Sunday, May 16, 2010

Odd and the Frost Giants

"Odd and the Frost Giants" is a fanciful children's tale set in a frozen Nordic setting. Odd is the name of the hero of the story, and while that might seem strange to you or I, in that place it was actually a lucky name to have, because it means "the tip of a blade."

Odd was, um, a bit strange though. His father had been killed in a sea raid, which was fairly normal, but these particular circumstances weren't. Not long after that, Odd crippled accidentally with an axe, forever solidifying his place as "different" among the villagers.

One lonely winter day Odd decides that he needs to get away from the cramped winter quarters and the arguments, and he goes off by himself in the woods. There he meets some interesting animals, that he soon discovers are not animals at all, but gods who have been trapped in animal form!

Next thing Odd knows he's off to talk with Frost Giants and on the adventure of his life! It's a fun and quick read, I completely enjoyed it, and I would love to share it with a child. It does get a little tense at times, but there's nothing super-dark in here like there is with some of Gaiman's other writings.

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