Overview

'Unlike my father,' said Thor fiercely, 'I believe in the seer's visions. He saw you entering the City of Ice.' 'Did he see me leave?' After barely surviving a giant mythical boar attack on her way to school, Cinder Moss realizes her questing days are far from over. Shield Maiden Trigga is back, newly promoted to Odin's Elite Guard and harbouring a secret too dark to share. Together, Cinder and the Valkyrie return to the Proving Grounds, hoping the Stormbringer can pick up where she left off, and save the Nine Realms from the Twilight of the Gods. As if the approach of Ragnarok wasn't bad enough, Thor's hammer has been taken for a murder he didn't commit. Or at least he claims he didn't do it. Cinder is not the only one that questions his innocence---the God of Thunder's closest allies in Asgard are dropping faster than the temperature in Jotunheim, and as Thor's Thronerunner, only Cinder can retrieve the legendary weapon from the City of Ice. No pressure. Can Cinder and her friends survive a horde of crocodile-human hybrids, a two-headed Elvis impersonator, a haunted hockey rink in Canada, and war with the frost giants? Thor has faith in Cinder, but Odin is betting against her. Again. The god's errand girl is back, and the ancient prophecy isn't going to fulfil itself.

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9781638192336

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Reviews

In Boden's debut middle-grade fantasy novel, a contemporary tween girl is prophesied to save the Nine Realms of Norse mythology. Seventh grader Cindrheim Vustora Moss doesn't back down from a fight; when an invisible monster charges her at her Virginia school, she's lucky that four powerful, sword-wielding girls suddenly show up to help. They're Predators, warriors from the realm of Vanaheim who were sent to protect Cinder, though they don't know why. They take her to Iceland, where she's flabbergasted to meet figures whom she'd always believed to be mythological beings, from the Valkyries to Odin the Allfather. Evidently, an ancient prophecy indicates that Cinder will somehow save the Nine Realms, but she won't get details about her quest until just before she embarks on it. In the meantime, Cinder trains in combat and braves the harrowing Gauntlet, which includes a pit of assorted creatures (like bloodsucking slugs). It's grueling work, and the quest is sure to be rife with danger; will Cinder rise to the challenge to see her mission through? Boden's novel (and prospective series kickoff) boasts a sublime young hero. Cinder certainly has her flaws, like a confidence that occasionally slips into arrogance. At the same time, she is courageous and indefatigable, and she puts others' well-being above her own. The author blends taut descriptions of Norse gods and mythology with contemporary dialogue that pops. In addition to the deities, the extensive cast ranges from vicious insectlike creatures to the instantly likable half-elf Brandon, who hails from California. All of this is a lot for Cinder to absorb--the story never forgets that she's a 12-year-old girl. (Tristan, who designed the Gauntlet, may be a haughty jerk, but he's also the ""cutest boy [Cinder has] ever seen."") This first installment ends with one of Cinder's goals checked off but plenty of lingering questions. A hefty, entertaining fantasy. Our verdict: Get it."" --Kirkus Indie, Kirkus Reviews

Author Information

Greg Boden discovered his passion for writing about things that never happened when his short story Lady in the Market took first place in a college writing contest and was published in the San Joaquin Review. Stormbringer, his first full-length novel, was a thousand years in the making but took a much shorter time to actually write. Greg is a school counselor by day, writer by night, and a reader of all things make-believe. He resides in California's Central Valley, where together with his wife, Yvette, he raised four children and a cat with one eye.

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