astrid has been taken, and the blame has been lain upon Dane. I convinced the villagers to give him a chance at redemption, but the small band of boys and three old men, including me, must face the tyrant and his Berserkers. Little did we know that our quest would lead to the most powerful weapon on earth.
This book was an interesting mix of Norse mythology and magic. Characters prayed to Odin and believed their lives were fated by the gods. Along the way, Dane and his group found water that bestowed intelligence or idiocy, and Lut's runes mystically foretold the future. The concepts of faith and free will were addressed, as Dane started to question his destiny. The others were shocked when he questioned the power of the gods and their influence over mortal decisions. The story offered a curious blend of characters. Jarl was a self-centered boy and Dane's closest rival, but they became co-leaders of the quest. Dane's two best friends were known for their stupidity and body odor. Jarl's best friends were known for their drinking and fighting. Astrid was a beautiful maiden, but she was also a formidable warrior. The plot offered many opportunities for Dane and Jarl to clash, as there were physical conflicts and opposing thoughts about important decisions. Dane was more diplomatic in these situations, while Jarl always believed himself to be right or that his thoughts were the will of the gods. Overall, this is a good book that will appeal to lovers of Viking tales.
This book was an interesting mix of Norse mythology and magic. Characters prayed to Odin and believed their lives were fated by the gods. Along the way, Dane and his group found water that bestowed intelligence or idiocy, and Lut's runes mystically foretold the future. The concepts of faith and free will were addressed, as Dane started to question his destiny. The others were shocked when he questioned the power of the gods and their influence over mortal decisions. The story offered a curious blend of characters. Jarl was a self-centered boy and Dane's closest rival, but they became co-leaders of the quest. Dane's two best friends were known for their stupidity and body odor. Jarl's best friends were known for their drinking and fighting. Astrid was a beautiful maiden, but she was also a formidable warrior. The plot offered many opportunities for Dane and Jarl to clash, as there were physical conflicts and opposing thoughts about important decisions. Dane was more diplomatic in these situations, while Jarl always believed himself to be right or that his thoughts were the will of the gods. Overall, this is a good book that will appeal to lovers of Viking tales.
April 7, 2019
Well, I think this book is pretty ok, it's not like “THE BEST” but it’s at least enjoyable in some ways. I feel like this type of plot is used often, and well I don’t like to read the same story with different plots, it just doesn’t feel right. There’s a bully (Jarl) and there’s the damsel (Astrid), and the hero (Dane), and the villain… haven’t we heard this before. I say I love some good plot twists, but this book Doesn’t have one, it was so easy to know what will happen next. I’ve been talking mean so let's change that. The characters stayed to their personality throughout the whole book. The story actually made sense. And well if your a person who likes a bunch of beer drinking hot-heads saving a girl, then this is that book you told your friends to look for you and they never found it.
September 28, 2018
This book was a bit disconcerting and didn't quite work for me, although it could work for the right reader. I realize I'm not in the target audience, but I have enjoyed other Middle Grade fantasies (like Ranger's Apprentice).
It is a coming of age/quest fantasy story, set in Viking culture with Norse mythology elements. However, it's a deliberately "disneyfied" setting. The story is constantly attempting humor with anachronistic concepts and scatological situations. The whole thing becomes childish, even for a children's book. At its best, it can have somewhat charming moments and interesting discussions about destiny vs free will, but it's difficult to take it seriously enough to care about what's happening.
It is a coming of age/quest fantasy story, set in Viking culture with Norse mythology elements. However, it's a deliberately "disneyfied" setting. The story is constantly attempting humor with anachronistic concepts and scatological situations. The whole thing becomes childish, even for a children's book. At its best, it can have somewhat charming moments and interesting discussions about destiny vs free will, but it's difficult to take it seriously enough to care about what's happening.
October 30, 2012
Thoughts on the Overall Book: This was one of those books that I just grabbed at the library with a kind of indifference like 'it looks like it could be good, I'll give it a go'. I wasn't really sure of it, but when I started reading it I really instantly fell in love with the story, characters and writing style. It was just really funny, but with a good mix of drama and adventure thrown in as well. The characters were great, and it was overall a very pleasant surprise! It's definitely not a historical fiction, but I really like how the authors mixed in a bit of modern day stuff which would make it a more fun read for the recommended audience (12-16, I'd say) and also the mixed in Norse legends and Viking Lore. I've always been a fan of Norse Mythology, so I really liked how that was worked into this book.
