Suvudu Universe

Thrones & Bones: Frostborn is the first book in a three book Young Adult fantasy adventure series from author Lou Anders. Released on August 5th, 2014 in hardcover, eBook, and audio book formats this middle grade (ages 9-11, grades 3-6) novel is a very impressive debut from Anders.

The novel centers on a pair of unlikely friends and protagonists in Karn Korlundrson the future heir to the title of Hauld and the family farm, and the half-giant, half-human girl Thianna. Karn is a young man obsessed with a strategy board game which gives the series it’s title, “Thrones & Bones” who has no interest in the life of a farmer and the responsibility that he has inherited. Thianna is an outcast among her own people because of her mixed blood with the exception of a loving father and female mentor. Thianna is constantly trying to out frost giant the other frost giants. She wants nothing more than to be accepted into her community.

Publisher’s Summary:

Fantasy fans of Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and John Flanagan’s Ranger’s Apprentice series will embrace this first novel in an adventure-filled, Viking-inspired series by a debut author.

Meet Karn. He is destined to take over the family farm in Norrøngard. His only problem? He’d rather be playing the board game Thrones and Bones.

Enter Thianna. Half human, half frost giantess. She’s too tall to blend in with other humans but too short to be taken seriously as a giant.

When family intrigues force Karn and Thianna to flee into the wilderness, they have to keep their sense of humor and their wits about them. But survival can be challenging when you’re being chased by a 1,500-year-old dragon, Helltoppr the undead warrior and his undead minions, an evil uncle, wyverns, and an assortment of trolls and giants.

Readers will embark on a sweeping epic fantasy as they join Karn and Thianna on a voyage of discovery. Antics and hair-raising escapades abound in this fantasy adventure as the two forge a friendship and journey to unknown territory. Their plan: to save their families from harm.

Debut novelist Lou Anders has created a rich world of over twenty-five countries inhabited by Karn, Thianna, and an array of fantastical creatures, as well as the Thrones and Bones board game.

 

Anders does a terrific job introducing the two main characters and communicating their motivations easily to the reader. His introduction of Karn and Thianna is the bait to hook readers, where the novel really starts to draw you in is the world that he creates influenced by Norse mythology. The world of Norrøngard is inhabited by some common fantasy creatures such as giants, trolls, dragons, the undead, and wyverns. By utilizing these common elements it is easy for readers to get quickly up to speed with the new elements of Norse culture and language that are introduced. The actions of characters in Frostborn has real consequences and we see both violence and death handled in a satisfying but responsible way. The conclusion of the novel sets gives us resolution for the characters and sets them up nicely for the next book in the series.

The only thing that took me out of what was other wise a very enjoyable reading experience was some of the dialogue that  used modern American vernacular. This use of language was sporadic and may not bother younger readers but it is something that I found distracting.

Having read both J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series and Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series, I think fans of those books will also enjoy reading this novel. If you are a parent that enjoys fantasy novels this book would also be a great entry point to introduce the genre to your children. I really enjoyed that this book did not feel as derivative which is a feeling I got reading the Percy Jackson series, thankfully Karn and Thianna aren’t in school but out in the world, and it is a world I look forward to seeing them explore some more.

For more on Thrones & Bones: Frostborn which is on sale now visit the official series website, Facebook and Twitter pages.

Author’s Note: A review copy was provided by the publisher for the purposes of this review.