I picked up Icefall at a book fair at the University of South Florida. I came as an alumnus to talk to my old professors and to showcase The Princess of Aenya. They accepted two autographed copies of my book and offered me one of their autographed titles in return, and since I love Norse mythology, I couldn’t pass up on it, despite its lower lexile.
While Icefall is suitable reading for middle school children, a good story is a good story, and I found Matthew J. Kirby’s Icefall to be a pleasant surprise, especially since I knew nothing about it going in. The story takes place during the Viking Age, with the king of the Nords sending his family into hiding in a small steading in the frozen fjords of Norway. Solveig, his youngest, is an engaging and likable heroine with an interesting character arc, growing into her own from a shy and frightened princess into a skald, or storyteller, who helps inspire her companions during the worst of hardships.
The Art of Storytelling 
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