Cover-- Yae or Nay: I don't mind the covers for these books. I think the picture does look like Dane, but they make it look like the book has a much darker feel than it really does. So much so, that I was totally surprised when I started reading it at how quirky and funny the story actually was. So it looks neat, but it doesn't really show what's inside the book either.
Characters: Dane is a great hero. He's flawed but he also knows how to do the right things, and I thought he was a well-crafted young protagonist. His friends are awesome too like Drott the Dim and Fulnir the Stinking, and don't forget Jarl with the gorgeous hair and an obsession with hair-care products :P I also really liked Astrid as the heroine. She was awesome because, though she was the damsel in distress, she was also more than capable of taking care of herself. And she also didn't have the Attitude at all. Sure she could throw axes better than all the men, but she never flaunted that fact.
And then there's the villain, Thidrick who liked to knit on his spare time, and also held matinée executions every saturday where children under ten could get in free. Seriously, is that not enough?
Writing Style: It was good, fast paced, and laced with humor outside of the dialogue. My favorite kind of style for this sort of book.
Problems/What bothered Me: Overall, I didn't really have any problems with this book. Since it was not presented as historical fiction, I won't say anything about the inaccuracies that were only there for the sake of humor. The only thing I had a problem with was that it seemed whenever someone got hurt they were well again, WAY too quickly. Like almost instantly, and that is a huge pet peeve of mine, but the book was enjoyable enough I'll let it slide this once.
Conclusion: 4 Stars, I really liked this book. It was a quick fun read and I look forward to reading the sequels. The authors seemed like really fun guys too, I enjoyed reading the interview in the back of the book.
Recommended Audience: I'd say this is more of a guy read, but girls who like guy reads will enjoy it too, because Astrid is a great heroine who girls would like to read about. (She's also the only girl character which makes this so much better) As I said before probably ages 12-16 would enjoy it the most. If you're looking for Viking historical fiction this is not it (Go read Judson Roberts' Strongbow Saga') but if you're looking for a fun quick read, this is a great book to pass the hours with. And I think fans of Ranger's Apprentice or John Flanagan's other books would like these a lot.
Cover-- Yae or Nay: I don't mind the covers for these books. I think the picture does look like Dane, but they make it look like the book has a much darker feel than it really does. So much so, that I was totally surprised when I started reading it at how quirky and funny the story actually was. So it looks neat, but it doesn't really show what's inside the book either.
Characters: Dane is a great hero. He's flawed but he also knows how to do the right things, and I thought he was a well-crafted young protagonist. His friends are awesome too like Drott the Dim and Fulnir the Stinking, and don't forget Jarl with the gorgeous hair and an obsession with hair-care products :P I also really liked Astrid as the heroine. She was awesome because, though she was the damsel in distress, she was also more than capable of taking care of herself. And she also didn't have the Attitude at all. Sure she could throw axes better than all the men, but she never flaunted that fact.
And then there's the villain, Thidrick who liked to knit on his spare time, and also held matinée executions every saturday where children under ten could get in free. Seriously, is that not enough?
Writing Style: It was good, fast paced, and laced with humor outside of the dialogue. My favorite kind of style for this sort of book.
Problems/What bothered Me: Overall, I didn't really have any problems with this book. Since it was not presented as historical fiction, I won't say anything about the inaccuracies that were only there for the sake of humor. The only thing I had a problem with was that it seemed whenever someone got hurt they were well again, WAY too quickly. Like almost instantly, and that is a huge pet peeve of mine, but the book was enjoyable enough I'll let it slide this once.
Conclusion: 4 Stars, I really liked this book. It was a quick fun read and I look forward to reading the sequels. The authors seemed like really fun guys too, I enjoyed reading the interview in the back of the book.
Recommended Audience: I'd say this is more of a guy read, but girls who like guy reads will enjoy it too, because Astrid is a great heroine who girls would like to read about. (She's also the only girl character which makes this so much better) As I said before probably ages 12-16 would enjoy it the most. If you're looking for Viking historical fiction this is not it (Go read Judson Roberts' Strongbow Saga') but if you're looking for a fun quick read, this is a great book to pass the hours with. And I think fans of Ranger's Apprentice or John Flanagan's other books would like these a lot.
