A huge part of the plot concerns the role of women in
society. Frigg is a female dwarf in a culture where only males can become
leaders or learn to fight. They’re expected to be domestic but Frigg hates the
idea of cooking, sewing, and taking care of a home. She longs for adventure and
sometimes spies on the boys while they’re getting battle training. Her tutor
offers lessons beyond domestication skills so Frigg is more worldly and
independent than most female dwarves. That doesn’t usually help when trying to
reason with her father, the leader of the dwarves and the realm of Nadavir.
The author casts humans as evil beings as unicorns, elves,
and other magical creatures have ventured underground to find refuge living
with the dwarves. Humans are destroying trees and digging up the earth, forcing
the creatures to flee their homes. Frigg’s quest to find Anasgar will take her
through the human world with the knowledge that she’ll likely be killed by them
if discovered. She has no experience aboveground and the group she’s formed,
reluctantly, offers a little bit of hope for success. A pixie, elf, unicorn,
and glowworm provide their own special talents to the quest. It’s unlikely Frigg
will complete the journey without encountering humans and they will present
problems and surprises she never expects. Readers will enjoy the creative
twists in the plot.
I especially appreciate the concept of the legendary world
of Anasgar. The dwarves know their ancestors lived there many years ago and no
living dwarf remembers why communication between the two realms was halted.
Many fear Anasgar is inhabited by malevolent dwarves and reopening contact with
them will doom the peace-loving Nadavir. However, the dwarves need help to
defeat the invading trolls. These conflicting ideas make Frigg’s mission to
find Anasgar similar to opening Pandora’s Box. Will finding these ancestors be
the dwarves’ salvation or will it release even greater threats?
What didn’t work as well:
Some of the narrative
lacks detail or moves a little too quickly so the scenes aren’t as descriptive
as they might be. The narrative is still engaging but it sometimes feels like
something is missing. However, the overall story is still extremely entertaining
and should appeal to most middle-grade readers.
The Final Verdict:
Frigg is a wonderful underdog character who is determined to
save her friends and other magical creatures. Females take on prominent roles
and prejudices are challenged by the circumstances. Lovers of mythical beings
will enjoy the story, and I highly recommend you give it a shot!
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