Throughout the series, readers follow Jack, an apprentice Bard, as he travels (by means of being kidnapped, sent on exciting missions, or searching for lost relatives) a pre-Renaissance Europe. He meets many mythological beings (indeed, he is challenged to vanquish at least one troll, must outwit fairies, and stands his own in a mental match with Odin), learns compassion for a seemingly unthinkable enemy, learns magic as it applies to those with an affinity for nature and the arts, and makes friends both worldly and unworldy.
In addition to being fantastic narratives that move quickly and with a rich tapestry of character development and action, these books introduce Norse and early European mythologies while also offering a look at early European Christianity. There is enough fact in them to consider them historical fiction.
I recommend this trilogy to any very advanced 3rd grade reader and all ages above (even adults!).
These books are available to students and families of Greensboro Day School from the Lower School Library.
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