March 19, 2009
What could have been a really enjoyable historical fantasy was hindered by what appeared to be horrendously sloppy writing and editing.
The characters, fourteen, constantly act and are described as if they are years older. I can forgive that. What I had trouble forgiving were things like:
1) The character names. Two of the main characters were named Dane and Jarl. Not so bad in a modern setting, but bear in mind that this is set a thousand years ago, in Scandinavia, when Dane was a nationality and Jarl a political rank. So, this was basically akin to naming the two characters Mexican Smith and Speaker of the House Jones [as real names:] in a modern story.
2) The sloppy fight scenes. A character, while wielding a two-handed axe, throws a hatchet. Ummm...with what stray appendage? Another character charges into battle with a bow in one hand and a sword in the other...so, how was he planning to shoot an arrow, with his teeth?
3) Incomprehensibly bad villainy. The female lead is VERY dangerous with weapons, and the villain knows this. He has her captured, bathed, re-clothed, and dragged around by his servants, and yet somehow, she manages to hide both a dagger and a goatskin of magical water on her person, right in front of them. Bear in mind that this is a healthy, athletic 14-year-old girl...and that the authors had to quickly go back and explain how she got the goatskin, which was in someone else's possession until the plot dictated that she needed it. They never did explain where she got the dagger, after repeatedly being thoroughly disarmed.
I did manage to finish the book, because I was interested enough in seeing how the authors would write their way out of the various corners, and whether any of the seemingly dead characters were really dead. I am really disappointed in their editors, though, as most of the problems with the book were very fixable.
The characters, fourteen, constantly act and are described as if they are years older. I can forgive that. What I had trouble forgiving were things like:
1) The character names. Two of the main characters were named Dane and Jarl. Not so bad in a modern setting, but bear in mind that this is set a thousand years ago, in Scandinavia, when Dane was a nationality and Jarl a political rank. So, this was basically akin to naming the two characters Mexican Smith and Speaker of the House Jones [as real names:] in a modern story.
2) The sloppy fight scenes. A character, while wielding a two-handed axe, throws a hatchet. Ummm...with what stray appendage? Another character charges into battle with a bow in one hand and a sword in the other...so, how was he planning to shoot an arrow, with his teeth?
3) Incomprehensibly bad villainy. The female lead is VERY dangerous with weapons, and the villain knows this. He has her captured, bathed, re-clothed, and dragged around by his servants, and yet somehow, she manages to hide both a dagger and a goatskin of magical water on her person, right in front of them. Bear in mind that this is a healthy, athletic 14-year-old girl...and that the authors had to quickly go back and explain how she got the goatskin, which was in someone else's possession until the plot dictated that she needed it. They never did explain where she got the dagger, after repeatedly being thoroughly disarmed.
I did manage to finish the book, because I was interested enough in seeing how the authors would write their way out of the various corners, and whether any of the seemingly dead characters were really dead. I am really disappointed in their editors, though, as most of the problems with the book were very fixable.
August 5, 2013
Okay so... I grab this book thinking that it might be one of those cool, really interesting fantasy reads. I read the jacket, seeing that it was about Vikings, and I thought, "Hey, this'll be fun. I would like to learn more about Vikings." This book was a huge disappointment! I wanted to read about Norse mythology, since I dont know much about it, and the book just barely touched on the Odin and Thor story.
This book was strange. The main character Dane the Defiant is hardly defiant at all! He's constantly described as a prankster for the first several chapters, but as the book goes on, he is nothing of the sort. He's hardly defiant either. It was just one incident in which he was somewhat defiant. Ughh... Also, these authors did not do a very good job on researching Norse history. I'm pretty sure that at weddings of tyrannical princes, dolls of said prince and soon to be bride and other merchandise were thrown to the crowd to promote the prince. They used way too many modern day terms, which doesnt make the book true to Viking origins, such as referring to the main girl as a 'minimum wage worker' or that Thor's hammer is a 'weapon of mass destruction'.
So dont pick up this book if you're intending on a small bit of education concerning Vikings. You will be disappointed. A lot.
