Sword Song

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Discovered among Rosemary Sutcliff 's papers after her death in 1992, Sword Song is the swashbuckling epic of a young Viking swordsman, banished from his home for unintentionally killing a man, who takes up a new life as a mercenary.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

For all the rough edges in Sutcliff's posthumously published novel, it nonetheless brings far-off times, peoples and places vividly to life. As the story opens, 16-year-old Bjarni Sigurdson is banished for five years from Rafnglas (for killing a man who kicked his dog), a Viking settlement in the Lake Country of present-day England. Bjarni becomes a mercenary swordsman, first shipping out to Dublin with a merchant, then attaching himself to various historical Viking leaders as they raid, fight and carouse (the Norsemen drank a lot of ale) through the Hebrides, Orkney Islands and northern Scotland. Shipwrecked in Wales, he is rescued by and in turn rescues the healer Angharad, whom he ultimately brings home to Rafnglas as his bride. A foreword notes that Sutcliff always wrote her books in three drafts, and that she was midway through the second for this novel when she died in 1992. Perhaps that explains why this third-person retelling of Norse Atlantic sagas at times seems curiously detached and episodic, in marked contrast to the smoothly paced first-person narrative of The Shining Company, published two years before her death. Studded with dashes and ambiguous pronouns, the sentences are often Jamesian in length and a glossary is sorely lacking (though there is a nicely detailed map). This may be best suited for more mature readers, but adolescents, especially boys, will likely identify with the protagonist, whose hot temper is his worst enemy, and fans of Viking lore will not be disappointed. Ages 10-up. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

School Library Journal Review

Gr 7 Up-Exiled from his home for five years, 16-year-old Bjarni Sigurdson is forced to support himself by becoming a mercenary. Although he is young and untried, he sells his sword service first to Onund Treefoot and later to Thorstein the Red, Norse chieftains who have settled in the islands west of Scotland. With his black dog Hugin in tow, the young man learns the ways of the sea and of warfare as he follows these men in battle and in peace. After five years, he decides to return home, but is cast ashore during a violent storm for one final adventure. The action-filled plot develops coherently and is less episodic than those of many journey tales. Bjarni is an appealing, well-rounded character whose growth and development keep the story focused. His early experiences are those of an adolescent, as he chases after Onund's enemies. Thorstein is involved in more serious matters, making treaties and establishing settlements, and Bjarni, too, becomes more reflective, considering his behavior and his future plans. Sutcliff wrote historical fiction as if she lived it, and this book is no exception. Particularly interesting is her portrayal of the coexistence of the old religion of the Norsemen and that of the White Christ. Although the author did not complete the final draft before her death, this is a well-crafted story that will appeal to sophisticated readers. In places the language is slightly less polished than usual, and Bjarni's final adventure is not as well integrated into the plot as the earlier ones, but still, this is vintage Sutcliff.-Barbara Scotto, Michael Driscoll School, Brookline, MA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Booklist Review

Gr. 9^-12. Discovered after Sutcliff's death, this epic tale focuses on Bjarni Sigurdson, a Viking swordsman. Banished from his homeland for accidentally killing a man, Bjarni hires himself out as a mercenary on a ship sailing from Dublin along the coast of Scotland. During years under the seafaring mentorship of Onund Treefoot, Bjarni grows from boy to man, living the life and learning the trade of a mercenary and eventually discovering the woman who will capture his heart. Whether Sutcliff is calling up the ale houses of Dublin or the battle-torn moors of Scotland, her descriptive language and dialogue transport readers back to a time and place not usually visited in young people's fiction. Fans accustomed to her intriguing subjects and masterful storytelling will not be disappointed. --Helen Rosenberg

Horn Book Review

(Intermediate) Admirers of Rosemary Sutcliff's works will rejoice at the posthumous publication of a historical novel about a young Viking warrior. Bjarni Sigurdson is barely sixteen when he is banished from his settlement on the west coast of Scotland for accidentally killing a man. So he sets out to make a life for himself as a swordsman. His luck at first is hard; all his money is stolen and he is humiliatingly denied work as a member of the King's bodyguard in Dublin. But he comes across a stray dog whom he adopts, and finds his place as hired sword to the Viking seafarer Onund Treefoot, who becomes his hero. Both lucky and sufficiently skillful as a swordsman and seaman to survive, he works for various masters, good and bad, over the five years of his exile. His final adventure is saving a young woman, Angharad, from her greedy and vicious cousin. When, after five years, Bjarni returns home, it's on horseback, accompanied by his woman and his hound, bearing two fine swords, and with a ""fine tale to tell in the Hearth Hall after supper."" Sutcliff's careful handling of how a young man, influenced by hero-worship and the force of custom, deals with the difficult choices that lead to maturity is nothing short of masterly. An unexpected and most welcome gift. a.a.f. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Book Review

An action book if there ever was one, found in full draft among the prolific Sutcliff's papers at the time of her death in 1992, and a fine last gift. Set in a time when the British Isles were wild places, with Norsemen and Painted People, Picts and pirates, readers follow the adventures of Bjarni Sigurdson, a teenage boy exiled from his home for five years for accidentally killing a priest of the White Christ. During those five years, he makes himself and his sword available for hire from Dublin and the island of Iona to Barra, Harris, and Kyle. Every page is rich in the detail of living on land and by sea: ship battles, wedding feasts, and the getting of food are side by side with storytelling, the search for god or gods, and the harper's song. Bjarni grows, never abandoning the loyal dog who follows him and waits while he is at sea. A few strong women enrich the story: Lady Aud the Deep-Minded in whose son's service Bjarni learns much, and Angharad, the Welsh healer who becomes his wife. A glorious tale, full of pulse and power. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.