Splintered Sword

by Henry/ Keeping Treece

In the last days of the Viking era, young Runolf of Orkney, dazzled by an idealization of the Viking world of folksong and myth, set out to seek his fortune with a band of ruthless adventurers.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Childrens

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1965

Reviews

[Garry Nixon · Rating 4 out of 5]

That cover and the description bring it all back: the somewhat low-rent vikings of Orkney, a world away from Harald and Miklagaard. Brilliant.

[Gill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Currently I have a journal to make an entry in called History:The Vikings. I thought this was a book I had read in childhood, but looking at its published date it must have been that I read it with/to or was read it by one of my sons. Probably read to by my older dyslexic son Adrian, the subject matter would have appealed to him, and he was a reluctant reader until 15 when he took up reading French and Russian heavyweights before going off to Uni to study history and becoming an EFL teacher and later writer himself.
The story is of a fostered boy growing up on an Island Stroma, just off the north coast of Scotland, and his voyage of discovery and self discovery. It is pacy and the central figure is no hero, but a boy many boys will identify with. The story centres round his adventures and is full of action, it perhaps lacks a lot of historical detail but it caters perfectly for the audience it is written for and I found it was a very good fast read.