This book was strange. The main character Dane the Defiant is hardly defiant at all! He's constantly described as a prankster for the first several chapters, but as the book goes on, he is nothing of the sort. He's hardly defiant either. It was just one incident in which he was somewhat defiant. Ughh... Also, these authors did not do a very good job on researching Norse history. I'm pretty sure that at weddings of tyrannical princes, dolls of said prince and soon to be bride and other merchandise were thrown to the crowd to promote the prince. They used way too many modern day terms, which doesnt make the book true to Viking origins, such as referring to the main girl as a 'minimum wage worker' or that Thor's hammer is a 'weapon of mass destruction'.
So dont pick up this book if you're intending on a small bit of education concerning Vikings. You will be disappointed. A lot.
February 3, 2012
First, I listened to this book in my car.
This story is about a young viking boy, Dane, trying to become a man. He has to save the country from a vicious ruler who has killed his father, stolen the girl of his dreams and is bent on ruling everyone and thing with cruelty. The stupid part was the fact that the hero is like 12 or 13 years old and the things he says and does do not reflect a child of that age. The story was at times so hard to listen to because the dialog was ridiculous. It seemed as if the author/s were trying so hard to make characters so modern, when the story itself was set so so long before now. (obviously i didn't care enough to look up or know what time frame it was exactly, other than it was during viking times...)
There were so many obnoxious and lame things about this book. So why did I keep listening to it? Mostly because I love listening to Richard Poe narrate. Although, but the end I can't imagine how he could continue reading the story because it was so lame and cheesy.
would not recommend even to my 12 year old son.
This story is about a young viking boy, Dane, trying to become a man. He has to save the country from a vicious ruler who has killed his father, stolen the girl of his dreams and is bent on ruling everyone and thing with cruelty. The stupid part was the fact that the hero is like 12 or 13 years old and the things he says and does do not reflect a child of that age. The story was at times so hard to listen to because the dialog was ridiculous. It seemed as if the author/s were trying so hard to make characters so modern, when the story itself was set so so long before now. (obviously i didn't care enough to look up or know what time frame it was exactly, other than it was during viking times...)
There were so many obnoxious and lame things about this book. So why did I keep listening to it? Mostly because I love listening to Richard Poe narrate. Although, but the end I can't imagine how he could continue reading the story because it was so lame and cheesy.
would not recommend even to my 12 year old son.
March 20, 2010
Rune Warriors by James Jennewein and Tom S. Parker
This is a young adult saga involving a Viking quest. It has all the heroic quest features with creatures, sidekicks and villains.
This is a book that should play well with the young teen. It is an easy and quick read. The dialogue is not stilted with fake language. The characters are highly flawed and demonstrate normal immaturity. Dane the defiant has to deal with his own personal foibles while becoming a chief protagonist. Demonstrating how rivals can become friends is a positive aspect of the book. Astrid is a great role model for young women, demonstrating that women do not have to be victims. She shows that women can be skilled and frightening as warriors. (Anyone who is married should already realize that but keep in mind the book is written for kids.)
The authors did a nice job showing courage, cooperation, conflict resolution while interjecting age appropriate humor.
I recommend the book .
This is a young adult saga involving a Viking quest. It has all the heroic quest features with creatures, sidekicks and villains.
This is a book that should play well with the young teen. It is an easy and quick read. The dialogue is not stilted with fake language. The characters are highly flawed and demonstrate normal immaturity. Dane the defiant has to deal with his own personal foibles while becoming a chief protagonist. Demonstrating how rivals can become friends is a positive aspect of the book. Astrid is a great role model for young women, demonstrating that women do not have to be victims. She shows that women can be skilled and frightening as warriors. (Anyone who is married should already realize that but keep in mind the book is written for kids.)
The authors did a nice job showing courage, cooperation, conflict resolution while interjecting age appropriate humor.
I recommend the book .
June 20, 2009
Rune Warriors is an exciting adventure into the past that encompasses both ancient cultures and mythology. It does a great job of mixing both humor & drama. You can actually smell, see, & hear the boisterous ancient Vikings....from their hearty meals to their colorful language to their warrior pride. I wouldn't recommend it to really young kids because of some of the violence, but, it would be fine for teens. The mix of reality and Norse Mythology are well blended and believable. Surely, frost giants DO exisit? Who could doubt it! The story of one young Viking boy growing into manhood pulls at your heartstrings as well as sets your pulse to racing to the very exciting end.
