Sutcliff's books often have a theme of unspoken communication, where the most important interactions aren't verbal, because the characters understand each other on a deep level. And I loved watching how that played out here. ( )

Oh, how I love this book and this author. I've greatly missed Rosemary Sutcliff in the short while since I've read a book by her, and I'm so glad I re-read this gem.

It's by turns sweet and beautiful and heartbreaking and intense and peaceful and emotional and deep and altogether awesome. I'm ever amazed by the author's masterful skill in writing. Her settings are achingly gorgeous and vivid, as are her complex and compelling characters. The writing has a natural musical rhythm, and the words themselves are crafted and combined exquisitely and beautifully.

I love Frytha, Bjorn, and each of the valiant and faithful band of Viking men and women who fight to the last to defend their people and homeland - and I wish I had a fraction of their courage and determination.

I love the friendships portrayed between the characters, especially Bjorn and Frytha's innocent, deep, loyal, and committed friendship.

I love the countless vivid and human characters portrayed, how they seem to come to life and walk off the page, and how the author makes me care about or hate each one of them.

I love the sections of riveting intensity and suspense that crush my heart and quite literally cause me to grip my book with white knuckles and sit rigidly on the edge of my seat.

I love the example of leadership shown by the Viking chieftains, how their people love them and would follow them into any battle, and how the author makes me feel the same.

I love Bjorn's inner struggle seen through Frytha's eyes - his passage through the valleys of immense fear and loneliness and his journey to find peace, belonging, and a place in his world.

I love the living, majestic, wild beauty of the Lake Land, from the towering fells and shining meres to the sun in the birch leaves and the wind in the heather.

I love the lilting music of the glistening bright harp song and the wild cry of birds overhead.
I love the way Frytha and Bjorn never fail to take on hardship together and continuously defend, comfort, and stand up for each other.

I love the grittily raw and real portrayal of the glory and horrors of war, battle, and blood, as the characters fight to the death to defend their homeland.

I love the quiet peace and thoughtful contemplation of the moments and periods between - and how the danger and suspense pulses beneath those as well.

I love Bjorn and Frytha's heroic courage and determination even when facing colossal fear, danger, harm, and threat of death.

And I love the almost tangible feeling of the true shield ring, the "something in the hearts of men" that drives them to stand and fight to whatever end for family, people, and home. ( )

A very rich story about a time I knew nothing about - I had no clue the Domesday Book stopped at the foot of the Lakelands because the Conqueror hadn't gotten all of England (well, I didn't know it had stopped, let alone why). It's a fascinating story for the history - the people only make it better. Frytha the Saxon girl, brought among the Norsemen as a child because her home had been destroyed by the Normans, and Bjorn, who adopted her as his partner and shadow. There's a great deal not spoken between them - Frytha thinks of it, sometimes, but they understand what they need to. And all of this is background to many years of battle and preparing for battle - that would be a grand story by itself, but the depth is provided by the characters. I think this one will get a reread or two. ( )

Great story, memorable characters, and an historical setting presented so vividly you can smell the blood, ale, and peat smoke.

The prose is a little dense for current reading tastes, and you might want to keep a dictionary handy. (Know what a 'beck' is? How about a 'fell'? Neither did I.)

But if you like Vikings, history, romance, and sympathetic, understated heroes and heroines, this beck's for you. ( )

A pretty good description of an obscure by-way of English History. I didn't know that there were Scandinavians hanging around in the Lake Country of England, so late as that. ( )