Daughter of Doom

Two teens from different backgrounds become unlikely friends and allies in this engaging historical adventure set in 870 Denmark. Fifteen-year-old Yrsa—who was born with a crooked foot and walks with a limp and who recently uncovered a gift for prophecy—has only ever known her home of Mimir’s Stool, in which she has been raised by her father, Toke the Helmsman, to fulfill her reluctant duty of marrying a wealthy man. Then her father returns from a raid with Sister Job, a teen nun claiming to be descended from Charlemagne, hoping to exchange Job for a massive ransom from her affluent family. While he awaits their response, Yrsa and Job bond, despite their religious and cultural differences. And when they’re forced to kill the village captain’s son in self-defense following an act of sexual violence, the girls flee the village, seeking safety from those pursuing vengeance. Van Rijckeghem (Ironhead, or Once a Young Lady) offers a sweeping, atmospheric story of faith and friendship set against a tumultuous world that juxtaposes the violence of Yrsa’s peoples’ Viking raiding parties with the perceived serenity of Job’s station. Though the slow-burning tale features a large cast, it never loses sight of its two heroines and their steadfast bond. Ages 12–up. (June)