July 28, 2014
This book took a while to decide what it wanted to be. First, it started out as what was seemingly historical fiction set in the age of Vikings. Inexplicably, at some point the author's decided to make the book a strange Viking fantasy and throw in actual magic and bizarre anachronisms (many of which detracted from the overall quality of the book). I would have certainly preferred the historical fiction version of this book, and I may have even enjoyed the fantasy version (without the anachronisms), if the book had been that way from the beginning. The book had some lovable characters and enough action and excitement, but it was never able to overcome its structural problems.
March 30, 2016
This book might have been good, but there were a few parts that just kind of ruined it. First, what was with the bathroom talk. I mean, usually the author does not put going to the bathroom in their book, but these ones do, and even one of the solutions to their problem relies on "going" in the water. Also, near the end, it seemed like Grelf, the tyrant's assistant, was actually a businessman transported from the 21st century. I mean, words like "real estate?" "Merchandise?" The concept of advertising? This was a bit too much, because it seems like it is trying to put humor from a only comedy book into an action book. This book was good, but not THAT good.
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October 29, 2018Teen (BTSYA): This book was very entertaining and funny. This would be good as a gift and I'd recommend borrowing it from the library. I liked the humor and the plentiful action a lot, and there were interesting references to Vikings and Norse mythology. I would recommend it for boys because it contains flatulence jokes and other humor along those lines.
Read the Pros and our Recommendation in the full review. You can add your review, too.
Read the Pros and our Recommendation in the full review. You can add your review, too.
November 8, 2008
lushly detailed (authors write screenplays), and mix of old style viking talk (ye, thy, etc). infused w/modern day humor (dane the insane) doesn't exactly work. still, messages peppered throughout early chapters (ownership, responsibility, parental expectations, leaving legacy behind). difficult to read aloud, large vocabulary and...dense. More required from readers to understand meanings behind writing
August 17, 2012
Okay, so apparently, I read this. When: no clue. But it does sound vaguely familiar and not in a positive way. What I thought: don't really remember. But what with all the negative reviews and that fact that I certainly didn't like it as I never mentioned it to my sister and never re read it, (Now that I think about it, I'm not even sure if I finished it) I am content with never re reading it and saying that it was rubbish.
June 1, 2016
A Viking we go...! This is a fantasy hero quest that is a quick read, and I think is meant for a more young male teen audience, as the hero is that age and so is some of the humor! In this novel we have monsters, beasts, bad guys, heroes, sidekicks, damsels, Vikings and Valhalla! Basically, Dane the defiant battles Thidrek because he has woman napped her, as he wants her as a trade for the dangerous Thor's Hammer. Some smiting ensues!
October 20, 2015
Meh. I needed something to listen to in the car, and I just was too lazy to go back to the library and get another book when this one turned out to be underwhelming. The rich voice of the reader helped me stay with it, too. It feels like the target audience for this book is ten year olds, and maybe I would have liked it when I was ten, or maybe even then I would have found it simplistic.
April 12, 2011
Teenage Viking warrior, Dane joins forces with his rival, Jarl the Fair, to retrieve the Shield of Odin, revenge his father's death and save his lady love, from the evil Thidrek. Lots of adventure! fun! Boys will enjoy.
October 29, 2009
I couldn't finish this book. It's just not that good. The sections seemed disjointed and the story doesn't flow that well.
December 7, 2015
Hmmm, this book was very accurate with Norse legends, but the writing style could be a bit more developed.
March 8, 2014
good book i liked the boyish humor but a bit too romantic for my taste
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March 25, 2015This was a Good Beggining for the WHole Story
August 21, 2009
Nothing spectacular, but fun to read.
November 17, 2010
It was a good read based on Vikings' folklore/beliefs. I really liked it.
September 10, 2016
Kind of slow, but got better toward the middle.
January 15, 2017
Great viking adventure for teenage boys! Little of history, little fantasy--recommended for those who like the movie Thor!
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January 25, 2018I haven't read this book yet, but being a big fan of Percy Jackson, Magnus Chase, and The 39 Clues, I have come to understand a little bit about books that try to weave reality and fantasy or mythology. it seems to me that if these same books were being written about Adventures from the Bible, people would not be so harsh to judge the language of the time, the use of alcohol, or the believability of the storyline. That said the good reviews sound to me like reviews of the wonderful series' I have mentioned above. Sure, they're not for everyone, but that's why we have so many different kinds of books! thank you everyone
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews